Dexamethasone rescues TGF-β1-mediated β2-adrenergic receptor dysfunction and attenuates phosphodiesterase 4D expression in human airway smooth muscle cells

Glucocorticoids (GCs) and β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) agonists improve asthma outcomes in most patients. GCs also modulate gene expression in human airway smooth muscle (HASM), thereby attenuating airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness that define asthma. Our previous studies showed that the pro-fibrotic cytokine, transforming growth factor- β1 (TGF-β1) increases phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) expression that attenuates agonist-induced levels of intracellular cAMP. Decreased cAMP levels then diminishes β2 agonist-induced airway relaxation. In the current study, we investigated whether glucocorticoids reverse TGF-β1-effects on β2-agonist-induced bronchodilation and modulate pde4d gene expression in HASM. Dexamethasone (DEX) reversed TGF-β1 effects on cAMP levels induced by isoproterenol (ISO). TGF-β1 also attenuated G protein-dependent responses to cholera toxin (CTX), a Gαs stimulator downstream from the β2AR receptor. Previously, we demonstrated that TGF-β1 treatment increased β2AR phosphorylation to induce hyporesponsiveness to a β2 agonist. Our current data shows that expression of grk2/3, kinases associated with attenuation of β2AR function, are not altered with TGF-β1 stimulation. Interestingly, DEX also attenuated TGF-β1-induced pde4d gene expression. These data suggest that steroids may be an effective therapy for treatment of asthma patients whose disease is primarily driven by elevated TGF-β1 levels.