Nitric oxide-mediated modulation of iron regulatory proteins: implication for cellular iron homeostasis

Iron Regulatory Protein 1 is Required for the Propagation of Inflammation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Objective

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are complex disorders. Iron accumulates in the inflamed tissue of IBD patients, yet neither a mechanism for the accumulation nor its implication on the course of inflammation are known. We hypothesized that the inflammation modifies iron homeostasis, affects tissue iron distribution and that this in turn perpetuates the inflammation.

Design

This study analyzed human biopsies, animal models and cellular systems to decipher the role of iron homeostasis in IBD.

Results

We found inflammation-mediated modifications of iron distribution, and iron-decoupled activation of the iron regulatory protein (IRP)1. To understand the role of IRP1 in the course of this inflammation-associated iron pattern, a novel cellular co-culture model was established, that replicated the iron-pattern observed in vivo, and supported involvement of nitric oxide in the activation of IRP1 and the typical iron pattern in inflammation. Importantly, deletion of IRP1 from an IBD mouse model completely abolished both, the misdistribution of iron and intestinal inflammation.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that IRP1 plays a central role in the coordination of the inflammatory response in the intestinal mucosa and that it is a viable candidate for therapeutic intervention in IBD.

Opioid Modulation of Neuronal Iron and Potential Contributions to NeuroHIV

Opioid use has substantially increased over recent years and remains a major driver of new HIV infections worldwide. Clinical studies indicate that opioids may exacerbate the symptoms of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), but the mechanisms underlying opioid-induced cognitive decline remain obscure. We recently reported that the μ-opioid agonist morphine increased neuronal iron levels and levels of ferritin proteins that store iron, suggesting that opioids modulate neuronal iron homeostasis. Additionally, increased iron and ferritin heavy chain protein were necessary for morphine's ability to reduce the density of thin and mushroom dendritic spines in cortical neurons, which are considered critical mediators of learning and memory, respectively. As altered iron homeostasis has been reported in HAND and related neurocognitive disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease, understanding how opioids regulate neuronal iron metabolism may help identify novel drug targets in HAND with potential relevance to these other neurocognitive disorders. Here, we review the known mechanisms of opioid-mediated regulation of neuronal iron and corresponding cellular responses and discuss the implications of these findings for patients with HAND. Furthermore, we discuss a new molecular approach that can be used to understand if opioid modulation of iron affects the expression and processing of amyloid precursor protein and the contributions of this pathway to HAND.

Aconitases: Non-redox Iron-Sulfur Proteins Sensitive to Reactive Species

Mammalian aconitases (mitochondrial and cytosolic isoenzymes) are unique iron-sulfur cluster-containing proteins in which the metallic center participates in the catalysis of a non-redox reaction. Within the cubane iron-sulfur cluster of aconitases only three of the four iron ions have cysteine thiolate ligands; the fourth iron ion (Fe_α) is solvent exposed within the active-site pocket and bound to oxygen atoms from either water or substrates to be dehydrated. The catalyzed reaction is the reversible isomerization of citrate to isocitrate with an intermediate metabolite, cis-aconitate. The cytosolic isoform of aconitase is a moonlighting enzyme; when intracellular iron is scarce, the complete disassembly of the iron-sulfur cluster occurs and apo-aconitase acquires the function of an iron responsive protein and regulates the translation of proteins involved in iron metabolism. In the late 1980s and during the 1990s, cumulative experimental evidence pointed out that aconitases are main targets of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species such as superoxide radical (O₂^•-), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), nitric oxide (^•NO), and peroxynitrite (ONOO^-). These intermediates are capable of oxidizing the cluster, which leads to iron release and consequent loss of the catalytic activity of aconitase. As the reaction of the Fe-S cluster with O₂^•- is fast (∼10⁷ M^-1 s^-1), quite specific, and reversible in vivo, quantification of active aconitase has been used to evaluate O₂^•- formation in cells. While ^•NO is modestly reactive with aconitase, its reaction with O₂^•- yields ONOO^-, a strong oxidant that readily leads to the disruption of the Fe-S cluster. In the case of cytosolic aconitase, it has been seen that H₂O₂ and ^•NO promote activation of iron responsive protein activity in cells. Proteomic advances in the 2000s confirmed that aconitases are main targets of reactive species in cellular models and in vivo, and other post-translational oxidative modifications such as protein nitration and carbonylation have been detected. Herein, we (1) outline the particular structural features of aconitase that make these proteins specific targets of reactive species, (2) characterize the reactions of O₂^•-, H₂O₂, ^•NO, and ONOO^- and related species with aconitases, (3) discuss how different oxidative post-translational modifications of aconitase impact the different functions of aconitases, and (4) argue how these proteins might function as redox sensors within different cellular compartments, regulating citrate concentration and efflux from mitochondria, iron availability in the cytosol, and cellular oxidant production.

