Stimulation by oxygen radicals of prostaglandin production by rat renal glomeruli

Evidence suggesting a role for hydroxyl radical in puromycin aminonucleoside-induced proteinuria

A single intravenous injection of puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) results in marked proteinuria and glomerular morphological changes that are similar to minimal change disease in humans. We examined the effect of hydroxyl radical scavengers and an iron chelator on PAN-induced proteinuria. PAN in a dose of 5 mg/100 g body wt significantly increased urinary protein by day 5 (saline: 15 +/- 2, N = 24: PAN: 63 +/- 17, N = 23, P less than 0.001); the proteinuria rapidly increased thereafter, reaching 216 +/- 34, N = 23 by day 7. Concurrent administration of hydroxyl radical scavengers dimethylthiourea, (DMTU 500 mg/kg followed by 125 mg/kg i.p. twice a day) and sodium benzoate (BENZ, 150 mg/kg followed by 125 mg/kg i.p. twice a day) starting the evening before PAN injection markedly reduced proteinuria throughout the course of the study (urinary protein, mg/24 hours on day 7, mean +/- SEM: PAN: 229 +/- 45, N = 15; PAN + DMTU: 30 +/- 5, N = 18; PAN + BENZ: 80 +/- 18, N = 16. Because of the participation of iron in biological systems to generate hydroxyl radical, we also examined the effect of deferoxamine (DFO, 30 mg/day), an iron chelator, on the PAN-induced proteinuria. Concurrent administration of DFO was also protective. In a second series of experiments, DMTU and DFO (administered as described above and then for two additional days after the PAN) provided marked protection even when they were stopped prior to the onset of proteinuria. The protective effects of two hydroxyl radical scavengers and iron chelator implicate an important role for hydroxyl radical in PAN-induced nephrotic syndrome.

Effects of reactive oxygen metabolites on erythropoietin production in renal carcinoma cells

The present studies were undertaken to determine the effects of reactive oxygen metabolites on erythropoietin (Ep) biosynthesis in Ep-producing renal carcinoma (RC) cells using a sensitive radioimmunoassay for Ep. Xanthine (10-5M) and increasing concentrations of xanthine oxidase (8 x 10(-7) to 5 x 10(-4) units/ml) produced a significant dose-related increase in Ep production at a concentration of greater than or equal to 4 x 10(-6) units/ml, whereas xanthine alone had no effect. Catalase, a scavenger of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), in concentrations of 50 to 500 micrograms/ml produced a significant inhibition of the increase in Ep production induced by xanthine-xanthine oxidase; while no effect was seen on basal levels of Ep production and the growth of RC cells. Glucose oxidase (greater than or equal to 0.032 mU/ml), a direct H2O2 generator, and exogenous H2O2 (greater than or equal to 4 x 10(-6)M) added to the incubation mixture, caused a significant enhancement of Ep production in a dose-dependent manner. Xanthine-xanthine oxidase, glucose oxidase, and H2O2 in the above concentrations did not produce significant cytotoxicity (51Cr release or trypan blue dye exclusion). The present data suggests that H2O2, a reactive oxygen metabolite may play a significant role in Ep production.

Glomerular epithelial cell, polyanion neutralization is associated with enhanced prostanoid production

We have studied the effect of neutralizing the surface charge of rat glomerular epithelial cells (GEC) in culture on prostanoid production. Incubation of rat GEC with polycations poly-L-lysine (PL) resulted in a dose dependent increase of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha (up to 8 to 10-fold) and PGE2 (up to 7 to 8-fold) production. Other polycations such as protamine sulfate (PS) and lysozyme (LY) produced a similar effect. The stimulation of prostaglandin (PG) production by PL treated GEC was prevented by the addition of polyanions such as bovine serum albumin (BSA) and heparin (HP). The effect of PL on prostaglandin (PG) synthesis by GEC was suppressed by the cyclooxygenase inhibitor sulindac sulfide. Addition of exogenous arachidonic acid (C20:4) increased the basal production of PG and under these conditions the effect of PL was masked. We conclude that neutralization of the surface charge of rat GEC by polycations results in profound increase of prostanoid synthesis. The polycation caused increase in PG synthesis appears to be the result of increased availability of intracellular C20:4.

