Lactoferrin induces tropoelastin expression by activating the lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1-mediated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway in human dermal fibroblasts.

Dermal fibroblasts generate the extracellular matrix component elastin, which is synthesized as tropoelastin (TE) and play a critical role in maintaining skin elasticity. Lactoferrin (Lf), an 80-kDa iron-binding glycoprotein, has biological functions such as anti-bacterial, -inflammatory, and -cancer activities. We previously reported that bovine Lf increases TE mRNA expression in human dermal fibroblasts. However, it remains unclear how Lf up-regulates TE expression. Here, we investigated molecular mechanisms underlying this effect. Lf promoted the phosphorylation of Akt1 and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK)1/2. As expected, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002 and the MAPK inhibitor U0126 inhibited Lf-induced phosphorylation of Akt1 and ERK1/2, respectively. In contrast, LY294002, but not U0126, inhibited Lf-induced TE expression. Human dermal fibroblasts expressed lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP-1) mRNA, and the LRP1 inhibitor receptor-associated protein attenuated Lf-induced increases in TE expression. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated knockdown of LRP-1 significantly suppressed Lf-increased TE expression and Lf-induced Akt1 phosphorylation. Iron-saturated Lf (holo-Lf) increased TE expression and promoted Akt1 phosphorylation, when compared to those parameters in cells treated with iron-free Lf (apo-Lf). Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 also increased TE expression. LY294002 inhibited TGF-β1-mediated TE upregulation, whereas TGF-β1 activated Akt2, but not Akt1, phosphorylation. These results indicate that holo-Lf, but not apo-Lf, increases TE expression through LRP-1 in human dermal fibroblasts and suggest that holo-Lf and TGF-β1 enhance TE expression by activating the PI3K/Akt1 and PI3K/Akt2 pathways, respectively.