Pathophysiological regulation of lung function by the free fatty acid receptor FFA4
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Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Increased prevalence of inflammatory airway diseases including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) together with inadequate disease control by current frontline treatments means that there is a need to define therapeutic targets for these conditions. Here, we investigate a member of the G protein-coupled receptor family, FFA4, that responds to free circulating fatty acids including dietary omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils. We show that FFA4, although usually associated with metabolic responses linked with food intake, is expressed in the lung where it is coupled to Gq/11 signaling. Activation of FFA4 by drug-like agonists produced relaxation of murine airway smooth muscle mediated at least in part by the release of the prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) that subsequently acts on EP2 prostanoid receptors. In normal mice, activation of FFA4 resulted in a decrease in lung resistance. In acute and chronic ozone models of pollution-mediated inflammation and house dust mite and cigarette smoke-induced inflammatory disease, FFA4 agonists acted to reduce airway resistance, a response that was absent in mice lacking expression of FFA4. The expression profile of FFA4 in human lung was similar to that observed in mice, and the response to FFA4/FFA1 agonists similarly mediated human airway smooth muscle relaxation ex vivo. Our study provides evidence that pharmacological targeting of lung FFA4, and possibly combined activation of FFA4 and FFA1, has in vivo efficacy and might have therapeutic value in the treatment of bronchoconstriction associated with inflammatory airway diseases such as asthma and COPD.
Date Issued
2020-08-19
Date Acceptance
2020-07-28
Citation
Science Translational Medicine, 2020, 12 (557), pp.1-13
ISSN
1946-6234
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Start Page
1
End Page
13
Journal / Book Title
Science Translational Medicine
Volume
12
Issue
557
Copyright Statement
© 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works https://www.sciencemag.org/about/science-licenses-journal-article-reuse
This is an article distributed under the terms of the Science Journals Default License https://www.sciencemag.org/about/science-licenses-journal-article-reuse.
This is an article distributed under the terms of the Science Journals Default License https://www.sciencemag.org/about/science-licenses-journal-article-reuse.
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32817367
PII: 12/557/eaaw9009
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Cell Biology
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Research & Experimental Medicine
OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY-DISEASE
SMOOTH-MUSCLE-CELLS
INSULIN-RESISTANCE
GPR120 FFAR4
EP4 RECEPTOR
AIRWAY
PGE(2)
POTENT
PHOSPHORYLATION
AGONIST
06 Biological Sciences
11 Medical and Health Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States