A review of drug-induced lysosomal disorders of the liver in man and laboratory animals

Nano-scaled materials may induce severe neurotoxicity upon chronic exposure to brain tissues: A critical appraisal and recent updates on predisposing factors, underlying mechanism, and future prospects

Owing to their tremendous potential, the inference of nano-scaled materials has revolutionized many fields including the medicine and health, particularly for development of various types of targeted drug delivery devices for early prognosis and successful treatment of various diseases, including the brain disorders. Owing to their unique characteristic features, a variety of nanomaterials (particularly, ultra-fine particles (UFPs) have shown tremendous success in achieving the prognostic and therapeutic goals for early prognosis and treatment of various brain maladies such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, brain lymphomas, and other ailments. However, serious attention is needful due to innumerable after-effects of the nanomaterials. Despite their immense contribution in optimizing the prognostic and therapeutic modalities, biological interaction of nanomaterials with various body tissues may produce severe nanotoxicity of different organs including the heart, liver, kidney, lungs, immune system, gastro-intestinal system, skin as well as nervous system. However, in this review, we have primarily focused on nanomaterials-induced neurotoxicity of the brain. Following their translocation into different regions of the brain, nanomaterials may induce neurotoxicity through multiple mechanisms including the oxidative stress, DNA damage, lysosomal dysfunction, inflammatory cascade, apoptosis, genotoxicity, and ultimately necrosis of neuronal cells. Our findings indicated that rigorous toxicological evaluations must be carried out prior to clinical translation of nanomaterials-based formulations to avoid serious neurotoxic complications, which may further lead to develop various neuro-degenerative disorders.

Lysosomotropic Features and Autophagy Modulators among Medical Drugs: Evaluation of Their Role in Pathologies

The concept of lysosomotropic agents significantly changed numerous aspects of cellular biochemistry, biochemical pharmacology, and clinical medicine. In the present review, we focused on numerous low-molecular and high-molecular lipophilic basic compounds and on the role of lipophagy and autophagy in experimental and clinical medicine. Attention was primarily focused on the most promising agents acting as autophagy inducers, which offer a new window for treatment and/or prophylaxis of various diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, Parkinson's disease, and atherosclerosis. The present review summarizes current knowledge on the lysosomotropic features of medical drugs, as well as autophagy inducers, and their role in pathological processes.

Boosting the autophagy-lysosomal pathway by phytochemicals: A potential therapeutic strategy against Alzheimer's disease

The lysosome is a membrane-enclosed organelle in eukaryotic cells, which has basic pattern recognition for nutrient-dependent signal transduction. In Alzheimer's disease, the already declining autophagy-lysosomal function is exacerbated by an increased need for clearance of damaged proteins and organelles in aged cells. Recent evidence suggests that numerous diseases are linked to impaired autophagy upstream of lysosomes. In this way, a comprehensive survey on the pathophysiology of the disease seems necessary. Hence, in the first section of this review, we will discuss the ultimate findings in lysosomal signaling functions and how they affect cellular metabolism and trafficking under neurodegenerative conditions, specifically Alzheimer's disease. In the second section, we focus on how natural products and their derivatives are involved in the regulation of inflammation and lysosomal dysfunction pathways, including how these should be considered a crucial target for Alzheimer's disease therapeutics.

The Lysosomotropic Activity of Hydrophobic Weak Base Drugs is Mediated via Their Intercalation into the Lysosomal Membrane

Lipophilic weak base therapeutic agents, termed lysosomotropic drugs (LDs), undergo marked sequestration and concentration within lysosomes, hence altering lysosomal functions. This lysosomal drug entrapment has been described as luminal drug compartmentalization. Consistent with our recent finding that LDs inflict a pH-dependent membrane fluidization, we herein demonstrate that LDs undergo intercalation and concentration within lysosomal membranes. The latter was revealed experimentally and computationally by (a) confocal microscopy of fluorescent compounds and drugs within lysosomal membranes, and (b) molecular dynamics modeling of the pH-dependent membrane insertion and accumulation of an assortment of LDs, including anticancer drugs. Based on the multiple functions of the lysosome as a central nutrient sensory hub and a degradation center, we discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying the alteration of morphology and impairment of lysosomal functions as consequences of LDs’ intercalation into lysosomes. Our findings bear important implications for drug design, drug induced lysosomal damage, diseases and pertaining therapeutics.

Alterations in Cellular Processes Involving Vesicular Trafficking and Implications in Drug Delivery

Endocytosis and vesicular trafficking are cellular processes that regulate numerous functions required to sustain life. From a translational perspective, they offer avenues to improve the access of therapeutic drugs across cellular barriers that separate body compartments and into diseased cells. However, the fact that many factors have the potential to alter these routes, impacting our ability to effectively exploit them, is often overlooked. Altered vesicular transport may arise from the molecular defects underlying the pathological syndrome which we aim to treat, the activity of the drugs being used, or side effects derived from the drug carriers employed. In addition, most cellular models currently available do not properly reflect key physiological parameters of the biological environment in the body, hindering translational progress. This article offers a critical overview of these topics, discussing current achievements, limitations and future perspectives on the use of vesicular transport for drug delivery applications.

