4‐(4‐Hydroxyphenyl)‐2‐butanol (rhododendrol)‐induced melanocyte cytotoxicity is enhanced by UVB exposure through generation of oxidative stress

4‐(4‐Hydroxyphenyl)‐2‐butanol (rhododendrol, RD), a skin‐whitening agent, was reported to cause skin depigmentation in some users, which is attributed to its cytotoxicity to melanocyte. It was reported that cytotoxicity to melanocyte is possibly mediated by oxidative stress in a tyrosinase activity‐dependent manner. We examined the effect of UV radiation (UVR) on RD‐induced melanocyte cytotoxicity as an additional aggravating factor. UVR enhanced RD‐induced cytotoxicity in normal human epidermal melanocytes (NHEMs) via the induction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Increased generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected. Pretreatment with N‐acetyl cysteine (NAC), antioxidant and precursor of glutathione significantly attenuated ER stress‐induced cytotoxicity in NHEMs treated with RD and UVR. Increase in cysteinyl‐RD‐catechol and RD‐pheomelanin in NHEMs treated with RD and UVR suggested that, after UVR excitation, RD or RD metabolites are potent ROS‐generating substances and that the tendency to produce RD‐pheomelanin during melanogenesis amplifies ROS generation in melanocytes. Our results help to elucidate the development mechanisms of RD‐induced leukoderma and provide information for innovation of safe skin‐whitening compounds.     

PPARβ/δ attenuates palmitate-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and induces autophagic markers in human cardiac cells

Background

Chronic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress contributes to the apoptotic cell death in the myocardium, thereby playing a critical role in the development of cardiomyopathy. ER stress has been reported to be induced after high-fat diet feeding in mice and also after saturated fatty acid treatment in vitro. Therefore, since several studies have shown that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)β/δ inhibits ER stress, the main goal of this study consisted in investigating whether activation of this nuclear receptor was able to prevent lipid-induced ER stress in cardiac cells.

Methods and results

Wild-type and transgenic mice with reduced PPARβ/δ expression were fed a standard diet or a high-fat diet for two months. For in vitro studies, a cardiomyocyte cell line of human origin, AC16, was treated with palmitate and the PPARβ/δ agonist GW501516. Our results demonstrate that palmitate induced ER stress in AC16 cells, a fact which was prevented after PPARβ/δ activation with GW501516. Interestingly, the effect of GW501516 on ER stress occurred in an AMPK-independent manner. The most striking result of this study is that GW501516 treatment also upregulated the protein levels of beclin 1 and LC3II, two well-known markers of autophagy. In accordance with this, feeding on a high-fat diet or suppression of PPARβ/δ in knockout mice induced ER stress in the heart. Moreover, PPARβ/δ knockout mice also displayed a reduction in autophagic markers.

Conclusion

Our data indicate that PPARβ/δ activation might be useful to prevent the harmful effects of ER stress induced by saturated fatty acids in the heart by inducing autophagy.     

心脏不停跳二尖瓣置换术对心肌内质网应激相关因子表达影响的研究及意义

【摘要】 目的 探讨心脏不停跳二尖瓣置换术（MVR）对心肌内质网应激（ERS）相关因子GRP78/Caspase-12表达的影响以及对心肌保护的意义。方法 选取择期行MVR的风湿性心脏病（RHD）二尖瓣狭窄（MS）患者40例,随机分为心脏不停跳组（BH组,n=20）与心脏停跳组（CA组,n=20）,分别于体外循环（CPB）转流开始前（T0）、主动脉阻断30 min后（BH组为CPB开始后30 min,T1）及缝合右心房前（T2）收集右心房心肌组织,通过rt-PCR法检测两组心肌GRP78和Caspase-12的表达,同时采用免疫组织化学法检测两组心肌GRP78和Caspase-12阳性着色情况。结果[结果部分应列举主要数据,并修改英文摘要] 两组GRP78mRNA表达：CA组T0（0.088±0.009）、T1（0.193±0.024）、T2（0.516±0.037）,BH组T0（0.085±0.008）、T1（0.189±0.022）、T2（0.229±0.038）,两组GRP78mRNA在T1时段表达量均增高（P＜0.05）,在T2时段表达量增高且CA组表达量高于BH组（P＜0.05）;两组Caspase-12mRNA表达：CA组T0（0.205±0.037）、T1（0.341±0.032）、T2（0.912±0.051）,BH组T0（0.198±0.035）、T1（0.209±0.035）、T2（0.307±0.063）,CA组Caspase-12 mRNA的表达量在T1、T2时段均增高（P＜0.05）;BH组仅在T2时段表达增高（P＜0.05）;CA组在T1、T2时间段Caspase-12 mRNA表达量均高于BH组（P＜0.05）。T2时段CA组与BH组GRP78蛋白免疫组化染色结果为（62.74±8.12）和（35.59±4.09）,CA组高于BH组（P＜0.05）;T2时段CA组与BH组Caspase-12蛋白免疫组化染色为（69.60±5.54）和（26.48±2.29）,CA组高于BH组（P＜0.05）。结论 心脏不停跳MVR能够通过减轻心肌ERS反应提高手术过程中的心肌保护。     

Effects of transient focal cerebral ischemia in mice deficient in puma

Bcl-2 homology domain 3 (BH3)-only pro-apoptotic proteins may play an important role in upstream cell death signaling pathways underlying ischemic brain injury. Puma is a potent BH3-only protein that can be induced via p53, FoxO3a and endoplasmic reticulum stress pathways and is upregulated by global cerebral ischemia. To more completely define the contribution of Puma to ischemic brain injury we measured the expressional response of Puma to transient focal cerebral ischemia in mice and also compared infarct volumes in puma-deficient versus puma-expressing mice. Real-time quantitative PCR determined puma mRNA levels were significantly increased 8 h after 90 min middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in the ipsilateral cortex, while expression remained unchanged contralaterally. Puma protein levels were also increased in the ischemic cortex over the same period. However, cortical and striatal infarct volumes were not significantly different between puma-deficient and puma-expressing mice at 24 h, and no differences between genotypes were found for post-ischemic neurological deficit scores. These data demonstrate that focal cerebral ischemia is associated with puma induction but suggest that Puma does not contribute significantly to lesion development in the present model.     

