The role of lipocalin-2 in lung homeostasis, inflammation response, and recovery following organic dust exposure

Lipocalin-2 (LCN-2) is an innate immune protein with paradoxical roles in both pro- and anti-inflammatory responses at mucosal sites; however, its role in the lung during homeostatic and inflammatory states, such as those induced by inhaled dusts, remain unknown.

Here, we investigated the role of LCN-2 in a murine model of organic dust exposure-induced lung inflammation using wildtype C57Bl/6 (WT) and LCN-2 knockout (KO) mice exposed repetitively to extracts of dusts (DE) collected from swine confinement facilities. Repetitive DE exposure consisted of fifteen days of intranasal instillations with and without a three-day recovery period. Through these investigations, we identified an important function of LCN-2 in regulating tissue homeostasis and recovery following inflammatory injury in the lung.