Enniatin B and beauvericin are common in Danish cereals and show high hepatotoxicity on a high-content imaging platform

Mycotoxins are fungi-born metabolites that can contaminate foods through mould-infected crops. They are a significant food/feed-safety issue across the globe and represent a substantial financial burden for the world economy. Moreover, with a changing climate and fungal biota, there is now much discussion about emerging mycotoxins that are measurable at significant levels in crops world-wide. Unfortunately, we still know very little about the bioavailability and toxic potentials of many of these less characterized mycotoxins, including the large family of enniatins. In this study, we present new occurrence data for enniatin A, A1, B, B1 and beauvericin in four Danish crops: oat, wheat, and barley from the 2010 harvest, and rye from 2011 harvest. The occurrence of the four enniatins were B > B1 > A1 > A. Enniatin B was detected in 100% of tested samples regardless of crop type. In addition to occurrence data, we report a proof-of-concept study using a human-relevant high-content hepatotoxicity, or "quadroprobe," assay to screen mycotoxins for their cytotoxic potential. The assay was sensitive for most cytotoxic compounds in the 0.009-100 µM range. Among eight tested mycotoxins (enniatin B, beauvericin, altenariol, deoxynivalenol, aflatoxin B1, andrastin A, citrinin, and penicillic acid), enniatin B and beauvericin showed significant cytotoxicity at a concentration lower than that for aflatoxin B1, which is the archetypal acute hepatotoxic and liver-carcinogenic mycotoxin. Hence, the quadroprobe hepatotoxicity assay may become a valuable assessment tool for toxicity assessment of mycotoxins in the future. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 1658-1664, 2017.

Diverse Applications of Nanomedicine

The design and use of materials in the nanoscale size range for addressing medical and health-related issues continues to receive increasing interest. Research in nanomedicine spans a multitude of areas, including drug delivery, vaccine development, antibacterial, diagnosis and imaging tools, wearable devices, implants, high-throughput screening platforms, etc. using biological, nonbiological, biomimetic, or hybrid materials. Many of these developments are starting to be translated into viable clinical products. Here, we provide an overview of recent developments in nanomedicine and highlight the current challenges and upcoming opportunities for the field and translation to the clinic.

Autophagy in hepatocellular carcinomas: from pathophysiology to therapeutic response

Autophagy is an intracellular lysosomal degradation process performed by the cells to maintain energy balance. The autophagy response plays an important role in the progression of liver disease due to hepatitis virus infection, alcoholic liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). An increased autophagy response also contributes to the pathogenesis of liver disease through modulation of innate and adaptive immune responses; a defective cellular autophagy response leads to the development of HCC. Recent progress in the field indicates that autophagy modulation provides a novel targeted therapy for human liver cancer. The purpose of this review is to update our understanding of how the cellular autophagy response impacts the pathophysiology of liver disease and HCC treatment.

A Comparative Study on the Alterations of Endocytic Pathways in Multiple Lysosomal Storage Disorders

Many cellular activities and pharmaceutical interventions involve endocytosis and delivery to lysosomes for processing. Hence, lysosomal processing defects can cause cell and tissue damage, as in lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) characterized by lysosomal accumulation of undegraded materials. This storage causes endocytic and trafficking alterations, which exacerbate disease and hinder treatment. However, there have been no systematic studies comparing different endocytic routes in LSDs. Here, we used genetic and pharmacological models of four LSDs (type A Niemann-Pick, type C Niemann-Pick, Fabry, and Gaucher diseases) and evaluated the pinocytic and receptor-mediated activity of the clathrin-, caveolae-, and macropinocytic routes. Bulk pinocytosis was diminished in all diseases, suggesting a generic endocytic alteration linked to lysosomal storage. Fluid-phase (dextran) and ligand (transferrin) uptake via the clathrin route were lower for all LSDs. Fluid-phase and ligand (cholera toxin B) uptake via the caveolar route were both affected but less acutely in Fabry or Gaucher diseases. Epidermal growth factor-induced macropinocytosis was altered in Niemann-Pick cells but not other LSDs. Intracellular trafficking of ligands was also distorted in LSD versus wild-type cells. The extent of these endocytic alterations paralleled the level of cholesterol storage in disease cell lines. Confirming this, pharmacological induction of cholesterol storage in wild-type cells disrupted endocytosis, and model therapeutics restored uptake in proportion to their efficacy in attenuating storage. This suggests a proportional and reversible relationship between endocytosis and lipid (cholesterol) storage. By analogy, the accumulation of biological material in other diseases, or foreign material from drugs or their carriers, may cause similar deficits, warranting further investigation.

Pharmacologic agents targeting autophagy

Autophagy is an important intracellular catabolic mechanism critically involved in regulating tissue homeostasis. The implication of autophagy in human diseases and the need to understand its regulatory mechanisms in mammalian cells have stimulated research efforts that led to the development of high-throughput screening protocols and small-molecule modulators that can activate or inhibit autophagy. Herein we review the current landscape in the development of screening technology as well as the molecules and pharmacologic agents targeting the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy. We also evaluate the potential therapeutic application of these compounds in different human pathologies.