Could Alzheimer's Disease Originate in the Periphery and If So How So?

The classical amyloid cascade model for Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been challenged by several findings. Here, an alternative molecular neurobiological model is proposed. It is shown that the presence of the APOE ε4 allele, altered miRNA expression and epigenetic dysregulation in the promoter region and exon 1 of TREM2, as well as ANK1 hypermethylation and altered levels of histone post-translational methylation leading to increased transcription of TNFA, could variously explain increased levels of peripheral and central inflammation found in AD. In particular, as a result of increased activity of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM-2), the presence of the apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) isoform, and changes in ANK1 expression, with subsequent changes in miR-486 leading to altered levels of protein kinase B (Akt), mechanistic (previously mammalian) target of rapamycin (mTOR) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), all of which play major roles in microglial activation, proliferation and survival, there is activation of microglia, leading to the subsequent (further) production of cytokines, chemokines, nitric oxide, prostaglandins, reactive oxygen species, inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2, and other mediators of inflammation and neurotoxicity. These changes are associated with the development of amyloid and tau pathology, mitochondrial dysfunction (including impaired activity of the electron transport chain, depleted basal mitochondrial potential and oxidative damage to key tricarboxylic acid enzymes), synaptic dysfunction, altered glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) activity, mTOR activation, impairment of autophagy, compromised ubiquitin-proteasome system, iron dyshomeostasis, changes in APP translation, amyloid plaque formation, tau hyperphosphorylation and neurofibrillary tangle formation.

Why should neuroscientists worry about iron? The emerging role of ferroptosis in the pathophysiology of neuroprogressive diseases

Ferroptosis is a unique form of programmed death, characterised by cytosolic accumulation of iron, lipid hydroperoxides and their metabolites, and effected by the fatal peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the plasma membrane. It is a major driver of cell death in neurodegenerative neurological diseases. Moreover, cascades underpinning ferroptosis could be active drivers of neuropathology in major psychiatric disorders. Oxidative and nitrosative stress can adversely affect mechanisms and proteins governing cellular iron homeostasis, such as the iron regulatory protein/iron response element system, and can ultimately be a source of abnormally high levels of iron and a source of lethal levels of lipid membrane peroxidation. Furthermore, neuroinflammation leads to the upregulation of divalent metal transporter1 on the surface of astrocytes, microglia and neurones, making them highly sensitive to iron overload in the presence of high levels of non-transferrin-bound iron, thereby affording such levels a dominant role in respect of the induction of iron-mediated neuropathology. Mechanisms governing systemic and cellular iron homeostasis, and the related roles of ferritin and mitochondria are detailed, as are mechanisms explaining the negative regulation of ferroptosis by glutathione, glutathione peroxidase 4, the cysteine/glutamate antiporter system, heat shock protein 27 and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2. The potential role of DJ-1 inactivation in the precipitation of ferroptosis and the assessment of lipid peroxidation are described. Finally, a rational approach to therapy is considered, with a discussion on the roles of coenzyme Q₁₀, iron chelation therapy, in the form of deferiprone, deferoxamine (desferrioxamine) and deferasirox, and N-acetylcysteine.

Iron homeostasis in host defence and inflammation

Iron is an essential trace element for multicellular organisms and nearly all microorganisms. Although iron is abundant in the environment, common forms of iron are minimally soluble and therefore poorly accessible to biological organisms. Microorganisms entering a mammalian host face multiple mechanisms that further restrict their ability to obtain iron and thereby limit their pathogenicity. Iron levels also modulate host defence, as iron content in macrophages regulates their cytokine production. Here, we review recent advances that highlight the role of systemic and cellular iron-regulating mechanisms in protecting hosts from infection, emphasizing aspects that are applicable to human health and disease.

