Keratinocyte-targeted expression of human laminin γ2 rescues skin blistering and early lethality of laminin γ2 deficient mice.

Laminin-332 is a heterotrimeric basement membrane component comprised of the α3, ß3, and γ2 laminin chains. Laminin-332 modulates epithelial cell processes, such as adhesion, migration, and differentiation and is prominent in many embryonic and adult tissues. In skin, laminin-332 is secreted by keratinocytes and is a key component of hemidesmosomes connecting the keratinocytes to the underlying dermis.

Distal airways in mice exposed to cigarette smoke: Nrf2-regulated genes are increased in Clara cells.

Cigarette smoke (CS) is the main risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Terminal bronchioles are critical zones in the pathophysiology of COPD, but little is known about the cellular and molecular changes that occur in cells lining terminal bronchioles in response to CS. We subjected C57BL/6 mice to CS (6 d/wk, up to 6 mo), looked for morphologic changes lining the terminal bronchioles, and used laser capture microdissection to selectively isolate cells in terminal bronchioles to study gene expression.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha from macrophages enhances LPS-induced clara cell expression of keratinocyte-derived chemokine.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha is a cytokine produced by alveolar macrophages in response to LPS in the lung. Clara cells are bronchiolar epithelial cells that produce a variety of proinflammatory cytokines in response to LPS but not to TNF-alpha. In this study, we examined whether TNF-alpha affects Clara cell cytokine production in the setting of LPS stimulation.

Clara cells impact the pulmonary innate immune response to LPS.

Airway epithelial cells secrete proinflammatory mediators in response to LPS, but cytokine production by a prominent nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial cell, the Clara cell, specifically, is unknown. To investigate Clara cell cytokine production in response to LPS, we used a transformed murine Clara cell line, C22, and isolated Clara cells from C57Bl/6 mice. Stimulation of both cell types with LPS resulted in significant upregulation of keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, but did not induce TNF-alpha production.

Increased basigin in bleomycin-induced lung injury.

Basigin is expressed in many tissues during development, including lung. It is also found on tumor cells and in wounds where it is thought to stimulate adjacent fibroblasts to produce matrix metalloproteinases. To investigate whether basigin might be expressed in fibro-inflammatory lung processes, we generated bleomycin-induced lung injury in mice.