151
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Pickering RT, Lee MJ, Karastergiou K, Gower A, Fried SK. Depot Dependent Effects of Dexamethasone on Gene Expression in Human Omental and Abdominal Subcutaneous Adipose Tissues from Obese Women. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167337. [PMID: 28005982 PMCID: PMC5179014 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids promote fat accumulation in visceral compared to subcutaneous depots, but the molecular mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. To identify long-term changes in gene expression that are differentially sensitive or responsive to glucocorticoids in these depots, paired samples of human omental (Om) and abdominal subcutaneous (Abdsc) adipose tissues obtained from obese women during elective surgery were cultured with the glucocorticoid receptor agonist dexamethasone (Dex, 0, 1, 10, 25 and 1000 nM) for 7 days. Dex regulated 32% of the 19,741 genes on the array, while 53% differed by Depot and 2.5% exhibited a Depot*Dex concentration interaction. Gene set enrichment analysis showed Dex regulation of the expected metabolic and inflammatory pathways in both depots. Cluster analysis of the 460 transcripts that exhibited an interaction of Depot and Dex concentration revealed sets of mRNAs for which the responses to Dex differed in magnitude, sensitivity or direction between the two depots as well as mRNAs that responded to Dex only in one depot. These transcripts were also clearly depot different in fresh adipose tissue and are implicated in processes that could affect adipose tissue distribution or functions (e.g. adipogenesis, triacylglycerol synthesis and storage, insulin action). Elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the depot differences in the effect of Dex on the expression of specific genes and pathways that regulate adipose function may offer novel insights into understanding the biology of visceral adipose tissues and their links to metabolic health.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Taylor Pickering
- Obesity Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Mi-Jeong Lee
- Obesity Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Kalypso Karastergiou
- Obesity Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Adam Gower
- Clinical Translational Sciences Institute, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Susan K. Fried
- Obesity Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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152
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Green TL, Tung K, Lim D, Leventhal SM, Cho K, Greenhalgh DG. A novel human glucocorticoid receptor SNP results in increased transactivation potential. Biochem Biophys Rep 2016; 9:140-145. [PMID: 28955999 PMCID: PMC5614576 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids are one of the most widely used therapeutics in the treatment of a variety of inflammatory disorders. However, it is known that there are variable patient responses to glucocorticoid treatment; there are responders and non-responders, or those that need higher dosages. Polymorphisms in the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) have been implicated in this variability. In this study, ninety-seven volunteers were surveyed for polymorphisms in the human GR-alpha (hGRα), the accepted biologically active reference isoform. One isoform identified in our survey, named hGR DL-2, had four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), one synonymous and three non-synonymous, and a four base pair deletion resulting in a frame shift and early termination to produce a 743 amino acid putative protein. hGR DL-2 had a decrease in transactivation potential of more than 90%. Upon further analysis of the individual SNPs and deletion, one SNP, A829G, which results in a lysine to glutamic acid amino acid change at position 277, was found to increase the transactivation potential of hGR more than eight times the full-length reference. Furthermore, the hGRα-A829G isoform had a differential hyperactive response to various exogenous steroids. Increasing our knowledge as to how various SNPs affect hGR activity may help in understanding the unpredictable patient response to steroid treatment, and is a step towards personalizing patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tajia L Green
- Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California, and Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Kelly Tung
- Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California, and Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Debora Lim
- Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California, and Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Stacey M Leventhal
- Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California, and Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Kiho Cho
- Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California, and Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - David G Greenhalgh
- Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California, and Department of Surgery, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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153
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Abstract
