Increased Expression of Galectin-3 in Skin Fibrosis: Evidence from In Vitro and In Vivo Studies
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Published:2022-12-05
Issue:23
Volume:23
Page:15319
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ISSN:1422-0067
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Container-title:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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language:en
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Short-container-title:IJMS
Author:
Peiró TeresaORCID,
Alonso-Carpio Miriam,
Ribera Pilar,
Almudéver Patricia,
Roger Inés,
Montero PaulaORCID,
Marín Severiano,
Milara JavierORCID,
Cortijo Julio
Abstract
Skin fibrosis is a hallmark of a wide array of dermatological diseases which can greatly impact the patients’ quality of life. Galectin-3 (GAL-3) has emerged as a central regulator of tissue fibrosis, playing an important pro-fibrotic role in numerous organs. Various studies are highlighting its importance as a skin fibrotic diseases biomarker; however, there is a need for further studies that clarify its role. This paper aims to ascertain whether the expression of GAL-3 is increased in relevant in vitro and in vivo models of skin fibrosis. We studied the role of GAL-3 in vitro using normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) and fibrocytes. In addition, we used a skin fibrosis murine model (BALB/c mice) and human biopsies of healthy or keloid tissue. GAL-3 expression was analyzed using real time PCR, Western blot and immunostaining techniques. We report a significantly increased expression of GAL-3 in NHDF and fibrocytes cell cultures following stimulation with transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1). In vivo, GAL-3 expression was increased in a murine model of systemic sclerosis and in human keloid biopsies. In sum, this study underlines the involvement of GAL-3 in skin fibrosis using several models of the disease and highlights its role as a relevant target.
Funder
Spanish “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Agencia Estatal de Investigación”
Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red
Generalitat Valenciana
Subject
Inorganic Chemistry,Organic Chemistry,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry,Computer Science Applications,Spectroscopy,Molecular Biology,General Medicine,Catalysis