Tissue-type plasminogen activator promotes murine myofibroblast activation through LDL receptor-related protein 1-mediated integrin signaling

The activation of interstitial fibroblasts to become α-SMA-positive myofibroblasts is an essential step in the evolution of chronic kidney fibrosis, as myofibroblasts are responsible for the production and deposition of the ECM components that are a hallmark of the disease. Here we describe a signaling pathway that leads to this activation. Tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) promoted TGF-β1-mediated α-SMA and type I collagen expression in rat kidney interstitial fibroblasts. This fibrogenic effect was independent of its protease activity but required its membrane receptor, the LDL receptor-related protein 1 (LRP-1). In rat kidney fibroblasts, tPA induced rapid LRP-1 tyrosine phosphorylation and enhanced β1 integrin recruitment by facilitating the LRP-1/β1 integrin complex formation. Blockade or knockdown of β1 integrin abolished type I collagen and α-SMA expression. Furthermore, inhibition of the integrin-linked kinase (ILK), a downstream effector of β1 integrin, or disruption of β1 integrin/ILK engagement, abrogated the tPA action, whereas ectopic expression of ILK mimicked tPA in promoting myofibroblast activation. In murine renal interstitium after obstructive injury, tPA and α-SMA colocalized with LRP-1, and tPA deficiency reduced LRP-1/β1 integrin interaction and myofibroblast activation. These findings show that tPA induces LRP-1 tyrosine phosphorylation, which in turn facilitates the LRP-1-mediated recruitment of β1 integrin and downstream ILK signaling, thereby leading to myofibroblast activation. This study implicates tPA as a fibrogenic cytokine that promotes the progression of kidney fibrosis.