Glucocorticoid hormones (GC) regulate essential physiological functions including energy homeostasis, embryonic and postembryonic development, and the stress response. From the biomedical perspective, GC have garnered a tremendous amount of attention as highly potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive medications indispensable in the clinic. GC signal through the GC receptor (GR), a ligand-dependent transcription factor whose structure, DNA binding, and the molecular partners that it employs to regulate transcription have been under intense investigation for decades. In particular, next-generation sequencing-based approaches have revolutionized the field by introducing a unified platform for a simultaneous genome-wide analysis of cellular activities at the level of RNA production, binding of transcription factors to DNA and RNA, and chromatin landscape and topology. Here we describe fundamental concepts of GC/GR function as established through traditional molecular and in vivo approaches and focus on the novel insights of GC biology that have emerged over the last 10 years from the rapidly expanding arsenal of system-wide genomic methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Sacta
- Hospital for Special Surgery, The David Rosensweig Genomics Center, New York, NY 10021; .,Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering MD/PhD program, New York, NY 10021
| | - Yurii Chinenov
- Hospital for Special Surgery, The David Rosensweig Genomics Center, New York, NY 10021;
| | - Inez Rogatsky
- Hospital for Special Surgery, The David Rosensweig Genomics Center, New York, NY 10021; .,Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering MD/PhD program, New York, NY 10021
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154
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Okabe T, Chavan R, Fonseca Costa SS, Brenna A, Ripperger JA, Albrecht U. REV-ERBα influences the stability and nuclear localization of the glucocorticoid receptor. J Cell Sci 2016; 129:4143-4154. [PMID: 27686098 PMCID: PMC5117207 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.190959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 09/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
REV-ERBα (encoded by Nr1d1) is a nuclear receptor that is part of the circadian clock mechanism and regulates metabolism and inflammatory processes. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR, encoded by Nr3c1) influences similar processes, but is not part of the circadian clock, although glucocorticoid signaling affects resetting of the circadian clock in peripheral tissues. Because of their similar impact on physiological processes, we studied the interplay between these two nuclear receptors. We found that REV-ERBα binds to the C-terminal portion and GR to the N-terminal portion of HSP90α and HSP90β, a chaperone responsible for the activation of proteins to ensure survival of a cell. The presence of REV-ERBα influences the stability and nuclear localization of GR by an unknown mechanism, thereby affecting expression of GR target genes, such as IκBα (Nfkbia) and alcohol dehydrogenase 1 (Adh1). Our findings highlight an important interplay between two nuclear receptors that influence the transcriptional potential of each other. This indicates that the transcriptional landscape is strongly dependent on dynamic processes at the protein level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Okabe
- Dept. of Biology, Biochemistry, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
| | - Rohit Chavan
- Dept. of Biology, Biochemistry, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
| | - Sara S Fonseca Costa
- Dept. of Biology, Biochemistry, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Brenna
- Dept. of Biology, Biochemistry, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
| | - Jürgen A Ripperger
- Dept. of Biology, Biochemistry, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
| | - Urs Albrecht
- Dept. of Biology, Biochemistry, University of Fribourg, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
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155
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Zhu J, Zhu F, Zhao N, Mu X, Li P, Wang W, Liu J, Ma X. Methylation of glucocorticoid receptor gene promoter modulates morphine dependence and accompanied hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction. J Neurosci Res 2016; 95:1459-1473. [PMID: 27618384 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 08/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies demonstrated that dysfunction of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis played an important role in morphine dependence. Nonetheless, the molecular mechanism underlying morphine-induced HPA axis dysfunction and morphine dependence remains unclear. In the current study, 5'-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza), an inhibitor of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), was used to examine the effects of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) promoter 17 methylation on chronic morphine-induced HPA axis dysfunction and behavioral changes in rats and the underlying mechanism. Our results showed that chronic but not acute morphine downregulated the expression of nuclear GR protein and GR exon 17 variant mRNA, and upregulated the methylation of GR 17 exon promoter in the hippocampus of rats. Meanwhile, 5-aza per se had no effect on observed molecular and behavior change. In contrast, pretreatment of 5-aza into rat hippocampus reversed chronic morphine-induced hypermethylation of GR 17 promoter and decrease in GR expression. Moreover, pretreatment of 5-aza attenuated chronic morphine-enhanced HPA axis reactivity and the naloxone-precipitated somatic signs in morphine-dependent rats. Our results suggest that chronic morphine induced hypermethylation of GR 17 promoter, which then downregulated the expression of hippocampal GR, and was thus involved in chronic morphine-induced dysfunction of the HPA axis and the modulation of morphine dependence. Moreover, chronic morphine-induced hypermethylation of GR 17 promoter may be at least partially due to the increase in hippocampal DNMT 1 expression and its binding at GR 17 promoter in the rat hippocampus. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhu
