Redox regulation of skeletal muscle glucose transport

Although the control of carbohydrate metabolism may be regulated by numerous factors, the redox state of the cell is of primary importance. The redox state may be influenced by a number of different factors, including different reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) collectively, called reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (RONS). This review attempts to summarize the importance of redox regulation in relation to glucose transport and regulation of carbohydrate metabolism in skeletal muscle. In addition, prior studies implicating the role of different RONS in the control of glucose transport in skeletal muscle will be presented. Finally, the possible involvement of the cGMP, p21ras, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) kinase signal transduction cascades, which have been implicated with redox-sensitive alterations in glucose transport, will also be discussed.

Novel inhibitors of advanced glycation endproducts (part II)

Enhanced formation and accumulation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), have been implicated as a major pathogenesis process leading to diabetic complications, normal aging, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer's Disease. Several potential drug candidates as AGE inhibitors have been reported recently. The aim of this study was to develop classes of novel inhibitors of glycation, AGE formation, and AGE-crosslinking and to investigate their effects through in vitro chemical and immunochemical assays. A total of 92 compounds were designed and synthesized. The first 63 compounds were reported before. Nearly half of the 29 novel inhibitors reported here are benzoic acid derivatives and related molecules, and found to be potent inhibitors of multistage glycation, AGE formation, and AGE-protein crosslinking. All 29 compounds show some degrees of inhibitory activities as detected by the four assay methods, 9 compounds demonstrated high percent inhibition (PI) in all tests, 30 to 40 times stronger than aminoguanidine.

Hyperglycemia-induced activation of nuclear transcription factor kappaB in vascular smooth muscle cells

The transcriptional nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB can be activated by diverse stimuli such as cytokines, mitogens, oxidative stress, and lipids, leading to the transactivation of several genes that play important roles in the development of atherosclerosis. Because oxidative stress may play a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetic vascular disease, we have examined whether culture of porcine vascular smooth muscle cells (PVSMCs) under high glucose (HG) conditions (25 mmol/l) to simulate the diabetic state can lead to the activation of NF-kappaB, and also whether cytokine- or growth factor-induced NF-kappaB activation is altered by HG culture. We observed that PVSMCs cultured in HG showed significantly greater activation of NF-kappaB in the basal state compared with cells cultured in normal glucose (NG) (5.5 mmol/l). Treatment of the cells with cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin-1beta, or with growth factors, such as platelet-derived growth factor, insulin-like growth factor-I, and epidermal growth factor, all led to NF-kappaB activation in cells cultured in both NG and HG. However, their effects were markedly greater in HG. The augmented TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappaB activation in HG was associated with increased TNF-alpha-mediated transcriptional activation of the vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 promoter. Immunoblotting with an antibody to the p65 subunit of NF-kappaB indicated that the levels of this protein were higher in the nuclear extracts from cells cultured in HG compared with NG. Cells cultured in HG also produced significantly greater amounts of the reactive oxygen species superoxide. HG-induced NF-kappaB activation was inhibited by a protein kinase C inhibitor, calphostin C. These results suggest that hyperglycemia-induced activation of NF-kappaB in VSMCs may be a key mechanism for the accelerated vascular disease observed in diabetes.

Angiotensin II signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells under high glucose conditions

The mechanisms responsible for the accelerated cardiovascular disease in diabetes, as well as the increased hypertrophic effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) under hyperglycemic conditions, are not very clear. We examined whether the culture of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) under hyperglycemic conditions to simulate the diabetic state can lead to increased activation of key growth- and stress-related kinases, such as the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), in the basal state and in response to Ang II. Treatment of porcine VSMC for short time periods (0.5 to 3 hours) with high glucose (HG; 25 mmol/L) markedly increased the activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and c-Jun/N-terminal kinase (JNK) relative to cells cultured in normal glucose (NG; 5.5 mmol/L). p38 MAPK also was activated by HG, and this effect remained sustained for several hours. Ang II treatment increased the activity of all 3 families of MAPKs. Ang II-induced ERK activation was potentiated nearly 2-fold in cells treated with HG for 0.5 hour. However, Ang II-induced JNK was not altered. In VSMC cultured for 24 hours with HG, Ang II and HG displayed an additive response on p38 MAPK activity. MAPKs can lead to activation of transcription factors such as activator protein-1 (AP-1). HG alone significantly increased AP-1 DNA-binding activity. Furthermore, Ang II and HG combined had additive effects on AP-1 activity. These results suggest that increased activation of specific MAPKs and downstream transcription factors, such as AP-1, may be key mechanisms for the increased VSMC growth potential of HG alone and of Ang II under HG conditions.