Autophagy: a new mechanism for regulating VEGF and PEDF expression in retinal pigment epithelium cells

AIM: To investigate the regulation of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) expression by autophagy in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells on exposure to hypoxia. METHODS: ARPE-19, an RPE cell line, was treated as following: the control group was kept in a normoxic incubator; the hypoxia group was incubated in a hypoxic incubator with 1% O2/5% CO2/94% N2 for 24h; the hypoxia + 3-methyladenine (3-MA) group was pretreated with 10 mmol/L 3-MA for 1h and then in the hypoxic incubator for 24h; and the hypoxia + chloroquine (CQ) group was pretreated with 50 μmol/L CQ for 1h and then in the hypoxic incubator for 24h. The morphology and ultrastructure of the cells was observed by an inverted microscope or a transmission electronic microscope (TEM). Western blot was performed to assay the expression of autophagy-associated markers, including microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 B (LC3B), Beclin-1, Atg5 and p62. The concentration of VEGF and PEDF in the culture supernatant was determined by ELISA, and the ratio of VEGF/PEDF was calculated. RESULTS: There were no obvious differences in cell morphology among different groups and autolysosomes could be observed in the cytoplasm in all groups. Compared to the control cells, the LC3B-II/I ratio and levels of Beclin-1 and Atg5 were significantly increased and p62 level was significantly decreased in the hypoxia group. With the increase of VEGF and decrease of PEDF concentration, the VEGF/PEDF ratio was significantly increased in the hypoxia group compared to the control cells. The LC3B-II/I ratio was significantly reduced by 3-MA treatment and increased by CQ treatment. The expressions of Beclin-1 and Atg5 were significantly reduced by 3-MA or CQ treatment, while expression of p62 was increased in the 3-MA or CQ treated cells. The concentration of VEGF was significantly decreased and PEDF increased, thereby the VEGF/PEDF ratio was decreased in the hypoxia + 3-MA group and hypoxia + CQ group compared with that in the hypoxia group. CONCLUSION: Hypoxia leads to elevated autophagy in RPE cells, and expression of VEGF and PEDF might be regulated by autophagy on exposure to hypoxia to further participate in regulating the formation of retinal neovascularization.     

人参皂苷Rb1在Aβ损伤的PC12细胞中激活线粒体自噬的机制研究＊

目的 基于Aβ损伤的PC12模型，观察人参皂苷Rb1对线粒体自噬的调节作用。方法 用Aβ损伤PC12细胞建立体外AD模型，采用人参皂苷Rb1进行干预后，利用透射电镜观察自噬情况，Western blot检测LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ、p62、PINK1、parkin、NDP52和OPTN蛋白的表达，荧光实时定量PCR检测LC3、p62、PINK1、parkin、NDP52、OPTN mRNA水平。结果 人参皂苷Rb1高剂量促进细胞中自噬小体包裹受损线粒体，升高LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ比值（P < 0.05），减少p62蛋白水平（P < 0.05）；同时，人参皂苷Rb1显著增加了PINK1蛋白表达（P < 0.01），同时减少OPTN及NDP52蛋白水平（P < 0.05）；此外，人参皂苷Rb1高剂量组parkin、OPTN mRNA表达显著上调（P < 0.01），低剂量组PINK1、NDP52 mRNA表达也显著上调（P < 0.05）。结论 人参皂苷Rb1神经保护作用与调节线粒体自噬相关，通过激活PINK1/parkin通路促进线粒体自噬而改善体外AD模型损伤情况。     

In vivo recovery effect of silibinin treatment on streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice is associated with the modulations of sirt-1 expression and autophagy in pancreatic β-cell

