Abstract

There is a clear, unmet clinical need to identify new drugs to treat individuals with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in whom current medications are either inactive or sub-optimal. In preclincal models, EP₄-receptor agonists display efficacy, but their mechanism of action is unclear. In this study, using human bronchial epithelial cells as a therapeutically-relevent drug target, we hypothesised that changes in gene expression may play an important role. Several prostanoid receptor mRNAs were detected in BEAS-2B cells, human primary bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC) grown in submersion culture and HBEC grown at an air-liquid interface (ALI) with PTGER4 predominating. By using the activation of a cAMP-response element reporter in BEAS-2B cells as a surrogate of gene expression, Schild analysis determined that PTGER4 mRNAs encoded functional EP₄-receptors. Moreover, inhibitors of phosphodiesterase 4 (roflumilast N-oxide [RNO]) and cAMP-dependent protein kinase augmented and attenuated, respectively reporter activation induced by ONO-AE1-329, a selective EP₄-receptor agonist. ONO-AE1-329 also enhanced dexamethasone-induced activation of a glucocorticoid-response element reporter in BEAS-2B cells, which was similarly potentiated by RNO. In each airway epithelial cell variant, numerous genes that may impart therapeutic benefit in asthma, COPD and/or IPF were differentially expressed by ONO-AE1-329, and those changes were often augmented by RNO and/or dexamethasone. We submit that an EP₄-receptor agonist, either alone or as a combination therapy, may be beneficial in individuals with chronic lung diseases in whom current treatment options are inadequate.

Significance Statement Using human bronchial epithelial cells as a therapeutically-relevant drug target, we report that EP₄-receptor activation promoted gene expression changes that could provide therapeutic benefit in individuals with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in whom current treatment options are ineffective or sub-optimal.