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Maddalon A, Masi M, Iulini M, Linciano P, Galbiati V, Marinovich M, Racchi M, Buoso E, Corsini E. Effects of endocrine active contaminating pesticides on RACK1 expression and immunological consequences in THP-1 cells. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2022; 95:103971. [PMID: 36084878 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2022.103971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We have previously demonstrated that RACK1, which expression is under steroid hormone control, plays an important role in the activation of immune cells and its expression can be useful to evaluate the immunotoxic profile of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Hence, we investigated the effects of three contaminating and persistent pesticides: the fungicide vinclozolin (VIN), the herbicide atrazine (ATR) and the insecticide cypermethrin (CYP) on RACK1 expression and on innate immune response. VIN resulted in modest alteration of RACK1 while ATR and CYP reduced in a dose dependent manner RACK1 expression, ultimately leading to the decrease in lipopolysaccharide-induced IL-8 and TNF-α release and CD86 and CD54 surface marker expression. Moreover, our data indicate that, after exposure to EDCs, alterations of RACK1 expression can also occur with mechanisms not directly mediated by an interaction with a nuclear or membrane steroid receptors. Therefore, RACK1 could represent a useful EDCs screening tool to evaluate their immunotoxic potential and to dissect their mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambra Maddalon
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Mirco Masi
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy; Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Piazza della Vittoria 15, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Martina Iulini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Pasquale Linciano
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Valentina Galbiati
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Marina Marinovich
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Racchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Erica Buoso
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy; Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
| | - Emanuela Corsini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
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2
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Masi M, Maddalon A, Iulini M, Linciano P, Galbiati V, Marinovich M, Racchi M, Corsini E, Buoso E. Effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals on the expression of RACK1 and LPS-induced THP-1 cell activation. Toxicology 2022; 480:153321. [PMID: 36113621 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2022.153321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The existence of a complex hormonal balance among glucocorticoids, androgens and estrogens involved in the regulation of Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1 (RACK1) expression and its related immune cells activation, highlights the possibility to employ this protein as screening tool for the evaluation of the immunotoxic profile of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), hormone-active substances capable of interfering with the physiologic hormonal signaling. Hence, the aim of this work was to investigate the effect of the exposure of EDCS 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE), diethyl phthalate (DEP) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) on RACK1 expression and on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activation of the human monocytic cell line THP-1, a validated model for this investigation. In line with our previous results with estrogen-active compounds, EE treatment significantly induced RACK1 promoter transcriptional activity, mRNA expression, and protein levels, which paralleled an increase in LPS-induced IL-8, TNF-α production and CD86 expression, previously demonstrated to be dependent on RACK1/PKCβ activation. EE mediates its effect on RACK1 expression through G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) and androgen receptor (AR) ligand-independent cascade, as also suggested by in silico molecular docking simulation. Conversely, DEP and PFOS induced a dose-dependent downregulation of RACK1 promoter transcriptional activity, mRNA expression, and protein levels, which was mirrored by a reduction of IL-8, TNF-α production and CD86 expression. Mifepristone pre-treatments abolish DEP and PFOS effects, confirming their GR agonist profile, also corroborated by molecular docking. Altogether, our data confirm that RACK1 represents an interesting target of steroid active compounds, which expression offers the opportunity to screen the immunotoxic potential of different hormone-active substances of concerns due to their human exposure and environmental persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirco Masi
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy; Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Piazza della Vittoria 15, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Ambra Maddalon
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Martina Iulini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Pasquale Linciano
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Valentina Galbiati
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Marina Marinovich
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Racchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Emanuela Corsini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Erica Buoso
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy; Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
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3
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Buoso E, Kenda M, Masi M, Linciano P, Galbiati V, Racchi M, Dolenc MS, Corsini E. Effects of Bisphenols on RACK1 Expression and Their Immunological Implications in THP-1 Cells. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:743991. [PMID: 34621174 PMCID: PMC8490885 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.743991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) has an important role in immune activation, and is regulated through a balance between glucocorticoid and androgen levels. We have previously demonstrated that RACK1 expression can serve as a marker for evaluation of immunotoxic profiles of hormone-active substances, such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). In this study, we investigated the effects of three bisphenols (BPA, BPAF, BPS) on RACK1 expression and on the innate immune responses in the THP-1 human promyelocytic cell line, a validated model for this investigation. BPA and BPAF reduced RACK1 promoter transcriptional activity, mRNA expression, and protein levels. However, BPS had the opposite effect. As expected, these results on RACK1 were paralleled by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) production. Since BPA and BPAF induced RACK1 expression in the presence of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist mifepristone, a role of G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) has been considered due to their known estrogenic profile. Therefore, additional molecular effects of BPA and BPAF were unmasked after treatment with different inhibitors of well-known pivotal players of GPER-mediated signaling. BPA exerted its effects on RACK1 via NF-κB, as shown using the NF-κB inhibitor BAY11-7085 and NF-κB-specific luciferase reporter assay. Conversely, BPAF induced RACK1 up-regulation via androgen receptor (AR) activation, as confirmed by treatment with AR antagonist flutamide. Indeed, a biased agonism profile for BPA and BPAF for GPER was suggested based on their different binding modes revealed by our molecular docking. Altogether, our data suggest that RACK1 could represent an important target of EDCs and serves as a screening tool for their immunotoxic potential. Furthermore, RACK1 can be exploited to unmask multiple molecular interactions of hormone-active substances to better dissect out their mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Buoso
- Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Pavia, Italy
| | - Maša Kenda
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Mirco Masi
- Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Pavia, Italy.,Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Pasquale Linciano
- Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Pavia, Italy
| | - Valentina Galbiati
- Università Degli Studi di Milano, Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche ed Ambientali, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Racchi
- Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Emanuela Corsini
- Università Degli Studi di Milano, Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche ed Ambientali, Milan, Italy
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Pavlović N, Heindryckx F. Exploring the Role of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Hepatocellular Carcinoma through mining of the Human Protein Atlas. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10070640. [PMID: 34356495 PMCID: PMC8301178 DOI: 10.3390/biology10070640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Hepatocellular carcinoma is a highly deadly primary liver cancer. It is usually diagnosed at a late stage, when therapeutic options are scarce, and the lack of predictive biomarkers poses a challenge for early detection. A known hallmark of hepatocellular carcinoma is the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), known as ER-stress. Growing experimental evidence suggests that ER-stress is involved in liver cancer initiation and progression. However, it remains unclear if ER-stress markers can be used as therapeutic targets or biomarkers for patients with liver cancer. In this study, we evaluated the prognostic value of proteins involved in managing ER-stress in liver cancer by mining a publicly available patient-derived database, the Human Protein Atlas. We thereby identified 44 ER-stress-associated proteins as prognostic markers in liver cancer. Furthermore, we discussed the expression of these markers in relation to disease stage, age, sex, ethnicity, and tissue localization. Abstract Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and actors of unfolded protein response (UPR) have emerged as key hallmarks of hepatocarcinogenesis. Numerous reports have shown that the main actors in the UPR pathways are upregulated in HCC and contribute to the different facets of tumor initiation and disease progression. Furthermore, ER-stress inducers and inhibitors have shown success in preclinical HCC models. Despite the mounting evidence of the UPR’s involvement in HCC pathogenesis, it remains unclear how ER-stress components can be used safely and effectively as therapeutic targets or predictive biomarkers for HCC patients. In an effort to add a clinical context to these findings and explore the translational potential of ER-stress in HCC, we performed a systematic overview of UPR-associated proteins as predictive biomarkers in HCC by mining the Human Protein Atlas database. Aside from evaluating the prognostic value of these markers in HCC, we discussed their expression in relation to patient age, sex, ethnicity, disease stage, and tissue localization. We thereby identified 44 UPR-associated proteins as unfavorable prognostic markers in HCC. The expression of these markers was found to be higher in tumors compared to the stroma of the hepatic HCC patient tissues.
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Buoso E, Masi M, Racchi M, Corsini E. Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals' (EDCs) Effects on Tumour Microenvironment and Cancer Progression: Emerging Contribution of RACK1. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E9229. [PMID: 33287384 PMCID: PMC7729595 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21239229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Endocrine disruptors (EDCs) can display estrogenic and androgenic effects, and their exposure has been linked to increased cancer risk. EDCs have been shown to directly affect cancer cell regulation and progression, but their influence on tumour microenvironment is still not completely elucidated. In this context, the signalling hub protein RACK1 (Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1) could represent a nexus between cancer and the immune system due to its roles in cancer progression and innate immune activation. Since RACK1 is a relevant EDCs target that responds to steroid-active compounds, it could be considered a molecular bridge between the endocrine-regulated tumour microenvironment and the innate immune system. We provide an analysis of immunomodulatory and cancer-promoting effects of different EDCs in shaping tumour microenvironment, with a final focus on the scaffold protein RACK1 as a pivotal molecular player due to its dual role in immune and cancer contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Buoso
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.M.); (M.R.)
| | - Mirco Masi
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.M.); (M.R.)
- Classe di Scienze Umane e della Vita (SUV), Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Piazza della Vittoria 15, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Marco Racchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.M.); (M.R.)
| | - Emanuela Corsini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche ed Ambientali, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy;
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6
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Buoso E, Masi M, Galbiati V, Maddalon A, Iulini M, Kenda M, Sollner Dolenc M, Marinovich M, Racchi M, Corsini E. Effect of estrogen-active compounds on the expression of RACK1 and immunological implications. Arch Toxicol 2020; 94:2081-2095. [PMID: 32328699 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-020-02756-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
We previously demonstrated the existence of a balance among steroid hormones, i.e. glucocorticoids and androgens, in RACK1 (receptor for activated C kinase 1) expression and innate immunity activation, which may offer the opportunity to use RACK1 expression as marker to evaluate immunotoxicity of hormone-active substances. Because of the existence of close interconnections between the different steroid hormone receptors with overlapping ligand specificities and signaling pathways, in this study, we wanted to investigate a possible effect of estrogenic active compounds, namely 17β-estradiol, diethylstilbestrol, and zearalenone, on RACK-1 expression and innate immune responses using THP-1 cells as experimental model. All compounds increased RACK1 transcriptional activity as evaluated by reporter luciferase activity, mRNA expression as assessed by real time-PCR and protein expression by western blot analysis, which paralleled an increase in LPS-induced IL-8, TNF-α production, and CD86 expression, which we previously demonstrated to be dependent on RACK1/PKCβ activation. As the induction of RACK1 expression can be blocked by the antagonist G15, induced by the agonist G1 and by the non-cell permeable 17β-estradiol conjugated with BSA, a role of GPER (previously named GPR30) activation in estrogen-induced RACK1 expression could be demonstrated. In addition, a role of androgen receptor (AR) in RACK1 transcription was also demonstrated by the ability of flutamide, a nonsteroidal antiandrogen, to completely prevent diethylstilbestrol-induced RACK1 transcriptional activity and protein expression. Altogether, our data suggest that RACK1 may represent an interesting target of steroid-active compounds, and its evaluation may offer the opportunity to screen the immunotoxic potential of hormone-active substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Buoso
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Mirco Masi
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100, Pavia, Italy.,Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Pavia, Italy
| | - Valentina Galbiati
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche ed Ambientali, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Ambra Maddalon
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Martina Iulini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche ed Ambientali, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Maša Kenda
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marija Sollner Dolenc
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marina Marinovich
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Racchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università Degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Emanuela Corsini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche ed Ambientali, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milano, Italy.
