Genistein inhibits herbimycin A-induced over-expression of inducible heat shock protein 70 kDa

Angiotensin II represses Npr1 expression and receptor function by recruitment of transcription factors CREB and HSF-4a and activation of HDACs

The two vasoactive hormones, angiotensin II (ANG II; vasoconstrictive) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP; vasodilatory) antagonize the biological actions of each other. ANP acting through natriuretic peptide receptor-A (NPRA) lowers blood pressure and blood volume. We tested hypothesis that ANG II plays critical roles in the transcriptional repression of Npr1 (encoding NPRA) and receptor function. ANG II significantly decreased NPRA mRNA and protein levels and cGMP accumulation in cultured mesangial cells and attenuated ANP-mediated relaxation of aortic rings ex vivo. The transcription factors, cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) and heat-shock factor-4a (HSF-4a) facilitated the ANG II-mediated repressive effects on Npr1 transcription. Tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitor, genistein and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K) inhibitor, wortmannin reversed the ANG II-dependent repression of Npr1 transcription and receptor function. ANG II enhanced the activities of Class I histone deacetylases (HDACs 1/2), thereby decreased histone acetylation of H3K9/14ac and H4K8ac. The repressive effect of ANG II on Npr1 transcription and receptor signaling seems to be transduced by TK and PI-3K pathways and modulated by CREB, HSF-4a, HDACs, and modified histones. The current findings suggest that ANG II-mediated repressive mechanisms of Npr1 transcription and receptor function may provide new molecular targets for treatment and prevention of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

Aspirin-induced heat stress resistance in chicken myocardial cells can be suppressed by BAPTA-AM in vitro

Our recent studies have displayed the protective functions of aspirin against heat stress (HS) in chicken myocardial cells, and it may be associated with heat shock proteins (HSPs). In this study, we further investigated the potential role of HSPs in the aspirin-induced heat stress resistance. Four of the most important HSPs including HspB1 (Hsp27), Hsp60, Hsp70, and Hsp90 were induced by aspirin pretreatment and were suppressed by BAPTA-AM. When HSPs were induced by aspirin, much slighter HS injury was detected. But more serious damages were observed when HSPs were suppressed by BAPTA-AM than those cells exposed to HS without BAPTA-AM, even the myocardial cells have been treated with aspirin in prior. Comparing to other HSPs, HspB1 presented the largest increase after aspirin treatments, 86-fold higher than the baseline (the level before HS). These findings suggested that multiple HSPs participated in aspirin's anti-heat stress function but HspB1 may contribute the most. Interestingly, during the experiments, we also found that apoptosis rate as well as the oxidative stress indicators (T-SOD and MDA) was not consistently responding to heat stress injury as expected. By selecting from a series of candidates, myocardial cell damage-related enzymes (CK-MB and LDH), cytopathological tests, and necrosis rate (measured by flow cytometry assays) are believed to be reliable indicators to evaluate heat stress injury in chicken's myocardial cells and they will be used in our further investigations.

Heat shock proteins are therapeutic targets in autoimmune diseases and other chronic inflammatory conditions

INTRODUCTION

Exploitation of antigen-specific regulatory T cells (Tregs) as critical regulators in the control of chronic inflammatory diseases is hampered by the obscure nature of most disease-relevant autoantigens. Heat shock proteins (Hsp) are possible targets for Tregs due to their enhanced expression in inflamed (stressed) tissues and there is evidence that Hsp can induce anti-inflammatory immunoregulatory T-cell responses.

AREAS COVERED

Recent publications showing that exogenous administration of stress proteins has induced immunoregulation in various models of inflammatory disease have also been shown to be effective in first clinical trials in humans. Now, in the light of a growing interest in T-cell regulation, it is of interest to further explore the mechanisms through which Hsp can be utilized to trigger immunoregulatory pathways, capable of suppressing such a wide and diversified spectrum of inflammatory diseases.

EXPERT OPINION

Therapeutic approaches via exploitation of antigen-specific Tregs will benefit from tailor-made combination therapies. Combining current therapeutic approaches with Hsp-specific therapies thereby enhancing natural immune regulation might expedite the entry of antigen-specific regulatory T cells into the therapeutic arsenal of the anti-inflammatory therapeutics.