- College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Zhu
- Center for Translational Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Na Zhao
- Northwest University of Politics and Law School of Police, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Mu
- College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.,Reproductive Medicine Center, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Shaanxi Province & Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Pingping Li
- College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiancang Ma
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
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156
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DNA binding triggers tetramerization of the glucocorticoid receptor in live cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:8236-41. [PMID: 27382178 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1606774113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription factors dynamically bind to chromatin and are essential for the regulation of genes. Although a large percentage of these proteins appear to self-associate to form dimers or higher order oligomers, the stoichiometry of DNA-bound transcription factors has been poorly characterized in vivo. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a ligand-regulated transcription factor widely believed to act as a dimer or a monomer. Using a unique set of imaging techniques coupled with a cell line containing an array of DNA binding elements, we show that GR is predominantly a tetramer when bound to its target DNA. We find that DNA binding triggers an interdomain allosteric regulation within the GR, leading to tetramerization. We therefore propose that dynamic changes in GR stoichiometry represent a previously unidentified level of regulation in steroid receptor activation. Quaternary structure analysis of other members of the steroid receptor family (estrogen, androgen, and progesterone receptors) reveals variation in oligomerization states among this family of transcription factors. Because GR's oligomerization state has been implicated in therapy outcome, our findings open new doors to the rational design of novel GR ligands and redefine the quaternary structure of steroid receptors.
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157
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Methylation of the leukocyte glucocorticoid receptor gene promoter in adults: associations with early adversity and depressive, anxiety and substance-use disorders. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e848. [PMID: 27378548 PMCID: PMC4969762 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2015] [Revised: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Early adversity increases risk for developing psychopathology. Epigenetic modification of stress reactivity genes is a likely mechanism contributing to this risk. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene is of particular interest because of the regulatory role of the GR in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function. Mounting evidence suggests that early adversity is associated with GR promoter methylation and gene expression. Few studies have examined links between GR promoter methylation and psychopathology, and findings to date have been mixed. Healthy adult participants (N=340) who were free of psychotropic medications reported on their childhood experiences of maltreatment and parental death and desertion. Lifetime depressive and anxiety disorders and past substance-use disorders were assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. Methylation of exon 1F of the GR gene (NR3C1) was examined in leukocyte DNA via pyrosequencing. On a separate day, a subset of the participants (n=231) completed the dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing hormone (Dex/CRH) test. Childhood adversity and a history of past substance-use disorder and current or past depressive or anxiety disorders were associated with lower levels of NR3C1 promoter methylation across the region as a whole and at individual CpG sites (P<0.05). The number of adversities was negatively associated with NR3C1 methylation in participants with no lifetime disorder (P=0.018), but not in those with a lifetime disorder. GR promoter methylation was linked to altered cortisol responses to the Dex/CRH test (P<0.05). This study presents evidence of reduced methylation of NR3C1 in association with childhood maltreatment and depressive, anxiety and substance-use disorders in adults. This finding stands in contrast to our prior work, but is consistent with emerging findings, suggesting complexity in the regulation of this gene.
