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Gaumond SI, Abdin R, Costoya J, Schally AV, Jimenez JJ. Exploring the role of GHRH antagonist MIA-602 in overcoming Doxorubicin-resistance in acute myeloid leukemia. Oncotarget 2024; 15:248-254. [PMID: 38588464 PMCID: PMC11001269 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by the rapid proliferation of mutagenic hematopoietic progenitors in the bone marrow. Conventional therapies include chemotherapy and bone marrow stem cell transplantation; however, they are often associated with poor prognosis. Notably, growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) receptor antagonist MIA-602 has been shown to impede the growth of various human cancer cell lines, including AML. This investigation examined the impact of MIA-602 as monotherapy and in combination with Doxorubicin on three Doxorubicin-resistant AML cell lines, KG-1A, U-937, and K-562. The in vitro results revealed a significant reduction in cell viability for all treated wild-type cells. Doxorubicin-resistant clones were similarly susceptible to MIA-602 as the wild-type counterpart. Our in vivo experiment of xenografted nude mice with Doxorubicin-resistant K-562 revealed a reduction in tumor volume with MIA-602 treatment compared to control. Our study demonstrates that these three AML cell lines, and their Doxorubicin-resistant clones, are susceptible to GHRH antagonist MIA-602.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simonetta I Gaumond
- Dr. Philip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Rama Abdin
- Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | - Joel Costoya
- Dr. Philip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | | | - Joaquin J Jimenez
- Dr. Philip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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2
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Tong XY, Hussain H, Shamaladevi N, Norenberg MD, Fadel A, El Hiba O, Abdeljalil EG, Bilal EM, Kempuraj D, Natarajan S, Schally AV, Jaszberenyi M, Salgueiro L, Paidas MJ, Jayakumar AR. Age and Sex in the Development of Hepatic Encephalopathy: Role of Alcohol. Biology (Basel) 2024; 13:228. [PMID: 38666840 PMCID: PMC11048384 DOI: 10.3390/biology13040228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neurological condition linked to liver failure. Acute HE (Type A) occurs with acute liver failure, while chronic HE (Type C) is tied to cirrhosis and portal hypertension. HE treatments lag due to gaps in understanding its development by gender and age. We studied how sex and age impact HE and its severity with combined liver toxins. Our findings indicate that drug-induced (thioacetamide, TAA) brain edema was more severe in aged males than in young males or young/aged female rats. However, adding alcohol (ethanol, EtOH) worsens TAA's brain edema in both young and aged females, with females experiencing a more severe effect than males. These patterns also apply to Type A HE induced by azoxymethane (AZO) in mice. Similarly, TAA-induced behavioral deficits in Type C HE were milder in young and aged females than in males. Conversely, EtOH and TAA in young/aged males led to severe brain edema and fatality without noticeable behavioral changes. TAA metabolism was slower in aged males than in young or middle-aged rats. When TAA-treated aged male rats received EtOH, there was a slow and sustained plasma level of thioacetamide sulfoxide (TASO). This suggests that with EtOH, TAA-induced HE is more severe in aged males. TAA metabolism was similar in young, middle-aged, and aged female rats. However, with EtOH, young and aged females experience more severe drug-induced HE as compared to middle-aged adult rats. These findings strongly suggest that gender and age play a role in the severity of HE development and that the presence of one or more liver toxins may aggravate the severity of the disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Y. Tong
- Department of Pathology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (X.Y.T.); (M.D.N.)
| | - Hussain Hussain
- Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease, Larkin Community Hospital, Miami, FL 33143, USA;
| | | | - Michael D. Norenberg
- Department of Pathology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (X.Y.T.); (M.D.N.)
- General Medical Research, Neuropathology Section, R&D Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA; (A.V.S.); (M.J.); (L.S.)
- South Florida VA Foundation for Research and Education Inc., Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Aya Fadel
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ocean Medical Center-Hackensack Meridian Health, Brick, NJ 08724, USA;
| | - Omar El Hiba
- Laboratory of Anthropogenic, Biotechnology, Health, and Nutritional Physiopathologies, Neuroscience and Toxicology Team, Faculty of Sciences, Chouaib Doukkali University, Av. Des Facultés, El Jadida 24000, Morocco; (O.E.H.); (E.-M.B.)
- Hassan First University of Settat, Higher Institute of Health Sciences, Laboratory of Sciences and Health Technologies, Epidemiology and Biomedical Unit, Settat 26000, Morocco;
| | - El got Abdeljalil
- Hassan First University of Settat, Higher Institute of Health Sciences, Laboratory of Sciences and Health Technologies, Epidemiology and Biomedical Unit, Settat 26000, Morocco;
| | - El-Mansoury Bilal
- Laboratory of Anthropogenic, Biotechnology, Health, and Nutritional Physiopathologies, Neuroscience and Toxicology Team, Faculty of Sciences, Chouaib Doukkali University, Av. Des Facultés, El Jadida 24000, Morocco; (O.E.H.); (E.-M.B.)
- Hassan First University of Settat, Higher Institute of Health Sciences, Laboratory of Sciences and Health Technologies, Epidemiology and Biomedical Unit, Settat 26000, Morocco;
| | - Deepak Kempuraj
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA;
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
| | - Sampath Natarajan
- Department of Chemistry, School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA Deemed University, Thanjavur 613401, India;
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- General Medical Research, Neuropathology Section, R&D Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA; (A.V.S.); (M.J.); (L.S.)
- South Florida VA Foundation for Research and Education Inc., Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA
- Pathology, Laboratory Medicine, Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Department of Veterans Affairs, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Miklos Jaszberenyi
- General Medical Research, Neuropathology Section, R&D Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA; (A.V.S.); (M.J.); (L.S.)
- South Florida VA Foundation for Research and Education Inc., Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA
- Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Luis Salgueiro
- General Medical Research, Neuropathology Section, R&D Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA; (A.V.S.); (M.J.); (L.S.)
