Moscowitz Anna Elizabeth, Asif Huda, Lindenmaier Laurence Baily, Calzadilla Andrew, Zhang Chongxu, Mirsaeidi Mehdi
School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States.
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States.
Front Med (Lausanne). 2019 Jun 27;6:145. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2019.00145. eCollection 2019.
Melanocortin agonists are ancient neuropeptides that have steroidogenesis and anti-inflammatory properties. They activate melanocortin receptors (MCR), a family of five seven-transmembrane G-protein coupled receptors. MC1R and MC3R are mainly involved in immunomodulatory effects. Adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and alpha-Melanocortin stimulating hormone (α-MSH) reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines in several pulmonary inflammatory disorders including asthma, sarcoidosis, and the acute respiratory distress syndrome. They have also been shown to reduce fibrogenesis in animal models with pulmonary fibrosis. By understanding the functions of MCR in macrophages, T-helper cell type 1, and T-helper cell type 17, we may uncover the mechanism of action of melanocortin agonists in sarcoidosis. Further translational and clinical research is needed to define the role of ACTH and α-MSH in pulmonary diseases.
促黑素激动剂是一类具有甾体生成和抗炎特性的古老神经肽。它们激活促黑素受体（MCR），这是一个由五个七跨膜G蛋白偶联受体组成的家族。MC1R和MC3R主要参与免疫调节作用。促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）和α-促黑素（α-MSH）可减少包括哮喘、结节病和急性呼吸窘迫综合征在内的多种肺部炎症性疾病中的促炎细胞因子。在肺纤维化动物模型中，它们也被证明可减少纤维生成。通过了解MCR在巨噬细胞、1型辅助性T细胞和17型辅助性T细胞中的功能，我们可能会揭示促黑素激动剂在结节病中的作用机制。需要进一步的转化研究和临床研究来确定ACTH和α-MSH在肺部疾病中的作用。
