Long non-coding RNA H19 deficiency ameliorates bleomycin-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis

Background: The poor understanding of pathogenesis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) impaired development of effective therapeutic strategies. The aim of the current study is to investigate the roles of long non-coding RNA H19 (lncRNA H19) in the pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis of IPF.

Methods: Bleomycin was used to induce pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in mice. The mRNAs and proteins expression in lung tissues was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. H19 knockout (H19^-/-) mice were generated by CRISPR/Cas9.

Results: The expression of H19 mRNA was up-regulated in fibrotic lungs patients with IPF as well as in lungs tissues that obtained from bleomycin-treated mice. H19^-/- mice suppressed bleomycin-mediated pulmonary inflammation and inhibited the Il6/STAT3 signaling. H19 deficiency ameliorated bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and repressed the activation of TGF-β/Smad and S1PR2/SphK2 in the lungs of bleomycin-treated mice.

Conclusions: Our data suggests that H19 is a profibrotic lncRNA and a potential therapeutic target for IPF.