Enhanced glomerular prostaglandin formation in experimental membranous nephropathy

To determine whether the induction of immune-mediated glomerular injury influences the formation of cyclooxygenase products by glomerular cells, we determined prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) (as the stable metabolite of TXA2) formation in isolated glomeruli of rats with passive Heymann nephritis (PHN). PHN is a model of membranous nephropathy mediated by antibody and complement independent of inflammatory cells. Five days following induction of PHN by injection of heterologous antibody to rat proximal tubular brush border antigen (Fx1A) rats developed proteinuria 36.5 +/- 34 (controls 3.8 +/- 1 mg/day). Treatment with cobra venom factor, which depleted complement C3 levels to less than 10% of baseline, prevented the development of proteinuria (6.9 +/- 2 mg/day). The development of subepithelial, glomerular immune-complex deposits and proteinuria was associated with a significant stimulation of glomerular PGE2 (87%) and TXB2 (183%) formation. This increment in glomerular prostanoid biosynthesis was significantly inhibited (PGE2 increased 22%, TXB2 increased 75%) in animals that were complement depleted with cobra venom factor. Cobra venom factor had no effect on glomerular prostanoid formation in normal rats. In additional experiments we tested the hypothesis that TXA2 may contribute to mediation of proteinuria in PHN. We utilized a thromboxane synthetase inhibitor UK38485. UK38485 reduced glomerular TXB2 formation by 80% without influencing glomerular deposition of 125I-labeled antibody, and did not alter levels of urine protein excretion in rats with PHN (control 42 +/- 21, UK 38485, 39 +/- 24 mg/day, P greater than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[The significance of eicosanoids in glomerular diseases]

Prostanoids are local cyclooxygenase products, synthesized by mesangial and epithelial cells of the glomerulus as well as by a variety of inflammatory cells and platelets. Prostaglandins and thromboxane have direct vasodilatory and vasoconstrictory effects and can modulate glomerular function. Arachidonic acid, the main substrate for cyclooxygenase, can also be metabolized by the lipoxygenase pathway to leukotrienes, substances which are primarily synthesized in inflammatory cells. In several models induction of immunologic glomerular injury is associated with an increased glomerular formation of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase products. The changes in cyclooxygenase products have been shown to account for some hemodynamic changes found in some of these models. Increased renal prostanoid formation is also present in patients with glomerular disease. There is some evidence that increased renal PG-formation in patients with moderate glomerular disease regulates GFR and mediates proteinurie in some of these patients. Leukotrienes are chemotactive substances which modulate the function of inflammatory cells, stimulate the growth of mesangial cells, and constrict mesangial cells in culture. Thus, these compounds might be mediators in the induction of immune mediated glomerular disease.

Kidney glomerular explants in serum-free media: demonstration of intracellular antioxidant enzymes and active oxygen metabolites

Guinea pig glomeruli were grown for 22 d in a serum-free medium composed of Waymouth's MB 752/l supplemented with sodium pyruvate, nonessential amino acids, and antibiotics (the basic medium). Intracellular cellular activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD; both copper-zinc [Cu,Zn] and manganese [Mn] forms) and catalase, and intracellular active oxygen metabolites (hydrogen peroxide [H2O2] and superoxide [O2-.]) were measured with time in culture. The results were compared to results obtained from glomeruli grown in different serum-free media, including the basic medium plus fibronectin (FN), the basic medium plus transferrin and FN, and a complex medium containing insulin, transferrin, selenium (Se), triiodothyronine, and FN (complete medium). In general, although the intracellular activity of antioxidant enzymes and active oxygen metabolites varied over time in culture in all media, there were only a few statistically significant differences among different media. Both CuZn SOD and Mn SOD activity were demonstrated in isolated glomeruli. The CuZn SOD activity per DNA ratio decreased slightly with time in culture in all media tested except the complete medium, in which CuZn SOD activity per DNA ratio remained more constant. The Mn SOD activity per DNA ratio did not vary significantly over time in culture. Catalaselike activity was very low in isolated glomeruli and declined sharply with time in culture in all media except the complete medium. Both H2O2 and O2-. were detected intracellularly in glomerular culture. Our results indicate that intracellular antioxidant enzymes and active oxygen metabolites in glomeruli vary with time in culture and, in some instances, with culture conditions.

