Cobalt-induced oxidant stress in cultured endothelial cells: prevention by ascorbate in relation to HIF-1alpha

Melatonin counteracts cobalt nanoparticle‑induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity by deactivating reactive oxygen species‑dependent mechanisms in the NRK cell line

Cobalt nanoparticles (CoNPs) released from metal-on-metal implants have caused considerable concern. Oxidative stress is associated with the mechanism underlying cobalt-induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. The indolamine melatonin exhibits protective effects against damage induced by metals. The present study investigated the in vitro effects of melatonin on the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity induced by CoNPs. CoNPs (20–50 nm in diameter) were employed in the present study. NRK rat kidney cells were exposed to various concentrations of CoNPs for different durations. The results of the current study demonstrated that CoNPs significantly increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and reduced cell viability, as determined by dichlorofluorescein diacetate, and Cell Counting Kit-8 and lactate dehydrogenase leakage assays, respectively. Furthermore, western blot analysis demonstrated that CoNPs led to an increase in the ratio of Bcl-2-associated X/Bcl-2, and the expression of cleaved caspase-3 was upregulated, which indicated increased apoptosis levels. Genotoxicity was detected by a comet assay, which revealed a significant induction in DNA damage, as determined by increases in the tail DNA % and olive tail moment. Phosphorylated-histone H2AX foci analyses by immunofluorescence also demonstrated that CoNPs induced DNA-double strand breaks. However, cellular treatment with melatonin reduced the effects of CoNPs on NRK cells by reducing the production of ROS. The results of the present study demonstrated that CoNPs induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity by increasing oxidative stress, and melatonin may have pharmacological potential in protecting against the damaging effects of CoNPs following total hip arthroplasty.

Aged garlic extract and S-allylcysteine prevent apoptotic cell death in a chemical hypoxia model

Background

Aged garlic extract (AGE) and its main constituent S-allylcysteine (SAC) are natural antioxidants with protective effects against cerebral ischemia or cancer, events that involve hypoxia stress. Cobalt chloride (CoCl₂) has been used to mimic hypoxic conditions through the stabilization of the α subunit of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1α) and up-regulation of HIF-1α-dependent genes as well as activation of hypoxic conditions such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and apoptosis. The present study was designed to assess the effect of AGE and SAC on the CoCl₂-chemical hypoxia model in PC12 cells.

Results

We found that CoCl₂ induced the stabilization of HIF-1α and its nuclear localization. CoCl₂ produced ROS and apoptotic cell death that depended on hypoxia extent. The treatment with AGE and SAC decreased ROS and protected against CoCl₂-induced apoptotic cell death which depended on the CoCl₂ concentration and incubation time. SAC or AGE decreased the number of cells in the early and late stages of apoptosis. Interestingly, this protective effect was associated with attenuation in HIF-1α stabilization, activity not previously reported for AGE and SAC.

Conclusions

Obtained results show that AGE and SAC decreased apoptotic CoCl₂-induced cell death. This protection occurs by affecting the activity of HIF-1α and supports the use of these natural compounds as a therapeutic alternative for hypoxic conditions.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40659-016-0067-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Importance of the HIF pathway in cobalt nanoparticle-induced cytotoxicity and inflammation in human macrophages

Recent, unexpected high failure rates of metal-on-metal hip implants have reintroduced the issue of cobalt toxicity. An adverse reaction to cobalt ions and cobalt-induced lung injury occurs during environmental exposure and is now strictly controlled. Currently adverse reaction occurs to cobalt nanoparticles during wear and tear of metal-on-metal hip implants of which the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. The putative role of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway in the mechanism of cobalt nanoparticle (Co-NPs) toxicity was examined using the U937 cell line, human alveolar macrophages and monocyte-derived macrophages. Co-NPs (5-20 μg/ml)-induced cytotoxicity (viability ranged from 75% to <20% of control, respectively) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), whereas a comparable concentration of cobalt ions (Co(II); up to 350 μM) did not. Co-NPs induced HIF-1α stabilization. Addition of ascorbic acid (100 µM) and glutathione (1 mM) both prevented the increased ROS. However, only treatment with ascorbic acid reduced HIF-1α levels and prevented cell death, indicating that a ROS-independent pathway is involved in Co-NPs-induced cytotoxicity. Replenishing intracellular ascorbate, which is crucial in preventing HIF pathway activation, modified Co-induced HIF target gene expression and the inflammatory response, by decreasing interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) mRNA and protein expression. Addition of glutathione had no effect on Co-NPs-induced HIF target gene expression or inflammatory response. Thus, Co-NPs induce the HIF pathway by depleting intracellular ascorbate, leading to HIF stabilization and pathway activation. This suggests a strong, ROS-independent role for HIF activation in Co-NPs-induced cytotoxicity and a possible role for HIF in metal-on-metal hip implant pathology.

