Treatise: Clinical Practice

Mechanism of CREG regulating PINK1/Parkin to promote mitophagy in sepsis-induced acute lung injury

  • Liang CAO ,
  • Fang ZOU ,
  • Changhong ZHANG ,
  • Kailun XU ,
  • Jianqing ZHAO ,
  • Jingqi LI ,
  • Jianhua LIU ,
  • Zhanhong TANG
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  • Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine,the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University,Zhangjiakou 075000,Hebei,China

Received date: 2025-10-23

  Online published: 2026-03-09

Abstract

Objective To investigate the role of cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes (CREG) in alleviating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis-induced acute lung injury(S-ALI) by regulating the PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1)/Parkin pathway to promote mitophagy. Methods Alveolar macrophage cell line MH-S was treated with LPS at concentrations of 1, 5, 10, and 15 μg/mL. Cell viability was detected using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, while CREG protein and mRNA expressions were measured via Western blotting and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The 5 μg/ml LPS concentration was selected for subsequent experiments due to its ability to induce the highest cell viability. MH-S cells were divided into four groups: Normal group, LPS group, LPS + pLNCX2-CREG group, and LPS + pSM2-siCREG group. Except for the Normal group, all other groups were exposed to 5 μg/mL LPS. The LPS + pLNCX2-CREG group and LPS + pSM2-siCREG group were transfected with pLNCX2-CREG plasmid and pSM2-siCREG plasmid, respectively, after LPS treatment, while the Normal and LPS groups received no transfection. Lysosomal activity was assessed using the Lyso-Tracker Red fluorescent probe. The expressions of cluster of differentiation (CD) 86 and CD206 were detected by flow cytometry. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used to measure the levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, C-reactive protein (CRP), reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in each group. Western blot and qRT-PCR were performed to determine the protein and mRNA expressions of CREG, PINK1, and Parkin. Results Compared with the 1 μg/mL LPS group, the MH-S cell viability in the 5 μg/mL LPS group was significantly increased (P < 0.05). In contrast, cell viability was remarkably decreased in the 10 μg/mL and 15 μg/mL LPS groups compared with the 5 μg/mL LPS group, with the lowest viability observed in the 15 μg/mL LPS group (P < 0.05). The protein and mRNA expressions of CREG were significantly higher in the 5 μg/mL LPS group than in the 1 μg/mL LPS group (P< 0.05), but were notably reduced in the 10 μg/mL and 15 μg/mL LPS groups compared with the 5 μg/mL LPS group (P < 0.05). Compared with the Normal group, the LPS group exhibited decreased lysosomal quantity, CD206 expression, SOD activity, and the protein/mRNA expressions of CREG, PINK1, and Parkin, along with increased CD86 expression, levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, CRP, ROS, and MDA (all P < 0.05). Compared with the LPS group, the LPS + pLNCX2-CREG group showed significantly elevated lysosomal quantity, CD206 expression, IL-10 level, SOD activity, and the protein/mRNA expressions of CREG, PINK1, and Parkin, as well as reduced CD86 expression and levels of IL-1β, IL-6, CRP, ROS, and MDA (all P<0.05). Conversely, compared with the LPS + pLNCX2-CREG group, the LPS + pSM2-siCREG group displayed decreased lysosomal quantity, CD206 expression, IL-10 level, SOD activity, and the protein/mRNA expressions of CREG, PINK1, and Parkin, along with increased CD86 expression and levels of IL-1β, IL-6, CRP, ROS, and MDA (all P < 0.05). Conclusion Overexpression of CREG enhances lysosomal activity and exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. These findings suggest that CREG alleviates LPS-induced sepsis-induced lung injury by activating the PINK1/Parkin pathway to promote mitophagy.

Cite this article

Liang CAO , Fang ZOU , Changhong ZHANG , Kailun XU , Jianqing ZHAO , Jingqi LI , Jianhua LIU , Zhanhong TANG . Mechanism of CREG regulating PINK1/Parkin to promote mitophagy in sepsis-induced acute lung injury[J]. The Journal of Practical Medicine, 2026 , 42(5) : 861 -868 . DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2026.05.018

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