Asbestos-induced peribronchiolar cell proliferation and cytokine production are attenuated in lungs of protein kinase C-δ knockout mice

The signaling pathways leading to the development of asbestos-associated diseases are poorly understood. Here we used normal and protein kinase C (PKC)-δ knockout (PKCδ^-/-) mice to demonstrate multiple roles of PKC-δ in the development of cell proliferation and inflammation after inhalation of chrysotile asbestos. At 3 days, asbestos-induced peribronchiolar cell proliferation in wild-type mice was attenuated in PKCδ^-/- mice. Cytokine profiles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids showed increases in interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-13 that were decreased in PKCδ^-/- mice. At 9 days, microarray and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis of lung tissues revealed increased mRNA levels of the profibrotic cytokine, IL-4, in asbestos-exposed wildtype mice but not PKCδ^-/- mice. PKCδ^-/- mice also exhibited decreased lung infiltration of polymorphonuclear cells, natural killer cells, and macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung, as well as increased numbers of B lymphocytes and plasma cells. These changes were accompanied by elevated mRNA levels of immunoglobulin chains. These data show that modulation of PKC-δ has multiple effects on peribronchiolar cell proliferation, proinflammatory and profibrotic cytokine expression, and immune cell profiles in lung. These results also implicate targeted interruption of PKC-δ as a potential therapeutic option in asbestos-induced lung diseases.