Microtubules are required for cytokeratin aggresome (Mallory body) formation in hepatocytes: an in vitro study

Mallory bodies are cytokeratin-ubiquitin aggresomes that form in hepatocytes in many different chronic liver diseases. One of the key components in aggresome formation, not yet investigated in Mallory body formation, is the role of microtubules. An in vitro tissue culture assay is required to test for microtubule involvement in Mallory body formation so that Mallory body formation can be observed in the presence or absence of microtubule-disrupting agents. In this report, a new model of in vitro Mallory body formation was developed, which uses cultured hepatocytes isolated from drug-primed mice. When hepatocytes were incubated in the presence of antimicrotubule agents, they failed to form Mallory bodies. It is concluded that intact microtubules are required for Mallory body formation.     

M-30 and 4HNE are sequestered in different aggresomes in the same hepatocytes

M-30 and 4HNE adducts are two markers of active liver disease. M-30 is a serologic marker and 4HNE adducts are histologic markers. M-30 is a marker for apoptosis because it is a fragment of cytokeratin-18 left over from proteolysis by caspase 3. 4HNE is a marker of oxidative stress because it results from lipid peroxidation. Both markers are commonly found in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and in alcoholic hepatitis. Liver biopsies from patients with steatohepatitis, 11 alcoholic and 11 non-alcoholics were stained for 4HNE and M-30. Almost all of the biopsies in both groups showed 4HNE- and M-30-positive aggresomes in hepatocytes. Mallory Denk bodies (MDB) stained variably positive for M-30, whereas 4HNE was present in aggresomes independent of MDBs. However, they were sometimes located in hepatocytes which also contained MDBs as shown by confocal microscopy of double stained biopsies. The results indicate that the formation of M-30 and 4HNE aggresomes occurs through different pathways of liver cell injury in both types of steatohepatitis.     

Heat shock proteins as gatekeepers of proteolytic pathways—Implications for age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the major diagnosis for severe and irreversible central loss of vision in elderly people in the developed countries. The loss of vision involves primarily a progressive degeneration and cell death of postmitotic retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE), which secondarily evokes adverse effects on photoreceptor cells. The RPE cells are exposed to chronic oxidative stress from three sources: their high levels of oxygen consumption, their exposure to the high levels of lipid peroxidation derived from the photoreceptor outer segments and their exposure to constant light stimuli. Cells increase the expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in order to normalize their growth conditions in response to various environmental stress factors, e.g. oxidative stress. The HSPs function as molecular chaperones by preventing the accumulation of cellular cytotoxic protein aggregates and assisting in correct folding of both nascent and misfolded proteins. Increased HSPs levels are observed in the retina of AMD patients, evidence of stressed tissue. A hallmark of RPE cell aging is lysosomal lipofuscin accumulation reflecting a weakened capacity to degrade proteins in lysosomes. The presence of lipofuscin increases the misfolding of intracellular proteins, which evokes additional stress in the RPE cells. If the capacity of HSPs to repair protein damages is overwhelmed, then the proteins are mainly cleared in proteasomes or in lysosomes. In this review, we discuss the role of heat shock proteins, proteasomes, and lysosomes and autophagic processes in RPE cell proteolysis and how these might be involved in development of AMD. In addition to classical lysosomal proteolysis, we focus on the increasing evidence that, HSPs, proteasomes and autophagy regulate protein turnover in the RPE cells and thus have important roles in AMD disease.     

Heat shock protein 27 expression in patients with chronic liver damage

The aim of this study was to evaluate a possible relationship between lymphomonocyte expression of heat shock proteins (HSP) 60/27 and plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6) and markers of antioxidant/oxidative status [glutathione (GSH), alpha glutathione-S-transferase activity (alpha GST), malonyldialdeyde (MDA), 4-hydroxinonenal (4-HNE), and S-nitrosothiols (S-NO)] in patients with chronic liver diseases. Entered into the study were 47 subjects: 10 healthy controls, 16 patients with HCV-related chronic hepatitis (CH), and 16 patients with HCV-related and 5 with alcohol-related liver cirrhosis (10 Child A and 11 Child B+C). HSP60 was clearly expressed only in 5% of patients and lowly in the control group. HSP27 was clearly expressed in 46.7% of CH and 71.4% of cirrhotic patients but was lowly present in healthy subjects. A significant difference was found between patients with a low expression of HSP27 (negative patients) and those with a high HSP27 expression (positive patients) of plasma levels both of antioxidants (GSH, p < 0.05), and of markers of enhanced production of free radicals and cytokines (alpha GST, TNF-alpha and IL-6, p < 0.05; MDA, 4-HNE and S-NO, p < 0.01) as well as for alcohol use and degree of liver impairment. The present data are the first showing that, particularly in conditions of enhanced oxidative stress, lymphomonocytes from liver disease patients present an increased expression of HSP27.     

