Inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-alpha production by SK&F 98625, a CoA-independent transacylase inhibitor, in cultured rat peritoneal macrophages

ER calcium discharge stimulates GDNF gene expression through MAPK-dependent and -independent pathways in rat C6 glioblastoma cells

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), a neurotrophic and differentiation factor, is expressed under several pathophysiological conditions but its regulatory signals have not yet been clarified. Here, we found that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca(2+) discharge by thapsigargin induced GDNF mRNA as well as COX2 and GRP78 expression in rat C6 glioblastoma cells. GDNF mRNA was immediately induced and peaked at 2h by thapsigargin, and the alternative transcript consisting of exon 3 and exon 4 appeared to be most inducible. In spite of intracellular Ca(2+) perturbation, Ca(2+)-dependent PKC was not responsible for this induction. Instead, a PKCdelta-specific inhibitor, rottlerin, suppressed the thapsigargin-induced GDNF mRNA expression. On the other hand, thapsigargin transiently enhanced phosphorylation status of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, including extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk), p38 MAPK and c-JUN amino-terminal kinase1 (JNK1) simultaneously; whereas specific inhibitors against MEK1 and JNK only reduced the thapsigargin-induced GDNF mRNA expression. In addition, a pan-PKC inhibitor (Ro-31-8220) attenuated the thapsigargin-enhanced phosphorylation levels of Erk1/2 and JNK1, whereas rottlerin did not. Thus, the present study demonstrated that the thapsigargin-stimulated ER Ca(2+) discharge up-regulated GDNF gene expression through both MAPK-dependent and -independent pathways in C6 glioblastoma cells.

Acylation of lysophosphatidylcholine plays a key role in the response of monocytes to lipopolysaccharide

Mononuclear phagocytes play a pivotal role in the progression of septic shock by producing tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and other inflammatory mediators in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria. Our previous studies have shown monocyte and macrophage activation correlate with changes in membrane phospholipid composition, mediated by acyltransferases. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), which activates and primes these cells for enhanced inflammatory responses to LPS, was found to selectively activate lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (LPCAT) (P < 0.05) but not lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (LPAAT) activity. When used to prime the human monocytic cell line MonoMac 6, the production of TNF-alpha and interleukin-6 (IL-6) was approximately five times greater in cells primed with IFN-gamma than unprimed cells. Two LPCAT inhibitors SK&F 98625 (diethyl 7-(3,4,5-triphenyl-2-oxo2,3-dihydro-imidazole-1-yl)heptane phosphonate) and YM 50201 (3-hydroxyethyl 5,3'-thiophenyl pyridine) strongly inhibited (up to 90%) TNF-alpha and IL-6 production in response to LPS in both unprimed MonoMac-6 cells and in cells primed with IFN-gamma. In similar experiments, these inhibitors also substantially decreased the response of both primed and unprimed peripheral blood mononuclear cells to LPS. Sequence-based amplification methods showed that SK&F 98625 inhibited TNF-alpha production by decreasing TNF-alpha mRNA levels in MonoMac-6 cells. Taken together, the data from these studies suggest that LPCAT is a key enzyme in both the pathways of activation (priming) and the inflammatory response to LPS in monocytes.

Possible participation of intracellular platelet-activating factor in NF-kappaB activation in rat peritoneal macrophages

As we had found previously that thapsigargin, an endomembrane Ca2+-ATPase inhibitor, induces production of intracellular platelet-activating factor (PAF) [Br. J. Pharmacol. 116 (1995) 2141], we decided to investigate the possible roles of intracellular PAF in nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB activation of thapsigargin-stimulated rat peritoneal macrophages. When rat peritoneal macrophages were stimulated with thapsigargin, the level of inhibitory protein of NF-kappaB-alpha (IkappaB-alpha) was decreased and the nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB was increased. The thapsigargin-induced activation of NF-kappaB was inhibited by the PAF synthesis inhibitor SK&F 98625 and the PAF antagonist E6123. Structurally unrelated PAF antagonists such as E5880 and L-652,731 also inhibited the thapsigargin-induced activation of NF-kappaB. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activation of NF-kappaB was also suppressed by these drugs. In a culture of rat peritoneal macrophages, exogenously added PAF did not induce degradation of IkappaB-alpha. These findings suggest that the intracellular PAF produced by the stimulation with thapsigargin or LPS is involved in activation of the NF-kappaB pathway.

Participation of prostaglandin E2 and platelet-activating factor in thapsigargin-induced production of interleukin-6

Incubation of rat peritoneal macrophages in the presence of thapsigargin increased production of prostaglandin E2, intracellular platelet-activating factor (PAF) and interleukin-6. However, no PAF was detected in the conditioned medium. In the presence of SK&F 98625 (diethyl 7-(3,4,5-triphenyl-2-oxo-2,3-dihydroimidazol-1-yl)heptane phosphonate), a CoA-independent transacylase inhibitor, the thapsigargin-induced increases in the interleukin-6 mRNA level and interleukin-6 production were suppressed in a concentration-dependent manner. This inhibitor also suppressed the production of prostaglandin E2 and intracellular PAF. The PAF receptor antagonists such as E6123 ((S)-(+)-6-(2-chlorophenyl)-3-cyclopropanecarbonyl-8,11-dimethyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-8H-pyrido[4',3':4,5]thieno[3,2-f][1,2,4]triazolo [4,3-a][1,4]diazepine) and L-652,731 (2,5-bis(3,4,5-trimethylphenyl)tetrahydrofuran) partially inhibited the thapsigargin-induced increase in the levels of interleukin-6 mRNA and interleukin-6 protein. The SK&F 98625-induced suppression of interleukin-6 mRNA accumulation and interleukin-6 production was partially restored by addition of exogenous prostaglandin E2. However, exogenous PAF failed to reverse the suppression suggesting that the intracellular PAF does not act in an autocrine mechanism. These findings suggested that the concurrently produced prostaglandin E2 and intracellular PAF participate in the thapsigargin-induced increase in the interleukin-6 mRNA level and interleukin-6 production by rat peritoneal macrophages.