- South Florida VA Foundation for Research and Education Inc., Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Michael J. Paidas
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA;
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Arumugam R. Jayakumar
- General Medical Research, Neuropathology Section, R&D Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA; (A.V.S.); (M.J.); (L.S.)
- South Florida VA Foundation for Research and Education Inc., Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA;
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3
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Condor Capcha JM, Kamiar A, Robleto E, Saad AG, Cui T, Wong A, Villano J, Zhong W, Pekosz A, Medina E, Cai R, Sha W, Ranek MJ, Webster KA, Schally AV, Jackson RM, Shehadeh LA. Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor antagonist MIA-602 attenuates cardiopulmonary injury induced by BSL-2 rVSV-SARS-CoV-2 in hACE2 mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2308342120. [PMID: 37983492 PMCID: PMC10691341 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308342120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 pneumonia causes acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) characterized by early pulmonary endothelial and epithelial injuries with altered pulmonary diffusing capacity and obstructive or restrictive physiology. Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRH-R) is expressed in the lung and heart. GHRH-R antagonist, MIA-602, has been reported to modulate immune responses to bleomycin lung injury and inflammation in granulomatous sarcoidosis. We hypothesized that MIA-602 would attenuate rVSV-SARS-CoV-2-induced pulmonary dysfunction and heart injury in a BSL-2 mouse model. Male and female K18-hACE2tg mice were inoculated with SARS-CoV-2/USA-WA1/2020, BSL-2-compliant recombinant VSV-eGFP-SARS-CoV-2-Spike (rVSV-SARS-CoV-2), or PBS, and lung viral load, weight loss, histopathology, and gene expression were compared. K18-hACE2tg mice infected with rVSV-SARS-CoV-2 were treated daily with subcutaneous MIA-602 or vehicle and conscious, unrestrained plethysmography performed on days 0, 3, and 5 (n = 7 to 8). Five days after infection mice were killed, and blood and tissues collected for histopathology and protein/gene expression. Both native SARS-CoV-2 and rVSV-SARS-CoV-2 presented similar patterns of weight loss, infectivity (~60%), and histopathologic changes. Daily treatment with MIA-602 conferred weight recovery, reduced lung perivascular inflammation/pneumonia, and decreased lung/heart ICAM-1 expression compared to vehicle. MIA-602 rescued altered respiratory rate, increased expiratory parameters (Te, PEF, EEP), and normalized airflow parameters (Penh and Rpef) compared to vehicle, consistent with decreased airway inflammation. RNASeq followed by protein analysis revealed heightened levels of inflammation and end-stage necroptosis markers, including ZBP1 and pMLKL induced by rVSV-SARS-CoV-2, that were normalized by MIA-602 treatment, consistent with an anti-inflammatory and pro-survival mechanism of action in this preclinical model of COVID-19 pneumonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose M. Condor Capcha
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
| | - Ali Kamiar
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
| | - Emely Robleto
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
| | - Ali G. Saad
- Department of Pathology, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
| | - Tengjiao Cui
- Research Service, Miami Veterans Affairs Health System (VAHS), Miami, FL33125
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33101
| | - Amanda Wong
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Jason Villano
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - William Zhong
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Andrew Pekosz
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Edgar Medina
- Qualityminds Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (GmbH), Munchen, Munich81549, Germany
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
- Research Service, Miami Veterans Affairs Health System (VAHS), Miami, FL33125
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33101
| | - Wei Sha
- Research Service, Miami Veterans Affairs Health System (VAHS), Miami, FL33125
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33101
| | - Mark J. Ranek
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21205
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Keith A. Webster
- Integene International Holdings, Miami, FL33179
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX77030
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
- Research Service, Miami Veterans Affairs Health System (VAHS), Miami, FL33125
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33101
| | - Robert M. Jackson
- Research Service, Miami Veterans Affairs Health System (VAHS), Miami, FL33125
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33101
| | - Lina A. Shehadeh
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
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Recinella L, Libero ML, Veschi S, Piro A, Marconi GD, Diomede F, Chiavaroli A, Orlando G, Ferrante C, Florio R, Lamolinara A, Cai R, Sha W, Schally AV, Salvatori R, Brunetti L, Leone S. Effects of GHRH Deficiency and GHRH Antagonism on Emotional Disorders in Mice. Cells 2023; 12:2615. [PMID: 37998350 PMCID: PMC10670114 DOI: 10.3390/cells12222615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone (GHRH) has been suggested to play a crucial role in brain function. We aimed to further investigate the effects of a novel GHRH antagonist of the Miami (MIA) series, MIA-602, on emotional disorders and explore the relationships between the endocrine system and mood disorders. In this context, the effects induced by MIA-602 were also analyzed in comparison to vehicle-treated mice with GH deficiency due to generalized ablation of the GHRH gene (GHRH knock out (GHRHKO)). We show that the chronic subcutaneous administration of MIA-602 to wild type (+/+) mice, as well as generalized ablation of the GHRH gene, is associated with anxiolytic and antidepressant behavior. Moreover, immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses suggested an evident activation of Nrf2, HO1, and NQO1 in the prefrontal cortex of both +/+ mice treated with MIA-602 (+/+ MIA-602) and homozygous GHRHKO (-/- control) animals. Finally, we also found significantly decreased COX-2, iNOS, NFkB, and TNF-α gene expressions, as well as increased P-AKT and AKT levels in +/+ MIA-602 and -/- control animals compared to +/+ mice treated with vehicle (+/+ control). We hypothesize that the generalized ablation of the GHRH gene leads to a dysregulation of neural pathways, which is mimicked by GHRH antagonist treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Recinella
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy; (L.R.); (S.V.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (G.O.); (C.F.); (R.F.); (S.L.)
| | - Maria Loreta Libero
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy; (L.R.); (S.V.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (G.O.); (C.F.); (R.F.); (S.L.)