Cohesion proteins are present in centromere protein bodies associated with avian lampbrush chromosomes

Proteins of sister chromatid cohesion are important for maintenance of meiotic chromosome structure and retention of homologous chromosomes in bivalents during diplotene. Localization of the cohesion proteins within nuclei of growing oocytes merits special attention, particularly in avian oocytes, in which diplotene chromosomes assume the form of lampbrush chromosomes (LBCs). We performed indirect immunostaining using antibodies against cohesins SMC1α, SMC1β, SMC3, Rad21, and the SA/STAG family on chaffinch, pigeon and duck LBCs spreads, and frozen ovary sections. On LBCs spreads, antibodies to the majority of cohesins showed punctate staining on chromosome axes. LBC lateral loops, where sister chromatids are separated, did not show cohesin components. The spherical entities attached to the LBCs centromeres in avian germinal vesicles, the so-called protein bodies (PBs), were enriched in SMC1α, SMC3, Rad21, STAG1 and STAG2. The synaptonemal complex component SYCP3, which also participates in cohesion, was detected in the axes of avian lampbrush bivalents and, to a greater degree, in the PBs. In vitellogenic oocytes, cohesion proteins persist in the PBs associated with condensing bivalents when they concentrate into the karyosphere. These results indicate that cohesion proteins accumulate in centromere PBs in avian oocytes and are involved into structural maintenance of lampbrush chromosome axes.     

CYP2E1 induced by ethanol causes oxidative stress, proteasome inhibition and cytokeratin aggresome (Mallory body-like) formation

The role of oxidative stress in alcoholic liver disease and cytokeratin aggresome formation is the focus of this in vitro study. HepG2 cells transduced to over express CYP2E1 (E47) and control HepG2 cells (C34) were first treated with arachidonic acid, then Fe-NAT, and finally with ethanol. In the E47 ethanol-treated cells, CYP2E1 was induced and a higher level of reactive oxygen species and carbonyl proteins were generated. The proteasome activity decreased significantly in the E47 ethanol-treated cells. This inhibition was prevented when CYP2E1 was inhibited by DAS. Microarray analysis showed gene expression down regulation of the proteasome subunit, as well as ubiquitin pathway proteins in the E47 ethanol-treated cells. 4-Hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) adducts were increased in the E47 cells treated with ethanol. Furthermore, the immunoprecipitated 4-HNE modified proteins from these cells stained positive with antibodies to the proteasome subunit alpha 6. These results indicate that the ethanol induced CYP2E1 generates oxidative stress that is responsible for the decrease in proteasome activity. Cytokeratin 8 and 18 were induced by ethanol treatment of E47 cells and polyubiquitinated forms of these proteins were found in the polyubiquitin smear upon Western blots analysis. Cytokeratin aggresomes and Mallory body-like inclusions formed in the ethanol-treated E47 cells, indicating that the ubiquitinated cytokeratins accumulated as a result of the inhibition of the proteasome by ethanol treatment when oxidation of ethanol induced oxidative stress. This is the first report where ethanol caused Mallory body-like cytokeratin inclusions in transformed human liver cells in vitro.     

Induction of heat shock proteins in lymphocytes increases with mitogen stimulation

The effect of the growth state of a cell on the ability of hyperthermia to induce the synthesis of heat shock proteins (HSPs) was studied in resting and concanavalin A (ConA)-stimulated lymphocytes. Hyperthermia induced the synthesis of hsp 110, hsp 90, hsc 70, and hsp 70 in both resting and ConA-stimulated lymhocytes, and ConA-treatment induced the synthesis of the hsp 90 and hsc 70 at normal temperature. The induction of the synthesis of hsp 110 and hsp 70 by hyperthermia was 3- to 6-fold higher for lymphocytes cultured with ConA for 12 and 24 h than in non-stimulated lymphocytes. Thus, lymphocytes induced to undergo proliferation showed a greater response to hyperthermia than resting lymphocytes.     