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158
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Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that alterations of the stress response system may be a mechanism by which childhood maltreatment alters risk for psychopathology. FK506 binding protein 51 (FKBP5) binds to the glucocorticoid receptor and alters its ability to respond to stress signaling. The aim of the present study was to examine methylation of the FKBP5 gene (FKBP5), and the role of an FKBP5 genetic variant, in relation to childhood maltreatment in a sample of impoverished preschool-aged children. One hundred seventy-four families participated in this study, including 69 with child welfare documentation of moderate to severe maltreatment in the past 6 months. The children, who ranged in age from 3 to 5 years, were racially and ethnically diverse. Structured record review and interviews in the home were used to assess a history of maltreatment, other traumas, and contextual life stressors; and a composite variable assessed the number exposures to these adversities. Methylation of two sites in intron 7 of FKBP5 was measured via sodium bisulfite pyrosequencing. Maltreated children had significantly lower levels of methylation at both CpG sites (p < .05). Lifetime contextual stress exposure showed a trend for lower levels of methylation at one of the sites, and a trend for an interaction with the FKBP5 polymorphism. A composite adversity variable was associated with lower levels of methylation at one of the sites as well (p < .05). FKBP5 alters glucocorticoid receptor responsiveness, and FKBP5 gene methylation may be a mechanism of the biobehavioral effects of adverse exposures in young children.
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159
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Panza S, Malivindi R, Chemi F, Rago V, Giordano C, Barone I, Bonofiglio D, Gelsomino L, Giordano F, Andò S, Catalano S. Glucocorticoid Receptor as a Potential Target to Decrease Aromatase Expression and Inhibit Leydig Tumor Growth. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2016; 186:1328-39. [PMID: 26968343 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2015.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Revised: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Leydig cell tumors are the most frequent interstitial neoplasms of the testis with increased incidence in recent years. They are hormonally active and are considered one of the steroid-secreting tumors. Although usually benign, the malignant phenotype responds poorly to conventional chemotherapy or radiation, highlighting the need to identify new therapeutic targets for treatment. Here, we identified a novel glucocorticoid-mediated mechanism that controls cell growth in Leydig cell tumors. We found that a synthetic glucocorticoid receptor agonist, dexamethasone, reduces cell proliferation in rat Leydig tumor cells by decreasing the expression and the enzymatic activity of the estrogen-producing enzyme aromatase. This inhibitory effect relies on the ability of activated glucocorticoid receptor to regulate the aromatase gene transcriptional activity through the recruitment of nuclear receptor corepressor protein and silencing mediator of retinoid and thyroid hormone receptors to a newly identified putative glucocorticoid responsive element within the aromatase promoter II. Our in vivo studies reveal a reduction of tumor growth, after dexamethasone treatment, in animal xenografts. Tumors from dexamethasone-treated mice exhibit a decrease in the expression of the proliferation marker Ki-67 and the aromatase enzyme. Our data demonstrate that activated glucocorticoid receptor, decreasing aromatase expression, induces Leydig tumor regression both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that glucocorticoid receptor might be a potential target for the therapy of Leydig cell tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Panza
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Rocco Malivindi
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Francesca Chemi
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Vittoria Rago
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Cinzia Giordano
- Health Center, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Ines Barone
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Daniela Bonofiglio
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Luca Gelsomino
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Francesca Giordano
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Andò
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy; Health Center, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy.
| | - Stefania Catalano
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Cosenza, Italy.
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160
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De Bosscher K, Beck IM, Ratman D, Berghe WV, Libert C. Activation of the Glucocorticoid Receptor in Acute Inflammation: the SEDIGRAM Concept. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2016; 37:4-16. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2015] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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161
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Amweg AN, Rodríguez FM, Huber E, Marelli BE, Salvetti NR, Rey F, Ortega HH. Role of Glucocorticoids in Cystic Ovarian Disease: Expression of Glucocorticoid Receptor in the Bovine Ovary. Cells Tissues Organs 2015; 201:138-47. [DOI: 10.1159/000442150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to characterize the expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the components of normal bovine ovary and in animals with cystic ovarian disease (COD). Changes in the protein and mRNA expression levels were determined in control cows and cows with COD by immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR. GR protein expression in granulosa cells was higher in cysts from animals with spontaneous COD and adrenocorticotropic hormone-induced COD than in tertiary follicles from control animals. In theca interna cells, GR expression was higher in cysts from animals with spontaneous COD than in tertiary follicles from control animals. The increase in GR expression observed in cystic follicles suggests a mechanism of action for cortisol and its receptor through the activation/inactivation of specific transcription factors. These factors could be related to the pathogenesis of COD in cattle.
