1. Academic Validation
  2. Cathepsin C from extracellular histone-induced M1 alveolar macrophages promotes NETosis during lung ischemia-reperfusion injury

Cathepsin C from extracellular histone-induced M1 alveolar macrophages promotes NETosis during lung ischemia-reperfusion injury

  • Redox Biol. 2024 Aug:74:103231. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2024.103231.
Jing Yu 1 Yu Fu 2 Jiameng Gao 2 Qingqing Zhang 2 Nan Zhang 2 Zhiyuan Zhang 2 Xuemei Jiang 2 Chang Chen 3 Zongmei Wen 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan, China.
  • 2 Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
  • 3 Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: chenthoracic@163.com.
  • 4 Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: wzm1103@126.com.
Abstract

Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) is a severe form of acute lung injury resulting from lung ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R) in lung transplantation (LTx), associated with elevated post-transplant morbidity and mortality rates. Neutrophils infiltrating during reperfusion are identified as pivotal contributors to lung I/R injury by releasing excessive neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) via NETosis. While alveolar macrophages (AMs) are involved in regulating neutrophil chemotaxis and infiltration, their role in NETosis during lung I/R remains inadequately elucidated. Extracellular histones constitute the main structure of NETs and can activate AMs. In this study, we confirmed the significant involvement of extracellular histone-induced M1 phenotype of AMs (M1-AMs) in driving NETosis during lung I/R. Using secretome analysis, public protein databases, and transwell co-culture models of AMs and neutrophils, we identified Cathepsin C (CTSC) derived from AMs as a major mediator in NETosis. Further elucidating the molecular mechanisms, we found that CTSC induced NETosis through a pathway dependent on NADPH oxidase-mediated production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). CTSC could significantly activate p38 MAPK, resulting in the phosphorylation of the NADPH Oxidase subunit p47phox, thereby facilitating the trafficking of cytoplasmic subunits to the cell membrane and activating NADPH Oxidase. Moreover, CTSC up-regulated and activated its substrate membrane proteinase 3 (mPR3), resulting in an increased release of NETosis-related inflammatory factors. Inhibiting CTSC revealed great potential in mitigating NETosis-related injury during lung I/R. These findings suggests that CTSC from AMs may be a crucial factor in mediating NETosis during lung I/R, and targeting CTSC inhition may represent a novel intervention for PGD in LTx.

Keywords

Alveolar macrophages; Cathepsin C; Lung ischemia-reperfusion injury; NADPH oxidase; NETosis.

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