AI Article Synopsis
- Glucocorticoids increase the production of a factor (FPF) that helps lung cells (type II cells) produce surfactant phospholipids, but the exact nature of FPF is still unknown.
- In a recent study, it was found that when lung fibroblasts are treated with dexamethasone, the concentration of a protein called neuregulin-1β (NRG1β) in the surrounding fluid doubles, even though its gene expression remains the same.
- Exposure to NRG1β not only boosts phospholipid synthesis in type II cells by three times but also indicates that NRG1β might be a crucial part of the FPF aiding lung development.
Article Abstract
It is well established that glucocorticoids elevate the production of fibroblast-pneumocyte factor (FPF), which induces type II cells to synthesize surfactant phospholipids. FPF, however, has not been identified and it is not clear whether it is a single factor or a complex mixture of factors. In this study it has been shown that, when lung fibroblasts are exposed to dexamethasone, the concentration of neuregulin-1β (NRG1β) in conditioned medium is elevated 2-fold (P<0.05), even though NRG1β gene expression is unaffected. This, together with the finding that exposure of type II cells to NRG1β directly stimulates by 3-fold the rate of phospholipid synthesis (P<0.05), suggests that NRG1β is a component of FPF that promotes lung development.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2014.01.057 | DOI Listing |
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