Improper adjustments of autophagy and silent information regulator 1 (Sirt-1) expression were reported to be closely associated with metabolic disorders. In this study, we examined the roles of Sirt-1 and autophagy in streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus, assessed the relationship between autophagy and Sirt-1, and investigated the protective mechanism of silibinin. Diabetes was induced in 6-week-old mice by intravenous injection of streptozotocin (150 mg/kg/day, for 2 weeks). In the treatment groups, silibinin (50 mg/kg/day, intramuscular injection, for 8 weeks) or inhibitors (50 mg/kg/day, subcutaneous injection, for 8 weeks) were given. Diabetic control animals received vehicle for the same time. Compared with diabetic controls, silibinin or autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine, treated mice showed decreased levels of glycosylated hemoglobin A1C (P < 0.01), serum triglyceride (P < 0.01), cholesterol (P < 0.01), blood glucose (P < 0.05), autophagy (P < 0.05), and apoptosis ratio (P < 0.05) of pancreatic β-cells. Systemic administration of silibinin reversed streptozotocin-induced downregulation of Sirt-1 expression. Sirt-1 may play a role in regulating the physiological level of autophagy and is associated with loss of pancreatic β-cells and metabolic biochemical disorders. Through promoting Sirt-1 expression and recovering autophagy physiologically, silibinin may reverse hyperglycemia and repair damaged pancreatic β-cells.     

4-苯基丁酸类似物的设计合成及对PC12细胞内质网应激与过度自噬的抑制作用

目的：设计合成4-苯基丁酸（PBA）类似物并探究其对PC12细胞内质网应激（ERS）和过度自噬的双重抑制作用。方法：以PBA为母核，设计合成了11个PBA类似物（A1-A11），通过1H NMR、13C NMR、MS确证化学结构，采用MTT法分析化合物A1-A11对毒胡萝卜素（TG）诱导的PC12细胞ERS损伤模型和H2O2诱导的PC12细胞过度自噬损伤模型中细胞的保护作用；Western blot法检测ERS的标志蛋白葡萄糖调节蛋白78（GRP78）和自噬标志蛋白LC3 II/I和Beclin-1表达水平。结果：共合成了11 个PBA类似物，其中A3、A7、A9-A11为新化合物。MTT法结果表明，PBA类似物A1对TG诱导的ERS损伤细胞具有保护作用（P ＜0.05）。A1、A2、A4 和A6-A10对H2O2诱导的过度自噬损伤细胞均有良好的保护活性（P ＜0.05）。Western blot检测结果表明，A1能显著抑制ERS标志性蛋白GRP78、自噬标志性蛋白LC3 II/I和Beclin-1 的表达水平（P ＜0.05）。结论：与PBA相比，设计合成的化合物A1对ERS和过度自噬的损伤细胞具有最强的双重保护作用。     

KLF4-SQSTM1/p62-associated prosurvival autophagy contributes to carfilzomib resistance in multiple myeloma models

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable clonal plasma cell malignancy. Because of a high rate of immunoglobulin synthesis, the endoplasmic reticulum of MM cells is subjected to elevated basal levels of stress. Consequently, proteasome inhibitors, which exacerbate this stress by inhibiting ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated protein degradation, are an important new class of chemotherapeutic agents being used to combat this disease. However, MM cells still develop resistance to proteasome inhibitors such as carfilzomib. Toward this end, we have established carfilzomib-resistant derivatives of MM cell lines. We found that resistance to carfilzomib was associated with elevated levels of prosurvival autophagy, and Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) was identified as a contributing factor. Expression levels as well as nuclear localization of KLF4 protein were elevated in MM cells with acquired carfilzomib resistance. Chromatin immunoprecipitations indicated that endogenous KLF4 bound to the promoter regions of the SQSTM1 gene encoding the ubiquitin-binding adaptor protein sequestosome/p62 that links the proteasomal and autophagic protein degradation pathways. Ectopic expression of KLF4 induced upregulation of SQSTM1. On the other hand, inhibitors of autophagy sensitized MM cells to carfilzomib, even in carfilzomib-resistant derivatives having increased expression of the multidrug resistance protein P-glycoprotein. Thus, we report here a novel function for KLF4, one of the Yamanaka reprogramming factors, as being a contributor to autophagy gene expression which moderates preclinical proteasome inhibitor efficacy in MM.     

