Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) prevents neurotoxicity in neuronal cultures: relevance to neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) provides neuroprotection against beta-amyloid toxicity in models of Alzheimer's disease. A superactive analogue, stearyl-Nle17-VIP (SNV) is a 100-fold more potent than VIP. In primary neuronal cultures, VIP protective activity may be mediated by femtomolar-acting glial proteins such as activity-dependent neurotrophic factor (ADNF), activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP), peptide derivatives ADNF-9 (9aa) and NAP (8aa), respectively. It has been hypothesized that beta-amyloid induces oxidative stress leading to neuronal cell death. Similarly, dopamine and its oxidation products were suggested to trigger dopaminergic nigral cell death in Parkinson's disease. We now examined the possible protective effects of VIP against toxicity of dopamine, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+) in neuronal cultures [rat pheochromocytoma (PC12), human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) and rat cerebellar granular cells]. Remarkably low concentrations of VIP (10(-16)-10(-8) M), ADNF-9 and NAP (10(-18)-10(-10) M) protected against dopamine and 6-OHDA toxicity in PC12 and neuroblastoma cells. VIP (10(-11)-10(-9) M) and SNV (10(-13)-10(-11) M), protected cerebellar granule neurons against 6-OHDA. In contrast, VIP did not rescue neurons from death associated with MPP+. Since dopamine toxicity is linked to the red/ ox state of the cellular glutathione, we investigated neuroprotection in cells depleted of reduced glutathione (GSH). Buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a selective inhibitor of glutathione synthesis, caused a marked reduction in GSH in neuroblastoma cells and their viability decreased by 70-90%. VIP, SNV or NAP (over a wide concentration range) provided significant neuroprotection against BSO toxicity. These results show that the mechanism of neuroprotection by VIP/SNV/NAP may be mediated through raising cellular resistance against oxidative stress. Our data suggest these compounds as potential lead compounds for protective therapies against Parkinson's disease.     

Adaptive cellular protection against UVA-1-induced lipid peroxidation in human dermal fibroblasts shows donor-to-donor variability and is glutathione dependent

Photo-oxidative stress and subsequent lipid peroxidation (LPO) is one of the major mechanisms of UVA-related skin pathology. The skin's protection system against photo-oxidative stress involves low molecular scavengers as well as highly specialised antioxidant enzymes like glutathione peroxidase (GPX). Against repetitive UVA-1 exposures in vitro it is partly adaptive, as recent studies have shown exemplarily for antioxidant enzymes. We now investigated in vitro by repetitively irradiating human dermal fibroblasts with UVA-1 whether this adaptive response might reflect itself in reduced cellular membrane damage, that is, LPO. Our experiments show that the degree of cellular protection against LPO and the adaptive potential of the cells against a repetitive UVA-1 exposure varies from donor-to-donor and depends highly on glutathione.     

Modification of butylated hydroxytoluene-induced pulmonary toxicity in mice by diethyl maleate, buthionine sulfoximine, and cysteine

Treatment of mice with diethyl maleate (DEM) or buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) significantly enhanced the lung injury caused by butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Conversely, cysteine protected mice from the lung toxicity of BHT. BHT administration to mice produced a time-dependent reduction of glutathione (GSH) content in the lung, but not in the liver. These results support the concept that conjugation of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylene-2,5-cyclohexadienone (BHT-quinone methide), a proposed reactive metabolite of BHT, with GSH is involved in the detoxification of BHT in mice.     

BSO增强MRP过表达肺癌细胞对顺铂敏感性的作用机制研究

目的：评价使用丁胱亚磺酰亚胺(BSO)克服肿瘤细胞由于高表达MRP而引起对顺铂耐药的可行性，并初步探讨其增敏的作用机制。方法：用基因转染的方法成功建立了一株mrp基因高表达的肺癌细胞株(SPC-A-1／MRP)的基础上，检测BSO作用前后转染细胞对顺铂敏感性的差异，从酶活性测定和转录水平观察了上述过程中谷胱甘肽解毒系统的变化。结果：实验表明同对照(转染不含目的基因的空载质粒)的SPC-A-1／MRP(一)细胞相比，SPC-A-1／MRP细胞对顺铂出现了明显的耐受，BSO可以有效增强MRP高表达的细胞对顺铂的敏感性。BSO通过显著抑制由顺铂引起的肿瘤细胞内GSH解毒系统的活化和MRP蛋白含量升高，有效的克服了肿瘤细胞接触顺铂后过表达MRP而引起的化疗耐受。结论：高表达MRP可以引起肿瘤细胞对顺铂的耐受，BSO针对MRP介导的顺铂耐药有很好的增敏效果。     

