Lysosomal acid lipase over-expression disrupts lamellar body genesis and alveolar structure in the lung

Pulmonary Manifestations of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases in Children

Advances in technology, methodology, and deep phenotyping are increasingly driving the understanding of the pathologic basis of disease. Improvements in patient identification and treatment are impacting survival. This is true in endocrinology and inborn errors of metabolism, where disease-modifying therapies are developing. Inherent to this evolution is the increasing awareness of the respiratory manifestations of these rare diseases. This review updates clinicians, stratifying diseases spirometerically; pulmonary hypertension and diseases with a predisposition to recurrent pulmonary infection are discussed. This division is artificial; many diseases have multiple pathologic effects on respiration. This review does not cover the impact of obesity.

Lysosomal Acid Lipase in Lipid Metabolism and Beyond

Lysosomal acid lipase (LAL), encoded by the lipase A ( LIPA) gene, hydrolyzes cholesteryl esters and triglycerides to generate free fatty acids and cholesterol in the cell. The essential role of LAL in lipid metabolism has been confirmed in mice and human with LAL deficiency. In humans, loss-of-function mutations of LIPA cause rare lysosomal disorders, Wolman disease and cholesteryl ester storage disease, in which LAL enzyme-replacement therapy has shown significant benefits in a phase 3 clinical trial. Recent studies have revealed the regulatory role of lipolytic products of lysosomal lipid hydrolysis in catabolic, anabolic, and signaling pathways. In vivo studies in mice with knockout of Lipa highlight the systemic impact of Lipa deficiency on metabolic homeostasis and immune cell function. Genome-wide association studies and functional genomic studies have identified LIPA as a risk locus for coronary heart disease, but the causal variants and mechanisms remain to be determined. Future studies will continue to focus on the role of LAL in the crosstalk between lipid metabolism and cellular function in health and diseases including coronary heart disease.

Respiratory complications of metabolic disease in the paediatric population: A review of presentation, diagnosis and therapeutic options

Inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) whilst individually rare, as a group constitute a field which is increasingly demands on pulmonologists. With the advent of new therapies such as enzyme replacement and gene therapy, early diagnosis and treatment of these conditions can impact on long term outcome, making their timely recognition and appropriate investigation increasingly important. Conversely, with improved treatment, survival of these patients is increasing, with the emergence of previously unknown respiratory phenotypes. It is thus important that pulmonologists are aware of and appropriately monitor and manage these complications. This review aims to highlight the respiratory manifestations which can occur. It isdivided into conditions resulting primarily in obstructive airway and lung disease, restrictive lung disease such as interstitial lung disease or pulmonary alveolar proteinosis and pulmonary hypertension, whilst acknowledging that some diseases have the potential to cause all three. The review focuses on general phenotypes of IEMs, their known respiratory complications and the basic metabolic investigations which should be performed where an IEM is suspected.

Lysosomal acid lipase promotes cholesterol ester metabolism and drives clear cell renal cell carcinoma progression

OBJECTIVES

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is characterized histologically by accumulation of cholesterol esters, cholesterol and other neutral lipids. Lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) is a critical enzyme involved in the cholesterol ester metabolism. Here, we sought to determine whether LAL could orchestrate metabolism of cholesterol esters in order to promote ccRCC progression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR and western blots were conducted to assess the expression of LAL in human ccRCC tissues. We analysed the relationship between LAL levels and patient survival using tissue microarrays. We used cell proliferation assays, colony formation assays, cell death assays, metabolic assays and xenograft tumour models to evaluate the biological function and underlying mechanisms.

RESULTS

LAL was up-regulated in ccRCC tissue. Tissue microarray analysis revealed higher levels of LAL in advanced grades of ccRCC, and high LAL expression indicated lower patient survival. Suppressing LAL expression not only blocked the utilization of cholesterol esters but also impaired proliferation and cellular survival. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry staining showed that LAL expression was correlated with Akt phosphorylation. Suppressing LAL expression decreased the phosphorylation level of Akt and Src and reduced the level of 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids in ccRCC cells. Supplement of 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids rescued proliferation in vitro and in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

LAL promoted cell proliferation and survival via metabolism of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids and activation of the Src/Akt pathway.

