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Ding W, Yao S, Chen Y, Wu Y, Li Y, He W, Guo Z. A Near-Infrared Fluorescent and Photoacoustic Probe for Visualizing Biothiols Dynamics in Tumor and Liver. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28052229. [PMID: 36903474 PMCID: PMC10005096 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Biothiols, including glutathione (GSH), homocysteine (Hcy) and cysteine (Cys), play crucial roles in various physiological processes. Though an array of fluorescent probes have been designed to visualize biothiols in living organisms, few one-for-all imaging agents for sensing biothiols with fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging capabilities have been reported, since instructions for synchronously enabling and balancing every optical imaging efficacy are deficient. Herein, a new near-infrared thioxanthene-hemicyanine dye (Cy-DNBS) has been constructed for fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging of biothiols in vitro and in vivo. Upon treatment with biothiols, the absorption peak of Cy-DNBS shifted from 592 nm to 726 nm, resulting in a strong NIR absorption as well as a subsequent turn-on PA signal. Meanwhile, the fluorescence intensity increased instantaneously at 762 nm. Then, Cy-DNBS was successfully utilized for imaging endogenous and exogenous biothiols in HepG2 cells and mice. In particular, Cy-DNBS was employed for tracking biothiols upregulation in the liver of mice triggered by S-adenosyl methionine by means of fluorescent and photoacoustic imaging methods. We expect that Cy-DNBS serves as an appealing candidate for deciphering biothiols-related physiological and pathological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhong Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Shankun Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yuncong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- Nanchuang (Jiangsu) Institute of Chemistry and Health, Nanjing 210000, China
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (W.H.); (Z.G.)
| | - Yanping Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yaheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Weijiang He
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- Nanchuang (Jiangsu) Institute of Chemistry and Health, Nanjing 210000, China
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (W.H.); (Z.G.)
| | - Zijian Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- Nanchuang (Jiangsu) Institute of Chemistry and Health, Nanjing 210000, China
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (W.H.); (Z.G.)
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Milewski K, Czarnecka AM, Albrecht J, Zielińska M. Decreased Expression and Uncoupling of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase in the Cerebral Cortex of Rats with Thioacetamide-Induced Acute Liver Failure. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:6662. [PMID: 34206365 PMCID: PMC8268495 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22136662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute liver failure (ALF) is associated with deregulated nitric oxide (NO) signaling in the brain, which is one of the key molecular abnormalities leading to the neuropsychiatric disorder called hepatic encephalopathy (HE). This study focuses on the effect of ALF on the relatively unexplored endothelial NOS isoform (eNOS). The cerebral prefrontal cortices of rats with thioacetamide (TAA)-induced ALF showed decreased eNOS expression, which resulted in an overall reduction of NOS activity. ALF also decreased the content of the NOS cofactor, tetrahydro-L-biopterin (BH4), and evoked eNOS uncoupling (reduction of the eNOS dimer/monomer ratio). The addition of the NO precursor L-arginine in the absence of BH4 potentiated ROS accumulation, whereas nonspecific NOS inhibitor L-NAME or EDTA attenuated ROS increase. The ALF-induced decrease of eNOS content and its uncoupling concurred with, and was likely causally related to, both increased brain content of reactive oxidative species (ROS) and decreased cerebral cortical blood flow (CBF) in the same model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Magdalena Zielińska
- Department of Neurotoxicology, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawińskiego Str, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland; (K.M.); (A.M.C.); (J.A.)
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Czarnecka AM, Milewski K, Albrecht J, Zielińska M. The Status of Bile Acids and Farnesoid X Receptor in Brain and Liver of Rats with Thioacetamide-Induced Acute Liver Failure. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21207750. [PMID: 33092050 PMCID: PMC7589210 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute liver failure (ALF) leads to neurological symptoms defined as hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Although accumulation of ammonia and neuroinflammation are generally accepted as main contributors to HE pathomechanism, a buildup of bile acids (BA) in the blood is a frequent component of liver injury in HE patients. Recent studies have identified the nuclear farnesoid X receptor (FXR) acting via small heterodimer partner (SHP) as a mediator of BA-induced effects in the brain of ALF animals. The present study investigated the status of the BA–FXR axis in the brain and the liver, including selective changes in pertinent genes in thioacetamide (TAA)-induced ALF in Sprague–Dawley rats. FXR was found in rat neurons, confirming earlier reports for mouse and human brain. BA accumulated in blood but not in the brain tissue. Expression of mRNAs coding for Fxr and Shp was reduced in the hippocampus and of Fxr mRNA also in the cerebellum. Changes in Fxr mRNA levels were not followed by changes in FXR protein. The results leave open the possibility that mobilization of the BA–FXR axis in the brain may not be necessarily pathognomonic to HE but may depend upon ALF-related confounding factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Czarnecka
- Correspondence: (A.M.C.); (M.Z.); Tel.: +48-22-6086416 (A.M.C.); +48-22-6086470 (M.Z.)
| | | | | | - Magdalena Zielińska
- Correspondence: (A.M.C.); (M.Z.); Tel.: +48-22-6086416 (A.M.C.); +48-22-6086470 (M.Z.)