Effects of herbimycin A in the pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy

Pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) causes widespread tyrosine phosphorylation in the brain. It has been postulated that this intracellular signal may mediate potentially epileptogenic changes in the morphology and physiology of particular brain regions, including the hippocampus. The present study evaluated the effects of herbimycin A, a protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitor, over the acute (during which intense biochemical and electrophysiological activation occurs) and the chronic phase (characterized by spontaneous and recurrent epileptic seizures and the presence of synaptic reorganization, e.g., mossy fiber sprouting) of the pilocarpine model of epilepsy. The administration of a single dose of 1.74 nmol of herbimycin A (i.c.v., 5 microL) 5 min after the onset of SE did not change the acute behavioral manifestation of seizures despite significantly decreasing c-Fos immunoreactivity in different areas of the hippocampus and of the limbic cortex. Herbimycin-treated animals developed spontaneous recurrent seizures, as did control animals, with a similar latency for the appearance of the first seizure and similar seizure frequency. Neo-Timm staining revealed that all animals experiencing SE, regardless of whether or not injected with herbimycin, showed aberrant mossy fiber sprouting in the supragranular region of the dentate gyrus. Herbimycin did not obviously affect neuronal cell death as evaluated in Nissl-stained sections. These results indicate that the PTK blockade achieved with the current dose of herbimycin reduced the acute c-Fos expression but failed to alter the spontaneous seizure frequency or to attenuate the morphological modifications triggered by the SE.

Soy isoflavones reduce heat shock proteins in experimental atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND

Soy isoflavones may affect several biochemical pathways like the synthesis of nitric oxide (*NO) and heat shock proteins (HSP) that are important factors for atherosclerosis development.

THE AIM OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of soy isoflavones on the production of *NO and HSP60, HSP70 and HSC70 in experimental atherosclerosis.

METHODS

One group of rabbits (New Zealand) was fed an atherogenic diet containing 27 % casein (CAS) and another group was fed the same diet supplemented with soy isoflavones (5 mg/kg/day) (ISO). Blood samples were obtained monthly and after six months of feeding, the rabbits were sacrificed and the aortas were removed.

RESULTS

The ISO group showed a significant reduction of cholesterol in LDL (36.2 %) and in aorta (36 %), as well as, an increase of HDL-cholesterol (2.1 times) in relation to the CAS group. The concentration of *NO metabolites (NOx) in blood plasma and the levels of reactive antibodies to HSC70 in blood plasma and to HSC70 and HSP70 in aortic tissue were significantly decreased in the ISO group. Isoflavones promoted a reduction of content of HSP60, HSP70 and HSC70 in aortic arch analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The isoflavone supplementation promoted a reduction of cholesterol content in aorta (62.2 %) (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Soy isoflavones reduced hypercholesterolemia, the production of HSP60, HSC70 and HSP70 and reactive antibodies to HSC70 in serum and to HSC70 and HSP70 in aorta, as well as, the cholesterol content in atherosclerotic lesions in rabbits fed a casein-based atherogenic diet.

Inducible heat shock protein 70 kD and inducible nitric oxide synthase in hemorrhage/resuscitation-induced injury

Inducible head shock protein 70 kD (HSP-70i) has been shown to protect cells, tissues, and organs from harmful assaults in vivo and in vitro experimental models. Hemorrhagic shock followed by resuscitation is the principal cause of death among trauma patients and soldiers in the battlefield. Although the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood, it has been shown that nitric oxide (NO) overproduction and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) overexpression play important roles in producing injury caused by hemorrhagic shock including increases in polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) infiltration to injured tissues and leukotriene B(4) (LTB(4)) generation. Moreover, transcription factors responsible for iNOS expression are also altered by hemorrhage and resuscitation. It has been evident that either up-regulation of HSP-70i or down-regulation of iNOS can limit tissue injury caused by ischemia/reperfusion or hemorrhage/resuscitation. In our laboratory, geldanamycin, a member of ansamycin family, has been shown to induce HSP- 70i overexpression and then subsequently to inhibit iNOS expression, to reduce cellular caspase-3 activity, and to preserve cellular ATP levels. HSP-70i is found to couple to iNOS and its transcription factor. Therefore, the complex formation between HSP-70i and iNOS may be a novel mechanism for protection from hemorrhage/resuscitation-induced injury.

Small molecule activators of the heat shock response and neuroprotection from stroke

Various cellular defense pathways are mobilized in response to stress that serve to limit potential damage to organelles and biochemical pathways that would disrupt normal cellular function or trigger cell death. Strategies utilized by cells subjected to various forms of stress include the activation of detoxification systems that act to eliminate the primary damaging molecules, remove damaged cellular macromolecules, or restore organelle and macromolecule function in cases where loss of activity is generated by reversible modifications or alterations in conformation (ie, misfolding). Central to many intracellular defense mechanisms that operate to limit damage to protein function are molecular chaperones of the heat shock protein (HSP) family. This review briefly discusses the molecular mechanisms that are thought to dictate the well-established neuroprotective effects of HSPs and highlight the recent attempts to use pharmacologic approaches to activate this important cellular defense pathway.