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162
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Abstract
Great strides have been made in the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) with the development of new antiandrogens (enzalutamide) and more potent androgen synthesis inhibitors (abiraterone) that have both improved patient outcomes. These new drugs have also helped unravel the complex biology of androgen-androgen receptor driven prostate cancer and brought into prominence various mechanisms triggering the development of drug resistance and tumour cell survival despite use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The complex role of glucocorticoids in the treatment, management and progression of patients with CRPC is integral to these advances. Historically, glucocorticoid treatment has resulted in both subjective and objective responses in patients with advanced-stage prostate cancer. With the use of these new therapeutic agents, however, unexpected glucocorticoid-related mechanisms that can cause iatrogenic stimulation of prostate cancer growth have emerged, which might contribute to drug resistance and disease progression despite optimal ADT. For example, the upregulation of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) during enzalutamide therapy results in glucocorticoid-GR-mediated regulation of androgen target genes, leading to escape from enzalutamide blockade. Thus, understanding the biological role of glucocorticoids in patients with prostate cancer is of major importance in the era of new and evolving antiandrogen therapies.
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163
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Kemp MW, Newnham JP, Challis JG, Jobe AH, Stock SJ. The clinical use of corticosteroids in pregnancy. Hum Reprod Update 2015; 22:240-59. [PMID: 26590298 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmv047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of antenatal steroid therapy is common in pregnancy. In early pregnancy, steroids may be used in women for the treatment of recurrent miscarriage or fetal abnormalities such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia. In mid-late pregnancy, the antenatal administration of corticosteroids to expectant mothers in anticipation of preterm birth is one of the most important advances in perinatal medicine; antenatal corticosteroids are now standard care for pregnancies at risk of premature delivery in high- and middle-income countries. The widespread uptake of this therapy is due to a compelling body of evidence demonstrating improved neonatal outcomes following antenatal corticosteroid exposure, stemming most notably from corticosteroid-driven maturation of fetal pulmonary function. As we approach the 50th anniversary of landmark work in this area by Liggins and Howie, it is apparent that much remains to be understood with regards to how we might best apply antenatal corticosteroid therapy to improve pregnancy outcomes at both early and mid to late gestation. METHODS Drawing on advances in laboratory science, pre-clinical and clinical studies, we performed a narrative review of the scientific literature to provide a timely update on the benefits, risks and uncertainties regarding antenatal corticosteroid use in pregnancy. Three, well-established therapeutic uses of antenatal steroids, namely recurrent miscarriage, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and preterm birth, were selected to frame the review. RESULTS Even the most well-established antenatal steroid therapies lack the comprehensive pharmacokinetic and dose-response data necessary to optimize dosing regimens. New insights into complex, tissue-specific corticosteroid signalling by genomic-dependent and independent mechanisms have not been used to inform corticosteroid treatment strategies. There is growing evidence that some fetal corticosteroid treatments are either ineffective, or may result in adverse outcomes, in addition to lasting epigenetic changes in a variety of homeostatic mechanisms. Nowhere is the need to better understand the intricacies of corticosteroid therapy better conveyed than in the findings of Althabe and colleagues who recently reported an increase in overall neonatal mortality and maternal morbidity in association with antenatal corticosteroid administration in low-resource settings. CONCLUSIONS New research to clarify the benefits and potential risks of antenatal corticosteroid therapy is urgently needed, especially with regard to corticosteroid use in low-resource environments. We conclude that there is both significant scope and an urgent need for further research-informed refinement to the use of antenatal corticosteroids in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- M W Kemp
- School of Women's and Infants' Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - J P Newnham
- School of Women's and Infants' Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - J G Challis
- Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Health and Medical Research), The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - A H Jobe
- School of Women's and Infants' Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia Division of Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - S J Stock
- Tommy's Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health, MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
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164
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Bockmühl Y, Patchev AV, Madejska A, Hoffmann A, Sousa JC, Sousa N, Holsboer F, Almeida OFX, Spengler D. Methylation at the CpG island shore region upregulates Nr3c1 promoter activity after early-life stress. Epigenetics 2015; 10:247-57. [PMID: 25793778 PMCID: PMC4622987 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2015.1017199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life stress (ELS) induces long-lasting changes in gene expression conferring an increased risk for the development of stress-related mental disorders. Glucocorticoid receptors (GR) mediate the negative feedback actions of glucocorticoids (GC) in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary and therefore play a key role in the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the endocrine response to stress. We here show that ELS programs the expression of the GR gene (Nr3c1) by site-specific hypermethylation at the CpG island (CGI) shore in hypothalamic neurons that produce corticotropin-releasing hormone (Crh), thus preventing Crh upregulation under conditions of chronic stress. CpGs mapping to the Nr3c1 CGI shore region are dynamically regulated by ELS and underpin methylation-sensitive control of this region's insulation-like function via Ying Yang 1 (YY1) binding. Our results provide new insight into how a genomic element integrates experience-dependent epigenetic programming of the composite proximal Nr3c1 promoter, and assigns an insulating role to the CGI shore.