Heat shock proteins in human endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle

Human endometrium is a steroid-sensitive tissue and there isevidence that supports the viewpoint that heat shock proteins(HSP) are implicated in the regulation of steroid function.Therefore, in this study we examined the expression of variousmembers of the heat shock family of proteins in the steroid-responsivehuman endometrium. Western blot analysis revealed that the expressionof HSP90 showed minimal changes throughout the menstrual cycle.When normalized to the amount of HSP90, the expression of HSP27,HSP60 and the constitutive form of heat shock protein 70 (HSC70)increased progressively during the late proliferative and earlysecretory phases, and diminished in the mid- to late secretoryand menstrual phases. In contrast, the inducible form of heatshock protein 70 (HSP70) did not undergo these changes. Thecellular and subcellular localizations of these proteins wereexamined in human endometria by immunohistochemical staining.With the exception of HSP70, which was found primarily in theepithelial cells, the immunoreactivity for other heat shockproteins was found in both the stroraa and the epithelium. Immunoreactivityfor HSP27 was found in the lymphoid aggregates within endometrialstroma, and both HSP27 and HSP90 were found in endothelial cells.The immunoreactive heat shock proteins were found in the nucleiand/or cytoplasm of cells. However, no consistent nuclear versuscytoplasmic staining emerged, and such localization was irrespectiveof the site, the cell type or the phase of the menstrual cycle.Our findings show that endometrium has a full complement ofheat shock proteins. The menstrual cycle-dependent changes inthe amounts of heat shock protein suggest regulation by steroidhormones.     

Heat shock proteins can protect aged human and rodent cells from different stressful stimuli

Heat shock proteins (hsps) are induced by stressful stimuli and have been shown to protect cells and organs from such stresses both in vitro and in vivo. Because of this, mildly stressful stimuli, sufficient to induce hsp over-expression can protect against a subsequent more severe stress. In cells from aged individuals, however, no hsp induction is observed upon exposure to stress and no protective effect of a mild stress is observed. Here, we show that bypassing the block to hsp induction by artificially over-expressing hsps, can produce a protective effect against a variety of damaging stimuli in cells from aged rats or aged humans, indicating that hsps can have a protective effect in aged cells, provided successful over-expression can be achieved. Hence, hsps over-expression could be of therapeutic benefit in aged individuals if procedures to over-express the hsps can be developed either by devising non-stressful procedures to induce endogenous hsp over-expression or by developing vectors able to efficiently deliver exogenous hsps.     

Effects of vaccination with heat shock proteins on streptozotocin induced diabetes in histidine decarboxylase knockout mice

Rationale: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is an immune mediated disease in which heat shock proteins (hsps) may be involved in the development of the disease. Furthermore, vaccination with different hsps prevented the development of multiple low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) induced autoimmune diabetes in C57BL/KSJ mice. Histamine influences many aspects of the immune response, including Th1/Th2 balance and antibody production. Therefore, a study of diabetes-related immune processes was considered of interest in histidine decarboxylase knockout (HDC-KO) mice. Aim of the study: The aim of our study was i) to characterize antibody production in response to vaccination with p277 or hsp65 in wild type (WT) BALB/c and HDC-KO mice, and ii) to establish a possible correlation between vaccination and the changes in the pattern of STZ diabetes. Materials and methods: An ELISA was employed to measure the hsp65- and p277-specific antibody levels. To induce diabetes multiple low-dose of STZ was used. Results: Vaccination with p277 and hsp65 altered the pattern of STZ diabetes both in HDC-KO and WT animals, characterized by a transient increase followed by sustained reduction of blood sugar levels as compared to controls. However, vaccination with hsp65 and p277 caused a significant anti-p277 and anti-hsp65 antibody level increase only in WT animals. Conclusion: Multiple low-doses of STZ were able to induce diabetes in HDC-KO mice and the development of diabetes was prevented by vaccination with hsps. This protection developed in spite of the fact that vaccination caused a significant antibody level increase only in WT animals. To explain the therapeutic effect of vaccination we need further examination of the HDC KO strain. Received 23 July 2007; returned for revision 21 October 2007; received from final revision 25 November 2007; accepted by I. Ahnfelt-R?nne 7 December 2007     