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7
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Coumestrol/hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin association incorporated in hydroxypropyl methylcellulose hydrogel exhibits wound healing effect: in vitro and in vivo study. Eur J Pharm Sci 2018; 119:179-188. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2018.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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8
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Day JP, Whiteley E, Freeley M, Long A, Malacrida B, Kiely P, Baillie GS. RAB40C regulates RACK1 stability via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Future Sci OA 2018; 4:FSO317. [PMID: 30112187 PMCID: PMC6088270 DOI: 10.4155/fsoa-2018-0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM RACK1 is a multifunctional scaffolding protein that is expressed in many cellular compartments, orchestrating a number of signaling processes. RACK1 acts as a signaling hub to localize active enzymes to discrete locations; therefore tight control of RACK1 is vital to cellular homeostasis. Our aim was to identify the mechanisms responsible for RACK1 turnover and show that degradation is directed by the ubiquitin proteasome system. RESULTS Using siRNA screening, we identified RAB40C as the ubiquitin E3 ligase responsible for ubiquitination of RACK1, and that the action of RAB40C in controlling RACK1 levels is crucial to both cancer cell growth and migration of T cells. CONCLUSION Our data suggest that manipulation of RACK1 levels in this way may provide a novel strategy to explore RACK1 function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon P Day
- Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Ellanor Whiteley
- Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Michael Freeley
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, D08 W9RT, Ireland
| | - Aideen Long
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, D08 W9RT, Ireland
| | - Beatrice Malacrida
- Materials & Surface Science Institute & Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Patrick Kiely
- Materials & Surface Science Institute & Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - George S Baillie
- Institute of Cardiovascular & Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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9
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Corsini E, Galbiati V, Papale A, Kummer E, Pinto A, Guaita A, Racchi M. The role of HSP27 in RACK1-mediated PKC activation in THP-1 cells. Immunol Res 2017; 64:940-50. [PMID: 27178349 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-016-8802-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1 (RACK1) pseudosubstrate is a commercially available peptide that directly activates protein kinase C-β (PKCβ). We have recently shown that RACK1 pseudosubstrate, alone or in combination with classical immune activators, results in increased cytokine production and CD86 upregulation in primary leukocytes. Furthermore, we demonstrated a role of PKCβ and RACK1 in chemical allergen-induced CD86 expression and IL-8 production in both THP-1 cells and primary human dendritic cells. Aim of this study was to shed light on the mechanisms underlying RACK1 pseudosubstrate-induced immune activation and to compare it to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The human promyelocytic cell line THP-1 was used throughout the study. RACK1 pseudosubstrate induced rapid (5 min) and dose-related PKCβ activation as assessed by its membrane translocation. Among the proteins phosphorylated, we identified Hsp27. Both RACK1 pseudosubstrate and LPS induce its phosphorylation and release in culture medium. The release of Hsp27 induced by RACK1 pseudosubstrate was also confirmed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. To evaluate the role of Hsp27 in RACK1 pseudosubstrate or LPS-induced cell activation, we conducted Hsp27 silencing and neutralization experiments. Both strategies confirmed the central role of Hsp27 in RACK1 pseudosubstrate or LPS-induced cell activation, as assessed by IL-8 production and upregulation of CD86.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Corsini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, DiSFeB, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Galbiati
- Laboratory of Toxicology, DiSFeB, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Angela Papale
- Laboratory of Toxicology, DiSFeB, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Kummer
- Laboratory of Toxicology, DiSFeB, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonella Pinto
- Department of Drug Sciences - Pharmacology, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 14, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Marco Racchi
- Department of Drug Sciences - Pharmacology, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 14, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
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10
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Racchi M, Buoso E, Ronfani M, Serafini MM, Galasso M, Lanni C, Corsini E. Role of Hormones in the Regulation of RACK1 Expression as a Signaling Checkpoint in Immunosenescence. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18071453. [PMID: 28684670 PMCID: PMC5535944 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18071453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Revised: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunosenescence defines the decline in immune function that occurs with aging. This has been associated, at least in part, with defective cellular signaling via protein kinase C (PKC) signal transduction pathways. Our data suggest reduced PKC activation and consequently reduced response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation and cytokine release. The lack of PKC activation seems to be dependent on the reduced expression of the receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1), a scaffolding protein involved in multiple signal transduction cascades. The defective expression of RACK1 may be dependent on age-related alteration of the balance between the adrenal hormones cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). DHEA levels reduce with aging, while cortisol levels remain substantially unchanged, resulting in an overall increase in the cortisol:DHEA ratio. These hormonal changes are significant in the context of RACK1 expression and signaling function because DHEA administration in vivo and in vitro can restore the levels of RACK1 and the function of the PKC signaling cascade in aged animals and in human cells. In contrast, there is evidence that cortisol can act as a negative transcriptional regulator of RACK1 expression. The rack1 gene promoter contains a glucocorticoid responsive element that is also involved in androgen signaling. Furthermore DHEA may have an indirect influence on the post-transcriptional regulation of the functions of the glucocorticoid receptor. In this review, we will examine the role of the hormonal regulation of rack1 gene transcriptional regulation and the consequences on signaling and function in immune cells and immunosenescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Racchi
- Department of Drug Sciences, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
| | - Erica Buoso
- Department of Drug Sciences, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
| | - Melania Ronfani
- Department of Drug Sciences, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
| | - Melania M Serafini
- Department of Drug Sciences, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
- Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS Pavia, Piazza della Vittoria 15, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
| | - Marilisa Galasso
- Department of Drug Sciences, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
| | - Cristina Lanni
- Department of Drug Sciences, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
| | - Emanuela Corsini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy.