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, 14014 Cordoba, Spain
| | - Serena Veschi
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy; (L.R.); (S.V.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (G.O.); (C.F.); (R.F.); (S.L.)
| | - Anna Piro
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy; (L.R.); (S.V.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (G.O.); (C.F.); (R.F.); (S.L.)
| | - Guya Diletta Marconi
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy; (G.D.M.); (F.D.)
| | - Francesca Diomede
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy; (G.D.M.); (F.D.)
| | - Annalisa Chiavaroli
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy; (L.R.); (S.V.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (G.O.); (C.F.); (R.F.); (S.L.)
| | - Giustino Orlando
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy; (L.R.); (S.V.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (G.O.); (C.F.); (R.F.); (S.L.)
| | - Claudio Ferrante
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy; (L.R.); (S.V.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (G.O.); (C.F.); (R.F.); (S.L.)
| | - Rosalba Florio
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy; (L.R.); (S.V.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (G.O.); (C.F.); (R.F.); (S.L.)
| | - Alessia Lamolinara
- Department of Neuroscience Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy;
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA; (R.C.); (W.S.); (A.V.S.)
- Division of Medical/Oncology and Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Wei Sha
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA; (R.C.); (W.S.); (A.V.S.)
- Division of Medical/Oncology and Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA; (R.C.); (W.S.); (A.V.S.)
- Division of Medical/Oncology and Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Roberto Salvatori
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA;
| | - Luigi Brunetti
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy; (L.R.); (S.V.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (G.O.); (C.F.); (R.F.); (S.L.)
| | - Sheila Leone
- Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy; (L.R.); (S.V.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (G.O.); (C.F.); (R.F.); (S.L.)
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5
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Granato G, Gesmundo I, Pedrolli F, Kasarla R, Begani L, Banfi D, Bruno S, Lopatina T, Brizzi MF, Cai R, Sha W, Ghigo E, Schally AV, Granata R. Growth hormone-releasing hormone antagonist MIA-602 inhibits inflammation induced by SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and bacterial lipopolysaccharide synergism in macrophages and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1231363. [PMID: 37649486 PMCID: PMC10462983 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1231363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 is characterized by an excessive inflammatory response and macrophage hyperactivation, leading, in severe cases, to alveolar epithelial injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Recent studies have reported that SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein interacts with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to boost inflammatory responses in vitro, in macrophages and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and in vivo. The hypothalamic hormone growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), in addition to promoting pituitary GH release, exerts many peripheral functions, acting as a growth factor in both malignant and non-malignant cells. GHRH antagonists, in turn, display potent antitumor effects and antinflammatory activities in different cell types, including lung and endothelial cells. However, to date, the antinflammatory role of GHRH antagonists in COVID-19 remains unexplored. Here, we examined the ability of GHRH antagonist MIA-602 to reduce inflammation in human THP-1-derived macrophages and PBMCs stimulated with S protein and LPS combination. Western blot and immunofluorescence analysis revealed the presence of GHRH receptor and its splice variant SV1 in both THP-1 cells and PBMCs. Exposure of THP-1 cells to S protein and LPS combination increased the mRNA levels and protein secretion of TNF-α and IL-1β, as well as IL-8 and MCP-1 gene expression, an effect hampered by MIA-602. Similarly, MIA-602 hindered TNF-α and IL-1β secretion in PBMCs and reduced MCP-1 mRNA levels. Mechanistically, MIA-602 blunted the S protein and LPS-induced activation of inflammatory pathways in THP-1 cells, such as NF-κB, STAT3, MAPK ERK1/2 and JNK. MIA-602 also attenuated oxidative stress in PBMCs, by decreasing ROS production, iNOS and COX-2 protein levels, and MMP9 activity. Finally, MIA-602 prevented the effect of S protein and LPS synergism on NF-кB nuclear translocation and activity. Overall, these findings demonstrate a novel antinflammatory role for GHRH antagonists of MIA class and suggest their potential development for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, such as COVID-19 and related comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Granato
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Iacopo Gesmundo
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Pedrolli
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Ramesh Kasarla
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Laura Begani
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Dana Banfi
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Stefania Bruno
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Tatiana Lopatina
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Renzhi Cai
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, United States
- South Florida VA Foundation for Research and Education, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Wei Sha
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Ezio Ghigo
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, United States
- South Florida VA Foundation for Research and Education, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Medicine, Divisions of Medical/Oncology and Endocrinology, and the Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Riccarda Granata
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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Abstract
The hypothalamic peptide growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) stimulates the secretion of growth hormone (GH) from the pituitary through binding and activation of the pituitary type of GHRH receptor (GHRH-R), which belongs to the family of G protein-coupled receptors with seven potential membrane-spanning domains. Splice variants of GHRH-Rs (SV) in human tumors and other extra pituitary tissues were identified and their cDNA was sequenced. Among the SVs, splice variant 1 (SV1) possesses the greatest similarity to the full-length GHRH-R and remains functional by eliciting cAMP signaling and mitogenic activity upon GHRH stimulation. A large body of work have evaluated potential clinical applications of agonists and antagonists of GHRH in diverse fields, including endocrinology, oncology, cardiology, diabetes, obesity, metabolic dysfunctions, Alzheimer's disease, ophthalmology, wound healing and other applications. In this chapter, we briefly review the expression and potential function of GHRH-Rs and their SVs in various tissues and also elucidate and summarize the activation, molecular mechanism and signalization pathways of these receptors. Therapeutic applications of GHRH analogs are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabor Halmos
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary; Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Miami, FL, United States.