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S-Adenosylmethionine Deficiency and Brain Accumulation of S-Adenosylhomocysteine in Thioacetamide-Induced Acute Liver Failure. Nutrients 2020; 12:nu12072135. [PMID: 32709137 PMCID: PMC7400803 DOI: 10.3390/nu12072135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute liver failure (ALF) impairs cerebral function and induces hepatic encephalopathy (HE) due to the accumulation of neurotoxic and neuroactive substances in the brain. Cerebral oxidative stress (OS), under control of the glutathione-based defense system, contributes to the HE pathogenesis. Glutathione synthesis is regulated by cysteine synthesized from homocysteine via the transsulfuration pathway present in the brain. The transsulfuration-transmethylation interdependence is controlled by a methyl group donor, S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) conversion to S-adenosylhomocysteine (AdoHcy), whose removal by subsequent hydrolysis to homocysteine counteract AdoHcy accumulation-induced OS and excitotoxicity. METHODS Rats received three consecutive intraperitoneal injections of thioacetamide (TAA) at 24 h intervals. We measured AdoMet and AdoHcy concentrations by HPLC-FD, glutathione (GSH/GSSG) ratio (Quantification kit). RESULTS AdoMet/AdoHcy ratio was reduced in the brain but not in the liver. The total glutathione level and GSH/GSSG ratio, decreased in TAA rats, were restored by AdoMet treatment. CONCLUSION Data indicate that disturbance of redox homeostasis caused by AdoHcy in the TAA rat brain may represent a deleterious mechanism of brain damage in HE. The correction of the GSH/GSSG ratio following AdoMet administration indicates its therapeutic value in maintaining cellular redox potential in the cerebral cortex of ALF rats.
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Khadieva TA, Pokrovskaya TG, Belousova Y. Pharmacological correction of endothelial dysfunction using ademethionin and taurine. RESEARCH RESULTS IN PHARMACOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.3897/rrpharmacology.5.32730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Рharmacological correction of endothelial dysfunction is a urgent problem of modern medicine.
Materials and methods: Endothelial dysfunction was simulated in male rats using the e-NOS inhibitor L-NAME (25 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally, for 7 days). Simulation of ADMA-like preeclampsia was performed by intraperitoneal injection of L-NAME to females in the same doses for 7 days (14-20th days of pregnancy). These pathologies were corrected by administering ademethionine in dose 150 mg/kg and taurine at a dose of 260 mg/kg, as well as their combination at the same doses, intragastrically, through an atraumatic probe, once a day.
Results: In the group with use of taurine at a dose of 260 mg/kg the coefficient of endothelial dysfunction decreased to the level of intact animals. Use of ademethionine at a dose of 150 mg/kg and taurine at a dose of 260 mg/kg combined resulted in the most pronounced endothelioprotective effect on the ADMA-like preeclampsia model. The coefficient of endothelial dysfunction decreased more than when using monotherapy of these drugs. Morphological studies of myocardiocytes showed that the combination of ademethionine at a dose of 150 mg/kg and taurine at a dose of 260 mg/kg prevented an increase in the cross-section of cardiomyocytes.
Discussion: Possibly, ademethionine and taurine have an endothelioprotective effect because of their ability to decrease hyperhomocysteinemia.
Conclusion: The investigated drugs showed pronounced endothelioprotective activity and can be recommended for further pre-clinical studies.
