Showing papers in "The FASEB Journal in 2001"

Roles of the heat shock transcription factors in regulation of the heat shock response and beyond

Abstract: The heat shock response, characterized by increased expression of heat shock proteins (Hsps) is induced by exposure of cells and tissues to extreme conditions that cause acute or chronic stress. Hsps function as molecular chaperones in regulating cellular homeostasis and promoting survival. If the stress is too severe, a signal that leads to programmed cell death, apoptosis, is activated, thereby providing a finely tuned balance between survival and death. In addition to extracellular stimuli, several nonstressful conditions induce Hsps during normal cellular growth and development. The enhanced heat shock gene expression in response to various stimuli is regulated by heat shock transcription factors (HSFs). After the discovery of the family of HSFs (i.e., murine and human HSF1, 2, and 4 and a unique avian HSF3), the functional relevance of distinct HSFs is now emerging. HSF1, an HSF prototype, and HSF3 are responsible for heat-induced Hsp expression, whereas HSF2 is refractory to classical stressors. HSF4 is expressed in a tissue-specific manner; similar to HSF1 and HSF2, alternatively spliced isoforms add further complexity to its regulation. Recently developed powerful genetic models have provided evidence for both cooperative and specific functions of HSFs that expand beyond the heat shock response. Certain specialized functions of HSFs may even include regulation of novel target genes in response to distinct stimuli.

Vitamin D: its role and uses in immunology

Abstract: In recent years there has been an effort to understand possible noncalcemic roles of vitamin D, including its role in the immune system and, in particular, on T cell-medicated immunity. Vitamin D receptor is found in significant concentrations in the T lymphocyte and macrophage populations. However, its highest concentration is in the immature immune cells of the thymus and the mature CD-8 T lymphocytes. The significant role of vitamin D compounds as selective immunosuppressants is illustrated by their ability to either prevent or markedly suppress animal models of autoimmune disease. Results show that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 can either prevent or markedly suppress experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, type I diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease. In almost every case, the action of the vitamin D hormone requires that the animals be maintained on a normal or high calcium diet. Possible mechanisms of suppression of these autoimmune disorders by the vitamin D hormone have been presented. The vitamin D hormone stimulates transforming growth factor TGFbeta-1 and interleukin 4 (IL-4) production, which in turn may suppress inflammatory T cell activity. In support of this, the vitamin D hormone is unable to suppress a murine model of the human disease multiple sclerosis in IL-4-deficient mice. The results suggest an important role for vitamin D in autoimmune disorders and provide a fertile and interesting area of research that may yield important new therapies.

Inhibition of the VEGF receptor 2 combined with chronic hypoxia causes cell death-dependent pulmonary endothelial cell proliferation and severe pulmonary hypertension

Abstract: Our understanding of the pathobiology of severe pulmonary hypertension, usually a fatal disease, has been hampered by the lack of information of its natural history. We have demonstrated that, in human severe pulmonary hypertension, the precapillary pulmonary arteries show occlusion by proliferated endothelial cells. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) are involved in proper maintenance, differentiation, and function of endothelial cells. We demonstrate here that VEGFR-2 blockade with SU5416 in combination with chronic hypobaric hypoxia causes severe pulmonary hypertension associated with precapillary arterial occlusion by proliferating endothelial cells. Prior to and concomitant with the development of severe pulmonary hypertension, lungs of chronically hypoxic SU5416-treated rats show significant pulmonary endothelial cell death, as demonstrated by activated caspase 3 immunostaining and TUNEL. The broad caspase inhibitor Z-Asp-CH2-DCB prevents the development of intravascular pulmonary endothelial cell growth and severe pulmonary hypertension caused by the combination of SU5416 and chronic hypoxia.