Leelamine mediates cancer cell death through inhibition of intracellular cholesterol transport

Leelamine is a promising compound for the treatment of cancer; however, the molecular mechanisms leading to leelamine-mediated cell death have not been identified. This report shows that leelamine is a weakly basic amine with lysosomotropic properties, leading to its accumulation inside acidic organelles such as lysosomes. This accumulation leads to homeostatic imbalance in the lysosomal endosomal cell compartments that disrupts autophagic flux and intracellular cholesterol trafficking as well as receptor-mediated endocytosis. Electron micrographs of leelamine-treated cancer cells displayed accumulation of autophagosomes, membrane whorls, and lipofuscin-like structures, indicating disruption of lysosomal cell compartments. Early in the process, leelamine-mediated killing was a caspase-independent event triggered by cholesterol accumulation, as depletion of cholesterol using β-cyclodextrin treatment attenuated the cell death and restored the subcellular structures identified by electron microscopy. Protein microarray-based analyses of the intracellular signaling cascades showed alterations in RTK-AKT/STAT/MAPK signaling cascades, which was subsequently confirmed by Western blotting. Inhibition of Akt, Erk, and Stat signaling, together with abnormal deregulation of receptor tyrosine kinases, was caused by the inhibition of receptor-mediated endocytosis. This study is the first report demonstrating that leelamine is a lysosomotropic, intracellular cholesterol transport inhibitor with potential chemotherapeutic properties leading to inhibition of autophagic flux and induction of cholesterol accumulation in lysosomal/endosomal cell compartments. Importantly, the findings of this study show the potential of leelamine to disrupt cholesterol homeostasis for treatment of advanced-stage cancers.

The autophagy inhibitor verteporfin moderately enhances the antitumor activity of gemcitabine in a pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma model

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is highly resistant to chemotherapy. It has been described as requiring elevated autophagy for growth and inhibiting autophagy has been proposed as a treatment strategy. To date, all preclinical reports and clinical trials investigating pharmacological inhibition of autophagy have used chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine, which interfere with lysosomal function and block autophagy at a late stage. Verteporfin is a newly discovered autophagy inhibitor that blocks autophagy at an early stage by inhibiting autophagosome formation. Here we report that PDAC cell lines show variable sensitivity to verteporfin in vitro, suggesting cell-line specific autophagy dependence. Using image-based and molecular analyses, we show that verteporfin inhibits autophagy stimulated by gemcitabine, the current standard treatment for PDAC. Pharmacokinetic and efficacy studies in a BxPC-3 xenograft mouse model demonstrated that verteporfin accumulated in tumors at autophagy-inhibiting levels and inhibited autophagy in vivo, but did not reduce tumor volume or increase survival as a single agent. In combination with gemcitabine verteporfin moderately reduced tumor growth and enhanced survival compared to gemcitabine alone. While our results do not uphold the premise that autophagy inhibition might be widely effective against PDAC as a single-modality treatment, they do support autophagy inhibition as an approach to sensitize PDAC to gemcitabine.

Irrational use of antimalarial drugs in rural areas of eastern Pakistan: a random field study

Background

Prescription of antimalarial drugs in the absence of malarial disease is a common practice in countries where malaria is endemic. However, unwarranted use of such drugs can cause side effects in some people and is a financial drain on local economies. In this study, we surveyed the prevalence of malaria parasites in humans, and the prevalence of the malaria transmitting mosquito vectors in the study area. We also investigated the use of antimalarial drugs in the local people. We focused on randomly selected rural areas of eastern Pakistan where no malaria cases had been reported since May 2004.

Methods

Mass blood surveys, active case detection, passive case detection, and vector density surveys were carried out in selected areas of Sargodha district from September 2008 to August 2009. Data pertaining to the quantities and types of antimalarial drugs used in these areas were collected from health centers, pharmacies, and the district CDC program of the Health Department of the Government of the Punjab.

Results

Seven hundred and forty four blood samples were examined, resulting in a Blood Examination Rate (BER) of 3.18; microscopic analysis of blood smears showed that none of the samples were positive for malaria parasites. Investigation of the mosquito vector density in 43 living rooms (bedrooms or rooms used for sleeping), 23 stores, and 32 animal sheds, revealed no vectors capable of transmitting malaria in these locations. In contrast, the density of Culex mosquitoes was high. Substantial consumption of a variety of antimalarial tablets, syrups, capsules and injections costing around 1000 US$, was documented for the region.

Conclusion

Use of antimalarial drugs in the absence of malarial infection or the vectors that transmit the disease was common in the study area. Continuous use of such drugs, not only in Pakistan, but in other parts of the world, may lead to drug-induced side effects amongst users. Better training of health care professionals is needed to ensure accurate diagnoses of malaria and appropriate prescription of antimalarial drugs delivered to communities.

The intracellular Ca²⁺ channels of membrane traffic

Regulation of organellar fusion and fission by Ca ( 2+) has emerged as a central paradigm in intracellular membrane traffic. Originally formulated for Ca ( 2+) -driven SNARE-mediated exocytosis in the presynaptic terminals, it was later expanded to explain membrane traffic in other exocytic events within the endo-lysosomal system. The list of processes and conditions that depend on the intracellular membrane traffic includes aging, antigen and lipid processing, growth factor signaling and enzyme secretion. Characterization of the ion channels that regulate intracellular membrane fusion and fission promises novel pharmacological approaches in these processes when their function becomes aberrant. The recent identification of Ca ( 2+) permeability through the intracellular ion channels comprising the mucolipin (TRPMLs) and the two-pore channels (TPCs) families pinpoints the candidates for the Ca ( 2+) channel that drive intracellular membrane traffic. The present review summarizes the recent developments and the current questions relevant to this topic.

