Department of Ophthalmology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021 Feb 1;11:607968. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2020.607968. eCollection 2020.
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-induced differentiation of orbital fibroblasts into myofibroblasts is an important pathogenesis of Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) and leads to orbital tissue fibrosis. In the present study, we explored the antifibrotic effects of simvastatin and ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 in primary cultured GO orbital fibroblasts and tried to explain the molecular mechanisms behind these effects. Both simvastatin and Y-27632 inhibited TGF-β-induced α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression, which serves as a marker of fibrosis. The inhibitory effect of simvastatin on TGF-β-induced RhoA, ROCK1, and α-SMA expression could be reversed by geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, an intermediate in the biosynthesis of cholesterol. This suggested that the mechanism of simvastatin-mediated antifibrotic effects may involve RhoA/ROCK signaling. Furthermore, simvastatin and Y-27632 suppressed TGF-β-induced phosphorylation of ERK and p38. The TGF-β-mediated α-SMA expression was suppressed by pharmacological inhibitors of p38 and ERK. These results suggested that simvastatin inhibits TGF-β-induced myofibroblast differentiation suppression of the RhoA/ROCK/ERK and p38 MAPK signaling pathways. Thus, our study provides evidence that simvastatin and ROCK inhibitors may be potential therapeutic drugs for the prevention and treatment of orbital fibrosis in GO.
转化生长因子-β(TGF-β)诱导眼眶成纤维细胞向肌成纤维细胞分化是格雷夫斯眼病(GO)的重要发病机制,并导致眼眶组织纤维化。在本研究中,我们探讨了辛伐他汀和 ROCK 抑制剂 Y-27632 对原代培养的 GO 眼眶成纤维细胞的抗纤维化作用,并试图解释这些作用背后的分子机制。辛伐他汀和 Y-27632 均抑制 TGF-β诱导的α-平滑肌肌动蛋白(α-SMA)表达,后者是纤维化的标志物。辛伐他汀对 TGF-β诱导的 RhoA、ROCK1 和 α-SMA 表达的抑制作用可被胆固醇生物合成中的中间产物香叶基香叶基焦磷酸所逆转。这表明辛伐他汀介导的抗纤维化作用机制可能涉及 RhoA/ROCK 信号通路。此外,辛伐他汀和 Y-27632 抑制 TGF-β诱导的 ERK 和 p38 的磷酸化。p38 和 ERK 的药理学抑制剂抑制 TGF-β介导的α-SMA 表达。这些结果表明,辛伐他汀抑制 TGF-β诱导的肌成纤维细胞分化,抑制 RhoA/ROCK/ERK 和 p38 MAPK 信号通路。因此,我们的研究为辛伐他汀和 ROCK 抑制剂可能是预防和治疗 GO 眼眶纤维化的潜在治疗药物提供了证据。