| | - Zsuzsanna Szabo
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Eva Juhasz
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Miami, FL, United States; Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States; Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology-Oncology and Endocrinology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States; Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
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7
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Louzada RA, Blandino-Rosano M, Flores S, Lubaczeuski C, Cui T, Sha W, Cai R, Schally AV, Bernal-Mizrachi E. GHRH agonist MR-409 protects β-cells from streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2209810120. [PMID: 37307472 PMCID: PMC10288557 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2209810120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) suffer from insufficient functional β-cell mass, which results from infiltration of inflammatory cells and cytokine-mediated β-cell death. Previous studies demonstrated the beneficial effects of agonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRH-R), such as MR-409 on preconditioning of islets in a transplantation model. However, the therapeutic potential and protective mechanisms of GHRH-R agonists on models of T1D diabetes have not been explored. Using in vitro and in vivo models of T1D, we assessed the protective propertie of the GHRH agonist, MR409 on β-cells. The treatment of insulinoma cell lines and rodent and human islets with MR-409 induces Akt signaling by induction of insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2), a master regulator of survival and growth in β-cells, in a PKA-dependent manner. The increase in cAMP/PKA/CREB/IRS2 axis by MR409 was associated with decrease in β-cell death and improved insulin secretory function in mouse and human islets exposed to proinflammatory cytokines. The assessment of the effects of GHRH agonist MR-409 in a model of T1D induced by low-dose streptozotocin showed that mice treated with MR-409 exhibited better glucose homeostasis, higher insulin levels, and preservation of β-cell mass. Increased IRS2 expression in β-cells in the group treated with MR-409 corroborated the in vitro data and provided evidence for the underlying mechanism responsible for beneficial effects of MR-409 in vivo. Collectively, our data show that MR-409 is a novel therapeutic agent for the prevention and treatment of β-cells death in T1D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruy A. Louzada
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
| | - Manuel Blandino-Rosano
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
| | - Sebastian Flores
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
| | - Camila Lubaczeuski
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
| | - Tengjiao Cui
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL33136
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL33125
- South Florida Veterans Affairs Foundation for Research and Education, Miami, FL33125
| | - Wei Sha
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL33136
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL33125
- South Florida Veterans Affairs Foundation for Research and Education, Miami, FL33125
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL33125
- South Florida Veterans Affairs Foundation for Research and Education, Miami, FL33125
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL33125
- South Florida Veterans Affairs Foundation for Research and Education, Miami, FL33125
- Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL33136
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL33136
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL33136
| | - Ernesto Bernal-Mizrachi
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL33136
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8
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Chale RS, Almeida SM, Rodriguez M, Jozic I, Gaumond SI, Schally AV, Jimenez JJ. The Application of GHRH Antagonist as a Treatment for Resistant APL. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3104. [PMID: 37370714 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15123104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
GHRH is a hypothalamic peptide shown to stimulate the proliferation of malignant cells in humans. We have previously shown that the use of GHRH antagonist MIA-602 successfully suppressed the growth of many human cancer cell lines, spanning more than 20 types of cancers. In this study, we demonstrate the presence of GHRH-R in the NB4, NB4-RAA, and K-562 model cell lines. Furthermore, we demonstrate the inhibited proliferation of all three cell lines in vitro after incubation with MIA-602. The treatment of xenografts of human APL cell lines with MIA-602 led to a significant reduction in tumor growth. Additionally, combination therapy with both doxorubicin (DOX) and MIA-602 showed a marked synergistic effect in reducing the proliferation of the K-562 AML cell line. These findings suggest that MIA-602 could be utilized to address resistance to all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) therapies, as well as in augmenting anthracycline-based regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravinder S Chale
- Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1600 NW 10th Ave RMSB R250, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Stephanie M Almeida
- Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1600 NW 10th Ave RMSB R250, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Mario Rodriguez
- Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1600 NW 10th Ave RMSB R250, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Ivan Jozic
- Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1600 NW 10th Ave RMSB R250, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Simonetta I Gaumond
- Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1600 NW 10th Ave RMSB R250, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Joaquin J Jimenez
- Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1600 NW 10th Ave RMSB R250, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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9
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Du L, Ho BM, Zhou L, Yip YWY, He JN, Wei Y, Tham CC, Chan SO, Schally AV, Pang CP, Li J, Chu WK. Growth hormone releasing hormone signaling promotes Th17 cell differentiation and autoimmune inflammation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3298. [PMID: 37280225 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39023-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of Th17 cell differentiation and pathogenicity contributes to multiple autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Previously growth hormone releasing hormone receptor (GHRH-R) deficient mice have been reported to be less susceptible to the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Here, we show GHRH-R is an important regulator of Th17 cell differentiation in Th17 cell-mediated ocular and neural inflammation. We find that GHRH-R is not expressed in naïve CD4+ T cells, while its expression is induced throughout Th17 cell differentiation in vitro. Mechanistically, GHRH-R activates the JAK-STAT3 pathway, increases the phosphorylation of STAT3, enhances both non-pathogenic and pathogenic Th17 cell differentiation and promotes the gene expression signatures of pathogenic Th17 cells. Enhancing this signaling by GHRH agonist promotes, while inhibiting this signaling by GHRH antagonist or GHRH-R deficiency reduces, Th17 cell differentiation in vitro and Th17 cell-mediated ocular and neural inflammation in vivo. Thus, GHRH-R signaling functions as a critical factor that regulates Th17 cell differentiation and Th17 cell-mediated autoimmune ocular and neural inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Du
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Bo Man Ho
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Linbin Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Yolanda Wong Ying Yip
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Jing Na He
