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A comprehensive map of proteoglycan expression and deposition in the pulmonary arterial wall in health and pulmonary hypertension

Mutgan, Ayse Ceren LU ; Radic, Nemanja ; Valzano, Francesco ; Crnkovic, Slaven ; El-Merhie, Natalia ; Evermann, Matthias ; Hoetzenecker, Konrad ; Foris, Vasile ; Brcic, Luka and Marsh, Leigh M. , et al. (2024) In American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology 327(2). p.173-188
Abstract

Changes in the extracellular matrix of pulmonary arteries (PAs) are a key aspect of vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension (PH). Yet, our understanding of the alterations affecting the proteoglycan (PG) family remains limited. We sought to investigate the expression and spatial distribution of major vascular PGs in PAs from healthy individuals and various PH groups (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: PH-COPD, pulmonary fibrosis: PH-PF, idiopathic: IPAH). PG regulation, deposition, and synthesis were notably heightened in IPAH, followed by PH-PF, with minor alterations in PH-COPD. Single-cell analysis unveiled cell-type and disease-specific PG regulation. Agrin expression, a basement membrane PG, was increased in IPAH, with PA... (More)

Changes in the extracellular matrix of pulmonary arteries (PAs) are a key aspect of vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension (PH). Yet, our understanding of the alterations affecting the proteoglycan (PG) family remains limited. We sought to investigate the expression and spatial distribution of major vascular PGs in PAs from healthy individuals and various PH groups (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: PH-COPD, pulmonary fibrosis: PH-PF, idiopathic: IPAH). PG regulation, deposition, and synthesis were notably heightened in IPAH, followed by PH-PF, with minor alterations in PH-COPD. Single-cell analysis unveiled cell-type and disease-specific PG regulation. Agrin expression, a basement membrane PG, was increased in IPAH, with PA endothelial cells (PAECs) identified as a major source. PA smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) mainly produced large-PGs, aggrecan and versican, and small-leucine-like proteoglycan (SLRP) biglycan, whereas the major PGs produced by adventitial fibroblasts were SLRP decorin and lumican. In IPAH and PF-PH, the neointima-forming PASMC population increased the expression of all investigated large-PGs and SLRPs, except fibroblast-predominant decorin (DCN). Expression of lumican, versican, and biglycan also positively correlated with collagen 1a1/1a2 expression in PASMCs in patients with IPAH and PH-PF. We demonstrated that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-b) regulates versican and biglycan expression, indicating their contribution to vessel fibrosis in IPAH and PF-PH. We furthermore show that certain circulating PG levels display a disease-dependent pattern, with increased decorin and lumican across all patient groups, while versican was elevated in PH-COPD and IPAH and biglycan reduced in IPAH. These findings suggest unique compartment-specific PG regulation in different forms of PH, indicating distinct pathological processes. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) pulmonary arteries (PAs) displayed the greatest proteoglycan (PG) changes, with PH associated with pulmonary fibrosis (PH-PF) and PH associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (PH-COPD) following. Agrin, an endothelial cell-specific PG, was solely upregulated in IPAH. Among all cells, neo-intimaforming smooth muscle cells (SMCs) displayed the most significant PG increase. Increased levels of circulating decorin, lumican, and versican, mainly derived from SMCs, and adventitial fibroblasts, may serve as systemic indicators of pulmonary remodeling, reflecting perivascular fibrosis and neointima formation.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
biglycan, proteoglycans, pulmonary hypertension, vascular remodeling, versican
in
American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology
volume
327
issue
2
pages
173 - 188
publisher
American Physiological Society
external identifiers
  • pmid:38771138
  • scopus:85198913716
ISSN
1040-0605
DOI
10.1152/ajplung.00022.2024
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d546c127-ff73-4cdc-b739-496ec8f1581a
date added to LUP
2024-09-10 14:56:00
date last changed
2024-09-10 14:57:27
@article{d546c127-ff73-4cdc-b739-496ec8f1581a,
  abstract     = {{<p>Changes in the extracellular matrix of pulmonary arteries (PAs) are a key aspect of vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension (PH). Yet, our understanding of the alterations affecting the proteoglycan (PG) family remains limited. We sought to investigate the expression and spatial distribution of major vascular PGs in PAs from healthy individuals and various PH groups (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: PH-COPD, pulmonary fibrosis: PH-PF, idiopathic: IPAH). PG regulation, deposition, and synthesis were notably heightened in IPAH, followed by PH-PF, with minor alterations in PH-COPD. Single-cell analysis unveiled cell-type and disease-specific PG regulation. Agrin expression, a basement membrane PG, was increased in IPAH, with PA endothelial cells (PAECs) identified as a major source. PA smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) mainly produced large-PGs, aggrecan and versican, and small-leucine-like proteoglycan (SLRP) biglycan, whereas the major PGs produced by adventitial fibroblasts were SLRP decorin and lumican. In IPAH and PF-PH, the neointima-forming PASMC population increased the expression of all investigated large-PGs and SLRPs, except fibroblast-predominant decorin (DCN). Expression of lumican, versican, and biglycan also positively correlated with collagen 1a1/1a2 expression in PASMCs in patients with IPAH and PH-PF. We demonstrated that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-b) regulates versican and biglycan expression, indicating their contribution to vessel fibrosis in IPAH and PF-PH. We furthermore show that certain circulating PG levels display a disease-dependent pattern, with increased decorin and lumican across all patient groups, while versican was elevated in PH-COPD and IPAH and biglycan reduced in IPAH. These findings suggest unique compartment-specific PG regulation in different forms of PH, indicating distinct pathological processes. NEW &amp; NOTEWORTHY Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) pulmonary arteries (PAs) displayed the greatest proteoglycan (PG) changes, with PH associated with pulmonary fibrosis (PH-PF) and PH associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (PH-COPD) following. Agrin, an endothelial cell-specific PG, was solely upregulated in IPAH. Among all cells, neo-intimaforming smooth muscle cells (SMCs) displayed the most significant PG increase. Increased levels of circulating decorin, lumican, and versican, mainly derived from SMCs, and adventitial fibroblasts, may serve as systemic indicators of pulmonary remodeling, reflecting perivascular fibrosis and neointima formation.</p>}},
  author       = {{Mutgan, Ayse Ceren and Radic, Nemanja and Valzano, Francesco and Crnkovic, Slaven and El-Merhie, Natalia and Evermann, Matthias and Hoetzenecker, Konrad and Foris, Vasile and Brcic, Luka and Marsh, Leigh M. and Tran-Lundmark, Karin and Jandl, Katharina and Kwapiszewska, Grazyna}},
  issn         = {{1040-0605}},
  keywords     = {{biglycan; proteoglycans; pulmonary hypertension; vascular remodeling; versican}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{173--188}},
  publisher    = {{American Physiological Society}},
  series       = {{American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology}},
  title        = {{A comprehensive map of proteoglycan expression and deposition in the pulmonary arterial wall in health and pulmonary hypertension}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajplung.00022.2024}},
  doi          = {{10.1152/ajplung.00022.2024}},
  volume       = {{327}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}