The role of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor I in the regulation of apoptosis

Oral immune-mediated disorders with malignant potential/association: An overview

A group of oral disorders or conditions, which may result from, or could be triggered by an abnormality in the normal immune response of an individual are known as oral immune-mediated disorders. Some of these disorders have malignant potential, while others are associated with malignancy. In this overview, we will discuss a few of the oral diseases (such as oral lichen planus, primary Sjogren's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatitis herpetiformis, and linear immunoglobulin A bullous dermatosis, to name a few), which are caused due to irregularity in the immune system and are either associated with malignancy or capable of undergoing malignant transforming, thereby increasing the morbidity and mortality rate.

Systemic administration of IGF-I enhances healing in collagenous extracellular matrices: evaluation of loaded and unloaded ligaments

BACKGROUND

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) plays a crucial role in wound healing and tissue repair. We tested the hypotheses that systemic administration of IGF-I, or growth hormone (GH), or both (GH+IGF-I) would improve healing in collagenous connective tissue, such as ligament. These hypotheses were examined in rats that were allowed unrestricted activity after injury and in animals that were subjected to hindlimb disuse. Male rats were assigned to three groups: ambulatory sham-control, ambulatory-healing, and hindlimb unloaded-healing. Ambulatory and hindlimb unloaded animals underwent surgical disruption of their knee medial collateral ligaments (MCLs), while sham surgeries were performed on control animals. Healing animals subcutaneously received systemic doses of either saline, GH, IGF-I, or GH+IGF-I. After 3 weeks, mechanical properties, cell and matrix morphology, and biochemical composition were examined in control and healing ligaments.

RESULTS

Tissues from ambulatory animals receiving only saline had significantly greater strength than tissue from saline receiving hindlimb unloaded animals. Addition of IGF-I significantly improved maximum force and ultimate stress in tissues from both ambulatory and hindlimb unloaded animals with significant increases in matrix organization and type-I collagen expression. Addition of GH alone did not have a significant effect on either group, while addition of GH+IGF-I significantly improved force, stress, and modulus values in MCLs from hindlimb unloaded animals. Force, stress, and modulus values in tissues from hindlimb unloaded animals receiving IGF-I or GH+IGF-I exceeded (or were equivalent to) values in tissues from ambulatory animals receiving only saline with greatly improved structural organization and significantly increased type-I collagen expression. Furthermore, levels of IGF-receptor were significantly increased in tissues from hindlimb unloaded animals treated with IGF-I.

CONCLUSION

These results support two of our hypotheses that systemic administration of IGF-I or GH+IGF-I improve healing in collagenous tissue. Systemic administration of IGF-I improves healing in collagenous extracellular matrices from loaded and unloaded tissues. Growth hormone alone did not result in any significant improvement contrary to our hypothesis, while GH + IGF-I produced remarkable improvement in hindlimb unloaded animals.

Alteration of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Expression After Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Monkeys and Rats: Complementary DNA Microarray, Immunohistochemistry, and In Situ Hybridization Studies

It is well established that insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 has potent neuroprotective effects on cerebral ischemia in the rat and sheep model. In order to investigate whether it has neuroprotective effects on brain insult in human stroke, as one part of serial subhuman primate stroke research, the present study was designed to observe whether IGF-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein is expressed in middle cerebral artery occlusion in monkeys and rats. A total of 12,800 dots complementary DNA microarray, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry were used. Complementary DNA microarray showed that among the nearly 8000 genes, approximately 8% of the total number of genes examined was affected after ischemia/reperfusion injury especially in the growth factor family including IGF-1 in the ischemic region. The decreased IGF-1 mRNA and protein expression was found in the insular striatum, but there was an increased mRNA expression and unchanged protein expression in the hippocampus 24 hours after ischemia. The results suggested that IGF-1 might contribute to the neuroprotective pathway in a pattern different from that of rats, and it might play a role in protection of ischemic injured neuronal cells after monkey focal cerebral ischemia.

Enhancement of in vitro hair shaft elongation in follicles stored in buffers that prevent follicle cell apoptosis

BACKGROUND

Viability and survival of stored micrografts during hair follicle transplantation are important limitations of micrograft transplantation procedures. In this study, we investigated the effect of different storage solutions and inhibitors of apoptotic cell death (ACD) on hair follicle cell viability by measuring in vitro hair shaft elongation (HSE) for 5 days.

METHODS

Micrografts from informed patients undergoing routine micrograft transplantation were stored for 5 hours at room temperature in phosphate-buffered salt solution (PBS) or HEPES-buffered Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM), containing different concentrations of the ACD-inhibitors aminoguanidine (AMG), hormones (insulin, hydrocortisone), 14,15-epoxy-eicosatrienoic acid (14,15-EET), or combinations of these.

RESULTS

In vitro, HSE was significantly increased in micrografts stored in DMEM compared with PBS (2.3%+/-0.6% vs. 28.4%+/-3.9%, P<0.0001). DMEM supplemented with AMG (10 microg/mL) or 14,15-EET (1 ng/mL) further increased in vitro HSE (33.9%+/-7.1%, p=0.01, and 32.8%+/-6.1%, P=0.02, respectively). Evaluation of ACD in stored micrografts, performed by determination of cytoplasmic histone-associated DNA fragments, confirmed the results found by HSE. ACD was detectable after a 36-hour culture in serum-containing medium and was higher in micrografts stored in PBS compared with micrografts stored in DMEM (A405nm/A492nm: 1.63+/-0.21 vs. 1.42+/-0.07, respectively; P<0.01). The addition of AMG further decreased serum-induced ACD in the micrografts (DMEM 1.42+/-0.07 vs. DMEM/AMG 0.90+/-0.11, P<0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated an important role of ACD in micrograft transplantation surgery. Preconditioning of micrografts with storage buffers containing inhibitors of ACD could prevent serum-induced ACD after transplantation and might increase the viability of micrografts and the clinical outcome in micrograft transplantation.