Autophagy and lysosomal dysfunction as emerging mechanisms of nanomaterial toxicity

The study of the potential risks associated with the manufacture, use, and disposal of nanoscale materials, and their mechanisms of toxicity, is important for the continued advancement of nanotechnology. Currently, the most widely accepted paradigms of nanomaterial toxicity are oxidative stress and inflammation, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly defined. This review will highlight the significance of autophagy and lysosomal dysfunction as emerging mechanisms of nanomaterial toxicity. Most endocytic routes of nanomaterial cell uptake converge upon the lysosome, making the lysosomal compartment the most common intracellular site of nanoparticle sequestration and degradation. In addition to the endo-lysosomal pathway, recent evidence suggests that some nanomaterials can also induce autophagy. Among the many physiological functions, the lysosome, by way of the autophagy (macroautophagy) pathway, degrades intracellular pathogens, and damaged organelles and proteins. Thus, autophagy induction by nanoparticles may be an attempt to degrade what is perceived by the cell as foreign or aberrant. While the autophagy and endo-lysosomal pathways have the potential to influence the disposition of nanomaterials, there is also a growing body of literature suggesting that biopersistent nanomaterials can, in turn, negatively impact these pathways. Indeed, there is ample evidence that biopersistent nanomaterials can cause autophagy and lysosomal dysfunctions resulting in toxicological consequences.

Inroads to predict in vivo toxicology-an introduction to the eTOX Project

There is a widespread awareness that the wealth of preclinical toxicity data that the pharmaceutical industry has generated in recent decades is not exploited as efficiently as it could be. Enhanced data availability for compound comparison (“read-across”), or for data mining to build predictive tools, should lead to a more efficient drug development process and contribute to the reduction of animal use (3Rs principle). In order to achieve these goals, a consortium approach, grouping numbers of relevant partners, is required. The eTOX (“electronic toxicity”) consortium represents such a project and is a public-private partnership within the framework of the European Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI). The project aims at the development of in silico prediction systems for organ and in vivo toxicity. The backbone of the project will be a database consisting of preclinical toxicity data for drug compounds or candidates extracted from previously unpublished, legacy reports from thirteen European and European operation-based pharmaceutical companies. The database will be enhanced by incorporation of publically available, high quality toxicology data. Seven academic institutes and five small-to-medium size enterprises (SMEs) contribute with their expertise in data gathering, database curation, data mining, chemoinformatics and predictive systems development. The outcome of the project will be a predictive system contributing to early potential hazard identification and risk assessment during the drug development process. The concept and strategy of the eTOX project is described here, together with current achievements and future deliverables.

TRPML: transporters of metals in lysosomes essential for cell survival?

Key aspects of lysosomal function are affected by the ionic content of the lysosomal lumen and, therefore, by the ion permeability in the lysosomal membrane. Such functions include regulation of lysosomal acidification, a critical process in delivery and activation of the lysosomal enzymes, release of metals from lysosomes into the cytoplasm and the Ca(2+)-dependent component of membrane fusion events in the endocytic pathway. While the basic mechanisms of lysosomal acidification have been largely defined, the lysosomal metal transport system is not well understood. TRPML1 is a lysosomal ion channel whose malfunction is implicated in the lysosomal storage disease Mucolipidosis Type IV. Recent evidence suggests that TRPML1 is involved in Fe(2+), Ca(2+) and Zn(2+) transport across the lysosomal membrane, ascribing novel physiological roles to this ion channel, and perhaps to its relatives TRPML2 and TRPML3 and illuminating poorly understood aspects of lysosomal function. Further, alterations in metal transport by the TRPMLs due to mutations or environmental factors may contribute to their role in the disease phenotype and cell death.

Influence of atorvastatin on fractional and subfractional composition of serum lipoproteins and MMP activity in mice with Triton WR 1339-induced lipaemia

OBJECTIVES

The effects of atorvastatin on the atherogenic and anti-atherogenic lipoprotein-cholesterol (C-LP) and lipoprotein-triglyceride (TG-LP) fractions and subfractions at the early stage of murine acute hyperlipidaemia, and its pleiotropic anti-inflammatory effects via the activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were studied.

METHODS

Atorvastatin (75 mg/kg) was administered to ICR mice with acute lipaemia induced by a single injection of Triton WR 1339 (500 mg/kg). A novel small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) method was used for the determination of the fractional and subfractional composition of C-LP and TG-LP.

KEY FINDING

In Triton WR 1339-treated mice, there was a drastic increase in the atherogenic low-density C-LP (C-LDL) fraction, intermediate density lipoprotein-cholesterol (C-IDL) subfraction, and very low-density C-LP (C-VLDL) fractions (C-VLDL(3-5) subfraction). Additionally, there was an increase in the C-HDL(3) subfraction. Treatment of lipaemia with atorvastatin resulted in the normalization of the atherogenic C-LDL fraction and the C-IDL subfraction. A decrease in C-VLDL (C-VLDL(3-5) subfraction), total cholesterol and, especially, triglyceride (TG) concentrations was also demonstrated. Similar results were obtained with the TG-LP fractions and subfractions. Additionally, atorvastatin treatment resulted in an increase in the serum and liver MMP activity.