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Key Words
- Avp, arginine vasopressin
- BPD, borderline personal disorder
- CGI, CpG island
- CUS, chronic unpredictable stress
- ChIP, chromatin immunoprecipitation
- CpG island shore
- Crh, corticotropin releasing hormone
- DNA methylation
- Dusp1, dual specificity phosphatase 1
- ELS, early-life stress
- EMSA, electrophoretic mobility shift assay
- Fkbp5, FK506 binding protein 51
- GC, glucocorticoid
- GR, glucocorticoid receptor
- GRE, glucocorticoid response element
- HPA, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal
- MDD, major depressive disorder
- PTSD, posttraumatic stress disorder
- PVN, paraventricular nucleus
- Pomc, pro-opiomelanocortin
- Sgk1, serum glucocorticoid kinase 1
- YY1, Yin Yang
- Yin Yang
- early-life stress
- glucocorticoid receptor
- insulator
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Sevilla LM, Latorre V, Carceller E, Boix J, Vodák D, Mills IG, Pérez P. Glucocorticoid receptor and Klf4 co-regulate anti-inflammatory genes in keratinocytes. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2015; 412:281-9. [PMID: 26001834 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Revised: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The glucocorticoid (GC) receptor (GR) and Kruppel-like factor Klf4 are transcription factors that play major roles in skin homeostasis. However, whether these transcription factors cooperate in binding genomic regulatory regions in epidermal keratinocytes was not known. Here, we show that in dexamethasone-treated keratinocytes GR and Klf4 are recruited to genomic regions containing adjacent GR and KLF binding motifs to control transcription of the anti-inflammatory genes Tsc22d3 and Zfp36. GR- and Klf4 loss of function experiments showed total GR but partial Klf4 requirement for full gene induction in response to dexamethasone. In wild type keratinocytes induced to differentiate, GR and Klf4 protein expression increased concomitant with Tsc22d3 and Zfp36 up-regulation. In contrast, GR-deficient cells failed to differentiate or fully induce Klf4, Tsc22d3 and Zfp36 correlating with increased expression of the epithelium-specific Trp63, a known transcriptional repressor of Klf4. The identified transcriptional cooperation between GR and Klf4 may determine cell-type specific regulation and have implications for developing therapies for skin diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Sevilla
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IBV-CSIC), Jaime Roig 11, E-46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Víctor Latorre
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IBV-CSIC), Jaime Roig 11, E-46010 Valencia, Spain; Faculty of Human and Medical Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Elena Carceller
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IBV-CSIC), Jaime Roig 11, E-46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Julia Boix
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IBV-CSIC), Jaime Roig 11, E-46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Daniel Vodák
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Institute for Cancer Genetics and Informatics, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo University Hospital, Norway
| | - Ian Geoffrey Mills
- Prostate Cancer Research Group, Centre for Molecular Medicine (Norway), University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospitals, Oslo, Norway; Department of Molecular Oncology, Oslo University Hospitals, Oslo, Norway; Department of Urology, Oslo University Hospitals, Oslo, Norway; FASTMAN Movember Centre of Excellence, CCRCB, Queens University, Belfast, UK
| | - Paloma Pérez
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IBV-CSIC), Jaime Roig 11, E-46010 Valencia, Spain.
