Endothelin receptor antagonists attenuate the inflammatory response of human pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells to bacterial endotoxin.

Bacterial infections induce exacerbations in chronic lung diseases, e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), by enhancing airway inflammation. Exacerbations are frequently associated with right heart decompensation and accelerate disease progression. Endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs) might have therapeutic potential as pulmonary vasodilators and anti-inflammatory agents, but utility in exacerbations of chronic lung diseases is unknown. We hypothesized that cytokine releases induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the major bacterial trigger of inflammation, are reduced by ERAs in pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells (PVSMCs). Ex vivo cultivated human PVSMCs were preincubated with the endothelin-A-receptor selective inhibitor ambrisentan, with the endothelin-B-receptor selective inhibitor BQ788 [sodium (2R)-2-{[(2S)-2-({[(2R,6S)-2,6-dimethyl-1-piperidinyl]carbonyl}amino)-4,4-dimethylpentanoyl][1-(methoxycarbonyl)-d-tryptophyl]amino}hexanoate], or with the dual blocker bosentan before stimulation with smooth LPS (S-LPS), rough LPS (Re-LPS), or a mixture of long and short forms (M-LPS). Expression of cytokines and LPS receptors (TLR4, CD14) were analyzed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and/or quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). All LPS forms induced interleukin (IL)-6-, IL-8-, and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) release. Bosentan and BQ788 inhibited M-LPS-induced release of all cytokines and soluble CD14 (sCD14) but not TLR4 expression. Ambrisentan blocked M-LPS-induced IL-6 release but not IL-8, GM-CSF, or LPS receptors. IL-8 release induced by S-LPS, which requires CD14 to activate TLR4, was blocked by bosentan and BQ788. IL-8 release induced by Re-LPS, which does not require CD14 to activate TLR4, was insensitive to both bosentan and BQ788. In conclusion, PVSMCs contribute to inflammation in bacteria-induced exacerbations of chronic lung diseases. Inhibition of the endothelin-B receptor suppresses cytokine release induced by long/smooth LPS attributable to sCD14 downregulation. ERAs, particularly when targeting the endothelin-B receptor, might have therapeutic utility in exacerbations of chronic lung diseases.