CONCLUSION

High-dose atorvastatin therapy exerts its rapid lipid-lowering and pleiotropic effect(s) in the early stages of acute lipaemia induced with Triton WR-1339.

Fractional composition of blood serum lipoproteins in mice and rats with Triton WR 1339-induced lipemia

We compared fractional composition of blood serum lipoproteins (LP) in female ICR mice and Wistar rats induced by single administration of a nonionic detergent Triton WR 1339 in doses of 300 and 500 mg/kg. Lipemia in animals of both species was characterized by a sharp increase in the concentration of cholesterol and, particularly, of triglycerides in blood serum lipoproteins by the 24th hour after administration of the detergent. We revealed a significant increase in the concentrations of atherogenic VLDL cholesterol (due to VLDL2), intermediate density lipoproteins, and LDL. These changes were more pronounced in rats. The model of lipemia can be used to study the role of fractional composition of lipoproteins and, particularly, of triglycerides in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Moreover, this model holds much promise for evaluation of the efficiency of hypolipidemic drugs (statins and fibrates) in normalizing the increased level of atherogenic cholesterol of VLDL and LDL.

Monitoring lysosomal activity in nanoparticle-treated cells

Certain nanoparticles have been shown to accumulate within lysosome and hence may cause lysosomal pathologies such as phospholipidosis, lysosomal overload, and autophagy. This chapter describes a method for evaluation of lysosomal activity in porcine kidney cells (LLC-PK1) after exposure to nanoparticles. This method uses the accumulation of a cationic fluorescent dye (LysoTracker Red) in acidic cellular compartments as an indicator of total lysosome content. The lysotracker signal is normalized to the signal from a thiol-reactive dye which is proportional to the total number of viable cells.

Autophagy monitoring assay: qualitative analysis of MAP LC3-I to II conversion by immunoblot

Lysosomal dysfunction is a recognized toxic mechanism for xenobiotics, which can result in various pathological states. There is concern that nanoparticles, in particular, may cause lysosomal pathologies, since they are likely to accumulate within lysosomes. Dysregulation of the autophagy-lysosomal degradation pathway is an example of lysosomal dysfunction associated with exposure to some nanomaterials. Here, we present a method to monitor autophagy by measurement the autophagosome marker LC3-II, a phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)-conjugated form of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-I (MAP LC3-I). As other conditions could potentially result in LC3-II expression, treatment-related changes in expression should be further evaluated by morphological assessment, using techniques such as electron microscopy, to confirm autophagosome involvement.

Inhibition of autophagosome formation by the benzoporphyrin derivative verteporfin

Autophagy enables cells to degrade and recycle cytoplasmic materials both as a housekeeping mechanism and in response to extracellular stress such as nutrient deprivation. Recent studies indicate that autophagy also functions as a protective mechanism in response to several cancer therapy agents, making it a prospective therapeutic target. Few pharmacological inhibitors suitable for testing the therapeutic potential of autophagy inhibition in vivo are known. An automated microscopy assay was used to screen >3,500 drugs and pharmacological agents and identified one drug, verteporfin, as an inhibitor of autophagosome accumulation. Verteporfin is a benzoporphyrin derivative used in photodynamic therapy, but it inhibits autophagy without light activation. Verteporfin did not inhibit LC3/Atg8 processing or membrane recruitment in response to autophagic stimuli, but it inhibited drug- and starvation-induced autophagic degradation and the sequestration of cytoplasmic materials into autophagosomes. Transient exposure to verteporfin in starvation conditions reduced cell viability whereas cells in nutrient-rich medium were unaffected by drug treatment. Analysis of structural analogs indicated that the activity of verteporfin requires the presence of a substituted cyclohexadiene at ring A of the porphyrin core but that it can tolerate a number of large substituents at rings C and D. The existence of an autophagy inhibitor among FDA-approved drugs should facilitate the investigation of the therapeutic potential of autophagy inhibition in vivo.

Aberrant Ca2+ handling in lysosomal storage disorders

Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are caused by inability of cells to process the material captured during endocytosis. While they are essentially diseases of cellular "indigestion", LSDs affect large number of cellular activities and, as such, they teach us about the integrative function of the cell, as well as about the gaps in our knowledge of the endocytic pathway and membrane transport. The present review summarizes recent findings on Ca2+ handling in LSDs and attempts to identify the key questions on alterations in Ca2+ signaling and membrane transport in this group of diseases, answers to which may lie in delineating the cellular pathogeneses of LSDs.

In vivo effect of selective macrophage suppression on the development of intrahepatic cholestasis in mice

We studied the role of selective suppression of liver Kupffer cells (gadolinium chloride, 14 mg/kg intravenously) in the development of intrahepatic cholestasis in CBA/C57B1/6 mice after intraperitoneal injection of alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate in a single dose of 200 mg/kg. Pretreatment with gadolinium chloride increased the severity of cholestasis and signs of liver damage. Gadolinium accumulation in the liver peaked after 24 h and was accompanied by a decrease in activities of cathepsin D and cathepsin B and concentration of matrix metalloprotease-2. Our results confirm the hypothesis that normal function of Kupffer cells and extracellular matrix plays an important role in cholestasis. Administration of gadolinium chloride serves as a convenient model to study the side effects, toxicity, and safety of lanthanides as nanoparticles.