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166
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Ragnarsson O, Trimpou P, Oleröd G, Landin-Wilhelmsen K. The association between urinary cortisol excretion and cardiovascular risk factors, bone status and quality of life in the population. Steroids 2015; 101:71-7. [PMID: 26091579 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2015.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2015] [Revised: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Patients with glucocorticoid excess have increased cardiovascular risk, decreased bone mineral density and impaired quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between urinary cortisol excretion and cardiovascular risk factors, bone status and QoL in the population. We hypothesized that higher cortisol excretion was associated with adverse cardiovascular risk profile, worse skeletal health and QoL. DESIGN, PATIENTS AND METHODS This was a cross-sectional study including a population sample (n=348), aged 38-77years. The mean age in women was 64.0±8.5years (n=276) and 60.3±10.2years in men (n=72). The metabolic syndrome, body composition measured with bioimpedance, calcaneal quantitative ultrasound, fractures and QoL evaluated with the Nottingham Health Profile, Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB) and the Short Form 36 (SF-36) were studied. Urinary free cortisol (UFC) was measured using radioimmunoassay. RESULTS UFC was higher in men (230±120nmol/L) compared to women (153±71; P<0.001) and decreased with increasing age (P<0.001). In a regression analysis, after adjustment for gender, age and body mass index, higher UFC was associated with higher fat-free mass (P<0.01), favourable calcaneal bone measurements (P<0.05), better general health measured with PGWB (P<0.01) and SF-36 (P=0.001) and tended to be negatively associated with the metabolic syndrome (P=0.07). CONCLUSION In contrast to our hypothesis, UFC in the upper physiological range was associated with a favourable cardiovascular risk profile, bone measures and QoL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oskar Ragnarsson
- Institute of Medicine at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg and Department of Endocrinology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Penelope Trimpou
- Institute of Medicine at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg and Department of Endocrinology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Göran Oleröd
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kerstin Landin-Wilhelmsen
- Institute of Medicine at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg and Department of Endocrinology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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167
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Sundahl N, Bridelance J, Libert C, De Bosscher K, Beck IM. Selective glucocorticoid receptor modulation: New directions with non-steroidal scaffolds. Pharmacol Ther 2015; 152:28-41. [PMID: 25958032 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2015.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids remain the frontline treatment for inflammatory disorders, yet represent a double-edged sword with beneficial therapeutic actions alongside adverse effects, mainly in metabolic regulation. Considerable efforts were made to improve this balance by attempting to amplify therapeutic beneficial anti-inflammatory actions and to minimize adverse metabolic actions. Most attention has focused on the development of novel compounds favoring the transrepressing actions of the glucocorticoid receptor, assumed to be important for anti-inflammatory actions, over the transactivating actions, assumed to underpin the undesirable actions. These compounds are classified as selective glucocorticoid receptor agonists (SEGRAs) or selective glucocorticoid receptor modulators (SEGRMs). The latter class is able to modulate the activity of a GR agonist and/or may not classically bind the glucocorticoid receptor ligand-binding pocket. SEGRAs and SEGRMs are collectively denominated SEGRAMs (selective glucocorticoid receptor agonists and modulators). Although this transrepression vs transactivation concept proved to be too simplistic, the developed SEGRAMs were helpful in elucidating various molecular actions of the glucocorticoid receptor, but have also raised many novel questions. We discuss lessons learned from recent mechanistic studies of selective glucocorticoid receptor modulators. This is approached by analyzing recent experimental insights in comparison with knowledge obtained using mutant GR research, thus clarifying the current view on the SEGRAM field. These insights also contribute to our understanding of the processes controlling glucocorticoid-mediated side effects as well as glucocorticoid resistance. Our perspective on non-steroidal SEGRAs and SEGRMs considers remaining opportunities to address research gaps in order to harness the potential for more safe and effective glucocorticoid receptor therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Sundahl
- Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research (LECR), Department of Radiation Oncology & Experimental Cancer Research, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Jolien Bridelance
- Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research (LECR), Department of Radiation Oncology & Experimental Cancer Research, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Claude Libert
- Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, VIB, Gent, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Karolien De Bosscher
- Receptor Research Laboratories, Nuclear Receptor Lab (NRL), VIB Department of Medical Protein Research, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium.
