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Okada Y. Potential Therapeutic Strategies and Drugs That Target Vascular Permeability in Severe Infectious Diseases. Biol Pharm Bull 2024; 47:549-555. [PMID: 38432910 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b24-00028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Severe infection pathogenicity is induced by processes such as pathogen exposure, immune cell activation, inflammatory cytokine production, and vascular hyperpermeability. Highly effective drugs, such as antipathogenic agents, steroids, and antibodies that suppress cytokine function, have been developed to treat the first three processes. However, these drugs cannot completely suppress severe infectious diseases, such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, developing novel drugs that inhibit vascular hyperpermeability is crucial. This review summarizes the mechanisms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-induced vascular hyperpermeability and identifies inhibitors that increase endothelial cell (EC) junction-related proteins and determines their efficacy in COVID-19 and endotoxemia models. Analyzing the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on vascular permeability revealed that SARS-CoV-2 suppresses Claudin-5 (CLDN5) expression, which is responsible for adhesion between ECs, thereby increasing vascular permeability. Inhibiting CLDN5 function in mice induced vascular hyperpermeability and pulmonary edema. In contrast, Enhancing CLDN5 expression suppressed SARS-CoV-2-induced endothelial hyperpermeability, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2-induced vascular hyperpermeability contributes to pathological progression, which can be suppressed by upregulating EC junction proteins. Based on these results, we focused on Roundabout4 (Robo4), another EC-specific protein that stabilizes EC junctions. EC-specific Robo4 overexpression suppressed vascular hyperpermeability and mortality in lipopolysaccharide-treated mice. An ALK1 inhibitor (a molecule that increases Robo4 expression), suppressed vascular hyperpermeability and mortality in lipopolysaccharide- and SARS-CoV-2-treated mice. These results indicate that Robo4 expression-increasing drugs suppress vascular permeability and pathological phenotype in COVID-19 and endotoxemia models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiaki Okada
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
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Basha S, Jin-Smith B, Sun C, Pi L. The SLIT/ROBO Pathway in Liver Fibrosis and Cancer. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13050785. [PMID: 37238655 DOI: 10.3390/biom13050785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is a common outcome of most chronic liver insults/injuries that can develop into an irreversible process of cirrhosis and, eventually, liver cancer. In recent years, there has been significant progress in basic and clinical research on liver cancer, leading to the identification of various signaling pathways involved in tumorigenesis and disease progression. Slit glycoprotein (SLIT)1, SLIT2, and SLIT3 are secreted members of a protein family that accelerate positional interactions between cells and their environment during development. These proteins signal through Roundabout receptor (ROBO) receptors (ROBO1, ROBO2, ROBO3, and ROBO4) to achieve their cellular effects. The SLIT and ROBO signaling pathway acts as a neural targeting factor regulating axon guidance, neuronal migration, and axonal remnants in the nervous system. Recent findings suggest that various tumor cells differ in SLIT/ROBO signaling levels and show varying degrees of expression patterns during tumor angiogenesis, cell invasion, metastasis, and infiltration. Emerging roles of the SLIT and ROBO axon-guidance molecules have been discovered in liver fibrosis and cancer development. Herein, we examined the expression patterns of SLIT and ROBO proteins in normal adult livers and two types of liver cancers: hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. This review also summarizes the potential therapeutics of this pathway for anti-fibrosis and anti-cancer drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sreenivasulu Basha
- Department of Pathology, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Brady Jin-Smith
- Department of Pathology, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Chunbao Sun
- Department of Pathology, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Liya Pi
- Department of Pathology, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