PI3K/Akt Is Required for Heat Shock Proteins to Protect Hypoxia-inducible Factor 1α from pVHL-independent Degradation

Hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), a heterodimeric transcription factor composed of HIF-1alpha and HIF-1beta subunits, serves as a key regulator of metabolic adaptation to hypoxia. The amount of HIF-1alpha protein is regulated either by attenuating von Hippel-Lindau protein (pVHL)-dependent ubiquitination and subsequent 26 S proteasomal degradation or by enhancing cap-dependent mRNA translation, presumably involving a phosphatidyinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt-regulated pathway. In addition, it became apparent that Hsp90 protects HIF-1alpha from oxygen-independent degradation. Here we present evidence that PI3K/Akt is required for heat shock proteins to stabilize HIF-1alpha. In pVHL-deficient renal cell carcinoma cells, PI3K inhibition by LY294002 and wortmannin or transfection of either a dominant negative PI3K or a kinase-dead Akt mutant substantially lowered constitutively expressed HIF-1alpha without altering HIF-1alpha mRNA. Inhibitors of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) such as PD98059 or the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 showed no interference. Considering that PI3K inhibitors down-regulated heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) as well as Hsp70 expression and moreover attenuated heat- or hypoxia-induced Hsp70 as well as hypoxia-induced Hsp90 up-regulation we conclude that PI3K inhibition promoted degradation of HIF-1alpha indirectly by reducing steady state concentrations of Hsp90 and/or Hsp70. HIF-1alpha co-immunoprecipitated with Hsp90/Hsp70 and direct binding of Hsp70 to the oxygen-dependent degradation domain (ODD) of HIF-1alpha was proven by a pull-down assay and a peptide array. PI3K-mediated degradation of HIF-1alpha was confirmed in HEK 293 cells under hypoxia, suggesting that heat shock proteins constitute an integral component for HIF-1alpha accumulation. We conclude that PI3K/Akt contributes to HIF-1alpha stabilization by provoking expression of heat shock proteins.

Herbimycin A induces sympathetic neuron survival and protects against hypoxia

We have examined how herbimycin affects the survival and neuritogenesis of avian sympathetic neurons. Herbimycin promoted sympathetic neuron survival and neuritogenesis. At higher concentrations (> or = 100 ng/ml), herbimycin still enhanced neuron survival but blocked neuritogenesis. Addition of herbimycin (10-30 ng/ml) to neurons cultured in the presence of NGF or retinal conditioned medium altered neuronal morphology, with an increase in the number of neurites. Addition of NGF during hypoxia rescued 52% of the neurons compared to 14% survival in control conditions. Herbimycin alone rescued about 50% of the neurons. In the presence of NGF and 100 ng/ml herbimycin, 81% of the neurons survived hypoxia. Our results show that herbimycin promotes survival of chick sympathetic neurons and potentiates the effects of NGF.

Constitutive NO synthase regulates the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger in human T cells: role of [Ca2+]i and tyrosine phosphorylation

For many types of cells, heat stress leads to an increase in intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+](i)) that has been shown to trigger a wide variety of cellular responses. In T lymphocytes, for example, heat stress stimulates pathways that make them more susceptible to Fas/CD95-mediated apoptosis. Because of our interest in understanding more about the response of lymphocytes to various stressors, we used human peripheral and Jurkat T lymphocytes to investigate the effect of heat stress on calcium homeostasis. We found that peripheral and Jurkat T cells both exhibit cNOs activity but not iNOs activity. Heat stress increased NO production, which was inhibited by LNNA (a cNOs inhibitor) but not L-NIL (an iNOs inhibitor). Heat stress increased [Ca2+](i) in Jurkat T cells by decreasing the K(m) of the cell surface membrane Na+/Ca2+ exchanger for extracellular Ca2+. Heating also increased cNOs phosphorylation at tyrosine residues. In cells incubated with LNNA, heat stress promoted an increase in [Ca2+](i) and a decrease in [Na+](i) greater than in cells heated without LNNA, a larger decrease in K(m) of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger for extracellular Ca2+, and decreased phosphorylation of cNOs. Our results suggest that cNOs plays an important regulatory role after heat stress. Heating appears to increase the phosphorylation of cNOs that is complexed with the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger to decrease its activity. This process is related to increased expression of Fas/CD95 on the cell surface, which might explain the apoptotic diathesis of lymphocytes after heat stress.