The involvement of heat shock proteins in murine liver regeneration

Partial hepatectomy （PHx） in mammals is a very common experimental model to investigate the process of liver regeneration. The surgery itself could give birth to a series of stresses, such as the temporary raise of body temperature and the ischaemia-reperfusion injury. Heat shock proteins （HSPs） were a family of stress-inducible proteins involved in maintaining cell homeostasis and regulating the immune system. In our study, we intended to investigate the expression and role of HSPs in liver regeneration. Using RT-PCR and Western blotting, we determined the expression in regenerating liver of HSP27, HSP60, HSP70 and HSP90 in mRNA level and protein level, respectively, with mice treated with sham operation as controls. We also used quercertin as an inhibitior of HSPs to explore their effects on liver regeneration. We found that hepatic expression of HSPs increased at the early phase of liver regeneration and declined to the constitutively low level later. Moreover, quercetin pretreatment delayed the progress of liver regeneration in mice via inhibition of HSPs. The results indicated that HSPs played an important role in liver regeneration. Cellular ＆ Molecular Immunology. 2007;4（1）：53-57.     

人幽门螺杆菌热休克蛋白A亚单位的基因克隆及序列分析

目的 获取人幽门螺杆菌（Ｈｐ）热休克蛋白Ａ亚单位（ＨｓｐＡ）的ＤＮＡ（ｈｓｐＡ）,并将它克隆到质粒ＰｉｎＰｏｉｎｔ＾ＴＭ Ｘａ－３中进行核苷酸序列分析。方法 利用ＰＣＲ技术扩增ＨｓｐＡ,并将其它向插入ＰｉｎＰｏｉｎｔ＾ＴＭ Ｘａ－３载体中通过４种荧光染料标记,激光检测的方法进行核苷酸序列分析。结果 ＤＮＡ序列分析表明,所克隆的ＨａｐＡ ＤＮＡ序列与ＧｅｎＢａｎｋ公布的一致。结论 本研究获得了序列正     

Expressions of heat shock proteins under heat-stress and interferon-treatment: An in vitro study on osteosarcoma

This study examined expressions of heat shock proteins (HSP) under heat-stress and/or interferon (IFN)-, ß, or γ treatment using a human osteosarcoma cell line, NY cells. IFN alone as well as heat-stress at 43–45°C for 60 min suppressed cell growth, and their combination resulted in synergistic suppression. When primary heat stress was given, cells acquired thermotolerance at the second heat-stress. Autoradiography revealed that HSP70 was mainly induced in the cells under heat-stress. In Western blot analysis, heat (44°C)-induced HSP70 was suppressed by IFN treatment. This suggests that synergistic suppression effects of the combination treatment on osteosarcoma cells would be attributable to the suppression of HSP70 expressions. Optimum combination of heat-stress and IFN is expected to increase the cure rate in osteosarcoma treatment.     

改进SP法检测热休克蛋白

目的 :探索避免常规SP法检测热休克蛋白 (HSP)时出现假阳性和消除非特异性反应的方法。方法 :心肌组织石蜡切片 ,采用改进的SP法染色 ,即在常规SP法基础上“一抗”倍比稀释 ,双蒸水稀释H2 O2阻断内源性过氧化物酶等染色操作。结果 :改进的SP法染HSP阳性产物呈棕黄色细颗粒状 ,在细胞浆中弥漫分布 ,背景十分清亮。结论 :改进后的SP法更适用于HSP的检测     

Estrogen iof glial heat shock proteins: Implications for hypothalamic aging

In the aging mammalian hypothalamus, a unique sub-population of glial cells accumulates peroxidase-positive cytoplasmic inclusions distinct from lipofuscin. In adult rodents, this senescence-dependent filial granulation is accelerated by administration of estradiol valerate. In the present study, brain sections derived from male rats given 3 monthly intramuscular injections of estradiol valerate (0.2 mg or 2.0 mg) were immunostained for heat shock proteins and glial fibrillary acidic protein to determine whether a glial stress response is implicated in estrogen-induced granulation. Our findings indicate that estrogen elicits a heat shock response and subsequent granulation in astrocytes residing in estradiol receptor-rich brain regions including the arcuate nucleus and the wall surrounding the third ventricle but not in estradiol receptor-deficient regions such as the striatum and corpus callosum. The heat shock proteins induced by estrogen, namely, the 27, 72, and 90 kDa stress proteins, are upregulated in astrocytes in response to oxidative challenge supporting our hypothesis that estrogen mediates senescent changes in the rodent hypothalamus through oxidative mechanisms.     