| | - Ilse M Beck
- Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Research (LECR), Department of Radiation Oncology & Experimental Cancer Research, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
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168
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Raff H, Carroll T. Cushing's syndrome: from physiological principles to diagnosis and clinical care. J Physiol 2015; 593:493-506. [PMID: 25480800 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2014.282871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 11/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The physiological control of cortisol synthesis in the adrenal cortex involves stimulation of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) by hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and then stimulation of the adrenal by ACTH. The control loop of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is closed by negative feedback of cortisol on the hypothalamus and pituitary. Understanding this system is required to master the diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment of endogenous hypercortisolism--Cushing's syndrome. Endogenous Cushing's syndrome is caused either by excess ACTH secretion or by autonomous cortisol release from the adrenal cortex. Diagnosis of cortisol excess exploits three physiological principles: failure to achieve the normal nadir in the cortisol diurnal rhythm, loss of sensitivity of ACTH-secreting tumours to cortisol negative feedback, and increased excretion of free cortisol in the urine. Differentiating a pituitary source of excess ACTH (Cushing's disease) from an ectopic source is accomplished by imaging the pituitary and sampling for ACTH in the venous drainage of the pituitary. With surgical removal of ACTH or cortisol-secreting tumours, secondary adrenal insufficiency ensues because of the prior suppression of the HPA axis by glucocorticoid negative feedback. Medical therapy is targeted to the anatomical location of the dysregulated component of the HPA axis. Future research will focus on new diagnostics and treatments of Cushing's syndrome. These are elegant examples of translational research: understanding basic physiology informs the development of new approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Appreciating pathophysiology generates new areas for inquiry of basic physiological and biochemical mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hershel Raff
- Departments of Medicine, Surgery, and Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA; Endocrine Research Laboratory, Aurora St Luke's Medical Center, Aurora Research Institute, Milwaukee, WI, 53215, USA
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Wojtuszkiewicz A, Assaraf YG, Maas MJP, Kaspers GJL, Jansen G, Cloos J. Pre-mRNA splicing in cancer: the relevance in oncogenesis, treatment and drug resistance. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2014; 11:673-89. [PMID: 25495223 DOI: 10.1517/17425255.2015.993316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Aberrant pre-mRNA splicing in cancer is emerging as an important determinant of oncogenesis, response to treatment and anticancer drug resistance. At the same time, the spliceosome has become a target for a novel class of pre-clinical chemotherapeutics with a potential future application in cancer treatment. Taken together, these findings offer novel opportunities for the enhancement of the efficacy of cancer therapy. AREAS COVERED This review presents a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms involved in splicing and current developments regarding splicing aberrations in relation to several aspects of cancer formation and therapy. Identified mutations in the various components of the spliceosome and their implications for cancer prognosis are delineated. Moreover, the contribution of abnormal splicing patterns as well as deregulated splicing factors to chemoresistance is discussed, along with novel splicing-based therapeutic approaches. EXPERT OPINION Significant progress has been made in deciphering the role of splicing factors in cancer including carcinogenesis and drug resistance. Splicing-based prognostic tools as well as therapeutic options hold great potential towards improvements in cancer therapy. However, gaining more in-depth molecular insight into the consequences of mutations in various components of the splicing machinery as well as of cellular effects of spliceosome inhibition is a prerequisite to establish the role of splicing in tumor progression and treatment options, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Wojtuszkiewicz
- VU University Medical Center, Department of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
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