Iron-rich ferritin in the hypoxia-tolerant rodent Spalax ehrenbergi: a naturally-occurring biomarker confirms the internalization and pathways of intracellular macromolecules

The discovery of pits/caveolae in the plasmalemma advanced the study of macromolecule internalization. "Transcytosis" describes the transport of macromolecular cargo from one front of a polarized cell to the other within membrane-bounded carrier(s), via endocytosis, intracellular trafficking and exocytosis. Clathrin-mediated transcytosis is used extensively by epithelial cells, while caveolae-mediated transcytosis mostly occurs in endothelial cells. The internalization pathways were monitored by various markers, including radioisotopes, nanoparticles, enzymes, immunostains, and fluorophores. We describe an internalization pathway identified using a naturally-occurring biomarker, in vivo assembled ferritin, containing electron-dense iron cores. Iron, an essential trace metal for most living species and iron homeostasis, is crucial for cellular life. Ferritin is a ubiquitous and highly conserved archeoprotein whose main function is to store a reserve iron supply inside the cytoplasm in a non-toxic form. Ferritin is present in all organisms which have a metabolic requirement for iron and in even in organisms whose taxonomic rank is very low. The newborns of the blind mole, Spalax ehrenbergi, are born and live in a hypoxic environment and have significant iron overload in their liver and heart, but their iron metabolism has not been previously studied. These newborns, which are evolutionarily adapted to fluctuations in the environmental oxygen, have a unique ability to sequester transplacental iron and store it in ferritin without any signs of iron toxicity. Using the ferrihydrite cores of ferritin, we were able to monitor the ferritin internalization from portals of its entry into the cytosol of hepatocytes and cardiomyocytes and into the lysosomes.

The complex interplay of iron metabolism, reactive oxygen species, and reactive nitrogen species: insights into the potential of various iron therapies to induce oxidative and nitrosative stress

Production of minute concentrations of superoxide (O2(*-)) and nitrogen monoxide (nitric oxide, NO*) plays important roles in several aspects of cellular signaling and metabolic regulation. However, in an inflammatory environment, the concentrations of these radicals can drastically increase and the antioxidant defenses may become overwhelmed. Thus, biological damage may occur owing to redox imbalance-a condition called oxidative and/or nitrosative stress. A complex interplay exists between iron metabolism, O2(*-), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and NO*. Iron is involved in both the formation and the scavenging of these species. Iron deficiency (anemia) (ID(A)) is associated with oxidative stress, but its role in the induction of nitrosative stress is largely unclear. Moreover, oral as well as intravenous (iv) iron preparations used for the treatment of ID(A) may also induce oxidative and/or nitrosative stress. Oral administration of ferrous salts may lead to high transferrin saturation levels and, thus, formation of non-transferrin-bound iron, a potentially toxic form of iron with a propensity to induce oxidative stress. One of the factors that determine the likelihood of oxidative and nitrosative stress induced upon administration of an iv iron complex is the amount of labile (or weakly-bound) iron present in the complex. Stable dextran-based iron complexes used for iv therapy, although they contain only negligible amounts of labile iron, can induce oxidative and/or nitrosative stress through so far unknown mechanisms. In this review, after summarizing the main features of iron metabolism and its complex interplay with O2(*-), H2O2, NO*, and other more reactive compounds derived from these species, the potential of various iron therapies to induce oxidative and nitrosative stress is discussed and possible underlying mechanisms are proposed. Understanding the mechanisms, by which various iron formulations may induce oxidative and nitrosative stress, will help us develop better tolerated and more efficient therapies for various dysfunctions of iron metabolism.

Immunomodulatory effects of Bacillus subtilis (natto) B4 spores on murine macrophages

To investigate the immunomodulatory effects of Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) (natto) B4 spores on murine macrophage, RAW 264.7 cells were cultured alone or with B subtilis (natto) B4 spores at 37°C for 12 hrs, then both cells and culture supernatants were collected for analyses. Exposure of RAW 264.7 cells to B. subtilis (natto) B4 spores had no significant effects on macrophage viability and amounts of extracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). However, it remarkably increased the activities of acid phosphatase (ACP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in cells and the amounts of nitric oxide (NO) and cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma, interleukin [IL]-1 beta, IL-6, IL-12, IL-10 and macrophage inflammatory protein-2) in culture supernatants. These results demonstrate that B. subtilis (natto) B4 spores are harmless to murine macrophages and can stimulate their activation through up-regulation of ACP and LDH activities and enhance their immune function by increasing iNOS activity and stimulating NO and cytokine production. The above findings suggest that B. subtilis (natto) B4 spores have immunomodulatory effects on macrophages.

