Modulation by 17,20S(OH)(2)pD of Fibrosis-Related Mediators in Dermal Fibroblast Lines from Healthy Donors and from Patients with Systemic Sclerosis

We previously demonstrated that the non-calcemic pregnacalciferol (pD) analog 17,20S (OH)(2)pD suppressed TGF-β1-induced type I collagen production in cultured normal human dermal fibroblasts. In the present studies, we examined fibroblasts cultured from the lesional skin of patients with systemic sclerosis (scleroderma (SSc)) and assessed the effects of 17,20S(OH)(2)pD on fibrosis-related mediators. Dermal fibroblast lines were established from skin biopsies from patients with SSc and healthy controls. Fibroblasts were cultured with either 17,20S(OH)(2)pD or 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) (positive control) with/without TGF-β1 stimulation and extracted for protein and/or mRNA for collagen synthesis and mediators of fibrosis (MMP-1, TIMP-1, PAI-1, BMP-7, PGES, GLI1, and GLI2). 1 7,20S(OH)(2)pD (similar to 1,25(OH)(2)D(3)) significantly suppressed net total collagen production in TGF-β1-stimulated normal donor fibroblast cultures and in cultures of SSc dermal fibroblasts. 17,20S(OH)(2)pD (similar to 1,25(OH)(2)D(3)) also increased MMP-1, BMP-7, and PGES and decreased TIMP-1 and PAI1 expression in SSc fibroblasts. Although 17,20S(OH)(2)pD had no effect on Gli1 or Gli2 in SSc fibroblasts, it increased Gli2 expression when cultured with TGF-β1 in normal fibroblasts. These studies demonstrated that 17,20S(OH)(2)pD modulates mediators of fibrosis to favor the reduction of fibrosis and may offer new noncalcemic secosteroidal therapeutic approaches for treating SSc and fibrosis.