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11
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Transcriptional regulation of RACK1 and modulation of its expression: Role of steroid hormones and significance in health and aging. Cell Signal 2017; 35:264-271. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2017.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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12
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Buoso E, Galasso M, Ronfani M, Papale A, Galbiati V, Eberini I, Marinovich M, Racchi M, Corsini E. The scaffold protein RACK1 is a target of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) with important implication in immunity. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2017; 325:37-47. [DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2017.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Buoso E, Galasso M, Ronfani M, Serafini MM, Lanni C, Corsini E, Racchi M. Role of spliceosome proteins in the regulation of glucocorticoid receptor isoforms by cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone. Pharmacol Res 2017; 120:180-187. [PMID: 28373129 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2017.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) can counteract the activity of cortisol by modulating the glucocorticoid receptor β (GRβ) expression and antagonizing the binding of GRα to the glucocorticoid responsive element (GRE) in RACK1 (Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1) promoter. These observations are important in the context of immunosenescence and can be extended to recognize a complex hormonal balance in the control of GR isoform expression and consequently in the expression of GR responsive genes. To elucidate the mechanism of DHEA on GR alternative splicing, we investigated its possible involvement in the expression of proteins such as the Serine/arginine (SR)-Rich Splicing Factors (SRSF) regulating GR splicing, specifically SRSF9 and SRSF3 also known as SRp30c and SRp20 respectively. We demonstrated that DHEA can induce the up-regulation of GR mRNA which is preferentially directed toward the β isoform. The effect is due to an increase in expression of the splicing factor SRSF9. On the other hand cortisol up-regulated SRSF3, the splicing factor promoting GRα isoform. We demonstrated that DHEA and cortisol modulate SRSF9 and SRSF3 in a different way and our data suggest that the anti-glucocorticoid effect of DHEA, among other mechanisms, is also exerted by modulating the expression of proteins involved in the splicing of the GR pre-mRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Buoso
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco - Università degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Marilisa Galasso
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco - Università degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Melania Ronfani
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco - Università degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Melania Maria Serafini
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco - Università degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy; Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS Pavia, Piazza della Vittoria n.15, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Cristina Lanni
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco - Università degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Emanuela Corsini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari - Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Racchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco - Università degli Studi di Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12/14, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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Corsini E, Galbiati V, Papale A, Kummer E, Pinto A, Serafini MM, Guaita A, Spezzano R, Caruso D, Marinovich M, Racchi M. Role of androgens in dhea-induced rack1 expression and cytokine modulation in monocytes. IMMUNITY & AGEING 2016; 13:20. [PMID: 27239218 PMCID: PMC4884617 DOI: 10.1186/s12979-016-0075-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Background Over the past fifteen years, we have demonstrated that cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) have opposite effects on the regulation of protein kinase C (PKC) activity in the context of the immune system. The anti-glucocorticoid effect of DHEA is also related to the regulation of splicing of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), promoting the expression of GRβ isoform, which acts as a negative dominant form on GRα activity. Moreover, it is very well known that DHEA can be metabolized to androgens like testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and its metabolites 3α-diol and 3β-diol, which exert their function through the binding of the androgen receptor (AR). Based on this knowledge, and on early observation that castrated animals show results similar to those observed in old animals, the purpose of this study is to investigate the role of androgens and the androgen receptor (AR) in DHEA-induced expression of the PKC signaling molecule RACK1 (Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1) and cytokine production in monocytes. Results Here we demonstrated the ability of the anti-androgen molecule, flutamide, to counteract the stimulatory effects of DHEA on RACK1 and GRβ expression, and cytokine production. In both THP-1 cells and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), flutamide blocked the effects of DHEA, suggesting a role of the AR in these effects. As DHEA is not considered a direct AR agonist, we investigated the metabolism of DHEA in THP-1 cells. We evaluated the ability of testosterone, DHT, and androstenedione to induce RACK1 expression and cytokine production. In analogy to DHEA, an increase in RACK1 expression and in LPS-induced IL–8 and TNF–α production was observed after treatment with these selected androgens. Finally, the silencing of AR with siRNA completely prevented DHEA-induced RACK1 mRNA expression, supporting the idea that AR is involved in DHEA effects. Conclusions We demonstrated that the conversion of DHEA to active androgens, which act via AR, is a key mechanism in the effect of DHEA on RACK1 expression and monocyte activation. This data supports the existence of a complex hormonal balance in the control of immune modulation, which can be further studied in the context of immunosenescence and endocrinosenescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Corsini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Galbiati
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Angela Papale
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Kummer
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonella Pinto