Ovine uterine space restriction alters placental transferrin receptor and fetal iron status during late pregnancy

BACKGROUND

Fetal growth restriction is reported to be associated with impaired placental iron transport. Transferrin receptor (TfR) is a major placental iron transporter in humans but has not been studied in sheep. TfR is regulated by both iron and nitric oxide (NO), the molecule produced by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). We hypothesized that limited placental development downregulates both placental TfR and eNOS expression, thereby lowering fetal tissue iron.

METHODS

An ovine surgical uterine space restriction (USR) model, combined with multifetal gestation, tested the extremes of uterine and placental adaptation. Blood, tissues, and placentomes from non-space restricted (NSR) singletons were compared with USR fetuses at gestational day (GD) 120 or 130.

RESULTS

When expressed proportionate to fetal weight, liver iron content did not differ, whereas renal iron was higher in USR vs. NSR fetuses. Renal TfR protein expression did not differ, but placental TfR expression was lower in USR fetuses at GD130. Placental levels of TfR correlated to eNOS. TfR was localized throughout the placentome, including the hemophagous zone, implicating a role for TfR in ovine placental iron transport.

CONCLUSION

Fetal iron was regulated in an organ-specific manner. In USR fetuses, NO-mediated placental adaptations may prevent the normal upregulation of placental TfR at GD130.

Nitric oxide-mediated intracellular growth restriction of pathogenic Rhodococcus equi can be prevented by iron

Rhodococcus equi is an intracellular pathogen which causes pneumonia in young horses and in immunocompromised humans. R. equi arrests phagosome maturation in macrophages at a prephagolysosome stage and grows inside a privileged compartment. Here, we show that, in murine macrophages activated with gamma interferon and lipopolysaccharide, R. equi does not multiply but stays viable for at least 24 h. Whereas infection control of other intracellular pathogens by activated macrophages is executed by enhanced phagosome acidification or phagolysosome formation, by autophagy or by the interferon-inducible GTPase Irgm1, none of these mechanisms seems to control R. equi infection. Growth control by macrophage activation is fully mimicked by treatment of resting macrophages with nitric oxide donors, and inhibition of bacterial multiplication by either activation or nitric oxide donors is annihilated by cotreatment of infected macrophages with ferrous sulfate. Transcriptional analysis of the R. equi iron-regulated gene iupT demonstrates that intracellular R. equi encounters iron stress in activated, but not in resting, macrophages and that this stress is relieved by extracellular addition of ferrous sulfate. Our results suggest that nitric oxide is central to the restriction of bacterial access to iron in activated macrophages.

Iron regulatory proteins: from molecular mechanisms to drug development

Eukaryotic cells require iron for survival but, as an excess of poorly liganded iron can lead to the catalytic production of toxic radicals that can damage cell structures, regulatory mechanisms have been developed to maintain appropriate cell and body iron levels. The interactions of iron responsive elements (IREs) with iron regulatory proteins (IRPs) coordinately regulate the expression of the genes involved in iron uptake, use, storage, and export at the post-transcriptional level, and represent the main regulatory network controlling cell iron homeostasis. IRP1 and IRP2 are similar (but not identical) proteins with partially overlapping and complementary functions, and control cell iron metabolism by binding to IREs (i.e., conserved RNA stem-loops located in the untranslated regions of a dozen mRNAs directly or indirectly related to iron metabolism). The discovery of the presence of IREs in a number of other mRNAs has extended our knowledge of the influence of the IRE/IRP regulatory network to new metabolic pathways, and it has been recently learned that an increasing number of agents and physiopathological conditions impinge on the IRE/IRP system. This review focuses on recent findings concerning the IRP-mediated regulation of iron homeostasis, its alterations in disease, and new research directions to be explored in the near future.

New insights into ferritin synthesis and function highlight a link between iron homeostasis and oxidative stress in plants

BACKGROUND

Iron is an essential element for both plant productivity and nutritional quality. Improving plant iron content was attempted through genetic engineering of plants overexpressing ferritins. However, both the roles of these proteins in plant physiology, and the mechanisms involved in the regulation of their expression are largely unknown. Although the structure of ferritins is highly conserved between plants and animals, their cellular localization differs. Furthermore, regulation of ferritin gene expression in response to iron excess occurs at the transcriptional level in plants, in contrast to animals which regulate ferritin expression at the translational level.