Ascorbate as a co-factor for fe- and 2-oxoglutarate dependent dioxygenases: physiological activity in tumor growth and progression

Ascorbate is a specific co-factor for a large family of enzymes known as the Fe- and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases. These enzymes are found throughout biology and catalyze the addition of a hydroxyl group to various substrates. The proline hydroxylase that is involved in collagen maturation is well known, but in recent times many new enzymes and functions have been uncovered, including those involved in epigenetic control and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) regulation. These discoveries have provided crucial mechanistic insights into how ascorbate may affect tumor biology. In particular, there is growing evidence that HIF-1-dependent tumor progression may be inhibited by increasing tumor ascorbate levels. However, rigorous clinical intervention studies are lacking. This review will explore the physiological role of ascorbate as an enzyme co-factor and how this mechanism relates to cancer biology and treatment. The use of ascorbate in cancer should be informed by clinical studies based on such mechanistic hypotheses.

Increased Tumor Ascorbate is Associated with Extended Disease-Free Survival and Decreased Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 Activation in Human Colorectal Cancer

Ascorbate is a co-factor for the hydroxylases that regulate the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1, which provides cancer cells with a metabolic and survival advantage in the hypoxic environment of solid tumors. However, whether ascorbate affects tumor development is a highly debated issue. We aimed to determine whether tumor ascorbate was associated with HIF-1 activation and patient disease-free survival. In this study, we undertook a retrospective observational analysis of tissue-banked tumor and paired normal tissue from 49 colorectal cancer patients, measuring ascorbate levels, HIF-1α and its downstream gene products BNIP3, and vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF). Patient survival was monitored for the first 6 years after surgery. We found that ascorbate levels were lower in tumor tissue compared to normal tissue (p < 0.001) but overall levels varied considerably. HIF-1α, VEGF, and BNIP3 were elevated in tumor samples (p < 0.01). There was an inverse relationship between tumor ascorbate content and HIF-1 pathway activation (p = 0.002) and tumor size (p = 0.018). Higher tumor ascorbate content was associated with significantly improved disease-free survival in the first 6 years after surgery (p = 0.006), with 141–1,094 additional disease-free days. This was independent of tumor grade and stage. Survival advantage was associated with the amount of ascorbate in the tumor, but not with the amount in adjacent normal tissue. Our results demonstrate that higher tumor ascorbate content is associated with decreased HIF-1 activation, most likely due to the co-factor activity of ascorbate for the regulatory HIF hydroxylases. Our findings support the need for future studies to determine whether raising tumor ascorbate is possible with clinical intervention and whether this results in modification of hydroxylase-dependent pathways in the tumor.

Role of vitamin C in the function of the vascular endothelium

SIGNIFICANCE

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, has long been known to participate in several important functions in the vascular bed in support of endothelial cells. These functions include increasing the synthesis and deposition of type IV collagen in the basement membrane, stimulating endothelial proliferation, inhibiting apoptosis, scavenging radical species, and sparing endothelial cell-derived nitric oxide to help modulate blood flow. Although ascorbate may not be able to reverse inflammatory vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, it may well play a role in preventing the endothelial dysfunction that is the earliest sign of many such diseases.

RECENT ADVANCES

Beyond simply preventing scurvy, evidence is mounting that ascorbate is required for optimal function of many dioxygenase enzymes in addition to those involved in collagen synthesis. Several of these enzymes regulate the transcription of proteins involved in endothelial function, proliferation, and survival, including hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and histone and DNA demethylases. More recently, ascorbate has been found to acutely tighten the endothelial permeability barrier and, thus, may modulate access of ascorbate and other molecules into tissues and organs.

CRITICAL ISSUES

The issue of the optimal cellular content of ascorbate remains unresolved, but it appears that low millimolar ascorbate concentrations are normal in most animal tissues, in human leukocytes, and probably in the endothelium. Although there may be little benefit of increasing near maximal cellular ascorbate concentrations in normal people, many diseases and conditions have either systemic or localized cellular ascorbate deficiency as a cause for endothelial dysfunction, including early atherosclerosis, sepsis, smoking, and diabetes.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

A key focus for future studies of ascorbate and the vascular endothelium will likely be to determine the mechanisms and clinical relevance of ascorbate effects on endothelial function, permeability, and survival in diseases that cause endothelial dysfunction.