Endolysosomal phospholipidosis and cytosolic lipid droplet storage and release in macrophages

This review summarizes the current knowledge of endolysosomal and cytoplasmic lipid storage in macrophages induced by oxidized LDL (Ox-LDL), enzymatically degraded LDL (E-LDL) and other atherogenic lipoprotein modifications, and their relation to the adapter protein 3 (AP-3) dependent ABCA1 and ABCG1 cellular lipid efflux pathways. We compare endolysosomal lipid storage caused either through drug induced phospholipidosis, inheritable endolysosomal and cytosolic lipid storage disorders and Ox-LDL or E-LDL induced phagosomal uptake and cytosolic lipid droplet storage in macrophages. Ox-LDL is resistant to rapid endolysosomal hydrolysis and is trapped within the endolysosomal compartment generating lamellar bodies which resemble the characteristics of phospholipidosis. Various inherited lysosomal storage diseases including sphingolipidosis, glycosphingolipidosis and cholesterylester storage diseases also present a phospholipidosis phenotype. In contrast E-LDL resembling coreless unesterified cholesterol enriched LDL-particles, with a multilamellar, liposome-like structure, lead to rapid phagosomal degradation and cytosolic lipid droplet accumulation. As a consequence the uptake of E-LDL through type I and type II phagocytosis leads to increased lipid droplet formation and moderate upregulation of ABCA1 and ABCG1 while uptake of Ox-LDL leads to a rapid expansion of the lysosomal compartment and a pronounced upregulation of the ABCA1/ABCG1/AP-3 lipid efflux pathway.

Synthesis of Degradable Functional Poly(ethylene glycol) Analogs as Versatile Drug Delivery Carriers

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is widely used as a water soluble carrier for polymer-drug conjugates. Herein, we report degradable linear PEG analogs (DPEGs) carrying multifunctional groups. The DPEGs were synthesized by a Michael addition based condensation polymerization of dithiols and PEG diacrylates (PEGDA) or dimethacrylates (PEGDMA). They were stable at pH 7.4 but quickly degraded at pH 6.0 and 5.0. Thus, DPEGs could be used as drug carriers without concern for their retention in the body. DPEGs could be made to carry such functional groups as terminal thiol or (meth)acrylate and pendant hydroxyl groups. The functional groups were used for conjugation of drugs and targeting groups. This new type of PEG analog will be useful for drug delivery and the PEGylation of biomolecules and colloidal particles.

Nanotechnology safety concerns revisited

Nanotechnology is an emerging science involving manipulation of matter at the nanometer scale. Due to concerns over nanomaterial risks, there has been a dramatic increase in focused safety research. The present review provides a summary of these published findings, identifying areas of agreement and discordance with regard to: (1) the potential for nanomaterial exposure, (2) the relative hazard nanomaterials pose to humans and the environment, and (3) the present deficits in our understanding of risk. Special attention is paid to study design and methodologies, offering valuable insight into the complexities encountered with nanomaterial safety assessment. Recent data highlight the impact of surface characteristics on nanomaterial biocompatibility and point to the inadequacy of the current size-dependent mechanistic paradigms, with nanoscale materials lacking unique or characteristic toxicity profiles. The available data support the ability of the lung, gastrointestinal tract, and skin to act as a significant barrier to the systemic exposure of many nanomaterials. Furthermore, the acute systemic toxicity of many nanomaterials appear to be low. By contrast, the potential pulmonary toxicity of certain nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes, is significant, requiring a better understanding of exposure to further evaluate their risk. While these findings arrive at an overall picture of material-specific rather than nanogeneralized risk, any conclusions should clearly be tempered by the fact that nanomaterial safety data are limited. Until such time as the exposures, hazards, and environmental life cycle of nanomaterials have been more clearly defined, cautious development and implementation of nanotechnology is the most prudent course.

Intralysosomal accumulation of gadolinium and lysosomal damage during selective depression of liver macrophages in vivo

Kinetics of gadolinium accumulation was studied by inductively coupled plasma-emission spectroscopy after intravenous injection of this agent (7.5 mg/kg) to CBA mice. Gadolinium exhibits lysosomotropic properties (long-term selective accumulation in lysosomes in vivo). Gadolinium uptake by hepatic cells attained maximum 1 h after its intravenous injection and remained at this level during the next day. Accumulation of gadolinium in hepatocytic lysosomes disturbed their osmotic properties (as was seen from the increase in free acid phosphatase activity, which persisted for 19 days). Serum activities of beta-D-galactosidase and beta-D-glucuronidase also increased (24-72 h and day 19). Selective depression of liver macrophages (24-48 h) was accompanied by a decrease in serum chitotriosidase activity. We conclude that accumulation of gadolinium in lysosomes of liver macrophages leads to their damage and elimination of a certain population of macrophages (primarily large cells). Changes in activity of serum lysosomal enzymes also reflect repopulation of liver macrophages.