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Czarnecka A, Aleksandrowicz M, Jasiński K, Jaźwiec R, Kalita K, Hilgier W, Zielińska M. Cerebrovascular reactivity and cerebral perfusion of rats with acute liver failure: role of L-glutamine and asymmetric dimethylarginine in L-arginine-induced response. J Neurochem 2018; 147:692-704. [PMID: 30151828 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is impaired in acute liver failure (ALF), however, the complexity of the underlying mechanisms has often led to inconclusive interpretations. Regulation of CBF depends at least partially on variations in the local brain L-arginine concentration and/or its metabolic rate. In ALF, other factors, like an increased concentration of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor and elevated level of L-glutamine, may contribute to CBF alteration. This study demonstrated strong differences in the reactivity of the middle cerebral arteries and their response to extravascular L-arginine application between vessels isolated from rats with thioacetamide (TAA)-induced ALF and control animals. Our results also showed the decrease in the cerebral perfusion in TAA rats measured by arterial spin labeling perfusion magnetic resonance. Subsequently, we aimed to investigate the importance of balance between the concentration of ADMA and L-arginine in the CBF regulation. In vivo, intraperitoneal L-arginine administration in TAA rats corrected: (i) decrease in cerebral perfusion, (ii) decrease in brain extracellular L-arginine/ADMA ratio and (iii) increase in brain L-glutamine concentration. Our study implicates that impaired vascular tone of cerebral arteries is most likely associated with exposure to high ADMA and L-glutamine levels resulting in limited availability of L-arginine and might be responsible for reduced cerebral perfusion observed in ALF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Czarnecka
- Department of Neurotoxicology, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Aleksandrowicz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Jasiński
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Radosław Jaźwiec
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Kalita
- Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Wojciech Hilgier
- Department of Neurotoxicology, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena Zielińska
- Department of Neurotoxicology, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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Milewski K, Bogacińska-Karaś M, Fręśko I, Hilgier W, Jaźwiec R, Albrecht J, Zielińska M. Ammonia Reduces Intracellular Asymmetric Dimethylarginine in Cultured Astrocytes Stimulating Its y⁺LAT2 Carrier-Mediated Loss. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18112308. [PMID: 29099056 PMCID: PMC5713277 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18112308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Previously we had shown that ammonia stimulates nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in astrocytes by increasing the uptake of the precursor amino acid, arginine via the heteromeric arginine/glutamine transporter y+LAT2. Ammonia also increases the concentration in the brain of the endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthases (NOS), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), but distribution of ADMA surplus between the intraastrocytic and extracellular compartments of the brain has not been studied. Here we tested the hypothesis that ammonia modulates the distribution of ADMA and its analog symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) between the two compartments of the brain by competition with arginine for the y+LAT2 transporter. In extension of the hypothesis we analyzed the ADMA/Arg interaction in endothelial cells forming the blood-brain barrier. We measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) technique the concentration of arginine, ADMA and SDMA in cultured cortical astrocytes and in a rat brain endothelial cell line (RBE-4) treated with ammonia and the effect of silencing the expression of a gene coding y+LAT2. We also tested the expression of ADMA metabolism enzymes: protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) and dimethylarginine dimethyl aminohydrolase (DDAH) and arginine uptake to astrocytes. Treatment for 48 h with 5 mM ammonia led to an almost 50% reduction of ADMA and SDMA concentration in both cell types, and the effect in astrocytes was substantially attenuated by silencing of the Slc7a6 gene. Moreover, the y+LAT2-dependent component of ammonia-evoked arginine uptake in astrocytes was reduced in the presence of ADMA in the medium. Our results suggest that increased ADMA efflux mediated by upregulated y+LAT2 may be a mechanism by which ammonia interferes with intra-astrocytic (and possibly intra-endothelial cell) ADMA content and subsequently, NO synthesis in both cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Milewski
- Department of Neurotoxicology, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Małgorzata Bogacińska-Karaś
- Department of Neurotoxicology, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Inez Fręśko
- Department of Neurotoxicology, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Wojciech Hilgier
- Department of Neurotoxicology, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Radosław Jaźwiec
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Jan Albrecht
- Department of Neurotoxicology, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Magdalena Zielińska
- Department of Neurotoxicology, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
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Asymmetric Dimethylarginine and Hepatic Encephalopathy: Cause, Effect or Association? Neurochem Res 2016; 42:750-761. [PMID: 27885576 PMCID: PMC5357500 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-016-2111-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Revised: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The methylated derivative of l-arginine, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is synthesized in different mammalian tissues including the brain. ADMA acts as an endogenous, nonselective, competitive inhibitor of all three isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and may limit l-arginine supply from the plasma to the enzyme via reducing its transport by cationic amino acid transporters. Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a relatively frequently diagnosed complex neuropsychiatric syndrome associated with acute or chronic liver failure, characterized by symptoms linked with impaired brain function leading to neurological disabilities. The l-arginine—nitric oxide (NO) pathway is crucially involved in the pathomechanism of HE via modulating important cerebral processes that are thought to contribute to the major HE symptoms. Specifically, activation of this pathway in acute HE leads to an increase in NO production and free radical formation, thus, contributing to astrocytic swelling and cerebral edema. Moreover, the NO-cGMP pathway seems to be involved in cerebral blood flow (CBF) regulation, altered in HE. For this reason, depressed NO-cGMP signaling accompanying chronic HE and ensuing cGMP deficit contributes to the cognitive and motor failure. However, it should be remembered that ADMA, a relatively little known element limiting NO synthesis in HE, may also influence the NO-cGMP pathway regulation. In this review, we will discuss the contribution of ADMA to the regulation of the NO-cGMP pathway in the brain, correlation of ADMA level with CBF and cognitive alterations observed during HE progression in patients and/or animal models of HE.
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