Cyclooxygenase-independent actions of cyclooxygenase inhibitors

Abstract: Several studies have demonstrated unequivocally that certain nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as sodium salicylate, sulindac, ibuprofen, and flurbiprofen cause anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative effects independent of cyclooxygenase activity and prostaglandin synthesis inhibition. These effects are mediated through inhibition of certain transcription factors such as NF-kappaB and AP-1. The respective NSAIDs might interfere directly with the transcription factors, but their effects are probably mediated predominantly through alterations of the activity of cellular kinases such as IKKbeta, Erk, p38 MAPK, or Cdks. These effects apparently are not shared by all NSAIDs, since indomethacin failed to inhibit NF-kappaB and AP-1 activation as well as Erk and Cdk activity. In contrast, indomethacin was able to activate PPARgamma, which was not affected by sodium salicylate or aspirin. The differences in cyclooxygenase-independent mechanisms may have consequences for the specific use of these drugs in individual patients because additional effects may either enhance the efficacy or reduce the toxicity of the respective compounds.

HIF-1 is expressed in normoxic tissue and displays an organ-specific regulation under systemic hypoxia

Abstract: Adaptation to hypoxia is regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), a heterodimeric transcription factor consisting of an oxygen-regulated alpha subunit and a constitutively expressed beta subunit. Although HIF-1 is regulated mainly by oxygen tension through the oxygen-dependent degradation of its alpha subunit, in vitro it can also be modulated by cytokines, hormones and genetic alterations. To investigate HIF-1 activation in vivo, we determined the spatial and temporal distribution of HIF-1 in healthy mice subjected to varying fractions of inspiratory oxygen. Immunohistochemical examination of brain, kidney, liver, heart, and skeletal muscle revealed that HIF-1alpha is present in mice kept under normoxic conditions and is further increased in response to systemic hypoxia. Moreover, immunoblot analysis showed that the kinetics of HIF-1alpha expression varies among different organs. In liver and kidney, HIF-1alpha reaches maximal levels after 1 h and gradually decreases to baseline levels after 4 h of continuous hypoxia. In the brain, however, HIF-1alpha is maximally expressed after 5 h and declines to basal levels by 12 h. Whereas HIF-1beta is constitutively expressed in brain and kidney nuclear extracts, its hepatic expression increases concomitantly with HIF-1alpha. Overall, HIF-1alpha expression in normoxic mice suggests that HIF-1 has an important role in tissue homeostasis.

Amyloid β protein forms ion channels: implications for Alzheimer’s disease pathophysiology

Abstract: Amyloid β protein (AβP) is the major constituent of senile plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, its mechanistic role in AD pathogenesis is poorly understood. Globular and nonfibrillar AβPs are continuously released during normal metabolism. Using techniques of atomic force microscopy, laser confocal microscopy, electrical recording, and biochemical assays, we have examined the molecular conformations of reconstituted globular AβPs as well as their real-time and acute effects on neuritic degeneration. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) of AβP1–42 shows globular structures that do not form fibers in physiological-buffered solution for up to 8 h of continuous imaging. AFM of AβP1–42 reconstituted in a planar lipid bilayer reveals multimeric channel-like structures. Consistent with these AFM resolved channel-like structures, biochemical analysis demonstrates that predominantly monomeric AβPs in solution form stable tetramers and hexamers after incorporation into lipid membranes. Electrophysio...

The soluble interleukin 6 receptor: mechanisms of production and implications in disease

Abstract: Interleukin 6 (IL-6) performs a prominent role during disease and has been described as both a pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine. A key feature in the regulation of IL-6 responses has been the identification of a soluble interleukin 6 receptor (sIL-6R), which forms a ligand-receptor complex with IL-6 that is capable of stimulating a variety of cellular responses including proliferation, differentiation and activation of inflammatory processes. Elevated sIL-6R levels have been documented in numerous clinical conditions indicating that its production is coordinated as part of a disease response. Thus, sIL-6R has the potential to regulate both local and systemic IL-6-mediated events. This review will outline the central role of sIL-6R in the coordination of IL-6 responses. Details relating to the mechanisms of sIL-6R production will be provided, while the potential significance of sIL-6R during the development of clinical conditions will be emphasized. We want to convey, therefore, that when thinking about the inflammatory capability of IL-6, it is essential to consider not only the action of IL-6 itself, but also the effect sIL-6R may have on cellular processes.