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Sun Y, Wang J, Guo X, Zhu N, Niu L, Ding X, Xie Z, Chen X, Yang F. Oleic Acid and Eicosapentaenoic Acid Reverse Palmitic Acid-induced Insulin Resistance in Human HepG2 Cells via the Reactive Oxygen Species / JUN Pathway. GENOMICS PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2021; 19:754-771. [PMID: 33631425 PMCID: PMC9170756 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2019.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Oleic acid (OA), a monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), has previously been shown to reverse saturated fatty acid palmitic acid (PA)-induced hepatic insulin resistance (IR). However, its underlying molecular mechanism is unclear. In addition, previous studies have shown that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), reverses PA-induced muscle IR, but whether EPA plays the same role in hepatic IR and its possible mechanism involved need to be further clarified. Here, we confirmed that EPA reversed PA-induced IR in HepG2 cells and compared the proteomic changes in HepG2 cells after treatment with different free fatty acids (FFAs). A total of 234 proteins were determined to be differentially expressed after PA+OA treatment. Their functions were mainly related to responses to stress and endogenous stimuli, lipid metabolic process, and protein binding. For PA+EPA treatment, the PA-induced expression changes of 1326 proteins could be reversed by EPA, 415 of which were mitochondrial proteins, with most of the functional proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Mechanistic studies revealed that the protein encoded by JUN and reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a role in OA- and EPA-reversed PA-induced IR, respectively. EPA and OA alleviated PA-induced abnormal adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, ROS generation, and calcium (Ca2+) content. Importantly, H2O2-activated production of ROS increased the protein expression of JUN, further resulting in IR in HepG2 cells. Taken together, we demonstrate that ROS/JUN is a common response pathway employed by HepG2 cells toward FFA-regulated IR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Sun
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals & Laboratory of Proteomics, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jifeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals & Laboratory of Proteomics, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaojing Guo
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals & Laboratory of Proteomics, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Nali Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals & Laboratory of Proteomics, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Lili Niu
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals & Laboratory of Proteomics, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiang Ding
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals & Laboratory of Proteomics, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhensheng Xie
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals & Laboratory of Proteomics, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiulan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals & Laboratory of Proteomics, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Fuquan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals & Laboratory of Proteomics, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Izawa K, Shirakura K, Kakiuchi K, Funahashi N, Maekawa N, Hino N, Tanaka T, Doi T, Okada Y. PRC2 Components Maintain DNA Hypermethylation of the Upstream Promoter and Regulate Robo4 Expression in Endothelial Cells. Biol Pharm Bull 2020; 43:742-746. [DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b19-01014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kohei Izawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | | | - Koji Kakiuchi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | | | - Naoki Maekawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | - Nobumasa Hino
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | - Toru Tanaka
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | - Takefumi Doi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | - Yoshiaki Okada
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
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Regulatory mechanisms of Robo4 and their effects on angiogenesis. Biosci Rep 2019; 39:BSR20190513. [PMID: 31160487 PMCID: PMC6620384 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20190513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Roundabout4 (Robo4) is a transmembrane receptor that belongs to the Roundabout (Robo) family of axon guidance molecules. Robo4 is an endothelial-specific receptor that participates in endothelial cell migration, proliferation, and angiogenesis and the maintenance of vasculature homeostasis. The purpose of this review is to summarize and analyze three main mechanisms related to the expression and function of Robo4 during developmental and pathological angiogenesis. In this review, static shear stress and the binding of transcription factors such as E26 transformation-specific variant 2 (ETV2) and Slit3 induce Robo4 expression and activate Robo4 during tissue and organ development. Robo4 interacts with Slit2 or UNC5B to maintain vascular integrity, while a disturbed flow and the expression of transcription factors in inflammatory or neoplastic environments alter Robo4 expression levels, although these changes have uncertain functions. Based on the mechanisms described above, we discuss the aberrant expression of Robo4 in angiogenesis-related diseases and propose antiangiogenic therapies targeting the Robo4 signaling pathway for the treatment of ocular neovascularization lesions and tumors. Finally, although many problems related to Robo4 signaling pathways remain to be resolved, Robo4 is a promising and potentially valuable therapeutic target for treating pathological angiogenesis and developmental defects in angiogenesis.