Ultrastructural features of lymphocyte suppression induced by anthrax lethal toxin and treated with chloroquine

Antibacterial therapy does not fully protect against anthrax because of severe systemic intoxication. Lysosomal processing of anthrax lethal toxin (LTX) is a key event in the disease pathogenesis, and agents interfering with this process, like chloroquine (CQ), may have practical applications. Although LTX is known to induce T-cell suppression, precise mechanisms of this phenomenon are not completely characterized. In the present study, we investigated alterations of lymphocyte ultrastructure caused by LTX and associated with favorable effect of CQ on the LTX-related dysfunction. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were activated via CD3 crosslinking in the presence or absence of LTX and CQ, and examined by transmission electron microscopy, flow cytometry and immunoblotting. Crosslinking of CD3 induced ultrastructural signs of lymphocyte activation, mostly disappeared after LTX treatment. The cell ultrastructure was well preserved in LTX-treated cells, despite dose- and time-dependent inhibition of T-cell function associated with impaired activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase. Regardless of intracellular signaling abnormalities, LTX did not decrease T-cell viability. CQ restored expression of CD69 (P<0.001) and improved phosphorylation of p38 (P=0.022) in LTX-exposed T lymphocytes. The exposure of cells to CQ, with or without LTX, led to appearance of many phagolysosomes with heterogeneous content, possibly representing unprocessed internalized material. In conclusion, LTX suppressed T-cell functions, but did not affect the viability and caused no ultrastructural damage. Ultrastructural observations indicated that CQ reduced harmful effects of LTX, possibly by interfering with lysosomal activity.

Drug-induced phospholipidosis

Drug-induced phospholipidosis is characterized by intracellular accumulation of phospholipids with lamellar bodies, most likely from an impaired phospholipid metabolism of the lysosome. Organs affected by phospholipidosis exhibit inflammatory reactions and histopathological changes. Despite significant advances in the understanding of drug-altered lipid metabolism, the relationship between impaired phospholipid metabolism and drug-induced toxicity remains enigmatic. Here we review molecular features of inheritable lysosomal storage disorders as a molecular mimicry of drug-induced phospholipidosis for an improved understanding of adverse drug reaction.

Quantitative elemental analysis on aluminum accumulation by HVTEM-EDX in liver tissues of mice orally administered with aluminum chloride

Quantitative elemental analysis on Al was carried out by high-accelerating voltage transmission electron microscopy (HVTEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) using an accelerating voltage at 300 kV with high permeability in 1-mum-thick samples obtained from mice administered with aluminum chloride solution for 3, 9, and 17 weeks. By light microscopic observation, no morphological changes were observed in the hepatocytes and macrophages in the liver tissues of mice that were administered with excess Al as compared with the normal control mice. In contrast, by electron microscopic observation, ultrastructural changes were observed in the lysosomes in the hepatocytes as well as the pinocytotic vesicles in the macrophages in the experimental animals. Therefore, the concentrations of Al detected in lysosomes in hepatocytes and pinocytotic vesicles in macrophages of livers of mice administered with Al were measured in relationship to those administration periods. Moreover, transitional changes of hepatocyte lysosome ratios by image analysis and the macrophage counts in the unit area increased in liver tissues of mice administered with Al as compared with normal control mice. From the results, it was demonstrated that hepatocyte lysosome ratio and macrophage count increased in liver tissues of treated mice during those short-term excessive Al administration periods. It was also clarified that the concentrations of Al in both hepatocytes and macrophages increased as observed by HVTEM-EDX. In conclusion, Al accumulated in hepatocytes and macrophages at 3 and 9 weeks administration, while the ultrastructural changes remained in the hepatocytes and macrophages. In contrast, Al concentration did not increase in the liver at 17 weeks administration.

A clinical flow cytometric biomarker strategy: validation of peripheral leukocyte phospholipidosis using Nile red

Phospholipidosis, or intracellular accumulation of phospholipids, is caused by specific classes of xenobiotics. This phenomenon represents a challenge for risk assessment that could benefit from the use of biomarkers in the clinical development of new drug candidates. Flow cytometry, coupled with the lipophilic fluoroprobe Nile red, was correlated to histopathology, electron microscopy and inorganic phosphorus detection to validate the utility of this method for monitoring phospholipidosis in peripheral blood leukocytes. Replicate studies with model test compounds were conducted in which F344 rats were given 4 or 7 doses of either maprotiline hydrochloride, imipramine hydrochloride, tilorone dihydrochloride, amikacin hydrate or vehicle control. Transmission electron and light microscopy were used to examine peripheral blood smears and tissue samples for the presence of cytoplasmic vacuoles. Unstained and Nile red stained lysed peripheral blood samples were acquired for analysis using a FACScan flow cytometer. Inorganic phosphorus concentration in the liver was determined from extracted phospholipids and compared with flow cytometry and histological data. It was demonstrated that flow cytometric analysis of Nile red stained lysed whole blood can be used to detect drug-induced phospholipid accumulation in circulating peripheral leukocytes. Furthermore, clinically detectable leukocyte phospholipidosis may be a useful surrogate for coincident or premonitory detection of target organ phospholipidosis.

Novel two-stage screening procedure leads to the identification of a new class of transfection enhancers

BACKGROUND

Non-viral gene transfer efficiency is low as compared to viral vector systems. Here we describe the discovery of new drugs that are capable of enhancing non-viral gene transfer into mammalian cells using a novel two-stage screening procedure.