The mitochondrial permeability transition initiates autophagy in rat hepatocytes

Abstract: Cells degrade excess and effete organelles by the process of autophagy. Autophagic stimulation of rat hepatocytes by serum deprivation and glucagon (1 M) caused a fivefold increase of spontaneously depolarizing mitochondria to about 1.5% of total mitochondria after 90 min. Cyclosporin A (CsA, 5 M), an immunosuppressant that blocks the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), prevented this depolarization. Depolarized mitochondria moved into acidic vacuoles labeled by LysoTracker Red. These autophagosomes also increased several-fold after autophagic stimulation. CsA blocked autophagosomal proliferation, whereas tacrolimus, an immunosuppressant that does not block the MPT, did not. In conclusion, the MPT initiates mitochondrial depolarization after autophagic stimulation and the subsequent sequestration of mitochondria into autophagosomes.

Induction of HIF-1alpha in response to hypoxia is instantaneous.

Abstract: SPECIFIC AIMSDespite the pivotal role the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) plays in physiological and pathological processes, little is known regarding the time frame and mechanisms involved in...

Transcriptional activation of the IL-6 gene in human contracting skeletal muscle: influence of muscle glycogen content

Abstract: In humans, the plasma interleukin 6 (IL-6) concentration increases dramatically during low-intensity exercise. Measurements across the working limb indicate that skeletal muscle is the source of IL-6 production. To determine whether energy availability influences the regulation of IL-6 expression during prolonged exercise, six male subjects completed two trials consisting of 180 min of two-legged dynamic knee extensor with either normal or low (~60% of control) pre-exercise muscle glycogen levels. Increases in plasma IL-6 during exercise were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the low-glycogen (16-fold) trial verses the control (10-fold) trial. Transcriptional activation of the IL-6 gene in skeletal muscle was also higher in the low-glycogen trial; it increased by about 40-fold after 90 min of exercise and about 60-fold after 180 min of exercise. Muscle IL-6 mRNA followed a similar but delayed pattern, increasing by more than 100-fold in the low-glycogen trial and by about 30-fold in the control trial. These data demonstrate that exercise activates transcription of the IL-6 gene in working skeletal muscle, a response that is dramatically enhanced when glycogen levels are low. These findings also support the hypothesis that IL-6 may be produced by contracting myofibers when glycogen levels become critically low as a means of signaling the liver to increase glucose production.

Leptin regulation of the immune response and the immunodeficiency of malnutrition

Abstract: Leptin is a 16 kDa protein mainly produced by adipose tissue in proportion to adipose tissue mass. Originally thought to be a satiety factor, leptin is a pleiotropic molecule. In addition to playing a role in energy regulation, leptin also regulates endocrine and immune functions. Both the structure of leptin and that of its receptor suggest that leptin might be classified as a cytokine. The secondary structure of leptin has similarities to the long-chain helical cytokines family, which includes interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-11, CNTF, and LIF, and the leptin receptor is homologous to the gp-130 signal-transducing subunit of the IL-6-type cytokine receptors. Leptin plays a role in innate and acquired immunity. Leptin levels increase acutely during infection and inflammation, and may represent a protective component of the host response to inflammation. More important, leptin deficiency increases susceptibility to infectious and inflammatory stimuli and is associated with dysregulation of cytokine production. Leptin deficiency also causes a defect in hematopoiesis. Leptin regulates T cells responses, polarizing Th cells toward a Th1 phenotype. Low leptin levels occurring during starvation mediate the neuroendocrine and immune dysfunction of starvation.

COX-2 independent induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in colon cancer cells by the selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib

Abstract: SPECIFIC AIMSThe chronic use of aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer. Recently, a similar protective effect has been demonstrated for the selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor celecoxib, which has been approved by the FDA to reduce the number of adenomatous colorectal polyps in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). The exact mechanisms that account for the anti-proliferative effects of celecoxib and other NSAIDs are still not fully understood, and it is still controversial whether or not these effects are mediated predominantly through the inhibition of COX-2 activity and prostaglandin synthesis. Since a dependence on COX-2 activity would imply that the effects occur mainly in COX-2 overexpressing but not in COX-2-deficient tumors, this question is of considerable clinical importance.To answer this question, we assessed the effects of the selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib and the selective COX-1 inhibitor S...

Toll-like Receptor 4: The Missing Link of the Cerebral Innate Immune Response Triggered by Circulating Gram-Negative Bacterial Cell Wall Components

Abstract: The recent characterization of human homologues of Toll may be the missing link for the transduction events leading to NF-kappaB activity and proinflammatory gene transcription during innate immune response. Indeed, CD14 is not thought to participate directly in the cell signaling, but rather one or more of the mammalian Toll-like receptors (TLRs) acts in concert with the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) receptor to discriminate between microbial pathogens or their products and initiate transmembrane signaling. Mammalian cells may express as many as 10 distinct TLRs, although the importance of TLR4 in response to gram-negative bacteria and LPS is now supported by the fact that TLR4-mutated mice are LPS resistant. We investigated the expression of TLR4 across the rat brain under basal conditions and in response to systemic LPS and IL-1beta injection. We first cloned the rat TLR4 cDNA via RNA isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification with a proofreading polymerase. Total RNA was isolated from the rat liver tissue using Tri-Reagent and reverse transcribed into cDNA using Superscript II reverse transcriptase and an oligonucleotide primer with a degenerate 3' end of sequence 5'-T12(GAC)N-3'. Positive hybridization signal was found in the leptomeninges, choroid plexus (chp), subfornical organ, organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, median eminence, and area postrema. Scattered small cells also displayed a convincing hybridization signal within the brain parenchyma. Few well-defined nuclei exhibited positive TLR4 transcript: the supramamillary nucleus, cochlear nucleus, and the lateral reticular nucleus. The circumventricular organs, the leptomeninges, and chp also exhibited constitutive expression of the LPS receptor mCD14. In contrast to the strong up-regulation of the gene encoding mCD14 during endotoxemia, neither LPS nor IL-1beta caused a convincing increase in the TLR4 mRNA levels across the CNS. A down-regulation of the gene encoding TLR4 was found in the cerebral tissue of immune-challenged animals. The constitutive expression of both mCD14 and TLR4 may explain the innate immune response in the brain, which originates from the structures devoid of blood-brain barrier in presence of circulating LPS.

Human β-defensin 4: a novel inducible peptide with a specific salt-sensitive spectrum of antimicrobial activity

Abstract: SPECIFIC AIMSThe aim of this study was to identify and characterize a novel human member of the β-defensin family by screening genomic sequences, analyze its genomic structure, tissue distribution, and regulation, and evaluate its antimicrobial and chemoattractant activities.PRINCIPAL FINDINGS1. Analysis of the genomic and cDNA sequences of the novel β-defensinTo identify genomic sequences around human β-defensin 2 at the chromosomal region 8p23, the peptide sequence of this β-defensin was used to perform a ‘basic local alignment search tool’ (BLAST) search in the High Throughput Genomic (HTG) division of the GenBank. Accession numbers AF202031, AF252831, AF189745, and AC074340 were found and subsequently screened for the presence of the β-defensin consensus pattern. Analysis of the clone AF202031 revealed a genomic sequence coding for the carboxy-terminal region of a putative novel β-defensin, which was found in several HTG clones available at GenBank and subsequently termed hBD-4. The full-length cDNA f...

Akt/PKB promotes cancer cell invasion via increased motility and metalloproteinase production

Abstract: The Akt/protein kinase B (PKB) serine/threonine kinase is well known as an important mediator of many cell survival signaling pathways. Here, we demonstrate for the first time a major role of Akt/PKB in the cell invasion properties of the highly metastatic cell line HT1080. Using confocal microscopic analyses of live samples, we found Akt/PKB to be localized in the leading edge membrane area of migrating HT1080 cells. This localization was dependent on phosphoinositide 3-kinase and required the lipid binding ability of the phosphoinositide binding pleckstrin homology domain of Akt/PKB. We examined the possible function of Akt/PKB in HT1080 invasion. Surprisingly, Akt/PKB potently promoted HT1080 invasion, by increasing cell motility and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) production, in a manner highly dependent on its kinase activity and membrane-translocating ability. The increase in MMP-9 production was mediated by activation of nuclear factor-kappaB transcriptional activity by Akt/PKB. However, Akt/PKB did not affect the cell-cell or cell-matrix adhesion properties of HT1080. Our findings thus establish Akt/PKB as a major factor in the invasive abilities of cancer cells.