Growth hormone in the nervous system: autocrine or paracrine roles in retinal function?

Growth hormone (GH) is primarily produced in the pituitary gland, although GH gene expression also occurs in the central and autonomic nervous systems. GH-immunoreactive proteins are abundant in the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. The appearance of GH in these tissues occurs prior to the ontogenic differentiation of the pituitary gland and prior to the presence of GH in systemic circulation. Neural GH is also present in neonates, juveniles, and adults and is independent of changes in pituitary GH secretion. Neural GH is therefore likely to have local roles in neural development or neural function, especially as GH receptors (GHRs) are widespread in the nervous system. In recent studies, GH mRNA and GH immunoreactive proteins have been identified in the neural retina of embryonic chicks. GH immunoreactivity is present in the optic cup of chick embryos at embryonic day (ED) 3 of the 21-d incubation period. It is widespread in the neural retina by ED 7 but also present in the nonpigmented retina, choroid, sclera, and cornea. This immunoreactivity is associated with proteins in the neural retina comparable in size with those in the adult pituitary gland, although it is primarily associated with 15-16 kDa moieties rather than with the full-length molecule of approximately 22 kDa. These small GH moieties may reflect proteolytic fragments of "monomer" GH and (or) the presence of different GH gene transcripts, since full-length and truncated GH cDNAs are present in retinal tissue extracts. The GH immunoreactivity in the retina persists throughout embryonic development but is not present in juvenile birds (after 6 weeks of age). This immunoreactivity is also associated with the presence of GH receptor (GHR) immunoreactivity and GHR mRNA in ocular tissues of chick embryos. The retina is thus an extrapituitary site of GH gene expression during early development and is probably an autocrine or paracrine site of GH action. The marked ontogenic pattern of GH immunoreactivity in the retina suggests hitherto unsuspected roles for GH in neurogenesis or ocular development.

Malignancy and systemic lupus erythematosus

The association of malignancy with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been investigated for years. The findings of cohort studies lend support for an increased risk of malignancy in SLE but are difficult to interpret definitively. In addition, several cohort studies have suggested an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma but with imprecise estimation. There is inadequate evidence for any conclusions about the risk of solid tumors in these patients. A multicenter international research effort is in progress to elucidate these issues and to establish the role of exposures such as cytotoxic or immunomodulatory therapy. The recommendations advocated for cancer screening policies and for minimizing known risk factors for cancer in the general population should not be neglected in persons with SLE.

Dexamethasone administration to newborn mice alters mucosal and muscular morphology in the ileum and modulates IGF-I localization

Glucocorticoid exposure accelerates the maturation of small bowel mucosa. We hypothesized that IGF-I, a mitogen and differentiating peptide expressed in small bowel, mediates steroid-induced change within the developing ileum. To investigate this possibility, we intraperitoneally administered 1 microg/gm/d of dexamethasone (DEX) or equal volumes of saline to litter-mate newborn mice. The animals were killed on d 1-3 of life and their ilea were harvested and prepared for microscopy. Tissue sections of ileum were examined for morphologic analyses, mucin staining, immunolocalization of IGF-I and -II, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), and in situ hybridization for IGF-I transcripts. Morphologic comparisons showed increases in goblet cell number, total cell number, and TUNEL-positive cells within the mucosa of DEX-treated animals. In contrast, the number of smooth muscle nuclei per cross-section was unchanged with DEX treatment despite a reduction in the number of PCNA-positive nuclei and an increased bowel circumference. These findings suggest the muscularis stretches to accommodate increasing bowel diameter. IGF-I peptide was localized to the mesenchyme of all control animals. After 48 h of DEX treatment, IGF-I was detected in the epithelia whereas mesenchymal IGF-I localization appeared diminished. In situ hybridization analyses for IGF-I transcripts showed no differences in localization between the groups. We conclude that DEX administration differentially affects adjacent tissues in the newborn ileum and that the associated changes in IGF-I localization are consistent with its participation in this process.

Hepatocyte growth factor, but not insulin-like growth factor I, protects podocytes against cyclosporin A-induced apoptosis

Cyclosporin A (CsA) nephropathy is associated with altered expression of apoptosis regulatory genes such as Fas-ligand and Bcl-2 family members in the glomerular, tubulointerstitial, and vascular compartments. Both hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) protect against apoptosis, and HGF specifically up-regulates Bcl-xL, a protein that regulates apoptosis. We investigated whether Bcl-xL and Fas/Fas-ligand were regulated by CsA in cultured podocytes and whether CsA-induced apoptosis was prevented by HGF or IGF-I. A murine podocyte cell line was treated with CsA in the presence or absence of HGF or IGF-I. Apoptosis was quantitated by ELISA and by flow cytometry; Bcl-xL, Fas, and Fas-ligand were measured by Western blotting. Inhibitors of MAP kinase/ERK kinase (MEK)-1 and of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3'-K) were used to determine the signaling pathways involved in Bcl-xL regulation. Apoptosis was induced by CsA in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. CsA also decreased Bcl-xL levels. HGF, but not IGF-I, prevented apoptosis and restored Bcl-xL levels. The regulation of Bcl-xL by HGF was mediated by the PI3'-K but not by the MEK-1 pathway. In summary, we showed that CsA induces apoptosis in podocytes. Apoptosis was prevented by pretreatment with HGF but not IGF-I. Decreased apoptosis appeared to be mediated by regulation of Bcl-xL via the PI3'-K pathway. Our data suggest that the effect of CsA on podocytes may contribute to the glomerular damage and that HGF could provide protection.