The different roles of selective autophagic protein degradation in mammalian cells

Autophagy is an intracellular pathway for bulk protein degradation and the removal of damaged organelles by lysosomes. Autophagy was previously thought to be unselective; however, studies have increasingly confirmed that autophagy-mediated protein degradation is highly regulated. Abnormal autophagic protein degradation has been associated with multiple human diseases such as cancer, neurological disability and cardiovascular disease; therefore, further elucidation of protein degradation by autophagy may be beneficial for protein-based clinical therapies. Macroautophagy and chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) can both participate in selective protein degradation in mammalian cells, but the process is quite different in each case. Here, we summarize the various types of macroautophagy and CMA involved in determining protein degradation. For this summary, we divide the autophagic protein degradation pathways into four categories: the post-translational modification dependent and independent CMA pathways and the ubiquitin dependent and independent macroautophagy pathways, and describe how some non-canonical pathways and modifications such as phosphorylation, acetylation and arginylation can influence protein degradation by the autophagy lysosome system (ALS). Finally, we comment on why autophagy can serve as either diagnostics or therapeutic targets in different human diseases.     

Involvement of autophagy in melatonin‐induced cytotoxicity in glioma‐initiating cells

Glioblastoma‐initiating cells (GICs) represent a stem cell‐like subpopulation within malignant glioblastomas responsible for tumor development, progression, therapeutic resistance, and tumor relapse. Thus, eradication of this subpopulation is essential to achieve stable, long‐lasting remission. We have previously reported that melatonin decreases cell proliferation of glioblastoma cells both in vitro and in vivo and synergistically increases effectiveness of drugs in glioblastoma cells and also in GICs. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the indolamine alone in GICs and found that melatonin treatment reduces GICs proliferation and induces a decrease in self‐renewal and clonogenic ability accompanied by a reduction in the expression of stem cell markers. Moreover, our results also indicate that melatonin treatment, by modulating stem cell properties, induces cell death with ultrastructural features of autophagy. Thus, data reported here reinforce the therapeutic potential of melatonin as a treatment of malignant glioblastoma both by inhibiting tumor bulk proliferation or killing GICs, and simultaneously enhancing the effect of chemotherapy.     

Nerve alterations showing autophagy in 2 patients with lichen aureus

Lichen aureus is a rare, chronic, persistent purpuric dermatosis clinically characterized by striking yellow‐ to bronze‐colored lesions. Histologically, lichen aureus differs from other pigmented purpuric dermatoses in containing dense, band‐like infiltrates closely associated with the epidermis. This report describes 2 patients with lichen aureus, a 20‐year‐old woman with a lesion on her right arm and a 51‐year‐old man with a lesion on the right side of his groin. Skin biopsy specimens revealed almost identical findings in both patients, including dense band‐like infiltrates containing lymphocytes, histiocytes with hemosiderin deposits scattered extravasated red blood cells and nerve alterations at the dermo‐epidermal interface. The nerves within the lesions were filled with granules, which stained positive with antibody to microtubule‐associated protein 1A/1B‐light chain 3, suggesting autophagy within the nerves. These altered nerves were present only in areas of band‐like dermal lymphocytic infiltration. Electron microscopy of the lesions showed the accumulation of autophagosomes in Schwann cells.     

Dysfunctional autophagy in Alzheimer’s disease: pathogenic roles and therapeutic implications

Neuronal autophagy is essential for neuronal survival and the maintenance of neuronal homeostasis. Increasing evidence has implicated autophagic dysfunction in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The mechanisms underlying autophagic failure in AD involve several steps, from autophagosome formation to degradation. The effect of modulating autophagy is context-dependent. Stimulation of autophagy is not always beneficial. During the implementation of therapies that modulate autophagy, the nature of the autophagic defect, the timing of intervention, and the optimal level and duration of modulation should be fully considered.