|
|
||||||||








* COPD Center, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80262; and
Department of Medicine and
Department of Immunology, National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, CO 80206
Statins are potent, cholesterol-lowering agents with newly appreciated, broad anti-inflammatory properties, largely based upon their ability to block the prenylation of Rho GTPases, including RhoA. Because phagocytosis of apoptotic cells (efferocytosis) is a pivotal regulator of inflammation, which is inhibited by RhoA, we sought to determine whether statins enhanced efferocytosis. The effect of lovastatin on efferocytosis was investigated in primary human macrophages, in the murine lung, and in human alveolar macrophages taken from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In this study, we show that lovastatin increased efferocytosis in vitro in an 3-hydroxyl-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase-dependent manner. Lovastatin acted by inhibiting both geranylgeranylation and farnesylation, and not by altering expression of key uptake receptors or by increasing binding of apoptotic cells to phagocytes. Lovastatin appeared to exert its positive effect on efferocytosis by inhibiting RhoA, because it 1) decreased membrane localization of RhoA, to a greater extent than Rac-1, and 2) prevented impaired efferocytosis by lysophosphatidic acid, a potent inducer of RhoA. Finally, lovastatin increased efferocytosis in the naive murine lung and ex vivo in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease alveolar macrophages in an HMG-CoA reductase-dependent manner. These findings indicate that statins enhance efferocytosis in vitro and in vivo, and suggest that they may play an important therapeutic role in diseases where efferocytosis is impaired and inflammation is dysregulated.
Related articles in The JI:
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
E. Thorp and I. Tabas Mechanisms and consequences of efferocytosis in advanced atherosclerosis J. Leukoc. Biol., November 1, 2009; 86(5): 1089 - 1095. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. W. Vandivier, T. R. Richens, S. A. Horstmann, A. M. deCathelineau, M. Ghosh, S. D. Reynolds, Y.-Q. Xiao, D. W. Riches, J. Plumb, E. Vachon, et al. Dysfunctional cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator inhibits phagocytosis of apoptotic cells with proinflammatory consequences Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, October 1, 2009; 297(4): L677 - L686. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. Janda, K. Park, J. M. FitzGerald, M. Etminan, and J. Swiston Statins in COPD: A Systematic Review Chest, September 1, 2009; 136(3): 734 - 743. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R P Young, R Hopkins, and T E Eaton Potential benefits of statins on morbidity and mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a review of the evidence Postgrad. Med. J., August 1, 2009; 85(1006): 414 - 421. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. Shyamsundar, S. T. W. McKeown, C. M. O'Kane, T. R. Craig, V. Brown, D. R. Thickett, M. A. Matthay, C. C. Taggart, J. T. Backman, J. S. Elborn, et al. Simvastatin Decreases Lipopolysaccharide-induced Pulmonary Inflammation in Healthy Volunteers Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., June 15, 2009; 179(12): 1107 - 1114. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. R. Richens, D. J. Linderman, S. A. Horstmann, C. Lambert, Y.-Q. Xiao, R. L. Keith, D. M. Boe, K. Morimoto, R. P. Bowler, B. J. Day, et al. Cigarette Smoke Impairs Clearance of Apoptotic Cells through Oxidant-dependent Activation of RhoA Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., June 1, 2009; 179(11): 1011 - 1021. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. J. Barnes and B. R. Celli Systemic manifestations and comorbidities of COPD Eur. Respir. J., May 1, 2009; 33(5): 1165 - 1185. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. F. Fernandez-Boyanapalli, S. C. Frasch, K. McPhillips, R. W. Vandivier, B. L. Harry, D. W. H. Riches, P. M. Henson, and D. L. Bratton Impaired apoptotic cell clearance in CGD due to altered macrophage programming is reversed by phosphatidylserine-dependent production of IL-4 Blood, February 26, 2009; 113(9): 2047 - 2055. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. M. Lyu and M. R. Zamora Medical Complications of Lung Transplantation Proceedings of the ATS, January 15, 2009; 6(1): 101 - 107. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
F. Luppi, F. Franco, B. Beghe, and L. M. Fabbri Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Its Comorbidities Proceedings of the ATS, December 1, 2008; 5(8): 848 - 856. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. J. Barnes Future Treatments for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Its Comorbidities Proceedings of the ATS, December 1, 2008; 5(8): 857 - 864. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E J Hothersall, R Chaudhuri, C McSharry, I Donnelly, J Lafferty, A D McMahon, C J Weir, J Meiklejohn, N Sattar, I McInnes, et al. Effects of atorvastatin added to inhaled corticosteroids on lung function and sputum cell counts in atopic asthma Thorax, December 1, 2008; 63(12): 1070 - 1075. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Y. Q. Xiao, C. G. Freire-de-Lima, W. P. Schiemann, D. L. Bratton, R. W. Vandivier, and P. M. Henson Transcriptional and Translational Regulation of TGF-{beta} Production in Response to Apoptotic Cells J. Immunol., September 1, 2008; 181(5): 3575 - 3585. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. M. Henson and R. M. Tuder Apoptosis in the lung: induction, clearance and detection Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, April 1, 2008; 294(4): L601 - L611. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. Churg, M. Cosio, and J. L. Wright Mechanisms of cigarette smoke-induced COPD: insights from animal models Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, April 1, 2008; 294(4): L612 - L631. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. M. Fabbri, F. Luppi, B. Beghe, and K. F. Rabe Complex chronic comorbidities of COPD Eur. Respir. J., January 1, 2008; 31(1): 204 - 212. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. M. Bianchi, L. R. Prince, K. McPhillips, L. Allen, H. M. Marriott, G. W. Taylor, P. G. Hellewell, I. Sabroe, D. H. Dockrell, P. W. Henson, et al. Impairment of Apoptotic Cell Engulfment by Pyocyanin, a Toxic Metabolite of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., January 1, 2008; 177(1): 35 - 43. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. Minematsu and S. D. Shapiro To Live and Die in the LA (Lung Airway): Mode of Neutrophil Death and Progression of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., August 1, 2007; 37(2): 129 - 130. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. Yoshida and R. M. Tuder Pathobiology of Cigarette Smoke-Induced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Physiol Rev, July 1, 2007; 87(3): 1047 - 1082. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. F. Voelkel, I. S. Douglas, and M. Nicolls Angiogenesis in Chronic Lung Disease Chest, March 1, 2007; 131(3): 874 - 879. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D. M. Schrijvers, G. R.Y. De Meyer, A. G. Herman, and W. Martinet Phagocytosis in atherosclerosis: Molecular mechanisms and implications for plaque progression and stability Cardiovasc Res, February 1, 2007; 73(3): 470 - 480. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
A. W. Jehle, S. J. Gardai, S. Li, P. Linsel-Nitschke, K. Morimoto, W. J. Janssen, R. W. Vandivier, N. Wang, S. Greenberg, B. M. Dale, et al. ATP-binding cassette transporter A7 enhances phagocytosis of apoptotic cells and associated ERK signaling in macrophages J. Cell Biol., August 14, 2006; 174(4): 547 - 556. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. M. Henson, G. P. Cosgrove, and R. W. Vandivier State of the Art. Apoptosis and Cell Homeostasis in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Proceedings of the ATS, August 1, 2006; 3(6): 512 - 516. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |