Hepatocyte growth factor improves viability after H2O2-induced toxicity in bile duct epithelial cells

Role of Enzymic Antioxidants in Mediating Oxidative Stress and Contrasting Wound Healing Capabilities in Oral Mucosal/Skin Fibroblasts and Tissues

Unlike skin, oral mucosal wounds are characterized by rapid healing and minimal scarring, attributable to the "enhanced" healing properties of oral mucosal fibroblasts (OMFs). As oxidative stress is increasingly implicated in regulating wound healing outcomes, this study compared oxidative stress biomarker and enzymic antioxidant profiles between patient-matched oral mucosal/skin tissues and OMFs/skin fibroblasts (SFs) to determine whether superior oral mucosal antioxidant capabilities and reduced oxidative stress contributed to these preferential healing properties. Oral mucosa and skin exhibited similar patterns of oxidative protein damage and lipid peroxidation, localized within the lamina propria/dermis and oral/skin epithelia, respectively. SOD1, SOD2, SOD3 and catalase were primarily localized within epithelial tissues overall. However, SOD3 was also widespread within the lamina propria localized to OMFs, vasculature and the extracellular matrix. OMFs were further identified as being more resistant to reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and oxidative DNA/protein damage than SFs. Despite histological evaluation suggesting that oral mucosa possessed higher SOD3 expression, this was not fully substantiated for all OMFs examined due to inter-patient donor variability. Such findings suggest that enzymic antioxidants have limited roles in mediating privileged wound healing responses in OMFs, implying that other non-enzymic antioxidants could be involved in protecting OMFs from oxidative stress overall.

Amelioration of oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis in copper oxide nanoparticles-induced liver injury in rats by potent antioxidants

The purpose of this study is to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of individual or combined doses of dehydro-epiandrosterone (DHEA) and quercetin in ameliorating some biochemical indices in liver of CuO-NPs intoxicated-rats. CuO-NPs (50 nm) was administered as a daily oral dose 100 mg/kg for 2 weeks to rats followed by the fore-mentioned antioxidants for 1 month. We highlighted the therapeutic effect of DHEA and quercetin against CuO-NPs toxicity through monitoring the alteration of liver enzyme activity, antioxidant defense mechanism, necrosis, apoptosis, histopathological alterations, and DNA damage. The rats given CuO-NPs only showed marked significant elevation in liver enzymes, alteration in oxidant-antioxidant balance and an elevation in the hepatic inflammatory marker; tumor necrosis factor-α. Additionally, over expression of both caspase-3 and Bax proteins were detected. Whereas, Bcl2 was down regulated and DNA fragmentation was elevated. Moreover, Histopathological examination of hepatic tissue reinforced the previous biochemical results. Co-treatment with either DHEA, quercetin alone or in combination ameliorated the deviated parameters with variable degrees against CuO-NPs toxicity in rat. In conclusion, our findings suggested that the aforementioned treatments exert therapeutic effect in CuO-NPs toxicity by diminishing oxidative stress, mRNA gene expression and hepatic tissues DNA damage.

Mesenchymal stem cells reduce hypoxia-induced apoptosis in alveolar epithelial cells by modulating HIF and ROS hypoxic signaling

Distal lung diseases, such as pulmonary fibrosis or acute lung injury, are commonly associated with local alveolar hypoxia that may be deleterious through the stimulation of alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) apoptosis. In various murine models of alveolar injury, administration of allogenic human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) exerts an overall protective paracrine effect, limiting lung inflammation and fibrosis. However, the precise mechanisms on lung cells themselves remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated whether hMSC-conditioned medium (hMSC-CM) would protect AECs from hypoxia-induced apoptosis and explored the mechanisms involved in this cytoprotective effect. Exposure of rat primary AECs to hypoxia (1.5% O₂ for 24 h) resulted in hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α protein stabilization, partly dependent on reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and in a twofold increase in AEC apoptosis that was prevented by the HIF inhibitor 3-(5'-hydroxymethyl-2'-furyl)-1-benzyl-indazole and the antioxidant drug N-acetyl cysteine. Incubation of AECs with hMSC-CM significantly reduced hypoxia-induced apoptosis. hMSC-CM decreased HIF-1α protein expression, as well as ROS accumulation through an increase in antioxidant enzyme activities. Expression of Bnip3 and CHOP, two proapoptotic targets of HIF-1α and ROS pathways, respectively, was suppressed by hMSC-CM, while Bcl-2 expression was restored. The paracrine protective effect of hMSC was partly dependent on keratinocyte growth factor and hepatocyte growth factor secretion, preventing ROS and HIF-1α accumulation.

Protective effects of HGF gene-expressing human mesenchymal stem cells in acetaminophen-treated hepatocytes

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) secrete a great variety of cytokines that have beneficial paracrine actions. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) promotes proliferation in several cell types. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of HGF gene-transfected MSC (HGF-MSC) in acetaminophen (AAP)-treated hepatocytes. We transfected the HGF gene into MSCs and confirmed HGF expression by RT-PCR and western blot. The concentration of HGF in HGF-MSC conditioned media (HGFCM) was upregulated compared with that in control MSCCM samples. Cell viability was increased in HGFCM-treated hepatocytes. Expression of Mcl-1, an anti-apoptosis protein, was increased and expression of pro-apoptosis proteins (Bad, Bik and Bid) was decreased in HGFCM-treated hepatocytes. HGF-MSC had protective effects on AAP-induced hepatocyte damage by enhancing proliferation. These results suggest that HGF-expressing MSCs may provide regenerative potential for liver cell damage.

Transient receptor potential melastatin 4 and cell death

Cell death proceeds by way of a variety of “cell death subroutines,” including several types of “apoptosis,” “regulated necrosis,” and others. “Accidental necrosis” due to profound adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion or oxidative stress is distinguished from regulated necrosis by the absence of death receptor signaling. However, both accidental and regulated necrosis have in common the process of “oncosis,” a physiological process characterized by Na⁺ influx and cell volume increase that, in necrotic cell death, is required to produce the characteristic features of membrane blebbing and membrane rupture. Here, we review emerging evidence that the monovalent cation channel, transient receptor potential melastatin 4 (TRPM4), is involved in the cell death process of oncosis. Potential involvement of TRPM4 in oncosis is suggested by the fact that the two principal regulators of TRPM4, intracellular ATP and Ca²⁺, are both altered during necrosis in the direction that causes TRPM4 channel opening. Under physiological conditions, activation of TRPM4 promotes Na⁺ influx and cell depolarization. Under pathological conditions, unchecked activation of TRPM4 leads to Na⁺ overload, cell volume increase, blebbing and cell membrane rupture, the latter constituting the irreversible end stage of necrosis. Emerging data indicate that TRPM4 plays a crucial role as end executioner in the accidental necrotic death of ATP-depleted or redox-challenged endothelial and epithelial cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Future studies will be needed to determine whether TRPM4 also plays a role in regulated necrosis and apoptosis.

Hepatocyte growth factor protects human embryonic stem cell derived-neural progenitors from hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis

Promoting human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived-neural progenitor survival in the pro-apoptotic niche is pivotal for stem cell replacement therapy. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on hESC-derived neural progenitor injured by hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) exposure. Treatment of hESC-derived neural progenitor cells with HGF prior to H(2)O(2) exposure conferred protective effect against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. HGF treatment increased both phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation. However, selective inhibition of each pathway supported that the activation of PI3K/AKT, but not ERK1/2, provides survival advantage to the neural progenitor cells. Further investigation indicated that HGF pretreatment could attenuate the decrease of the expression of Bcl-2 protein induced by H(2)O(2), whereas the level of Bax was not affected. Additionally, we observed that H(2)O(2)-induced decrease of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, release of cytochrome c and increase of caspase-3 activation were alleviated by HGF pretreatment. These effects of HGF could be reversed by inhibition of the PI3K/Akt and ERKs pathways, indicating PI3K/Akt and ERKs signaling might be involved in HGF-mediated regulation of mitochondrial apoptotic pathway mediated by H(2)O(2). The neuroprotective effect of HGF might potentially be useful in stem cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative disorders.

Hepatocyte growth factor protects hepatocytes against oxidative injury induced by ethanol metabolism

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is involved in many cellular responses, such as mitogenesis and apoptosis protection; however, its effect against oxidative injury induced by ethanol metabolism is not well understood. The aim of this work was to address the mechanism of HGF-induced protection against ethanol-generated oxidative stress damage in the human cell line VL-17A (cytochrome P450 2E1/alcohol dehydrogenase-transfected HepG2 cells). Cells were pretreated with 50 ng/ml HGF for 12 h and then treated with 100 mM ethanol for 0-48 h. Some parameters of oxidative damage were evaluated. We found that ethanol induced peroxide formation (3.3-fold) and oxidative damage as judged by lipid peroxidation (5.4-fold). Damage was prevented by HGF. To address the mechanisms of HGF-induced protection we investigated the cellular antioxidant system. We found that HGF increased the GSH/GSSG ratio, as well as SOD1, catalase, and gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase expression. To explore the signaling pathways involved in this process, VL-17A cells were pretreated with inhibitors against PI3K, Akt, and NF-kappaB. We found that all treatments decreased the expression of the antioxidant enzymes, thus abrogating the HGF-induced protection against oxidative stress. Our results demonstrate that HGF protects cells from the oxidative damage induced by ethanol metabolism by a mechanism driven by NF-kappaB and PI3K/Akt signaling.

Controlling cell surface dynamics and signaling: how CD82/KAI1 suppresses metastasis

The recent identification of metastasis suppressor genes, uniquely responsible for negatively controlling cancer metastasis, are providing inroads into the molecular machinery involved in metastasis. While the normal function of a few of these genes is known; the molecular events associated with their loss that promotes tumor metastasis is largely not understood. KAI1/CD82, whose loss is associated with a wide variety of metastatic cancers, belongs to the tetraspanin family. Despite intense scrutiny, many aspects of how CD82 specifically functions as a metastasis suppressor and its role in normal biology remain to be determined. This review will focus on the molecular events associated with CD82 loss, the potential impact on signaling pathways that regulate cellular processes associated with metastasis, and its relationship with other metastasis suppressor genes.