Lung Epithelial Cell-Specific Expression of Human Lysosomal Acid Lipase Ameliorates Lung Inflammation and Tumor Metastasis in Lipa(-/-) Mice

Lysosomal acid lipase (LAL), a key enzyme in the metabolic pathway of neutral lipids, has a close connection with inflammation and tumor progression. One major manifestation in LAL-deficient (Lipa(-/-)) mice is an increase of tumor growth and metastasis associated with expansion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells. In the lung, LAL is highly expressed in alveolar type II epithelial cells. To assess how LAL in lung epithelial cells plays a role in this inflammation-related pathogenic process, lung alveolar type II epithelial cell-specific expression of human LAL (hLAL) in Lipa(-/-) mice was established by crossbreeding of CCSP-driven rtTA transgene and (TetO)7-CMV-hLAL transgene into Lipa(-/-) mice (CCSP-Tg/KO). hLAL expression in lung epithelial cells not only reduced tumor-promoting myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the lung, but also down-regulated the synthesis and secretion of tumor-promoting cytokines and chemokines into the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of Lipa(-/-) mice. hLAL expression reduced the immunosuppressive functions of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells, inhibited bone marrow cell transendothelial migration, and inhibited endothelial cell proliferation and migration in Lipa(-/-) mice. As a result, hLAL expression in CCSP-Tg/KO mice corrected pulmonary damage, and inhibited tumor cell proliferation and migration in vitro, and tumor metastasis to the lung in vivo. These results support a concept that LAL is a critical metabolic enzyme in lung epithelial cells that regulates lung homeostasis, immune response, and tumor metastasis.

Hepatocyte-Specific Expression of Human Lysosome Acid Lipase Corrects Liver Inflammation and Tumor Metastasis in lal(-/-) Mice

The liver is a major organ for lipid synthesis and metabolism. Deficiency of lysosomal acid lipase (LAL; official name Lipa, encoded by Lipa) in mice (lal(-/-)) results in enlarged liver size due to neutral lipid storage in hepatocytes and Kupffer cells. To test the functional role of LAL in hepatocyte, hepatocyte-specific expression of human LAL (hLAL) in lal(-/-) mice was established by cross-breeding of liver-activated promoter (LAP)-driven tTA transgene and (tetO)7-CMV-hLAL transgene with lal(-/-) knockout (KO) (LAP-Tg/KO) triple mice. Hepatocyte-specific expression of hLAL in LAP-Tg/KO triple mice reduced the liver size to the normal level by decreasing lipid storage in both hepatocytes and Kupffer cells. hLAL expression reduced tumor-promoting myeloid-derived suppressive cells in the liver of lal(-/-) mice. As a result, B16 melanoma metastasis to the liver was almost completely blocked. Expression and secretion of multiple tumor-promoting cytokines or chemokines in the liver were also significantly reduced. Because hLAL is a secretory protein, lal(-/-) phenotypes in other compartments (eg, blood, spleen, and lung) also ameliorated, including systemic reduction of myeloid-derived suppressive cells, an increase in CD4(+) and CD8(+) T and B lymphocytes, and reduced B16 melanoma metastasis in the lung. These results support a concept that LAL in hepatocytes is a critical metabolic enzyme in controlling neutral lipid metabolism, liver homeostasis, immune response, and tumor metastasis.

Comparative venom gland transcriptome surveys of the saw-scaled vipers (Viperidae: Echis) reveal substantial intra-family gene diversity and novel venom transcripts

Background

Venom variation occurs at all taxonomical levels and can impact significantly upon the clinical manifestations and efficacy of antivenom therapy following snakebite. Variation in snake venom composition is thought to be subject to strong natural selection as a result of adaptation towards specific diets. Members of the medically important genus Echis exhibit considerable variation in venom composition, which has been demonstrated to co-evolve with evolutionary shifts in diet. We adopt a venom gland transcriptome approach in order to investigate the diversity of toxins in the genus and elucidate the mechanisms which result in prey-specific adaptations of venom composition.

Results

Venom gland transcriptomes were created for E. pyramidum leakeyi, E. coloratus and E. carinatus sochureki by sequencing ~1000 expressed sequence tags from venom gland cDNA libraries. A standardised methodology allowed a comprehensive intra-genus comparison of the venom gland profiles to be undertaken, including the previously described E. ocellatus transcriptome. Blast annotation revealed the presence of snake venom metalloproteinases, C-type lectins, group II phopholipases A₂, serine proteases, L-amino oxidases and growth factors in all transcriptomes throughout the genus. Transcripts encoding disintegrins, cysteine-rich secretory proteins and hyaluronidases were obtained from at least one, but not all, species. A representative group of novel venom transcripts exhibiting similarity to lysosomal acid lipase were identified from the E. coloratus transcriptome, whilst novel metallopeptidases exhibiting similarity to neprilysin and dipeptidyl peptidase III were identified from E. p. leakeyi and E. coloratus respectively.

Conclusion

The comparison of Echis venom gland transcriptomes revealed substantial intrageneric venom variation in representations and cluster numbers of the most abundant venom toxin families. The expression profiles of established toxin groups exhibit little obvious association with venom-related adaptations to diet described from this genus. We suggest therefore that alterations in isoform diversity or transcript expression levels within the major venom protein families are likely to be responsible for prey specificity, rather than differences in the representation of entire toxin families or the recruitment of novel toxin families, although the recruitment of lysosomal acid lipase as a response to vertebrate feeding cannot be excluded. Evidence of marked intrageneric venom variation within the medically important genus Echis strongly advocates further investigations into the medical significance of venom variation in this genus and its impact upon antivenom therapy.