Effects of aging on Ca2+ signaling in murine mesenteric arterial smooth muscle cells

Pathophysiological changes in arterial smooth muscle structure and function occur with aging and there are a number of reports illustrating reductions in vascular responsiveness with aging. While much is known about arterial remodeling and functional adaptations with aging, very little is known about the biophysical adaptations in individual arterial myocytes. Cytosolic Ca2+ signaling, involving activation of L-type Ca2+ channels on the plasma membrane as well as InsP3 and ryanodine receptors on the sarcoplasmic reticulum, is integral to vascular tone and reactivity. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that aging results in reductions in the functional expression of L-type channels and temporal aspects of ryanodine receptor and InsP3 receptor Ca2+ signaling, in mesenteric arterial smooth muscle cells isolated from 6 and 30 months old C57Bl/6 mice. Comparisons of L-type current activity were made using dialyzed, whole-cell voltage-clamp techniques and Ba2+ as charge carrier. Ca2+ signaling was measured using fura-2 fluorescence microscopy techniques. Cell morphological changes were also investigated using electrophysiological and immunocytochemical approaches. The amplitudes of L-type Ca2+ currents were increased in older mice, but this was associated with membrane surface area increases of approximately 50%, due to increases in cell length not cell width. Consequently, L-type Ca2+ current densities were preserved with age, indicating functional channel expression was unchanged. In contrast, aging was associated with decrements in Ca2+ signaling in response to either ryanodine receptor stimulation by caffeine or InsP3 receptor activation with phenylephrine. These changes with aging may be related to the previously reported depression in myogenic reactivity.     

吸烟COPD模型大鼠肺组织内质网相关凋亡蛋白CHOP的表达

目的:研究吸烟所致慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)模型大鼠肺组织CCAAT/增强子结合蛋白同源蛋白(CHOP)表达的情况。方法:40只成年雄性Wistar大鼠随机分为对照组、吸烟2个月组、吸烟4个月组及戒烟组。采用单纯被动吸烟法复制大鼠COPD模型,测各组大鼠0.3秒用力呼气容积与用力肺活量比(FEV0.3/FVC)和最高峰值流速(PEF);采用TUNEL法检测肺结构细胞凋亡情况;采用原位杂交和RT-PCR检测肺组织CHOP的mRNA表达水平;免疫组化和Western blot检测其蛋白质水平;同时采用Western blot检测蛋白激酶R样内质网激酶(PERK)、p-PERK、真核生物起始因子(e IF)2α和p-e IF2α的蛋白水平。结果:大鼠吸烟2个月后,肺功能较对照组明显下降(P0.05),肺结构细胞凋亡明显增加,凋亡细胞主要是肺泡上皮细胞、血管内皮细胞和支气管上皮细胞,肺结构出现破坏;吸烟4个月后,FEV0.3/FVC显著下降(P0.05),肺结构凋亡细胞进一步增加,肺结构破坏明显;戒烟组肺功能较4个月组稍好转,肺结构破坏仍明显。与对照组相比,p-PERK、p-e IF2α和CHOP表达在吸烟2个月大鼠中升高(P0.05),在吸烟4个月大鼠中进一步升高(P0.05);戒烟组大鼠CHOP较吸烟4个月大鼠稍下降但差异无统计学意义;PERK和e IF2α在各组大鼠中表达的差异无统计学显著性。肺结构细胞凋亡与CHOP表达呈正相关;结论:吸烟可通过PERK/e IF2α/CHOP信号通路促进CHOP表达,从而促进COPD的发生与发展。     

4-PBA通过抑制内质网应激减轻原代海马神经元的损伤

目的:探讨内质网应激后原代海马神经元树突棘密度及突触蛋白表达的变化,以及通过内质网应激分子伴侣4-苯基丁酸(4-phenylbutyric acid,4-PBA)抑制内质网应激对这种神经元损伤的抑制作用。方法:原代培养新生大鼠海马神经元,将表达增强型绿色荧光蛋白的质粒转染到原代培养5～7 d(DIV 5～7)的大鼠海马神经元内持续培养,DIV 20时分为对照组、衣霉素(tunicamycin,Tm)处理组和Tm+4-PBA预处理组(Tm处理前1 h给予4-PBA),采用Western blot法检测内质网应激标志蛋白Bi P和突触蛋白的表达水平,激光共聚焦显微镜下观察神经元,分析树突棘密度,采用MTT法分析细胞活力。结果:Tm处理后使Bi P蛋白水平明显升高,而4-PBA预处理使Bi P蛋白水平显著下降(P 0. 05)。Tm引起的原代海马神经元树突棘密度下降及突触蛋白的表达下降能够被4-PBA抑制。Tm引起的细胞活力下降可被4-PBA抑制。结论:Tm能够通过诱导内质网应激而引起原代海马神经元树突棘密度下降及突触蛋白表达下降,而提前给予4-PBA预处理可明显降低内质网应激反应,抑制树突棘密度下降及突触蛋白表达下降,从而减轻原代海马神经元的损伤。