Adipose angiotensinogen is involved in adipose tissue growth and blood pressure regulation

Abstract: White adipose tissue and liver are important angiotensinogen (AGT) production sites. Until now, plasma AGT was considered to be a reflection of hepatic production. Because plasma AGT concentration has been reported to correlate with blood pressure, and to be associated with body mass index, we investigated whether adipose AGT is released locally and into the blood stream. For this purpose, we have generated transgenic mice either in which adipose AGT is overexpressed or in which AGT expression is restricted to adipose tissue. This was achieved by the use of the aP2 adipocyte-specific promoter driving the expression of rat agt cDNA in both wild-type and hypotensive AGT-deficient mice. Our results show that in both genotypes, targeted expression of AGT in adipose tissue increases fat mass. Mice whose AGT expression is restricted to adipose tissue have AGT circulating in the blood stream, are normotensive, and exhibit restored renal function compared with AGT-deficient mice. Moreover, mice that overexpress adipose AGT have increased levels of circulating AGT, compared with wild-type mice, and are hypertensive. These animal models demonstrate that AGT produced by adipose tissue plays a role in both local adipose tissue development and in the endocrine system, which supports a role of adipose AGT in hypertensive obese patients.

Cigarette smoking reduces histone deacetylase 2 expression, enhances cytokine expression, and inhibits glucocorticoid actions in alveolar macrophages.

Abstract: SPECIFIC AIMSGlucocorticoidsact, at least in part, through recruitment of histone deacetylases (HDACs) to sites of inflammatory gene transcription. In this study we show that cigarette smoke, an oxidative stress, decreased HDAC activity in human biopsies and macrophages in vivo. This reduced activity correlated with enhanced induction of inflammatory cytokines and a reduction in glucocorticoid responsiveness in vitro.PRINCIPAL FINDINGS1. HAT and HDAC expression in bronchial biopsies and alveolar macrophages.The histone acetyltransferases (HATs) CBP and HDAC1 and HDAC2 are localized within the airway to all cells with the most intense staining within the epithelium and inflammatory cells. Smoking did not affect the site of the expression of any of these proteins. Western blot analysis detected no difference in the expression of CBP or PCAF between the two groups. In contrast, there was a decrease in HDAC2 expression (0.63±0.02 vs. 0.37±0.06 OD units, P<0.01), but not HDAC1 (0.55±0.07 versus 0.55±0.10 OD un...

Direct binding and functional coupling of α-synuclein to the dopamine transporters accelerate dopamine-induced apoptosis

Abstract: Mutations in α-synuclein, a protein highly enriched in presynaptic terminals, have been implicated in the expression of familial forms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) whereas native α-synuclein is a major component of intraneuronal inclusion bodies characteristic of PD and other neurodegenerative disorders. Although overexpression of human α-synuclein induces dopaminergic nerve terminal degeneration, the molecular mechanism by which α-synuclein contributes to the degeneration of these pathways remains enigmatic. We report here that α-synuclein complexes with the presynaptic human dopamine transporter (hDAT) in both neurons and cotransfected cells through the direct binding of the non-Aβ amyloid component of α-synuclein to the carboxyl-terminal tail of the hDAT. α-Synuclein–hDAT complex formation facilitates the membrane clustering of the DAT, thereby accelerating cellular dopamine uptake and dopamine-induced cellular apoptosis. Since the selective vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons in PD has been ascribed ...

Connexin 43 hemichannels mediate Ca2+-regulated transmembrane NAD+ fluxes in intact cells

Abstract: SPECIFIC AIMSSeveral mammalian cell types have been recently shown to express a NAD+ transport system on the plasma membrane. The fundamental and pleiotropic roles played by NAD+ in physiological processes (ranging from redox reactions and metabolism, signaling mechanisms, and DNA repair) prompted us to characterize the NAD+ transporter of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, since this murine cell line had previously been shown to exhibit gradient-directed transmembrane fluxes of NAD+, both influx of externally added NAD+ and release of intracellular NAD+ into the medium.PRINCIPAL FINDINGS1. The NAD+ transporter from 3T3 cells can be reconstituted into unilamellar proteoliposomesTotal membrane proteins from 3T3 fibroblasts were reconstituted into unilamellar proteoliposomes, which were then tested for NAD+ influx using either 32[P]-NAD+ or unlabeled dinucleotide. This process was dependent on time, protein concentration, and pH, with maximum influx being observed at pH 8.3. Influx of NAD+ was almost completely inhibited...