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Yingying Wei
- Department of Statistics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Clement C Tham
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Sun On Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Chi Pui Pang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Wai Kit Chu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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10
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Kanashiro-Takeuchi RM, Takeuchi LM, Dulce RA, Kazmierczak K, Balkan W, Cai R, Sha W, Schally AV, Hare JM. Efficacy of a growth hormone-releasing hormone agonist in a murine model of cardiometabolic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2023; 324:H739-H750. [PMID: 36897749 PMCID: PMC10151038 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00601.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) represents a major unmet medical need owing to its diverse pathophysiology and lack of effective therapies. Potent synthetic, agonists (MR-356 and MR-409) of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) improve the phenotype of models of HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and in cardiorenal models of HFpEF. Endogenous GHRH exhibits a broad range of regulatory influences in the cardiovascular (CV) system and aging and plays a role in several cardiometabolic conditions including obesity and diabetes. Whether agonists of GHRH can improve the phenotype of cardiometabolic HFpEF remains untested and unknown. Here we tested the hypothesis that MR-356 can mitigate/reverse the cardiometabolic HFpEF phenotype. C57BL6N mice received a high-fat diet (HFD) plus the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (l-NAME) for 9 wk. After 5 wk of HFD + l-NAME regimen, animals were randomized to receive daily injections of MR-356 or placebo during a 4-wk period. Control animals received no HFD + l-NAME or agonist treatment. Our results showed the unique potential of MR-356 to treat several HFpEF-like features including cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, capillary rarefaction, and pulmonary congestion. MR-356 improved cardiac performance by improving diastolic function, global longitudinal strain (GLS), and exercise capacity. Importantly, the increased expression of cardiac pro-brain natriuretic peptide (pro-BNP), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) was restored to normal levels suggesting that MR-356 reduced myocardial stress associated with metabolic inflammation in HFpEF. Thus, agonists of GHRH may be an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cardiometabolic HFpEF phenotype.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This randomized study used rigorous hemodynamic tools to test the efficacy of a synthetic GHRH agonist to improve cardiac performance in a cardiometabolic HFpEF. Daily injection of the GHRH agonist, MR-356, reduced the HFpEF-like effects as evidenced by improved diastolic dysfunction, reduced cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and pulmonary congestion. Notably, end-diastolic pressure and end-diastolic pressure-volume relationship were reset to control levels. Moreover, treatment with MR-356 increased exercise capacity and reduced myocardial stress associated with metabolic inflammation in HFpEF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemeire M Kanashiro-Takeuchi
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States
| | - Lauro M Takeuchi
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States
| | - Raul A Dulce
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States
| | - Katarzyna Kazmierczak
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States
| | - Wayne Balkan
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida, United States
| | - Wei Sha
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States
- Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida, United States
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine and Endocrinology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States
- Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida, United States
- Department of Pathology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States
| | - Joshua M Hare
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, United States
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11
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Belavgeni A, Maremonti F, Tonnus W, Stadtmüller M, Gavali S, Mallais M, Flade K, Brucker A, Becker JN, Beer K, Tmava M, Stumpf J, Gembardt F, Hugo C, Giacca M, Hale BG, Perakakis N, Sha W, Pratt DA, Schally AV, Bornstein SR, Linkermann A. vPIF-1 is an insulin-like antiferroptotic viral peptide. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2300320120. [PMID: 37186845 PMCID: PMC10214148 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300320120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Iridoviridae, such as the lymphocystis disease virus-1 (LCDV-1) and other viruses, encode viral insulin-like peptides (VILPs) which are capable of triggering insulin receptors (IRs) and insulin-like growth factor receptors. The homology of VILPs includes highly conserved disulfide bridges. However, the binding affinities to IRs were reported to be 200- to 500-fold less effective compared to the endogenous ligands. We therefore speculated that these peptides also have noninsulin functions. Here, we report that the LCDV-1 VILP can function as a potent and highly specific inhibitor of ferroptosis. Induction of cell death by the ferroptosis inducers erastin, RSL3, FIN56, and FINO2 and nonferroptotic necrosis produced by the thioredoxin-reductase inhibitor ferroptocide were potently prevented by LCDV-1, while human insulin had no effect. Fas-induced apoptosis, necroptosis, mitotane-induced cell death and growth hormone-releasing hormone antagonist-induced necrosis were unaffected, suggesting the specificity to ferroptosis inhibition by the LCDV-1 VILP. Mechanistically, we identified the viral C-peptide to be required for inhibition of lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis inhibition, while the human C-peptide exhibited no antiferroptotic properties. In addition, the deletion of the viral C-peptide abolishes radical trapping activity in cell-free systems. We conclude that iridoviridae, through the expression of insulin-like viral peptides, are capable of preventing ferroptosis. In analogy to the viral mitochondrial inhibitor of apoptosis and the viral inhibitor of RIP activation (vIRA) that prevents necroptosis, we rename the LCDV-1 VILP a viral peptide inhibitor of ferroptosis-1. Finally, our findings indicate that ferroptosis may function as a viral defense mechanism in lower organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia Belavgeni
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Francesca Maremonti
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Wulf Tonnus
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Marlena Stadtmüller
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Shubhangi Gavali
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Melodie Mallais
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ONK1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Karolin Flade
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Anne Brucker
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Jorunn Naila Becker
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Kristina Beer
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Mirela Tmava
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Julian Stumpf
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Florian Gembardt
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Hugo
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Mauro Giacca
- King’s College London, British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine & Sciences, WC2R 2LSLondon, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin G. Hale
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zürich8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Nikolaos Perakakis
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
| | - Wei Sha