SCOPE

In this review, an overview of our knowledge of bacterial and mammalian ferritin synthesis and functions is presented. Then the following will be reviewed: (a) the specific features of plant ferritins; (b) the regulation of their synthesis during development and in response to various environmental cues; and (c) their function in plant physiology, with special emphasis on the role that both bacterial and plant ferritins play during plant-bacteria interactions. Arabidopsis ferritins are encoded by a small nuclear gene family of four members which are differentially expressed. Recent results obtained by using this model plant enabled progress to be made in our understanding of the regulation of the synthesis and the in planta function of these various ferritins.

CONCLUSIONS

Studies on plant ferritin functions and regulation of their synthesis revealed strong links between these proteins and protection against oxidative stress. In contrast, their putative iron-storage function to furnish iron during various development processes is unlikely to be essential. Ferritins, by buffering iron, exert a fine tuning of the quantity of metal required for metabolic purposes, and help plants to cope with adverse situations, the deleterious effects of which would be amplified if no system had evolved to take care of free reactive iron.

Nitric Oxide contributes to the regulation of iron metabolism in skeletal muscle in vivo and in vitro

Nitric Oxide (NO) plays an important role in iron redistribution during exercise, while its molecular regulatory mechanism is still not clear. Our present studies were to investigate the effects of NO on iron metabolism and to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of iron transport in skeletal muscle both in vivo and in vitro. One group of male Wistar rats (300 +/- 10 g) were subjected to an exercise of 30 min on a treadmill for 5 weeks (exercise group, EG, 6 rats) and the other one was placed on the treadmill without running (control group, CG, 6 rats). The cultured L6 rat skeletal muscle cells were treated with either 0.5 mM SNAP (NO donor) or not for 24 h, and their iron release and intake amount were examined by measuring radiolabelled (55)Fe. The results showed: (1) The NO content (CG, 1.09 +/- 0.18 micromol/g vs. EG, 1.49 +/- 0.17 micromol/g) and non-heme iron in gastrocnemius (CG, 118.35 +/- 11.41 microg/g vs. EG, 216.65 +/- 11.10 microg/g) of EG were significantly increased compared with CG. (2) The expression of DMT1 (IRE) and TfR1 of EG was increased. (3) The iron intake was increased in L6 cells treated with SNAP (P < 0.01). (4) Western blot results showed the protein level of both TfR1 and DMT1 (IRE) in SNAP cells were up-regulated, while the expression of FPN1 was down-regulated (P < 0.05). The data suggested that the induced elevation of NO level by exercise lead to the up-regulation of both TfR1 and DMT1 (IRE), which in turn increasing the iron absorption in skeletal muscle.

The role of nitric oxide and ferritin in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease: a controlled clinical study

The role of ferritin in fibrogenesis of liver parenchyma in patients with alcoholic liver disease has been investigated in previous studies. Ferritin was shown to be an indirect marker of ferum deposition in liver parenchyma in alcohol liver disease. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease as well as the influence of NO on iron (ferritin) metabolism in patients with alcoholic liver disease. Serum concentrations of NO and iron markers (iron, total iron binding capacity, ferritin) were measured in 30 male patients (aged 20-60 years) with alcoholic liver disease, as well as from a control group (30 male patients (aged 20-60 years) without liver disease). NO concentration was detected by measuring production of nitrates and nitrites using classical colorimetric Griess reactions. There was a statistically significant increase in serum NO concentration in patients with alcoholic liver disease compared to the control group (mean +/- SEM; 41,2 +/- 25,3 vs. 28,9 +/- 12,3 mmol/dm3, respectively; p<0,03). Similarly, serum iron levels (18,7 +/- 8,2 vs. 13,2 +/- 10,2 g/100 cm3, respectively; p<0,03) and serum total iron binding capacity (51,3 +/- 13,9 vs. 41,4 +/- 11,4 micromol/dm3, respectively; p<0,005) were also significantly higher in patients with alcoholic liver disease compared to control patients. The serum concentration of ferritin was 27% higher in patients with alcoholic liver disease than in the control group; however this was not statistically significant (283,2 +/- 291,0 vs. 222,9 +/- 252,0 g, respectively; p<0,4). There was no correlation between NO and ferritin in the investigated groups. These results suggest a possible role of NO and iron in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease. NO and iron may be used as non-invasive predictors of liver damage. Also the role of iron in sera, and its deposition in liver parenchyma, could be used in clinical practice, especially in regards to assessing the fibrogenesis of liver parenchyma induced by ferritin.