METHODS

First, potential candidates are preselected from a molecular library at various concentrations by a semi-automated yeast transfection screen (YTS). The maximal transfection efficiency of every positive drug is subsequently determined in independent experiments at the optimal concentration and compared to the inhibitory effect of the drug on cell growth (IC50). In a subsequent mammalian cell transfection screen (MTS), the maximal transfection efficiency and the IC50 are determined for all preselected drugs using a human cell line and a luciferase reporter gene construct.

RESULTS

Employing our novel system we have been able to identify a new class of transfection enhancers, the tricyclic antidepressants (i.e. doxepin, maprotiline, desipramine and amoxapine). All positive drugs enhanced gene transfer in both yeast and human cell lines, but lower concentrations were sufficient for mammalian cells. With a triple combination of doxepin, amoxapine and chloroquine we obtained a transfection efficiency that exceeded that of chloroquine, one of the best-known transfection enhancers of mammalian cells, by nearly one order of magnitude.

CONCLUSIONS

Non-viral gene transfer efficiency can be increased significantly using new transfection enhancers that are identified by a novel, semi-automated two-stage screening system employing yeast cells in the first and specific human target cells in the second round.

Modulation of the in vitro activity of lysosomal phospholipase A1 by membrane lipids

Lysosomal phospholipases play a critical role for degradation of cellular membranes after their lysosomal segregation. We investigated the regulation of lysosomal phospholipase A1 by cholesterol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and negatively-charged lipids in correlation with changes of biophysical properties of the membranes induced by these lipids. Lysosomal phospholipase A1 activity was determined towards phosphatidylcholine included in liposomes of variable composition using a whole-soluble lysosomal fraction of rat liver as enzymatic source. Phospholipase A1 activity was then related to membrane fluidity, lipid phase organization and membrane potential as determined by fluorescence depolarization of DPH, 31P NMR and capillary electrophoresis. Phospholipase A1 activity was markedly enhanced when the amount of negatively-charged lipids included in the vesicles was increased from 10 to around 30% of total phospholipids and the intensity of this effect depended on the nature of the acidic lipids used (ganglioside GM1<phosphatidylinositol approximately phosphatidylserine approximately phosphatidylglycerol approximately phosphatidylpropanol<phosphatidic acid). For liposomes containing phosphatidylinositol, this increase of activity was not modified by the presence of phosphatidylethanolamine and enhanced by cholesterol only when the phosphatidylinositol content was lower than 18%. Our results, therefore show that both the surface-negative charge and the nature of the acidic lipid included in bilayers modulate the activity of phospholipase A1 towards phosphatidylcholine, while the change in lipid hydration or in fluidity of membrane are less critical. These observations may have physiological implications with respect to the rate of degradation of cellular membranes after their lysosomal segregation.

Lipids and lipid peroxidation products in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration

In people over 50, age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) has become the most common cause for severe visual loss and legal blindness in all industrialized nations. Currently, there is no effective treatment for the majority of patients. To develop new and effective modes of therapy, understanding of the molecular basis of the disease in mandatory. However, the pathogenesis of ARMD is still poorly understood. Several lines of evidence suggest that aging changes of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), in particular the accumulation of autofluorescent lipofuscin granules in the lysosomal compartment of postmitotic RPE cells, play a key role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Recent studies indicate that lipidic compounds of lipofuscin, represented by the retinoid A2-E, and protein damage by lipid peroxidation products, in particular malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal, induce lysosomal dysfunction and lipofuscinogenesis in the RPE. The possible mechanisms underlying this lysosomal dysfunction and the resulting adverse effects on overall RPE function are discussed.

Inhibition of the ATP‐driven proton pump in RPE lysosomes by the major lipofuscin fluorophore A2‐E may contribute to the pathogenesis of age‐related macular degeneration

Lipofuscin accumulation in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is associated with various blinding retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The major lipofuscin fluorophor A2-E is thought to play an important pathogenetic role. In previous studies A2-E was shown to severely impair lysosomal function of RPE cells. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remained obscure. Using purified lysosomes from RPE cells we now demonstrate that A2-E is a potent inhibitor of the ATP-driven proton pump located in the lysosomal membrane. Such inhibition of proton transport to the lysosomal lumen results in an increase of the lysosomal pH with subsequent inhibition of lysosomal hydrolases. An essential task of the lysosomal apparatus of postmitotic RPE for normal photoreceptor function is phagocytosis and degradation of membranous discs shed from photoreceptor outer segments (POS) and of biomolecules from autophagy. When the lysosomes of cultured RPE cells were experimentally loaded with A2-E, we observed intracellular accumulation of exogenously added POS with subsequent congestion of the phagocytic process. Moreover, the autophagic sequestration of cytoplasmic material was also markedly reduced after A2-E loading. These data support the hypothesis that A2-E-induced lysosomal dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of AMD and other retinal diseases associated with excessive lipofuscin accumulation.

Glycogen autophagy

Glycogen autophagy, which includes the sequestration and degradation of cell glycogen in the autophagic vacuoles, is a selective process under conditions of demand for the massive hepatic production of glucose, as in the postnatal period. It represents a link between autophagy and glycogen metabolism. The formation of autophagic vacuoles in the hepatocytes of newborn animals is spatially and biochemically related to the degradation of cell glycogen. Many molecular elements and signaling pathways including the cyclic AMP/cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase and the phosphoinositides/TOR pathways are implicated in the control of this process. These two pathways may converge on the same target to regulate glycogen autophagy.