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL33125
- Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL33150
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL33136
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL33136
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL33136
| | - Derek A. Pratt
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ONK1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL33125
- Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL33150
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL33136
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL33136
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL33136
| | - Stefan R. Bornstein
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
- Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, King's College London, WC2R 2LSLondon, United Kingdom
- Center for Regenerative Therapies, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden of Helmholtz Centre Munich at University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus of Technische Universität Dresden, Faculty of Medicine, 01307Dresden, Germany
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 636921Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andreas Linkermann
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus at the Technische Universität Dresden, 01307Dresden, Germany
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY10461
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Fodor D, Pozsgai É, Schally AV, László Z, Gömöri É, Szabó É, Rumi L, Lőcsei D, Boronkai Á, Bellyei S. Expression Levels of GHRH-Receptor, pAkt and Hsp90 Predict 10-Year Overall Survival in Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11030719. [PMID: 36979698 PMCID: PMC10045547 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Rectal cancer constitutes nearly one-third of all colorectal cancer diagnoses, and certain clinical and molecular markers have been studied as potential prognosticators of patient survival. The main objective of our study was to investigate the relationship between the expression intensities of certain proteins, including growth-hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRH-R), Hsp90, Hsp16.2, p-Akt and SOUL, in specimens of locally advanced rectal cancer patients, as well as the time to metastasis and 10-year overall survival (OS) rates. We also investigated whether these outcome measures were associated with the presence of other clinical parameters. Methods: In total, 109 patients were investigated retrospectively. Samples of pretreatment tumors were stained for the proteins GHRH-R, Hsp90, Hsp16.2, p-Akt and SOUL using immunhistochemistry methods. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to show the relationships between the intensity of expression of biomarkers, clinical parameters, the time to metastasis and the 10-year OS rate. Results: High levels of p-Akt, GHRH-R and Hsp90 were associated with a significantly decreased 10-year OS rate (p = 0.001, p = 0.000, p = 0.004, respectively) and high expression levels of p-Akt and GHRH-R were correlated with a significantly shorter time to metastasis. Tumors localized in the lower third of the rectum were linked to both a significantly longer time to metastasis and an improved 10-year OS rate. Conclusions: Hsp 90, pAkt and GHRH-R as well as the lower-third localization of the tumor were predictive of the 10-year OS rate in locally advanced rectal cancer patients. The GHRH-R and Hsp90 expression levels were independent prognosticators of OS. Our results imply that GHRH-R could play a particularly important role both as a molecular biomarker and as a target for the anticancer treatment of advanced rectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dávid Fodor
- Department of Oncotherapy, Clinical Center, University of Pécs, Édesanyák Street 10, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Éva Pozsgai
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti Street 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Department of Primary Health Care, Medical School, University of Pécs, Rákóczi Street 2, 7623 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center and South Florida Veterans Affairs Foundation for Research and Education, 201 NW 16th Street, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Zoltán László
- Diagnostic, Radiation Oncology, Research and Teaching Center, Kaposi Somogy County Teaching Hospital Dr. József Baka, Guba Sándor Street 40, 7400 Kaposvár, Hungary
| | - Éva Gömöri
- Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti Street 12, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Éva Szabó
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Clinical Center, University of Pécs, Munkácsy Mihaly Street 2, 7621 Pécs, Hungary
| | - László Rumi
- Urology Clinic, Clinical Center, University of Pécs, Munkácsy Mihaly Street 2, 7621 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Dorottya Lőcsei
- Department of Oncotherapy, Clinical Center, University of Pécs, Édesanyák Street 10, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Árpád Boronkai
- Department of Oncotherapy, Clinical Center, University of Pécs, Édesanyák Street 10, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Szabolcs Bellyei
- Department of Oncotherapy, Clinical Center, University of Pécs, Édesanyák Street 10, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +36-30-396-0464
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13
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Dulce RA, Kanashiro-Takeuchi RM, Takeuchi LM, Salerno AG, Wanschel ACBA, Kulandavelu S, Balkan W, Zuttion MSSR, Cai R, Schally AV, Hare JM. Synthetic growth hormone-releasing hormone agonist ameliorates the myocardial pathophysiology characteristic of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Cardiovasc Res 2023; 118:3586-3601. [PMID: 35704032 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvac098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS To test the hypothesis that the activation of the growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) receptor signalling pathway within the myocardium both prevents and reverses diastolic dysfunction and pathophysiologic features consistent with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Impaired myocardial relaxation, fibrosis, and ventricular stiffness, among other multi-organ morbidities, characterize the phenotype underlying the HFpEF syndrome. Despite the rapidly increasing prevalence of HFpEF, few effective therapies have emerged. Synthetic agonists of the GHRH receptors reduce myocardial fibrosis, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and improve performance in animal models of ischaemic cardiomyopathy, independently of the growth hormone axis. METHODS AND RESULTS CD1 mice received 4- or 8-week continuous infusion of angiotensin-II (Ang-II) to generate a phenotype with several features consistent with HFpEF. Mice were administered either vehicle or a potent synthetic agonist of GHRH, MR-356 for 4-weeks beginning concurrently or 4-weeks following the initiation of Ang-II infusion. Ang-II-treated animals exhibited diastolic dysfunction, ventricular hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis, and normal ejection fraction. Cardiomyocytes isolated from these animals exhibited incomplete relaxation, depressed contractile responses, altered myofibrillar protein phosphorylation, and disturbed calcium handling mechanisms (ex vivo). MR-356 both prevented and reversed the development of the pathological phenotype in vivo and ex vivo. Activation of the GHRH receptors increased cAMP and cGMP in cardiomyocytes isolated from control animals but only cAMP in cardiac fibroblasts, suggesting that GHRH-A exert differential effects on cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts. CONCLUSION These findings indicate that the GHRH receptor signalling pathway(s) represents a new molecular target to counteract dysfunctional cardiomyocyte relaxation by targeting myofilament phosphorylation and fibrosis. Accordingly, activation of GHRH receptors with potent, synthetic GHRH agonists may provide a novel therapeutic approach to management of the myocardial alterations associated with the HFpEF syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul A Dulce