Oxidation-dependent maturation and survival of explanted blood monocytes via Bcl-2 up-regulation

Monocytes isolated and cultured according to standard procedures from the blood of 22 healthy donors display an activation process, monitored as adhesion and increased exposure of CD11. Starting from very early time points, monocytes undergo a deep redox modulation, i.e., they increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and decrease glutathione content; at the same time, the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 is substantially up-regulated. The cause-effect relationship between these parameters was investigated. On the one side, pharmacological glutathione depletion with BSO further increases ROS formation and Bcl-2 levels. On the other side, scavenging of ROS by Trolox prevents Bcl-2 up-regulation. Two lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitors (CAPE or AA861) prevent ROS increase and, accordingly, also prevent Bcl-2 up-regulation. All this evidence supports the redox-sensitivity of Bcl-2 regulation. Trolox, CAPE and AA861, i.e., all treatments that abolish ROS increase and prevent Bcl-2 up-regulation, increase the rate of cell loss, whereas BSO, increasing Bcl-2, reduces cell loss and induces chemo-resistance. Thus, explanted healthy monocytes seem to undergo an oxidation-dependent maturation implying increased survival via Bcl-2 up-regulation, perhaps mimicking physiological activation.     

Reactive oxygen species-dependent HSP90 protein cleavage participates in arsenical As(+3)- and MMA(+3)-induced apoptosis through inhibition of telomerase activity via JNK activation

The effects of six arsenic compounds including As(+3), MMA(+3), DMA(+3), As(+5), MMA(+5), and DMA(+5) on the viability of NIH3T3 cells were examined. As(+3) and MMA(+3), but not the others, exhibited significant cytotoxic effects in NIH3T3 cells through apoptosis induction. The apoptotic events such as DNA fragmentation and chromosome condensation induced by As(+3) and MMA(+3) were prevented by the addition of NAC and CAT, and induction of HO-1 gene expression in accordance with cleavage of the HSP90 protein, and suppression of telomerase activity were observed in NIH3T3 cells under As(+3) and MMA(+3) treatments. An increase in the intracellular peroxide level was examined in As(+3)- and MMA(+3)-treated NIH3T3 cells, and As(+3)- and MMA(+3)-induced apoptotic events were blocked by NAC, CAT, and DPI addition. HSP90 inhibitors, GA and RD, significantly attenuated the telomerase activity in NIH3T3 cells with an enhancement of As(+3)- and MMA(+3)-induced cytotoxicity. Suppression of JNKs significantly inhibited As(+3)- and MMA(+3)-induced apoptosis by blocking HSP90 protein cleavage and telomerase reduction in NIH3T3 cells. Furthermore, Hb, SnPP, and dexferosamine showed no effect against As(+3)- and MMA(+3)-induced apoptosis, and overexpression of HO-1 protein or inhibition of HO-1 protein expression did not affect the apoptosis induced by As(+3) or MMA(+3). These data provide the first evidence to indicate that apoptosis induced by As(+3) and MMA(+3) is mediated by an ROS-dependent degradation of HSP90 protein and reduction of telomerase via JNK activation, and HO-1 induction might not be involved.     

Post‐irradiation approaches to treatment of radiation injuries in the context of radiological terrorism and radiation accidents: a review

Purpose: Events of the recent past have focused attention on the possibility of radiological (nuclear) terrorism and on the implications of such terrorist threats for radiation accident preparedness. This review discusses recent advances in the knowledge about how radiation injuries from such events might be treated pharmacologically, and the practical barriers to clinical utilization of these approaches.