Only UCP1 can mediate adaptive nonshivering thermogenesis in the cold

Abstract: Adaptive nonshivering thermogenesis may have profound effects on energy balance and is therefore therefore is a potential mechanism for counteracting the development of obesity. The molecular basis for adaptive nonshivering thermogenesis has remained a challenge that sparked acute interest with the identification of proteins (UCP2, UCP3, etc.) with high-sequence similarity to the original uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1), which is localized only in brown adipose tissue. Using UCP1-ablated mice, we examined whether any adaptive nonshivering thermogenesis could be recruited by acclimation to cold. Remarkably, by successive acclimation, the UCP1-ablated mice could be made to subsist for several weeks at 4C during which they had to constantly produce heat at four times their resting levels. Despite these extreme requirements for adaptive nonshivering thermogenesis, however, no substitution of shivering by any adaptive nonshivering thermogenic process occurred. Thus, although the existence of, for example, muscular mechanisms for adaptive nonshivering thermogenesis has recurrently been implied, we did not find any indication of such thermogenesis. Not even during prolonged and enhanced demand for extra heat production was any endogenous hormone or neurotransmitter able to recruit any UCP1-independent adaptive nonshivering thermogenic process in muscle or in any other organ, and no proteins other than UCP1-not even UCP2 or UCP3-therefore have the ability to mediate adaptive nonshivering thermogenesis in the cold.

Resistance exercise decreases skeletal muscle tumor necrosis factor α in frail elderly humans

Abstract: Skeletal muscle protein and function decline with advancing age but the underlying pathophysiology is poorly understood. To test the hypothesis that the catabolic cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) contributes to this process, we studied the effects of aging and resistance exercise on TNF-alpha expression in human muscle. Using in situ hybridization, TNF-alpha message was localized to myocytes in sections of skeletal muscle from elderly humans. Both TNF-alpha mRNA and protein levels were elevated in skeletal muscle from frail elderly (81+/-1 year) as compared to healthy young (23+/-1 year) men and women. To determine whether resistance exercise affects TNF-alpha expression, frail elderly men and women were randomly assigned to a training group or to a nonexercising control group. Muscle biopsies were performed before and after 3 months. Muscle TNF-alpha mRNA and protein levels decreased in the exercise group but did not change in the control group. Muscle protein synthesis rate in the exercise group was inversely related to levels of TNF-alpha protein. These data suggest that TNF-alpha contributes to age-associated muscle wasting and that resistance exercise may attenuate this process by suppressing skeletal muscle TNF-alpha expression.

Hypothesis: inappropriate colonization of the premature intestine can cause neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis

Abstract: Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a major cause of morbidity in preterm infants. We hypothesize that the intestinal injury in this disease is a consequence of synergy among three of the major risk factors for NEC: prematurity, enteral feeding, and bacterial colonization. Together these factors result in an exaggerated inflammatory response, leading to ischemic bowel necrosis. Human milk may decrease the incidence of NEC by decreasing pathogenic bacterial colonization, promoting growth of nonpathogenic flora, promoting maturation of the intestinal barrier, and ameliorating the proinflammatory response.

Diseases of liporegulation: new perspective on obesity and related disorders

Abstract: Obesity-related diseases now threaten to reach epidemic proportions in the United States. Here we review in a rodent model of genetic obesity, the fa/fa Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat, the mechanisms involved in the most common complications of diet-induced human obesity, i.e., noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and myocardial dysfunction. In ZDF rats, hyperphagia leads to hyperinsulinemia, which up-regulates transcription factors that stimulate lipogenesis. This causes ectopic deposition of triacylglycerol in nonadipocytes, providing fatty acid (FA) substrate for damaging pathways of nonoxidative metabolism, such as ceramide synthesis. In beta cells and myocardium, the resulting functional impairment and apoptosis cause diabetes and cardiomyopathy. Interventions that lower ectopic lipid accumulation or block nonoxidative metabolism of FA and ceramide formation completely prevent these complications. Given the evidence for a similar etiology for the complications of human obesity, it would be appropriate to develop strategies to avert the predicted epidemic of lipotoxic disorders.

