Lung gene expression study identifying Zscan2 and Bag6 as novel tissue repair players in an experimental model of COPD

Abstract

Abstract Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common chronic lung disease with an ever-increasing incidence. Despite years of drug research and approvals, we are still not able to halt progress or restore normal lung function. Our previous studies have demonstrated that liver growth factor (LGF) has an effect on the repair of the affected tissue in a mouse model of cigarette smoke exposure (CSE), but by what pathways it achieves this is unknown. The present study aimed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between emphysematous mice treated with LGF to identify potential biomarkers for the treatment of pulmonary emphysema. Methods The emphysema mouse model was induced by prolonged exposure to cigarette smoke. To determine the gene expression profile of the lung in smokers treated or not with LGF, lung messenger RNA (mRNA) gene expression was assessed with the Agilent Array platform and validated in mouse lung samples. Results The treated group significantly improved lung function (~ 35%) and emphysema level (~ 20%). Microarray analysis demonstrated a total of 290 DEGs (1.5-fold up- or downregulated). The expression trends of 2 genes (Zscan2 and Bag6) were different in emphysematous lungs treated with LGF compared to untreated lungs. Conclusions Therefore, Zscan2 and Bag6 could play a role in regulating inflammation and the immune response in the lung that undergoes partial lung regeneration.