Abstract
No specific pharmacological treatment regimen for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) exists. Therefore, new antiinflammatory therapeutic strategies are needed. Cannabinoids (CBs), known for their inflammation-modulating and antifibrotic effects, may be potential medication candidates for treating IPF. We aim to evaluate the inflammation-modulating and antifibrotic effects of CB receptor (CBR) agonists and antagonists in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated normal human lung fibroblast, epithelial cells, IPF fibroblast cells, and monocytes. We detected CBRs in normal human lung fibroblasts (LL24) and IPF fibroblast cells (LL29), epithelial cells (A549) and monocytes (THP-1) by flow cytometry. We determined TGF-β1, IL-8, and TNF-α inflammatory cytokines in the LL24, LL29, A549, and THP-1 cell culture supernatants on days 1 and 5 by ELISA. We evaluated the cell viability in LL24, LL29, and A549 cells on days 1, 3, and 5 spectrophotometrically and detected collagen Type I (ColI) production in the LL24 and LL29 cell culture supernatants on days 1, 3, and 5 by ELISA. LL24, LL29, A549, and THP-1 cells exhibited CB1 (CB1R) and CB2 (CB2R) receptors. CB1R and CB2R agonists WIN55,212-2 and JWH015 inhibited fibroblastic and epithelial cell proliferation on day 5. TGF-β1 and TNF-α release increased, while IL-8 release decreased in LL24, LL29, A549, and THP-1 cells in response to the administration of WIN55,212-2 and JWH015 at a 10-2 mM concentration. CB1R and CB2R antagonists AM251 and AM630 did not block agonistic responses, suggesting a nonclassical CBR-mediated pathway. CB2R agonist JWH015 decreased ColI expression in IPF lung fibroblasts LL29 on day 3. These results suggest that CB signaling regulates the progression of pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis via CBR activation. This may offer a potential pharmacological tool for developing antifibrosis therapies.
Published Version
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