Oxidative stress and metal carcinogenesis

Occupational and environmental exposures to metals are closely associated with an increased risk of various cancers. Although carcinogenesis caused by metals has been intensively investigated, the exact mechanisms of action are still unclear. Accumulating evidence indicates that reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by metals play important roles in the etiology of degenerative and chronic diseases. This review covers recent advances in (1) metal-induced generation of ROS and the related mechanisms; (2) the relationship between metal-mediated ROS generation and carcinogenesis; and (3) the signaling proteins involved in metal-induced carcinogenesis, especially intracellular reduction-oxidation-sensitive molecules.

The Werner syndrome gene product (WRN): a repressor of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 activity

Werner syndrome (WS) is a rare autosomal disease characterized by the premature onset of several age-associated pathologies. The protein defective in WS patients (WRN) is a helicase/exonuclease involved in DNA repair, replication, transcription and telomere maintenance. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a decisive element for the transcriptional regulation of genes essential for adaptation to low oxygen conditions. HIF-1 is also implicated in the molecular mechanisms of ageing. Here, we show that the cellular depletion of WRN protein (by siRNA targeting) leads to increased HIF-1 complex stabilization and activation. HIF-1 activation in the absence of WRN involves the generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) since SkQ1, a mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant, and stigmatellin, an inhibitor of mitochondrial complex III, blocked increased HIF-1 levels. Ascorbate, an essential co-factor involved in HIF-1 stability, was decreased in WRN-depleted cells. Interestingly, expression levels of GLUT1, a known dehydroascorbic acid transporter, were also decreased in WRN-depleted cells. Ascorbate supplementation of WRN-depleted cells led to a dose-dependent inhibition of HIF-1 activation. These results indicate that WRN protein regulates HIF-1 activation by affecting mitochondrial ROS production and intracellular ascorbate levels. This work provides a novel mechanistic link between HIF-1 activity and different age-associated pathologies.

Ascorbate antagonizes nickel ion to regulate JMJD1A expression in kidney cancer cells

Abnormal expression of histone demethylase Jumonji domain-containing protein 1A (JMJD1A) is associated with many kinds of cancers. JMJD1A is also a hypoxic response gene and its expression is regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). In this study, we determined the role of JMJD1A in development and hypoxia pathway. We also measured the expression of JMJD1A and two hypoxia factors glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in 786-0 and HEK293 cells treated with different concentrations of NiCl(2) (2.5-100 μM) for 24 h, and found that JMJD1A mRNA and protein were up-regulated with increased concentrations of NiCl(2). We then observed that ascorbate could retard the up-regulated effect of NiCl(2)-induced JMJD1A expression in a dose-dependent manner through decreasing the stability of HIF-1α protein. Immunohistochemical analysis further demonstrated ascorbate antagonized Ni(2+)-induced up-regulation of JMJD1A expression in 786-0, HEK293, and OS-RC-2 cells. These findings suggest that both Ni(2+) and ascorbate can regulate the expression of histone demethylase JMJD1A, which is important for cancer development or inhibition.

Sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter 2 (SVCT2) expression and activity in brain capillary endothelial cells after transient ischemia in mice

Expression and transport activity of Sodium-dependent Vitamin C Transporter 2 (SVCT2) was shown in various tissues and organs. Vitamin C was shown to be cerebroprotective in several animal models of stroke. Data on expression, localization and transport activity of SVCT2 after cerebral ischemia, however, has been scarce so far. Thus, we studied the expression of SVCT2 after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in mice by immunohistochemistry. We found an upregulation of SVCT2 after stroke. Co-stainings with Occludin, Von-Willebrand Factor and CD34 demonstrated localization of SVCT2 in brain capillary endothelial cells in the ischemic area after stroke. Time-course analyses of SVCT2 expression by immunohistochemistry and western blots showed upregulation in the subacute phase of 2–5 days. Radioactive uptake assays using ¹⁴C-labelled ascorbic acid showed a significant increase of ascorbic acid uptake into the brain after stroke. Taken together, these results provide evidence for the expression and transport activity of SVCT2 in brain capillary endothelial cells after transient ischemia in mice. These results may lead to the development of novel neuroprotective strategies in stroke therapy.