Prostaglandins and other arachidonic acid metabolites in the kidney

This very brief summary of the various possible contributions of PG to normal and abnormal renal function should highlight the problem of assigning a specific role to PG in overall renal physiology and pathophysiology. PG produced in specific segments of the nephron will affect specific functions occurring in this segment. These effects need not necessarily be reflected in the overall renal function. Also in some cases, the determinant may not be prostaglandins, that is, cyclooxygenase derivatives of AA, but perhaps lipoxygenase or epoxygenase products that influence the functional parameters of the specific segment. Despite the multitude of renal functions that may be influenced by PG, we would like to propose a teleological hypothesis for an overall role of PG in the kidney, that is, that of cytoprotective agents. Renal vasodilatatory prostaglandins will maintain renal blood flow when the latter is challenged, thus, preventing hypoxic injury to the tissue. Endogenous prostaglandins may also protect tubular cells from extreme environmental changes as may occur on both the luminal and contraluminal sides. For example, tubular cells may be exposed to luminal fluid that may vary from hypotonic to hypertonic, from alkaline to acid, and so forth. Similarly, the interstitial fluid osmolality and solute composition is subject to considerable variations which may be opposite to those existing on the urinary side. The role of PG might be to maintain the internal milieu of the cells exposed to such extreme changes in environment. This could be accomplished by changing the permeability characteristics of the membranes and the function of pumps. Thus, specific PGs could dampen the hormonal response to protect the specific nephron segment, which might otherwise suffer injury. This hypothesis might also help to explain why the effect of PG administration or inhibition of PG synthesis may vary considerably depending on the overall physiological state of the subject: Maintenance of a local internal milieu may require different responses from those required for total body homeostasis.

Effect of intracellular oxygen-free radicals on the formation of lipid derived mediators in rat renomedullary interstitial cells

An intracellular generation of oxygen free radicals was induced by phenazine methosulfate (PMS) in rat renomedullary interstitial cells (RMIC) in culture. This response was associated with an increase in PGE2 and 15 HETE production. The synthesis of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase derivatives in PMS-treated cells was inhibited by indomethacin and NDGA respectively. Inhibitors of PLA2 such as mepacrine and dexamethasone were able to inhibit partially the PGE2 synthesis induced by PMS. The formation of lyso-platelet activating factor, a product of membrane-bound phospholipid, by a PLA2 catalyzed reaction was also stimulated in PMS-treated cells. Superoxide dismutase added to the incubation medium enhanced the PMS-dependent PGE2 synthesis whereas catalase decreased it, suggesting the involvement of H2O2 in this process. In addition, a depletion of soluble thiol groups was observed in PMS-treated cells. Treatment of RMIC by the thiol oxidative agent, diamide, mimicked the effect of PMS on PGE2 synthesis, whereas diamide did not increase the formation of lyso-PAF indicating its inability to stimulate PLA2. These results suggest that cyclooxygenase may be involved in this process, indeed added arachidonate, bypassing PLA2, enhanced PGE2 synthesis in PMS-treated cells further supporting the involvement of cyclooxygenase. In conclusion, generation of oxygen free radicals by PMS in RMIC enhanced the synthesis of lipid derived mediators. A decrease in the cellular thiol content is partially involved in cyclooxygenase activation but does not appear to be involved in PLA2 activation.