- Department of Drug Sciences - Pharmacology Unit, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 14, Pavia, 27100 Italy
| | - Melania M Serafini
- Department of Drug Sciences - Pharmacology Unit, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 14, Pavia, 27100 Italy
| | | | - Roberto Spezzano
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory "Giovanni Galli", DiSFeB, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Donatella Caruso
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory "Giovanni Galli", DiSFeB, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marina Marinovich
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Racchi
- Department of Drug Sciences - Pharmacology Unit, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 14, Pavia, 27100 Italy
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George A, Suzuki N, Abas AB, Mohri K, Utsuyama M, Hirokawa K, Takara T. Immunomodulation in Middle-Aged Humans Via the Ingestion of Physta® Standardized Root Water Extract of Eurycoma longifolia Jack--A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Study. Phytother Res 2016; 30:627-35. [PMID: 26816234 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.5571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Revised: 12/15/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
This study was aimed to investigate the capacity of a standardized root water extract of Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali, TA), Physta® to modulate human immunity in a middle-aged Japanese population. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study was conducted for 4 weeks. Eighty-four of 126 subjects had relatively lower scores according to Scoring of Immunological Vigor (SIV) screening. Subjects were instructed to ingest either 200 mg/day of TA or rice powder as a placebo for 4 weeks [TA and Placebo (P) groups] and to visit a clinic in Tokyo twice (weeks 0 and 4). SIV, immunological grade, immunological age, and other immune parameters were measured. Eighty-three subjects completed the study; 40 in the TA group and 41 in the P group were statistically analyzed, whereas two were excluded from the analyses. At week 4, the SIV and immunological grade were significantly higher in the TA group than those in P group (p < 0.05). The numbers of total, naïve, and CD4(+) T cells were also higher in the TA group than those in P group (p < 0.05). No severe adverse events were observed. The results suggest that ingestion of the root water extract of TA (Physta®) enhances comprehensive immunity in both middle-aged men and women. This study is registered in UMIN-CTR (UMIN000011753).
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie George
- Research and Development Department, Biotropics Malaysia Berhad, Lot 21, Jalan U1/19 Section U1, Hicom-Glenmarie Industrial Park, 40150, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Naoko Suzuki
- Research and Development Department, ORTHOMEDICO Inc., Tokyo Medical & Dental University M&D Tower 25F, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8519, Japan
| | - Azreena Binti Abas
- Research and Development Department, Biotropics Malaysia Berhad, Lot 21, Jalan U1/19 Section U1, Hicom-Glenmarie Industrial Park, 40150, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Kiminori Mohri
- Meiji Pharmaceutical University, 2-522-1 Noshio, Kiyose, Tokyo, 204-8588, Japan
| | - Masanori Utsuyama
- Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8519, Japan.,Institute for Health and Life Science Co., Ltd., Tokyo Medical and Dental University Open Laboratory, Medical Research Institute, Surugadai Bldg, 2-3-10, Surugadai, Kanda, Chiyoda, Tokyo, 101-0062, Japan
| | - Katsuiku Hirokawa
- Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-8519, Japan.,Institute for Health and Life Science Co., Ltd., Tokyo Medical and Dental University Open Laboratory, Medical Research Institute, Surugadai Bldg, 2-3-10, Surugadai, Kanda, Chiyoda, Tokyo, 101-0062, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Takara
- Seishinkai Medical Association Inc., Takara Medical Clinic, Taisei Bldg 9F, 2-3-2, Higashi-Gotanda, Shinagawa, Tokyo, 141-0022, Japan
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Pinto A, Malacrida B, Oieni J, Serafini MM, Davin A, Galbiati V, Corsini E, Racchi M. DHEA modulates the effect of cortisol on RACK1 expression via interference with the splicing of the glucocorticoid receptor. Br J Pharmacol 2015; 172:2918-27. [PMID: 25626076 PMCID: PMC4439885 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2014] [Revised: 12/21/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is thought to be an anti-glucocorticoid hormone known to be fully functional in young people but deficient in aged humans. Our previous data suggest that DHEA not only counteracts the effect of cortisol on RACK1 expression, a protein required both for the correct functioning of immune cells and for PKC-dependent pathway activation, but also modulates the inhibitory effect of cortisol on LPS-induced cytokine production. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of DHEA on the splicing mechanism of the human glucocorticoid receptor (GR). EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The THP1 monocytic cell line was used as a cellular model. Cytokine production was measured by specific elisa. Western blot and real-time RT-PCR were used, where appropriate, to determine the effect of DHEA on GRs, serine/arginine-rich proteins (SRp), and RACK1 protein and mRNA. Small-interfering RNA was used to down-regulate GRβ. KEY RESULTS DHEA induced a dose-related up-regulation of GRβ and GRβ knockdown completely prevented DHEA-induced RACK1 expression and modulation of cytokine release. Moreover, we showed that DHEA influenced the expression of some components of the SRps found within the spliceosome, the main regulators of the alternative splicing of the GR gene. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These data contribute to our understanding of the mechanism of action of DHEA and its effect on the immune system and as an anti-glucocorticoid agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Pinto
- Department of Drug Sciences – Pharmacology, University of PaviaPavia, Italy
| | - Beatrice Malacrida
- Department of Drug Sciences – Pharmacology, University of PaviaPavia, Italy
| | - Jacopo Oieni
- Department of Drug Sciences – Pharmacology, University of PaviaPavia, Italy
| | | | | | - Valentina Galbiati
- Laboratory of Toxicology, DiSFeB, Università degli Studi di MilanoMilan, Italy
| | - Emanuela Corsini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, DiSFeB, Università degli Studi di MilanoMilan, Italy
| | - Marco Racchi
- Department of Drug Sciences – Pharmacology, University of PaviaPavia, Italy
