Exp Mol Med.  2007 Oct;39(5):629-640.

Change of connexin 37 in allergen-induced airway inflammation

• Park SJ
• Lee KS
• Kim SR
• Min KH
• Lee KY
• Choe YH
• Park SY
• Hong SH
• Lee YC

Abstract

Gap junction channels formed with connexins directly link to the cytoplasm of adjacent cells and have been implicated in intercellular signaling. Connexin 37 (Cx37) is expressed in the gas-exchange region of the lung. Recently, Cx37 has been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disease. However, no data are available on the role of Cx37 in allergic airway inflammatory disease. In the present study, we used a murine model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic airway disease and primary murine epithelial cells to examine the change of Cx37 in allergic airway disease. These mice develop the following typical pathophysiological features of asthma: airway hyperresponsiveness, airway inflammation, and increased IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, eotaxin, and RANTES levels in lungs. Cx37 protein and mRNA expression were decreased in OVA-induced allergic airway disease. Immunoreactive Cx37 localized in epithelial layers around the bronchioles in control mice, which dramatically disappeared in allergen-induced asthmatic lungs. Moreover, the levels of Cx37 protein in lung tissues showed significantly negative correlations with airway inflammation, airway responsiveness, and levels of Th2 cytokines in lungs. These findings indicate that change of Cx37 may be associated with the asthma phenotype.

Keyword

asthma; connexin 37; epithelial cells; gap junctions; inflammation mediators; models, animal; respiratory system

MeSH Terms

Airway Resistance
Allergens/toxicity
Animals
Asthma/etiology/genetics/immunology/*metabolism
Base Sequence
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/cytology
Cell Adhesion Molecules/metabolism
Cells, Cultured
Chemokines/metabolism
Connexins/genetics/*metabolism
Cytokines/metabolism
DNA Primers/genetics
Disease Models, Animal
Epithelial Cells/metabolism
Female
Lung/immunology/metabolism/pathology
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Ovalbumin/immunology/toxicity
RNA, Messenger/genetics/metabolism
Trachea/metabolism