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1501 N.W. 10th Avenue, Room 908, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Rosemeire M Kanashiro-Takeuchi
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1501 N.W. 10th Avenue, Room 908, Miami, FL 33136, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Lauro M Takeuchi
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1501 N.W. 10th Avenue, Room 908, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Alessandro G Salerno
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1501 N.W. 10th Avenue, Room 908, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Amarylis C B A Wanschel
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1501 N.W. 10th Avenue, Room 908, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Shathiyah Kulandavelu
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1501 N.W. 10th Avenue, Room 908, Miami, FL 33136, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Wayne Balkan
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1501 N.W. 10th Avenue, Room 908, Miami, FL 33136, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Marilia S S R Zuttion
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1501 N.W. 10th Avenue, Room 908, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, FL 33125, USA
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.,Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, FL 33125, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Joshua M Hare
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1501 N.W. 10th Avenue, Room 908, Miami, FL 33136, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
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14
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Ren HL, Cai R, Xue R, Zhang Y, Xu Q, Zhang X, Cai R, Sha W, Schally AV, Zhou MS. Growth hormone-releasing hormone agonist attenuates vascular calcification in diabetic db/db mice. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1102525. [PMID: 36742073 PMCID: PMC9889365 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1102525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Vascular calcification (VC) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. VC increases mortality of all-causes. VC is one of most common cardiovascular complications in type II diabetes. So far, no therapy has been proven to be effective in treatment of clinical VC. The present study investigated the therapeutic effects of MR409, an agonistic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH-A), on VC in diabetic db/db mice. Method and result Diabetic mice were injected with MR409 subcutaneously every day for 8 weeks. Long-term treatment with MR409 improved serum lipid profile and endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine, and reduced vascular structural injury in diabetic mice without affecting serum growth hormone level. Echocardiography showed that calcium plaques present in heart valve of diabetic mice disappeared in diabetic mice after treatment with MR409. MR409 inhibited vascular calcium deposition associated with a marked reduction in the expressions of osteogenic-regulated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and transcription osteogenic marker gene Runx2 in diabetic mice. MR409 also inhibited vascular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and upregulated the expressions of anti-calcifying protein Klotho in diabetic mice. Discussion Our results demonstrate that GHRH-A MR409 can effectively attenuate VC and heart valve calcification, and protect against endothelial dysfunction and vascular injury in diabetic mice without significantly affecting pituitary-growth hormone axis. The mechanisms may involve upregulation of anti-calcifying protein Klotho and reduction in vascular ROS and the expression of redox sensitive osteogenic genes Runx2 and ALP. GHRH-A may represent a new pharmacological strategy for treatment of VC and diabetics associated cardiovascular complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Lin Ren
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Ruiping Cai
- Science and Research Center, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China,Department of Physiology, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China
| | - Ruize Xue
- Science and Research Center, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China,Department of Physiology, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China
| | - Yaoxia Zhang
- Science and Research Center, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China,Department of Physiology, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China
| | - Qian Xu
- Science and Research Center, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China,Department of Physiology, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China
| | - Xianyang Zhang
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Miami, FL, United States
| | - RenZhi Cai
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Miami, FL, United States,Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, South Florida VA Foundation for Research and Education, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Wei Sha
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Miami, FL, United States,Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center, South Florida VA Foundation for Research and Education, Miami, FL, United States,Divisions of Medical/Oncology and Endocrinology, Department of Pathology, Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States,Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Ming-Sheng Zhou
- Science and Research Center, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China,Department of Physiology, Shenyang Medical College, Shenyang, China,*Correspondence: Ming-Sheng Zhou,
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15
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Cui T, Wangpaichitr M, Schally AV, Griswold AJ, Vidaurre I, Sha W, Jackson RM. Alveolar epithelial cell growth hormone releasing hormone receptor in alveolar epithelial inflammation. Exp Lung Res 2023; 49:152-164. [PMID: 37584484 DOI: 10.1080/01902148.2023.2246074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Purpose: Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is a 44-amino acid peptide that regulates growth hormone (GH) secretion. We hypothesized that GHRH receptor (GHRH-R) in alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells could modulate pro-inflammatory and possibly subsequent pro-fibrotic effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or cytokines, such that AT2 cells could participate in lung inflammation and fibrosis. Methods: We used human alveolar type 2 (iAT2) epithelial cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) to investigate how GHRH-R modulates gene and protein expression. We tested iAT2 cells' gene expression in response to LPS or cytokines, seeking whether these mechanisms caused endogenous production of pro-inflammatory molecules or mesenchymal markers. Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to investigate differential expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers. Result: Incubation of iAT2 cells with LPS increased expression of IL1-β and TNF-α in addition to mesenchymal genes, including ACTA2, FN1 and COL1A1. Alveolar epithelial cell gene expression due to LPS was significantly inhibited by GHRH-R peptide antagonist MIA-602. Incubation of iAT2 cells with cytokines like those in fibrotic lungs similarly increased expression of genes for IL1-β, TNF-α, TGFβ-1, Wnt5a, smooth muscle actin, fibronectin and collagen. Expression of mesenchymal proteins, such as N-cadherin and vimentin, were also elevated after prolonged exposure to cytokines, confirming epithelial production of pro-inflammatory molecules as an important mechanism that might lead to subsequent fibrosis. Conclusion: iAT2 cells clearly expressed the GHRH-R. Exposure to LPS or cytokines increased iAT2 cell production of pro-inflammatory factors. GHRH-R antagonist MIA-602 inhibited pro-inflammatory gene expression, implicating iAT2 cell GHRH-R signaling in lung inflammation and potentially in fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengjiao Cui