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Corsini E, Galbiati V, Pinto A, Davin A, Polito L, Guaita A, Racchi M. Immunostimulatory effects of RACK1 pseudosubstrate in human leukocytes obtained from young and old donors. Oncotarget 2015; 6:6524-34. [PMID: 25779661 PMCID: PMC4466631 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.3002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims of this study were to investigate the ability of RACK1 pseudosubstrate alone or in combination with classical immune stimuli to activate human leukocytes, and to restore age-associated immune defects.A total of 25 donors (17 old donors, 77-79 yrs; 8 young donors, 25-34 yrs) were enrolled. To evaluate the effect of RACK1 pseudosubstrate on cytokine production and CD86 expression the whole blood assay was used. Cultures were treated with RACK1 pseudosubstrate in the presence or absence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and incubated for 24 h or 48 h for LPS-induced CD86 expression, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 production, and PHA-induced IL-4, IL-10, IFN-γ, respectively. RACK1 pseudosubstrate alone induced IL-6, IL-8, and CD86 expression in both young and old donors, and IFN-γ in old donors. In combination with LPS an increase in IL-8, IL-10 and TNF-α was observed, also resulting in restoration of age-associated defective production, while no changes in the other parameters investigated were found.Even if based on a small sample size, these results suggest the possibility to by-pass some of age-associated immune alterations, which may be beneficial in situations were natural immune stimulation is required, and highlight a different role of PKCβ in immune cells activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Corsini
- Laboratory of Toxicology, DiSFeB, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Galbiati
- Laboratory of Toxicology, DiSFeB, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonella Pinto
- Department of Drug Sciences - Pharmacology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Marco Racchi
- Department of Drug Sciences - Pharmacology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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Corticosteroids modulate the expression of the PKC-anchoring protein RACK-1 and cytokine release in THP-1 cells. Pharmacol Res 2014; 81:10-6. [PMID: 24462857 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2014.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2013] [Revised: 01/01/2014] [Accepted: 01/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
We demonstrated that cortisol reduces the expression of RACK-1 (Receptor for Activated C Kinase-1), a protein required for immune cell activation. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether and to what extent other clinically relevant corticosteroids may modulate RACK-1 expression. We used the human promyelocytic cell line THP-1 to investigate the effects of cortisol, prednisone, prednisolone, budesonide, betamethasone and methylprednisolone on RACK-1 expression and cytokine production. As anticipated, all corticosteroids inhibited at non-cytotoxic concentrations in a dose and time related manner LPS-induced TNF-α and IL-8 release, with budesonide, betamethasone and methylprednisolone being the most active followed by prednisolone, cortisol and prednisone. To a similar extent, all corticosteroids also reduced RACK-1 mRNA expression and RACK-1 protein levels as assessed by Real Time PCR and Western blot, respectively. Prednisone was the least potent compound while betamethasone and methylprednisolone where the most active. A good correlation was observed between RACK-1 mRNA or protein levels and cytokine release (Pearson r=0.7376, p=0.0471 for RACK-1 mRNA and TNF-α release, and Pearson r=0.8108, p=0.0252 for RACK-1 protein and IL-8 release). Mifepristone, a potent glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist, completely prevented the effect of cortisol, demonstrating that RACK-1 downregulation is via GR. Furthermore, to by-pass the defective PKC activation due to the decrease in RACK-1, we used a RACK-1 pseudosubstrate, that directly activates PKC-beta. RACK-1 pseudosubstrate was able to restore LPS-induced cytokine production affected by cortisol, supporting the role of RACK-1 in the anti-inflammatory effect of corticosteroids. These results confirm the involvement of RACK-1 in immune cell activation and identify this protein as a novel transcriptional target of corticosteroid-induced anti-inflammatory effects.
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19
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Opposing effects of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone on the expression of the receptor for Activated C Kinase 1: implications in immunosenescence. Exp Gerontol 2011; 46:877-83. [PMID: 21820043 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2011.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2010] [Revised: 06/17/2011] [Accepted: 07/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Aging is associated to a decline in immune functions that are in part related to a defective protein kinase C dependent signal transduction machinery. RACK-1 (Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1) is a scaffold protein for different kinases and membrane receptors. We have previously demonstrated, in the elderly, a defective PCKβII (Protein Kinase C βII) translocation related to a decrease in RACK-1 protein expression, which is correlated to the age-associated decline in DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) levels. As a consequence of this signal transduction impairment, a significant decrease in immune cells functionality was observed. Furthermore, we could demonstrate that in vivo and in vitro DHEA administration restored RACK-1 level and immune functions, indicating that this hormone behaved as a positive RACK-1 regulator. We have most recently characterized the human GNB2L1 promoter region, coding for RACK-1 protein. Although no direct DHEA responsive elements were found, a glucocorticoid responsive element (GRE) was identified. The purpose of this work was to investigate, in the human pro-myelocytic cell line THP-1, whether physiological cortisol concentrations were able to modulate GNB2L1 promoter activity, RACK-1 transcription as well as cytokine production. As DHEA is endowed of anti-glucocorticoid properties in several cellular systems, and as cortisol:DHEA ratio imbalance is relevant in aging, we also investigated their possible interaction at the RACK-1 expression level. We could demonstrate that cortisol acted in a dose-related manner as a GNB2L1 promoter repressor, reducing RACK-1 mRNA expression and protein level. Probably by interfering with glucocorticoid receptor binding to GRE sequence, prolonged DHEA exposure counteracted cortisol effects, restoring RACK-1 levels and cytokine production, as assessed by LPS-induced TNF-α release.