Heat shock proteins and scavenger receptors: role in adaptive immune responses

Tumor-derived heat shock proteins have shown promise as anti-cancer vaccines in clinical trials. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) can generate potent anti-tumor immunity and elicit antigen-specific CD8 + T cell responses in murine studies. Antigen presenting cells (APC), such as macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs), can elicit antigen-specific CD8 + T cell responses mediated by HSPs. CD91 was the first identified endocytic scavenger receptor for HSPs on APC that can facilitate the process of cross-presentation. Other scavenger receptors may also play a similar role in this process. The present review critically evaluates the identified HSP endocytic receptors on APCs that may generate adaptive immune responses. A better understanding of this interaction between HSPs and APCs may further unravel mechanisms of immunoadjuvant function of HSPs.     

Endurance training increases the expression of mitochondrial and nuclear encoded cytochrome c oxidase subunits and heat shock proteins in rat skeletal muscle

Cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) is an enzyme complex found on the inner mitochondrial membrane and serves as the final electron acceptor in mitochondrial electron transport. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are involved in the import of nuclear encoded protein subunits into the mitochondria and induce conformational changes to form active enzyme complexes. As both the nuclear and mitochondrial encoded subunits of CCO have been shown to increase in activity and expression in muscle subsequent to artificial loading, and as exercise has been shown to induce HSPs, we sought to determine whether 16–20 weeks of treadmill exercise would result in enhanced CCO subunit expression, and to determine if there was a relationship between this expression and HSP content in medial gastrocnemius muscle of Fischer 344 rats. Our results indicated that endurance training resulted in a 53%, 87% and 80% increase (P < 0.05) in the levels of HSP 60, CCO subunit II and CCO subunit VI, respectively. Enzymatic activity of CCO was 84% greater (P < 0.05) after endurance training. Mann Whitney U analyses showed that CCO subunit II and VI increased to the same extent as HSP 60 after endurance training. It appears that 16–20 weeks of endurance training leads to uniform increases in CCO subunits and parts of the transport and assembly mechanisms required for CCO enzyme assembly. The similarity among the increases in CCO subunits II and VI protein levels and the increase in CCO enzyme activity suggest that this increase in activity is due to an increase in the amount of CCO enzyme. Accepted: 26 April 2000     

大鼠肝脏热缺血-再灌注损伤中HSP 72对肝细胞的保护作用

目的探讨应用亚砷酸钠（Sodium Arsenite，SA）诱导热休克蛋白72（HSP72）在大鼠肝脏热缺血-再灌注损伤中对肝细胞的保护作用。方法采用大鼠肝脏部分热缺血．再灌注模型，预先给予SA（6mg／ml），24h后阻断肝脏中、左叶血供90min，再灌注3、6h，分别用Western blot检测肝脏中的热休克蛋白72（HSP72）、核转录因子-κB（NF-κB）;外周血测定ALT、AST、LDH、TNF-α、CINC、MIP-2；组织学作HE染色、HSP72、NF-κB免疫组化。观察7d存活率。结果Western blot结果显示SA组均有HSP72表达，对照组则无表达。对照组有NF-κB表达，SA组则无表达。SA组血清ALT、AST、LDH、TNF-α、CINC、MIP-2均显著低于对照组（P〈0．05）。病理观察结果显示，对照组可见肝实质细胞浊肿、空泡样变性、肝窦内中性粒细胞浸润。SA组肝实质细胞无明显损伤。免疫组化结果显示，SA组肝细胞胞浆、核均有较显著的HSP72表达，对照组基本无表达。对照组肝实质细胞核内有较显著的NF-κB的表达，SA组则基本无表达。SA组7d生存率为87．5％（7／8），显著高于对照组的37．5％（3／8）（P〈0．05）。结论SA可诱导大鼠肝脏产生HSP 72，在肝脏热缺血-再灌注中抑制NF-κB的活性，减轻肝脏炎症反应，对肝实质细胞具有保护作用。