Sirtuin 1 promotes Th2 responses and airway allergy by repressing peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ activity in dendritic cells.

Sirtuins are a unique class of NAD(+)-dependent deacetylases that regulate diverse biological functions such as aging, metabolism, and stress resistance. Recently, it has been shown that sirtuins may have anti-inflammatory activities by inhibiting proinflammatory transcription factors such as NF-κB. In contrast, we report in this study that pharmacological inhibition of sirtuins dampens adaptive Th2 responses and subsequent allergic inflammation by interfering with lung dendritic cell (DC) function in a mouse model of airway allergy.

Asthmatic bronchial fibroblasts demonstrate enhanced potential to differentiate into myofibroblasts in culture.

Background: Chronic inflammation and remodeling of the bronchial wall are basic hallmarks of asthma. It is known that mesenchymal cells in the lamina reticularis underlying the basement membrane of the thickened airway wall of asthmatics predominantly display the phenotype of myofibroblasts and express alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA). Human bronchial fibroblasts (HBFs) transform in vitro into myofibroblasts under the influence of transforming growth factor (TGF-beta).