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20
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Effect of age, GV transfer and modified nucleocytoplasmic ratio on PKCα in mouse oocytes and early embryos. ZYGOTE 2011; 20:87-95. [DOI: 10.1017/s0967199410000626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
SummaryProtein kinase C (PKC) is a family of Ser/Thr protein kinases that can be activated by Ca2+, phospholipid and diacylglycerol. There is evidence that PKC plays key roles in the meiotic maturation and activation of mammalian oocytes. The present study aimed to monitor the effect of age, germinal vesicle (GV) transfer and modified nucleoplasmic ratio on the subcellular distribution profile of PKCα, an important isozyme of PKC, in mouse oocytes undergoing meiotic maturation and following egg activation. Germinal vesicle oocytes were collected from 6–8-week-old and 12-month-old mice. Germinal vesicle-reconstructed oocytes and GV oocytes with one-half or one-third of the original oocyte volume were created using micromanipulation and electrofusion. The subcellular localization of PKCα was detected by immunocytochemistry and laser confocal microscopy. Our study showed that PKCα had a similar location pattern in oocytes and early embryos from young and old mice. PKCα was localized evenly in ooplasm, with weak staining in GV at the GV stage, and present in the entire meiosis II (MII) spindle at the MII stage. In pronuclear and 2-cell embryos, PKCα was concentrated in the nucleus except for the nucleolus. After the GV oocytes were reconstructed, the resultant MII oocytes and embryos showed a similar distribution of PKCα between reconstructed and unreconstructed controls. After one-half or two-thirds of the cytoplasm was removed from the GV oocytes, PKCα still had a similar location pattern in MII oocytes and early embryos from the GV oocytes with modified nucleoplasmic ratio. Our study showed that age, GV transfer and modified nucleocytoplasmic ratio does not affect distribution of PKCα during mouse oocyte maturation, activation, and early embryonic mitosis.
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Yi H, Li XH, Yi B, Zheng J, Zhu G, Li C, Li MY, Zhang PF, Li JL, Chen ZC, Xiao ZQ. Identification of Rack1, EF-Tu and Rhodanese as Aging-Related Proteins in Human Colonic Epithelium by Proteomic Analysis. J Proteome Res 2010; 9:1416-23. [PMID: 20099848 DOI: 10.1021/pr9009386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hong Yi
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics of Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Xin-Hui Li
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics of Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Bin Yi
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics of Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Jie Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics of Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Guo Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics of Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Cui Li
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics of Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Mao-Yu Li
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics of Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Peng-Fei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics of Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Jian-Ling Li
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics of Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Zhu-Chu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics of Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics of Chinese Ministry of Health, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
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Abstract
Werner's syndrome (WS) is a rare autosomal disease characterized by the premature onset of several age-associated pathologies. The protein defective in patients with WS (WRN) is a helicase/exonuclease involved in DNA repair, replication, transcription and telomere maintenance. In this study, we show that a knock down of the WRN protein in normal human fibroblasts induces phosphorylation and activation of several protein kinase C (PKC) enzymes. Using a tandem affinity purification strategy, we found that WRN physically and functionally interacts with receptor for activated C-kinase 1 (RACK1), a highly conserved anchoring protein involved in various biological processes, such as cell growth and proliferation. RACK1 binds strongly to the RQC domain of WRN and weakly to its acidic repeat region. Purified RACK1 has no impact on the helicase activity of WRN, but selectively inhibits WRN exonuclease activity in vitro. Interestingly, knocking down RACK1 increased the cellular frequency of DNA breaks. Depletion of the WRN protein in return caused a fraction of nuclear RACK1 to translocate out of the nucleus to bind and activate PKCdelta and PKCbetaII in the membrane fraction of cells. In contrast, different DNA-damaging treatments known to activate PKCs did not induce RACK1/PKCs association in cells. Overall, our results indicate that a depletion of the WRN protein in normal fibroblasts causes the activation of several PKCs through translocation and association of RACK1 with such kinases.