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Tanaka T, Izawa K, Maniwa Y, Okamura M, Okada A, Yamaguchi T, Shirakura K, Maekawa N, Matsui H, Ishimoto K, Hino N, Nakagawa O, Aird WC, Mizuguchi H, Kawabata K, Doi T, Okada Y. ETV2-TET1/TET2 Complexes Induce Endothelial Cell-Specific Robo4 Expression via Promoter Demethylation. Sci Rep 2018; 8:5653. [PMID: 29618782 PMCID: PMC5884809 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23937-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Although transcription factors regulating endothelial cell (EC)-specific gene expression have been identified, it is not known how those factors induce EC-specificity. We previously reported that DNA hypomethylation of the proximal promoter elicits EC-specific expression of Roundabout4 (Robo4). However, the mechanisms establishing EC-specific hypomethylation of the Robo4 promoter remain unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that the hypermethylated Robo4 proximal promoter is demethylated as human iPS cells differentiate into endothelial cells. Reporter assays demonstrated that ETV2, an ETS family transcription factor, bound to ETS motifs in the proximal promoter and activated Robo4 expression. Immunoprecipitation demonstrated direct interaction between ETV2 and methylcytosine-converting enzymes TET1 and TET2. Adenoviral expression of ETV2-TET1/TET2 complexes demethylated the Robo4 promoter and induced Robo4 expression in non-ECs. In summary, we propose a novel regulatory model of EC-specific gene expression via promoter demethylation induced by ETV2-TET1/TET2 complexes during endothelial differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Tanaka
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kohei Izawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yusuke Maniwa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Maki Okamura
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Atsumasa Okada
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Regulation, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki City, Osaka, 567-0085, Japan
| | - Tomoko Yamaguchi
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Regulation, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki City, Osaka, 567-0085, Japan
| | - Keisuke Shirakura
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Naoki Maekawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hayato Matsui
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kenji Ishimoto
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Nobumasa Hino
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Osamu Nakagawa
- Department of Molecular Physiology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Suita City, Osaka, 565-8565, Japan
| | - William C Aird
- Center for Vascular Biology Research and Division of Molecular and Vascular Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Hiroyuki Mizuguchi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kenji Kawabata
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Regulation, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Ibaraki City, Osaka, 567-0085, Japan
| | - Takefumi Doi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Okada
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
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Tanaka T, Maekawa N, Kashio T, Izawa K, Ishiba R, Shirakura K, Ishimoto K, Hino N, Aird WC, Doi T, Okada Y. Tumor Necrosis Factor α Induces the Expression of the Endothelial Cell-Specific Receptor Roundabout4 through the Nuclear Factor-κB Pathway. Biol Pharm Bull 2017; 40:504-509. [DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b16-00938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Toru Tanaka
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | - Naoki Maekawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | - Taito Kashio
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | - Kohei Izawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | - Ryosuke Ishiba
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | | | - Kenji Ishimoto
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | - Nobumasa Hino
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | - William C. Aird
- Center for Vascular Biology Research and Division of Molecular and Vascular Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
| | - Takefumi Doi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | - Yoshiaki Okada
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
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The Robo4 cytoplasmic domain is dispensable for vascular permeability and neovascularization. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13517. [PMID: 27882935 PMCID: PMC5123080 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Vascular permeability and neovascularization are implicated in many diseases including retinopathies and diabetic wound healing. Robo4 is an endothelial-specific transmembrane receptor that stabilizes the vasculature, as shown in Robo4−/− mice that develop hyperpermeability, but how Robo4 signals remained unclear. Here we show that Robo4 deletion enhances permeability and revascularization in oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) and accelerates cutaneous wound healing. To determine Robo4 signalling pathways, we generated transgenic mice expressing a truncated Robo4 lacking the cytoplasmic domain (Robo4ΔCD). Robo4ΔCD expression is sufficient to prevent permeability, and inhibits OIR revascularization and wound healing in Robo4−/− mice. Mechanistically, Robo4 does not affect Slit2 signalling, but Robo4 and Robo4ΔCD counteract Vegfr2-Y949 (Y951 in human VEGFR2) phosphorylation by signalling through the endothelial UNC5B receptor. We conclude that Robo4 inhibits angiogenesis and vessel permeability independently of its cytoplasmic domain, while activating VEGFR2-Y951 via ROBO4 inhibition might accelerate tissue revascularization in retinopathy of prematurity and in diabetic patients. Robo4 is a transmembrane protein that regulates vascular permeability. Zhang et al. now reveal the mechanism of Robo4 action and show that Robo4 and UncB are required for VEGF-mediated regulation of vascular barrier by suppressing VEGF-induced phosphorylation of its receptor Vegfr2 on Y949.
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