Neutrophil extracellular traps promote bronchopulmonary dysplasia-like injury in neonatal mice via the WNT/β-catenin pathway

BACKGROUND: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is one of the most common and severe chronic diseases in preterm infants. Premature infants are susceptible to BPD due to immature lungs and adverse perinatal episodes of infection, hyperoxia, and mechanical ventilation. METHODS: Neutrophils are the first line of host defence, and the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) is an important strategy to immobilize and kill invading microorganisms. This study examined whether NETs were associated with BPD in preterm infants and contributed to hyperoxia-induced lung injury in neonatal mice via the WNT/β-catenin pathway. RESULTS: In this study, we found that preterm infants with BPD had higher levels of NETs in their tracheal aspirates than those without BPD. Neonatal mice treated with NETs after birth exhibited BPD-like changes in their lungs. Furthermore, the levels of Aquaporin 5 (AQP5) and surfactant-associated protein C (SPC), which represent alveolar differentiation and development, were significantly lower than those in the controls. The WNT/β-catenin pathway is one of the most well-known signalling pathways involved in lung growth. We found that the expression of the target genes c-MYC, cyclin D, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the important proteins WNT3a and β-catenin significantly decreased. Moreover, heparin, which is a NET inhibitor, attenuated changes in gene and protein expression, thereby attenuating BPD-like changes. DISCUSSION: This finding indicates that NETs are associated with BPD and can induce BPD-like changes in neonatal mice via the WNT/β-catenin pathway.