Oxidized LDL and HDL: antagonists in atherothrombosis

Abstract: Increased LDL oxidation is associated with coronary artery disease. The predictive value of circulating oxidized LDL is additive to the Global Risk Assessment Score for cardiovascular risk prediction based on age, gender, total and HDL cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, and smoking. Circulating oxidized LDL does not originate from extensive metal ion-induced oxidation in the blood but from mild oxidation in the arterial wall by cell-associated lipoxygenase and/or myeloperoxidase. Oxidized LDL induces atherosclerosis by stimulating monocyte infiltration and smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation. It contributes to atherothrombosis by inducing endothelial cell apoptosis, and thus plaque erosion, by impairing the anticoagulant balance in endothelium, stimulating tissue factor production by smooth muscle cells, and inducing apoptosis in macrophages. HDL cholesterol levels are inversely related to risk of coronary artery disease. HDL prevents atherosclerosis by reverting the stimulatory effect of oxidized LDL on monocyte infiltration. The HDL-associated enzyme paraoxonase inhibits the oxidation of LDL. PAF-acetyl hydrolase, which circulates in association with HDL and is produced in the arterial wall by macrophages, degrades bioactive oxidized phospholipids. Both enzymes actively protect hypercholesterolemic mice against atherosclerosis. Oxidized LDL inhibits these enzymes. Thus, oxidized LDL and HDL are indeed antagonists in the development of cardiovascular disease.

Inverse, protean, and ligand-selective agonism: matters of receptor conformation

Abstract: Concepts regarding the mechanisms by which drugs activate receptors to produce physiological response have progressed beyond considering the receptor as a simple on-off switch. Current evidence suggests that the idea that agonists produce only varying degrees of receptor activation is obsolete and must be reconciled with data to show that agonist efficacy has texture as well as magnitude. Thus, agonists can block system constitutive response (inverse agonists), behave as positive and inverse agonists on the same receptor (protean agonists), and differ in the stimulus pattern they produce in physiological systems (ligand-selective agonists). The molecular mechanism for this seemingly diverse array of activities is the same, namely, the selective microaffinity of ligands for different conformational states of the receptor. This paper reviews evidence for the existence of the various types of agonism and the potential therapeutic utility of different agonist types.-Kenakin, T. Inverse, protean, and ligand-selective agonism: matters of receptor conformation.

Mechanical signaling through connective tissue: a mechanism for the therapeutic effect of acupuncture

Abstract: The mechanism of action of acupuncture remains largely unknown. The reaction to acupuncture needling known as 'de qi', widely viewed as essential to the therapeutic effect of acupuncture, may be a key to understanding its mechanism of action. De qi includes a characteristic needling sensation, perceived by the patient, and 'needle grasp' perceived by the acupuncturist. During needle grasp, the acupuncturist feels pulling and increased resistance to further movement of the inserted needle. We hypothesize that 1) needle grasp is due to mechanical coupling between the needle and connective tissue with winding of tissue around the needle during needle rotation and 2) needle manipulation transmits a mechanical signal to connective tissue cells via mechanotransduction. Such a mechanism may explain local and remote, as well as long-term effects of acupuncture.

Endocannabinoids control spasticity in a multiple sclerosis model

Abstract: Spasticity is a complicating sign in multiple sclerosis that also develops in a model of chronic relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (CREAE) in mice. In areas associated with nerve damage, increased levels of the endocannabinoids, anandamide (arachidonoylethanolamide, AEA) and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG), and of the AEA congener, palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), were detected here, whereas comparable levels of these compounds were found in normal and non-spastic CREAE mice. While exogenously administered endocannabinoids and PEA ameliorate spasticity, selective inhibitors of endocannabinoid re-uptake and hydrolysis-probably through the enhancement of endogenous levels of AEA, and, possibly, 2-arachidonoyl glycerol-significantly ameliorated spasticity to an extent comparable with that observed previously with potent cannabinoid receptor agonists. These studies provide definitive evidence for the tonic control of spasticity by the endocannabinoid system and open new horizons to therapy of multiple sclerosis, and other neuromuscular diseases, based on agents modulating endocannabinoid levels and action, which exhibit little psychotropic activity.