Phagocytosis, oxidative burst, and produced reactive species are affected by iron deficiency anemia and anemia of chronic diseases in elderly

Iron and oxidative stress have a regulatory interplay. During the oxidative burst, phagocytic cells produce free radicals such as hypochlorous acid (HOCl). Nevertheless, scarce studies evaluated the effect of either iron deficiency anemia (IDA) or anemia of chronic disease (ACD) on phagocyte function in the elderly. The aim of the present study was to determine the oxidative burst, phagocytosis, and nitric oxide (*NO) and HOCl, reactive species produced by monocytes and neutrophils in elderly with ACD or IDA. Soluble transferrin receptor, serum ferritin, and soluble transferrin receptor/log ferritin (TfR-F) index determined the iron status. The study was constituted of 39 patients aged over 60 (28 women and 11 men) recruited from the Brazilian Public Health System. Oxidative burst fluorescence intensity per neutrophil in IDA group and HOCl generation in both ACD and IDA groups were found to be lower (p < 0.05). The percentages of neutrophils and monocytes expressing phagocytosis in ACD group were found to be higher (p < 0.05). There was an overproduction of *NO from monocytes, whereas the fundamental generation of HOCl appeared to be lower. Phagocytosis, oxidative burst, and *NO and HOCl production are involved in iron metabolism regulation in elderly patients with ACD and IDA.

Iron-regulatory proteins: molecular biology and pathophysiological implications

Iron is required for key cellular functions, and there is a strong link between iron metabolism and important metabolic processes, such as cell growth, apoptosis and inflammation. Diseases that are directly or indirectly related to iron metabolism represent major health problems. Iron-regulatory proteins (IRPs) 1 and 2 are key controllers of vertebrate iron metabolism and post-transcriptionally regulate expression of the major iron homeostasis genes. Here we discuss how dysregulation of the IRP system can result from both iron-related and unrelated effectors and explain how this can have important pathological consequences in several human disorders.

Low plasma uric acid level in Parkinson's disease

Earlier studies suggest that low plasma uric acid level is a risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD), and that uric acid associates with iron-binding proteins. We therefore decided to examine plasma uric acid levels and markers of peripheral iron metabolism in PD patients and healthy controls. For the study, 40 patients with PD and 29 controls underwent clinical screening, laboratory testing, and body mass index (BMI) measurement. The average consumption of different foodstuffs and dairy products was estimated. Plasma uric acid level was significantly lower in the patients than in the controls. There were no significant differences in the levels of plasma iron parameters, but plasma uric acid correlated strongly with serum ferritin both in the patient and the control group. The BMI was slightly lower in the patients compared with the controls despite equal daily calorie consumption. Plasma uric acid level is low in patients with PD, which may have implications for both the disease pathogenesis and treatment recommendations.

Macrophage activation and nitric oxide production by water soluble components of Hericium erinaceum

Hericium erinaceum is a medicinal and edible mushroom with anti-microbial and anti-cancer activities. To evaluate the immunoregulatory functions of H. erinaceum, we prepared water extract from H. erinaceum (WEHE) and investigated its ability to activate macrophages and to induce nitric oxide (NO) production in macrophages. Rat peritoneal macrophages stimulated with 1 to 100 mug/ml of WEHE for 24, 48, or 72 h produced NO in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that WEHE augmented the steady-state level of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) mRNA in both the peritoneal macrophages and a murine macrophage cell-line, RAW 264.7. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that WEHE increased DNA binding activity of the transcription factor NF-kappaB, which is responsible for iNOS gene expression. Furthermore, its trans-acting activity was confirmative as determined by in vitro transfection assay using a reporter gene construct, p(NF-kappaB)(3)-CAT, whose expression is solely regulated by the activity of NF-kappaB. Concomitantly with the activation of NF-kappaB, WEHE markedly decreased intracellular IkappaBalpha level as demonstrated by Western blot assay. These results suggested that WEHE induces iNOS gene expression followed by NO production in macrophages via enhancing the activation of transcription factor, NF-kappaB.