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Carbone MC, Tatone C. Alterations in the protein kinase C signaling activated by a parthenogenetic agent in oocytes from reproductively old mice. Mol Reprod Dev 2009; 76:122-31. [PMID: 18449882 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.20923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
To investigate the effect of female age on oocyte developmental competence, we focused on protein kinase C (PKC), a major component of the signalling pathway involved in oocyte activation, and put forward the hypothesis that, as it occurs in many organs and tissues, aging affects PKC function in mouse oocytes. Biochemical activity of PKC along with the expression and subcellular distribution of some PKC isoforms were monitored in young and old mouse oocytes parthenogenetically activated by SrCl(2). We found that PKC activity increased reaching a level that was lower in old compared to young oocytes in association with an incomplete translocation of PKCbetaI to the plasma membrane. Moreover, old oocytes exhibited a reduced expression of PKCbeta1 and PKCalpha at the protein level, without significant effects on the expression of the Ca(2+)-independent PKCdelta. Detectable amounts of PKCbeta1 mRNA were observed in young and old oocytes at GV stage with no difference between the two groups of age. When meiotic progression to anaphase II up to first cleavage were analyzed, a delay in meiosis resumption and significantly lower rates of pronuclei formation and first cleavage were observed in old compared to young oocytes. Moreover, we found that, in contrast to SrCl(2), PMA (12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate), a PKC agonist, was ineffective in activating old oocytes. Present findings provide evidence that aging affects the correct storage and activation of some PKCs, functional components of the machinery involved in oocyte activation, and suggest that these changes may negatively influence the activation competence of old oocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Carbone
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
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Corsini E, Racchi M, Lucchi L, Donetti E, Bedoni M, Viviani B, Galli C, Marinovich M. Skin immunosenescence: decreased receptor for activated C kinase-1 expression correlates with defective tumour necrosis factor-α production in epidermal cells. Br J Dermatol 2009; 160:16-25. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2008.08885.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Functional mapping of the promoter region of the GNB2L1 human gene coding for RACK1 scaffold protein. Gene 2008; 430:17-29. [PMID: 19000751 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2008.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2008] [Revised: 10/02/2008] [Accepted: 10/04/2008] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
RACK1 (Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1) is a scaffold protein for different kinases and membrane receptors. Previously, we characterized an age-dependent decline of RACK1 protein expression which could be counteracted with DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) [Corsini, E., et al. 2002. In vivo dehydroepiandrosterone restores age-associated defects in the protein kinase C signal transduction pathway and related functional responses. J. Immunol. 168, 1753-1758. and Corsini, E., et al. 2005. Age-related decline in RACK-1 expression in human leukocytes is correlated to plasma levels of dehydroepiandrosterone. J. Leukoc. Biol. 77, 247-256.]. Hypothesizing a direct control of RACK1 expression by DHEA we studied the not yet characterized human promoter region of its coding gene GNB2L1. The FLOE (Fluorescently Labeled Oligonucleotide Extension) was used to map the transcription start site and a novel Gateway luciferase vector (GW luc basic; Del Vecchio, I., Zuccotti, A., Canneva, F., Lenzken, S.C., Racchi, M., 2007. Development of the first Gateway firefly luciferase vector and use of reverse transcriptase in FLOE (Fluorescently Labeled Oligonucleotide Extension) reactions. Plasmid 58, 269-274.) to obtain promoter region mutants. Human SH-SY5Y, THP1 and lymphoblastoid cells were used for transient transfections and treatments with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), DHEA and cortisol (the first two molecules to differently activate NF-kB, a transcription complex able to regulate the murine Gnb2l1 gene expression, whereas DHEA and cortisol since they are known to be imbalanced during the aging and possess counteracting actions on the immune function). The primer extension demonstrated the existence of two alternative start sites of transcription respectively located at about 230 and 300 nt 5' of the Genbank mRNA entry for GNB2L1. Moreover, as a result of the luciferase study we were able to demonstrate that a little region of approximately 300 nt conserved sufficient elements for reporter expression. We also reported that the DHEA modulation of GNB2L1 endogenous expression could not be recapitulated with the luciferase assays. Indeed, the promoter was significantly modulated by means of LPS and PMA treatments but not using DHEA. Differently the use of cortisol led us to demonstrate a biologically significant decrease of luciferase activity only in the presence of a binding site for nuclear receptors of glucocorticoids. Interestingly, other binding sites for transcriptional factors were identified in silico: different c-Rel (NF-kB) and some cardiomyocitic specific cis-acting elements. All this data suggest that the DHEA mediated GNB2L1 regulation is modulated by distant elements (enhancers/silencers), whereas LPS, PMA and cortisol effect can act directly on the mapped GNB2L1 promoter. In conclusion we hypothesize that the imbalance between DHEA and cortisol during aging could be important in the previously demonstrated recovery of the RACK1 expression.
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Racchi M, Sinforiani E, Govoni S, Marinovich M, Galli CL, Corsini E. RACK-1 expression and cytokine production in leukocytes obtained from AD patients. Aging Clin Exp Res 2006; 18:153-7. [PMID: 16702786 DOI: 10.1007/bf03327432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The purpose of this study was to evaluate in vitro cytokine production in blood leukocytes obtained from sporadic AD patients, aged controls and young individuals. METHODS Diluted whole blood was treated in the presence or absence of LPS (1 microg/mL) for varying times (3-48 h). The release of IL-8, IL-10 and TNF-alpha in conditioned media was evaluated by commercially available sandwich ELISA. RESULTS Data obtained are indicative of the presence of an unregulated systemic inflammation in AD patients. Leukocytes obtained from AD patients had increased spontaneous TNF-alpha release and decreased LPS-induced IL-10 production, in comparison with both old controls and young subjects, while identical IL-8 production was observed in all groups. The last finding indicates that there was no shift in the potency or efficacy of the response towards LPS with aging, but alterations in downstream signal transduction pathways are probably altered with aging and pathological conditions. CONCLUSIONS The dysregulation of cytokine production observed in AD patients may partially be explained by a significant reduction in the expression of RACK-1, a protein crucial for integration of signaling pathways with different physiological functions, such as cytokine production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Racchi
- Department of Experimental and Applied Pharmacology, University of Pavia, Italy
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