Desensitization to PAF-induced bronchoconstriction and to activation of alveolar macrophages by repeated inhalations of PAF in the guinea pig

Guinea-pig alveolar macrophages are activated in the presence of PAF-acether (PAF), as shown by O2.- production, suggesting that these cells, abundant in the lungs, are involved in PAF-induced bronchoconstriction. Alveolar macrophages collected after in vivo desensitization to the bronchoconstrictor effect of PAF became refractory to it in vitro, whereas the O2.- production in response to f-met-leu-phe persisted, although it was diminished suggesting a partial cross-desensitization. A similar desensitization to PAF was also observed in alveolar macrophages in vitro, demonstrating a stimulus-specific process. This study suggests that alveolar macrophages may be involved in bronchoconstriction induced by aerosol of PAF.

Presence of lipid hydroperoxide in human plasma

Using purified prostaglandin (PG) H synthase, which synthesizes PGG2 and PGH2 from arachidonic acid, we were able to assay for the presence of peroxide activators in biological tissues. This assay system, capable of detecting both hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and lipid hydroperoxides, detected a significant amount of synthase activator in plasma. Treatment of the active preparations with catalase and glutathione peroxidase showed that the principal activator in normal human plasma was a lipid hydroperoxide rather than H2O2.

Production of chemotactic activity for polymorphonuclear leukocytes by cultured rat hepatocytes exposed to ethanol

Acute alcoholic hepatitis is characterized by infiltration of the liver parenchyma with polymorphonuclear leukocytes. As a possible explanation for this phenomenon, we have found that ethanol stimulates cultured rat hepatocytes to generate potent chemotactic activity. Hepatocytes (greater than 99% pure), isolated from the livers of Sprague-Dawley rats, responded to incubation with ethanol (2.0-10 mM) by releasing chemotactic activity for human polymorphonuclear leukocytes into culture supernatants in a time- and concentration-dependent fashion. Chemotactic activity was maximal after incubation of hepatocytes with 10 mM ethanol for 6 h. It was undetectable in the absence of ethanol and was reduced in the presence of either the alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor, 4-methylpyrazole, or the acetaldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor, cyanamide. Ethanol failed to stimulate generation of chemotactic activity by either rat dermal fibroblasts, hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells, or Kupffer cells. The chemotactic activity generated by ethanol-treated rat hepatocytes was recovered from culture supernatants in the lipid phase after extraction with chloroform/methanol. Thin-layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography of chloroform/methanol extracts demonstrated that the chemotactic factor probably is a polar lipid. This chemotactic lipid may account, in part, for the leukocytic infiltration of the liver parenchyma that is observed during the course of acute alcoholic hepatitis.

Effect of enzymatically generated reactive oxygen metabolites on the cyclic nucleotide content in isolated rat glomeruli

In the present study we examined the effect of reactive oxygen metabolites (generated by the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system), on adenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and guanosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic GMP) content in glomeruli and tubules that were isolated from rat renal cortex. Xanthine (0.1 mM)-xanthine oxidase (0.025 U/ml) significantly increased (P less than 0.001) the cyclic AMP content in glomeruli from 18 +/- 1 to 50 +/- 4 pmol/mg protein (n = 13). The response was dose dependent and was markedly inhibited (delta %-74 +/- 9, n = 3) by allopurinol (10(-3), a specific inhibitor of xanthine oxidase. Cyclic AMP content in the tubules, and the cyclic GMP content in glomeruli and tubules, were not altered by the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system. This lack of response was not due to lack of responsiveness of the tissues because parathyroid hormone caused a marked increase in the cyclic AMP content in tubules, and nitroprusside markedly increased the cyclic GMP content in glomeruli. The increase in cyclic AMP in glomeruli was due to generation of reactive oxygen metabolites rather than of other products (e.g. uric acid) of the xanthine-xanthine oxidase reaction--addition of uric acid to incubations had no effect; using another substrate for xanthine oxidase, acetaldehyde significantly increased (delta % 112 +/- 7, n = 4, P less than 0.001) the cyclic AMP content; and catalase that destroys hydrogen peroxide caused a marked inhibition (delta % -90 +/- 5, n = 4) of the response to xanthine-xanthine oxidase. The marked inhibition by catalase, and the lack of effect of superoxide dismutase (in a concentration that completely scavenged superoxide) suggested hydrogen peroxide as the responsible oxygen metabolite for the observed effect. Glucose-glucose oxidase (a system that directly generates hydrogen peroxide), and direct addition of hydrogen peroxide caused a dose-dependent increase in the cyclic AMP content in glomeruli, which further supports the role of hydrogen peroxide as the responsible species for the observed effect. Additional experiments that used prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors and antagonists of serotonin and histamine suggested that hydrogen peroxide increases cyclic AMP content in glomeruli by enhancing prostaglandin synthesis.