Chloroquine inhibits Paracoccidioides brasiliensis survival within human monocytes by limiting the availability of intracellular iron

The mechanisms used by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis(Pb 18) to survive into monocytes are not clear. Cellular iron metabolism is of critical importance to the growth of several intracellular pathogens, including P. brasiliensis, whose capacity to multiply in mononuclear phagocytes is dependent on the availability of intracellular iron. Chloroquine, by virtue of its basic properties, has been shown to prevent release of iron from holotransferrin by raising endocytic and lysosomal pH, and thereby interfering with normal iron metabolism. Then, in view of this, we have studied the effects of CHLOR on P. brasiliensis multiplication in human monocytes and its effect on the murine paracoccidioidomycosis. CHLOR induced human monocytes to kill P. brasiliensis. The effect of CHLOR was reversed by FeNTA, an iron compound that is soluble at neutral to alkaline pH, but not by holotransferrin, which releases iron only in an acidic environment. CHLOR treatment of Pb 18-infected BALB/c mice significantly reduced the viable fungi recovery from lungs, during three different periods of evaluation, in a dose-dependent manner. This study demonstrates that iron is of critical importance to the survival of P. brasiliensis yeasts within human monocytes and the CHLOR treatment in vitro induces Pb 18 yeast-killing by monocytes by restricting the availability of intracellular iron. Besides, the CHLOR treatment in vivo significantly reduces the number of organisms in the lungs of Pb-infected mice protecting them from several infections. Thus, CHLOR was effective in the treatment of murine paracoccidioidomycosis, suggesting the potential use of this drug in patients' treatment.

Sodium nitroprusside promotes IRP2 degradation via an increase in intracellular iron and in the absence of S nitrosylation at C178

In iron-replete cells the posttranscriptional regulator IRP2 undergoes ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. A similar response occurs in cells exposed to sodium nitroprusside (SNP), an NO-releasing drug. It has been proposed that nitroprusside ([Fe(CN)5NO]2-) fails to donate iron into cells and that it promotes IRP2 degradation via S nitrosylation at C178. This residue is located within a stretch of 73 amino acids, earlier proposed to define an iron-dependent degradation domain. Surprisingly, we show that IRP2 bearing a C178S mutation or a Delta73 deletion is sensitive to degradation not only by ferric ammonium citrate (FAC) but also by SNP. Moreover, FAC and SNP attenuate the RNA-binding activities of IRP2 and its homologue IRP1 with similar kinetics. Actinomycin D, cycloheximide, succinylacetone, and dimethyl-oxalylglycine antagonize IRP2 degradation in response to both FAC and SNP, suggesting a common mechanistic basis. IRP2 is not only sensitive to fresh, but also to photodegraded SNP and remains unaffected by S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), an established nitrosation agent. Importantly, both fresh and photodegraded SNP, but not GSNO, promote a >4-fold increase in the calcein-accessible labile iron pool. Collectively, these results suggest that IRP2 degradation by SNP does not require S nitrosylation but rather represents a response to iron loading.

3-Amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1), a food-born carcinogenic heterocyclic amine, promotes nitric oxide production in murine macrophages

A heterocyclic amine, 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1) is one of the potent food-born dietary carcinogens derived mainly from burnt meat products. In the present study, we investigated the inductive effect of Trp-P-1 on nitric oxide (NO) production in murine macrophages since NO and its oxidized derivatives are directly involved in triggering mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. Our results show that Trp-P-1 induced mRNA expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and NO production without co-stimulation in murine peritoneal macrophages and RAW 264.7 cells. Trp-P-1 further enhanced both iNOS mRNA expression and NO production, which were primarily induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Electrophoretic mobility shift assay demonstrated that Trp-P-1, alone or in the presence of LPS, facilitated the DNA binding activity of the transcription factor NF-kappaB, and the trans-acting activity of the NF-kappaB was confirmative as determined by in vitro transfection and a luciferase reporter gene assay. Moreover, Trp-P-1 induced increasing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), which play an important role in NF-kappaB activation. These results suggest that Trp-P-1 induces NO production mediated by an increased intracellular ROS, NF-kappaB activation, and subsequent iNOS gene expression.