Participation of mitogen-activated protein kinase in thapsigargin- and TPA-induced histamine production in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells

1. Stimulation of the murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 with thapsigargin, an endomembrane Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor, induced histamine production in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. 2. The protein kinase C activator, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), also enhanced histamine production. 3. alpha-Fluoromethylhistidine, a suicide substrate of L-histidine decarboxylase (HDC), suppressed the thapsigargin (30 nM)- and TPA (30 nM)-induced histamine production. 4. Both thapsigargin (30 nM) and TPA (30 nM) induced phosphorylation of p44/p42 MAP kinase and p38 MAP kinase. 5. PD98059, a specific inhibitor of MEK-1 which phosphorylates p44/p42 MAP kinase, strongly suppressed both the thapsigargin (30 nM)- and TPA (30 nM)-induced histamine production, whereas SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase, inhibited them only partially. 6. The other MEK-1 inhibitor, U-0126, also inhibited both the thapsigargin- and TPA-induced histamine production in a concentration-dependent manner. 7. Thapsigargin (30 nM) and TPA (30 nM) increased the levels of HDC mRNA at 4 h, but PD98059 suppressed both the thapsigargin- and TPA-induced increases in the HDC mRNA level. 8. These findings indicate that thapsigargin and TPA induce histamine production in RAW 264.7 cells by increasing the level of HDC mRNA, and that both the thapsigargin- and TPA-induced histamine production are regulated largely by p44/p42 MAP kinase and partially by p38 MAP kinase.

Participation of protein kinases in staurosporine-induced interleukin-6 production by rat peritoneal macrophages

The incubation of rat peritoneal macrophages in the presence of staurosporine, a non-specific protein kinase inhibitor, induced interleukin-6 (IL-6) production in a time- and concentration-dependent manner at 6.3-63 nM, but at 210 nM, the stimulant effect on IL-6 production was reduced. The levels of IL-6 mRNA as determined by a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were also increased by staurosporine in parallel with the ability to induce IL-6 production. Compounds structurally related to staurosporine including K-252a (non-specific protein kinase inhibitor) and KT-5720 (inhibitor of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, PKA), did not increase IL-6 production by peritoneal macrophages. Staurosporine-induced increases in IL-6 production and expression of IL-6 mRNA were decreased by the PKC inhibitors, H-7 (2.7-27 microM), Ro 31-8425 (1-10 microM) and calphostin C (0.3-3 microM) and by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) inhibitor LY294002 (30-100 microM), but were further increased by the protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitor, genistein (12-37 microM). The staurosporine-induced increase in IL-6 production was not affected by the PKA inhibitor, H-89 (0.1-3 microM). These findings suggest that the induction of IL-6 production by staurosporine is secondary to elevation of IL-6 mRNA level, which, in turn, is positively regulated by the activation of PKC and PI 3-kinase and negatively regulated by the activation of PTK. PKA does not appear to play a significant role.

Possible participation of intracellular platelet-activating factor in tumor necrosis factor-alpha production by rat peritoneal macrophages

Stimulation of rat peritoneal macrophages by thapsigargin (46.1 nM) increased levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and prostaglandin E2 in the conditioned medium. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) was not detected in the conditioned medium, but the level of cell-associated PAF was increased transiently by thapsigargin. The PAF receptor antagonists such as E6123 ((S)-(+)-6-(2-chlorophenyl)-3-cyclopro-panecarbonyl-8,11-dim ethyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-8 H-pyrido[4',3':4,5]thieno [3,2-f][1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a][1,4]diazepine), L-652,73 1 (2,5-bis(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl) tetrahydrofuran) and CV-6209 (2-[N-acetyl-N-(2-methoxy-3-octadecyl-carbamoyloxy propoxycarbonyl)aminomethyl]-1-ethylpyridinium chloride) inhibited thapsigargin-induced production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha. The cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin inhibited prostaglandin E2 production, and further enhanced thapsigargin-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha production in parallel with further increase in cell-associated PAF production. The enhancement of tumor necrosis factor-alpha production induced by thapsigargin plus indomethacin was also inhibited by E6123, L-652,731 and CV-6209. However, exogenously added PAF up to 100 nM did not stimulate production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha. The level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA was increased by thapsigargin, but was lowered by the PAF receptor antagonist E6123, suggesting that the inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-alpha production by the PAF receptor antagonist is induced at the level of mRNA for tumor necrosis factor-alpha. These findings suggested that concurrently produced cell-associated PAF in thapsigargin-stimulated macrophages up-regulates production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha by acting as an intracellular signaling molecule and the PAF receptor antagonists might penetrate into the cells and antagonize the action of intracellular PAF.

Depression and bipolar disorder: relationships to impaired fatty acid and phospholipid metabolism and to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, immunological abnormalities, cancer, ageing and osteoporosis. Possible candidate genes

Depression and bipolar disorder are two of the commonest illnesses in the developed world. While some patients can be treated effectively with available drugs, many do not respond, especially in the depression related to bipolar disorder. Depression is associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, immunological abnormalities, multiple sclerosis, cancer, osteoporosis and ageing: in each case depressed individuals have a worse outcome than non-depressed individuals. In all of these conditions there is now evidence of impaired phospholipid metabolism and impaired fatty acid-related signal transduction processes. Impaired fatty acid and phospholipid metabolism may be a primary cause of depression in many patients and may explain the interactions with other diseases. Several novel gene candidates for involvement in depression and bipolar disorder are proposed.