Inflammatory cytokines inhibit myogenic differentiation through activation of nuclear factor-kappaB.

Abstract: Muscle wasting is often associated with chronic inflammation. Because tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) has been implicated as a major mediator of cachexia, its effects on C2C12 myocytes were examined. TNF-α activated nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and interfered with the expression of muscle proteins in differentiating myoblasts. Introduction of a mutant form of inhibitory protein κBα (IκBα) restored myogenic differentiation in myoblasts treated with TNF-α or interleukin 1β. Conversely, activation of NF-κB by overexpression of IκB kinase was sufficient to block myogenesis, illustrating the causal link between NF-κB activation and inhibition of myogenic differentiation. The inhibitory effects of TNF-α on myogenic differentiation were reversible, indicating that the effects of the cytokine were not due to nonspecific toxicity. Treatment of differentiated myotubes with TNF-α did not result in a striking loss of muscle-specific proteins, which shows that myogenesis was selectively affected in the myoblast stage by ...

Current concepts in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver injury

Abstract: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) develops as a consequence of priming and sensitizing mechanisms rendered by cross-interactions of primary mechanistic factors and secondary risk factors. This concept, albeit not novel, is becoming widely accepted by the field, and more research is directed toward identifying and characterizing the interfaces of the cross-interactions to help understand individual predisposition to the disease. Another pivotal development is the beginning of cell type-specific research to elucidate specific contributions not only of hepatocytes, but also of hepatic macrophages, liver-associated lymphocytes, sinusoidal endothelial cells, and hepatic stellate cells to sensitizing and priming mechanisms. In particular, the critical role of hepatic macrophages has been highlighted and the priming mechanisms concerning this paracrine effect have been proposed. Glutathione depletion in hepatocyte mitochondria is considered the most important sensitizing mechanism. One of the contributing factors is decreased methionine metabolism. Remaining key questions include how altered methionine metabolism contribute to the pathogenesis of ALD; how cross-talk among nonparenchymal liver cells or between nonparenchymal cells and hepatocytes leads to ALD; how dysfunctional mitochondria determine the type of cell death in ALD; and what secondary factors are critical for the development of advanced ALD such as alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis.

Blood vessel maturation in a 3-dimensional spheroidal coculture model: direct contact with smooth muscle cells regulates endothelial cell quiescence and abrogates VEGF responsiveness

Abstract: Paracrine interactions between endothelial cells (EC) and mural cells act as critical regulators of vessel wall assembly, vessel maturation and define a plasticity window for vascular remodeling. The present study was aimed at studying blood vessel maturation processes in a novel 3-dimensional spheroidal coculture system of EC and smooth muscle cells (SMC). Coculture spheroids differentiate spontaneously in a calcium-dependent manner to organize into a core of SMC and a surface layer of EC, thus mimicking the physiological assembly of blood vessels with surface lining EC and underlying mural cells. Coculture of EC with SMC induces a mature, quiescent EC phenotype as evidenced by 1) a significant increase in the number of junctional complexes of the EC surface layer, 2) a down-regulation of PDGF-B expression by cocultured EC, and 3) an increased resistance of EC to undergo apoptosis. Furthermore, EC cocultured with SMC become refractory to stimulation with VEGF (lack of CD34 expression on VEGF stimulation; inability to form capillary-like sprouts in a VEGF-dependent manner in a 3-dimensional in gel angiogenesis assay). In contrast, costimulation with VEGF and Ang-2 induced sprouting angiogenesis originating from coculture spheroids consistent with a model of Ang-2-mediated vessel destabilization resulting in VEGF responsiveness. Ang-2 on its own was able to stimulate endothelial cells in the absence of Ang-1 producing SMC, inducing lateral sheet migration as well as in gel sprouting angiogenesis. Taken together, the data establish the spheroidal EC/SMC system as a powerful cell culture model to study paracrine interactions in the vessel wall and provide functional evidence for smooth muscle cell-mediated quiescence effects on endothelial cells.