Lung injury-induced activated endothelial cell states persist in aging-associated progressive fibrosis

Abstract

Progressive lung fibrosis is associated with poorly understood aging-related endothelial cell dysfunction. To gain insight into endothelial cell alterations in lung fibrosis we performed single cell RNA-sequencing of bleomycin-injured lungs from young and aged mice. Analysis reveals activated cell states enriched for hypoxia, glycolysis and YAP/TAZ activity in ACKR1+ venous and TrkB+ capillary endothelial cells. Endothelial cell activation is prevalent in lungs of aged mice and can also be detected in human fibrotic lungs. Longitudinal single cell RNA-sequencing combined with lineage tracing demonstrate that endothelial activation resolves in young mouse lungs but persists in aged ones, indicating a failure of the aged vasculature to return to quiescence. Genes associated with activated lung endothelial cells states in vivo can be induced in vitro by activating YAP/TAZ. YAP/TAZ also cooperate with BDNF, a TrkB ligand that is reduced in fibrotic lungs, to promote capillary morphogenesis. These findings offer insights into aging-related lung endothelial cell dysfunction that may contribute to defective lung injury repair and persistent fibrosis.