Conclusions: A wide range of pharmacological approaches are being developed in the laboratory that could greatly expand the ability to treat acute and chronic radiation injuries. However, there are currently a variety of practical and legal barriers that would prevent the actual clinical use of most of the approaches. There are also the potential weaknesses in most of the current programmes for dealing with the consequences of radiation accidents or nuclear terrorism, including the absence of widespread radiation biodosimetry capabilities and the resulting inability to triage. If a major radiation accident or terrorist event occurs, the lack of biodosimetry and treatment capabilities will be compounded by widespread public fear of ‘radiation’.     

抗氧化剂对砷诱导人膀胱上皮细胞氧化应激相关通路的影响

目的研究抗氧化剂对亚砷酸钠诱导的人膀胱上皮细胞系(SV-HUC-1)氧化应激相关通路的影响。方法取处于对数生长期的SV-HUC-1细胞,分别暴露于含终浓度为0(对照,F12K培养基)、4μmol/L亚砷酸钠及4μmol/L亚砷酸钠与丁硫氨酸亚砜亚胺(BSO,0.5 mmol/L)、褪黑素(0.5 mmol/L)或N-乙酰半胱氨酸(NAC,0.5 mmol/L)的培养基中,于培养16 h后,收集细胞进行转录因子NF-E2相关因子2(nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2,NRF2)通路相关蛋白及其下游基因[血红素加氧酶1(heme oxygenase-1,HO1)、醌氧化还原酶(NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase 1,NQO1)]蛋白表达水平的检测;于培养1 h后,收集细胞进行丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase,MAPK)通路关键蛋白[p-细胞外信号调节激酶(p-ERK)、p-p38、p-c-Jun-N末端激酶(p-JNK)]表达水平的检测。结果与对照组比较,亚砷酸钠暴露SV-HUC-1细胞内NRF2、NQO1、HO1蛋白及p-ERK、p-p38、p-JNK蛋白的表达水平均较高;巯基耗竭剂BSO与亚砷酸钠联合暴露可加剧砷诱导的SV-HUC-1细胞内NRF2、NQO1、HO1和p-p38、p-JNK蛋白表达水平的升高,而抑制p-ERK的升高,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。褪黑素与亚砷酸钠组及亚砷酸钠+NAC组SV-HUC-1细胞内NRF2蛋白的表达水平明显低于对照组和亚砷酸钠组;NQO1蛋白的表达水平仅明显高于对照组;HO1蛋白的表达水平明显高于对照组,而明显低于亚砷酸钠组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。褪黑素+亚砷酸钠组SV-HUC-1细胞内p-ERK、p-p38蛋白的表达水平明显低于对照组和亚砷酸钠组;p-JNK蛋白的表达水平明显高于对照组和亚砷酸钠组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。亚砷酸钠+NAC组SV-HUC-1细胞内p-p38蛋白的表达水平明显低于对照组和亚砷酸钠组;p-JNK蛋白的表达水平仅明显高于对照组;p-ERK蛋白的表达水平明显高于对照组,而明显低于砷暴露组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论抗氧化剂能够抑制亚砷酸钠急性暴露导致的SV-HUC-1细胞氧化应激相关通路的活化。     

Exercise prevents sleep deprivation-associated anxiety-like behavior in rats: potential role of oxidative stress mechanisms

Our previous work suggests that pharmacological induction of oxidative stress causes anxiety-like behavior in rats. Interestingly, sleep deprivation is reported to cause oxidative damage in the brain and is also reported to be anxiogenic. Minimal mechanistic insights are available. In this study, using a behavioral and biochemical approach, we investigated involvement of oxidative stress mechanisms in sleep deprivation-induced anxiety-like behavior of rats and the protective role of treadmill exercise in this process. We report that acute sleep deprivation (SD) increases oxidative stress in the cortex, hippocampus and amygdala while prior treadmill exercise prevents this increase. Serum corticosterones also increase with SD but its levels are normalized in exercised sleep-deprived rats. Also, anxiety-like behavior of rats significantly increases with SD while prior treadmill exercise prevents this increase. Protein expression of two enzymes involved in antioxidant defense, glyoxalase (GLO)-1 and glutathione reductase (GSR)-1 increased after 24 h SD in the hippocampus, cortex and amygdala while their levels were normalized in exercised sleep-deprived rats. It is plausible that oxidative stress via regulation of GLO1 and GSR1 is involved in sleep deprivation-induced anxiety-like behavior of rats.