Low vitamin C and increased oxidative stress and cell death in mice that lack the sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter SVCT2

The sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter (SVCT2) is responsible for the transport of vitamin C into cells in multiple organs, from either the blood or the cerebrospinal fluid. Mice null for SVCT2 (SVCT2(-/-)) do not survive past birth but the cause of death has not yet been ascertained. After mating of SVCT2(+/-) males and SVCT2(+/-) females, fewer SVCT2(-/-) and SVCT2(+/-) progeny were observed than would be expected according to Mendelian ratios. Vitamin C levels in SVCT2(-/-), SVCT2(+/-), and SVCT2(+/+) were genotype-dependent. SVCT2(-/-) fetuses had significantly lower vitamin C levels than littermates in placenta, cortex, and lung, but not in liver (the site of vitamin C synthesis). Low vitamin C levels in placenta and cortex were associated with elevations in several markers of oxidative stress: malondialdehyde, isoketals, F(2)-isoprostanes, and F(4)-neuroprostanes. Oxidative stress was not elevated in fetal SVCT2(-/-) lung tissue despite low vitamin C levels. In addition to the expected severe hemorrhage in cortex, we also found hemorrhage in the brain stem, which was accompanied by cell loss. We found evidence of increased apoptosis in SVCT2(-/-) mice and disruption of the basement membrane in fetal brain. Together these data show that SVCT2 is critical for maintaining vitamin C levels in fetal and placental tissues and that the lack of SVCT2, and the resulting low vitamin C levels, results in fetal death and, in SVCT2(-/-) mice that survive the gestation period, in oxidative stress and cell death.

Oxidized LDL up-regulates the ascorbic acid transporter SVCT2 in endothelial cells

Endothelial dysfunction is an early manifestation of atherosclerosis caused in part by oxidized LDL (oxLDL). Since vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, prevents several aspects of endothelial dysfunction, the effects of oxLDL on oxidative stress and regulation of the ascorbate transporter, SVCT2, were studied in cultured EA.hy926 endothelial cells. Cells cultured for 18 h with 0.2 mg/ml oxLDL showed increased lipid peroxidation that was prevented by a single addition of 0.25 mM ascorbate at the beginning of the incubation. This protection caused a decrease in intracellular ascorbate, but no change in the cell content of GSH. In the absence of ascorbate, oxLDL increased SVCT2 protein and function during 18 h in culture. Although culture of the cells with ascorbate did not affect SVCT2 protein expression, the oxLDL-induced increase in SVCT2 protein expression was prevented by ascorbate. These results suggest that up-regulation of endothelial cell SVCT2 expression and function may help to maintain intracellular ascorbate during oxLDL-induced oxidative stress, and that ascorbate in turn can prevent this effect.

Chelation of intracellular iron enhances endothelial barrier function: a role for vitamin C?

Ascorbic acid improves endothelial barrier function by decreasing the permeability of endothelial cells cultured on semi-porous membrane filters. This decrease was not due to enhanced collagen synthesis and was mimicked by the collagen synthesis inhibitor ethyl-3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (EDHB). Since EDHB is known to chelate intracellular free iron, the effects of two membrane-permeant iron chelators were tested on endothelial permeability. Both 2,2'-dipyridyl and desferrioxamine decreased trans-endothelial permeability in a concentration-dependent manner. Increasing intracellular iron with a chelate of 8-hydroxyquinoline and ferric iron prevented effects of both EDHB and intracellular ascorbate. That EDHB and ascorbate did in fact chelate intracellular iron was supported by finding that they both decreased the cellular fluorescence quenching of the iron-sensitive dye Phen green SK. These results show that chelation of intracellular iron decreases endothelial barrier permeability and implicate this mechanism in the ability of EDHB and possibly intracellular ascorbate to tighten the endothelial barrier.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 is essential for transcription of sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter protein 1

Transport and distribution of vitamin C is primarily regulated by the function of sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters (SVCTs). SVCT1 is expressed in the small intestine, liver, and kidney, organs that play a vital role in whole body vitamin C homeostasis. Despite the importance of this protein, little is known about regulation of the gene encoding SVCT1, Slc23a1. In this study, we present the first investigation of the transcriptional regulation of human Slc23a1, identifying transcription factors that may influence its expression. A 1,239-bp genomic DNA fragment corresponding to the 5'-flanking region of Slc23a1 was isolated from a human hepatocarcinoma cell line (HepG2) and sequenced. When cloned into a reporter gene construct, robust transcriptional activity was seen in this sequence, nearly 25-fold above the control vector. Deletion analysis of the SVCT1 reporter gene vector defined the minimal active promoter as a small 135-bp region upstream of the transcriptional start site. While several transcription factor binding sites were identified within this sequence, reporter constructs showed that basal transcription required the binding of hepatic nuclear factor 1 (HNF-1) to its cognate sequence. Furthermore, mutation of this HNF-1 binding site resulted in complete loss of luciferase expression, even in the context of the whole promoter. Additionally, small interfering RNA knockdown of both members of the HNF-1 family, HNF-1alpha and HNF-1beta, resulted in a significant decline in SVCT1 transcription. Together, these data suggest that HNF-1alpha and/or HNF-1beta binding is required for SVCT1 expression and may be involved in the coordinate regulation of whole body vitamin C status.