Reactive oxygen production by cultured rat glomerular mesangial cells during phagocytosis is associated with stimulation of lipoxygenase activity

To investigate the phagocytic capability of glomerular mesangial cells and the biochemical events associated with phagocytosis, rat cultured mesangial cells were incubated in the presence of opsonized zymosan (STZ) and production of reactive-oxygen species and lipoxygenase products were determined. Mesangial cells were identified on the basis of morphologic (presence of microfilaments and pattern of staining by an anti-myosin antiserum) and physiologic (contractile activity in response to angiotensin II) characteristics. No contamination by esterase-positive cells was observed. Electron microscopy revealed that the phagocytic process started after 5 min of incubation, and affected approximately 50% of the cells. Superoxide anion (.O2-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generation by mesangial cells exposed to STZ increased with time and STZ concentration. Cells incubated with zymosan particles treated with heated serum produced undetectable amounts of .O2- and 6 times less H2O2 than cells exposed to STZ. Pretreatment by cytochalasin B produced a marked decrease in STZ-stimulated production of reactive oxygen species. [3H]Arachidonic acid was incorporated into mesangial cell phospholipids and its release and conversion into monohydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETE) was measured by radiometric high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Incubation with STZ markedly stimulated the release of arachidonic acid from its phospholipid stores and its transformation into 11-, 12-, and 15-HETE. Lipoxygenase inhibitors inhibited STZ-stimulated H2O2 production, whereas they did not modify the phagocytic process as shown by the absence of any effect on the uptake of 125I-STZ by the mesangial cells. This study demonstrates that a high percentage of rat cultured mesangial cells phagocytose opsonized particles. The phagocytic process results in an oxidative burst that appears to be dependent on stimulation of the lipoxygenase pathway.

Hydroperoxide-dependent activation of p-phenetidine catalyzed by prostaglandin synthase and other peroxidases

p-Phenetidine is metabolized by ram seminal vesicle (RSV) microsomes, horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and rat liver microsomes to protein-binding products. These reactions are very rapid and depend on the presence of arachidonic acid (AA) or various hydroperoxidases. The RSV- and HRP-mediated binding was inhibited more than 80% by the addition of reduced glutathione (1 mM) or the antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole (0.5 mM). Indomethacin (100 microM) and acetylsalicylic acid (1 mM) reduced the AA-dependent reaction in RSV microsomes to less than 5% of control values. When hydrogen peroxide replaced AA, the RSV/H2O2-supported binding in the presence of 50 microM p-phenetidine proceeded at rates similar to that observed with RSV/AA. Unlike the AA-dependent reaction, the H2O2-supported reaction showed no inhibition of protein binding at higher p-phenetidine concns. The data in this report are consistent with a peroxidatic activation of p-phenetidine possibly involving an amine radical catalyzed by prostaglandin synthase (PGS) present in RSV microsomes as well as by other peroxidases. The mechanism for this activation and physiological implications are discussed.