- Research Service, Miami VAHS, Miami, Florida, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | | | - Andrew V Schally
- Research Service, Miami VAHS, Miami, Florida, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
- Department of Pathology and Sylvester Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Anthony J Griswold
- Dr. John T. McDonald Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | | | - Wei Sha
- Research Service, Miami VAHS, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Robert M Jackson
- Research Service, Miami VAHS, Miami, Florida, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
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16
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Chale RS, Almeida SM, Jozic I, Schally AV, Jimenez JJ. Abstract 5317: A novel approach to the treatment of ATRA/ATO resistant acute promyelocytic leukemia. Cancer Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2022-5317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) is characterized by proliferation of immature promyelocytes. Combination therapy using retinoic acid (RA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) is considered standard treatment in the clinical environment. Resistance to both RA and ATO is associated with an increased risk of mortality. In addition, relapse occurs in approximately 10-20% of patients undergoing treatment for APL. Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH) is a hypothalamic peptide that stimulates the release of Growth Hormone from the anterior pituitary. Our previous studies have demonstrated that human AML cell lines (K-562, THP-1, and KG-1a) display the GHRH receptor (GHRH-R). Incubation with GHRH-R antagonist MIA-602, inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of GHRH-R antagonist MIA-602, on the NB4 Human Promyelocytic Leukemia cell line and its ATRA and ATO resistant sub-clone. NB4 cells expressed both GHRH-R and SV1 variants via western blot analysis. Wild type NB4 cells, as well as NB4 cells resistant to both ATRA and ATO (NB4-RAA), were cultured in suspension in RPMI and 10% fetal calf serum. NB4-RAA were established in Dr. Jimenez's lab from the wild type NB4 parent cell line. NB4 and NB4-RAA were plated in triplicate on multi-wells at 50,000 cells/mL. Cell lysates were prepared after incubation with 0.05-5 µmol/L of MIA-602. Cell viability was measured at 24 and 48h. Flow cytometry was also performed on the naïve NB4 parent cell line in addition to NB4-RAA to assess expression of CD-56 the cell surface marker. Upregulation of CD-56, also known as Neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM-1), has been shown to confer drug resistance in AML and is an important prognostic marker in APL. The viability of both cell lines decreased to similar levels at 24 h and 48 h when exposed to concentrations of MIA-602 higher than 0.05 μmol/L (p < 0.05). A significant decrease in cell viability was seen above 0.5 μmol/L after 48h. No viable cells were found in either cell line after 48h when exposed to 5 μmol/L of MIA-602. No difference in cell viability was found between naïve NB4 and resistant NB4-RAA when exposed to the same concentrations of MIA-602. MIA-602 induced significant changes in the expression level of many death-related genes including CASP9 (>1.5-fold; P<0.05). Results of flow cytometry revealed significantly increased expression of CD-56 (>5.8-fold; p,0.05) in NB4-RAA cells as compared to the parent cell line. These results indicate that resistance to ATRA and ATO in APL cells does not confer subsequent resistance to MIA-602. As a result, MIA-602 targets a pathway that is distinct from that of ATRA & ATO. More importantly, upregulation of pro-apoptotic genes by MIA-602 indicates an alternative pathway elicited by the GHRH-R antagonist in the setting of resistant APL cells. Our results indicate that the resistance to frontline APL therapy can be effectively overcome by using MIA-602.
Citation Format: Ravinder S. Chale, Stephanie M. Almeida, Ivan Jozic, Andrew V. Schally, Joaquin J. Jimenez. A novel approach to the treatment of ATRA/ATO resistant acute promyelocytic leukemia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 5317.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ivan Jozic
- 1University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
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17
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Muñoz‐Moreno L, Carmena MJ, Prieto JC, Schally AV, Bajo AM. Tumorigenic transformation of human prostatic epithelial cell line RWPE-1 by growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). Prostate 2022; 82:933-941. [PMID: 35322894 PMCID: PMC9310601 DOI: 10.1002/pros.24339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and its receptors have been implicated in the progression of various tumors. In this study, we analyzed the carcinogenetic potential of exposure to GHRH of a nontumor human prostate epithelial cell line (RWPE-1) as well as its transforming effect in a xenograft model. METHODS We performed cell viability, cell proliferation, adhesion and migration assays. In addition, metalloprotease (MMP)-2 activity by means gelatin zymography, GHRH-R subcellular location using confocal immunofluorescence microscopy and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels by enzyme-linked immunoassay were assessed. Besides, we developed an in vivo model in order vivo model to determine the role of GHRH on tumorigenic transformation of RWPE-1 cells. RESULTS In cell cultures, we observed development of a migratory phenotype consistent with the gelatinolytic activity of MMP-2, expression of VEGF, as well as E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion and increased cell motility. Treatment with 0.1 µM GHRH for 24 h significantly increased cell viability and cell proliferation. Similar effects of GHRH were seen in RWPE-1 tumors developed by subcutaneous injection of GHRH-treated cells in athymic nude mice, 49 days after inoculation. CONCLUSIONS Thus, GHRH appears to act as a cytokine in the transformation of RWPE-1 cells by mechanisms that likely involve epithelial-mesenchymal transition, thus reinforcing the role of GHRH in tumorigenesis of prostate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Muñoz‐Moreno
- Grupo de Investigación Cánceres de Origen Epitelial, Área de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Departamento de Biología de Sistemas, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la SaludUniversidad de AlcaláAlcalá de HenaresMadridSpain
| | - M. José Carmena
- Grupo de Investigación Cánceres de Origen Epitelial, Área de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Departamento de Biología de Sistemas, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la SaludUniversidad de AlcaláAlcalá de HenaresMadridSpain
| | - Juan C. Prieto
- Grupo de Investigación Cánceres de Origen Epitelial, Área de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Departamento de Biología de Sistemas, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la SaludUniversidad de AlcaláAlcalá de HenaresMadridSpain
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer InstituteVeterans Affairs Medical CenterMiamiFloridaUSA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Departments of Pathology and Medicine, Miller School of MedicineUniversity of MiamiMiamiFloridaUSA
- Department of Medicine, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of MedicineUniversity of MiamiMiamiFloridaUSA
| | - Ana M. Bajo
- Grupo de Investigación Cánceres de Origen Epitelial, Área de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Departamento de Biología de Sistemas, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la SaludUniversidad de AlcaláAlcalá de HenaresMadridSpain
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18
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Szabo Z, Juhasz E, Schally AV, Dezso B, Huga S, Hernadi Z, Halmos G, Kiss C. Expression of Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone and Its Receptor Splice Variants in Primary Human Endometrial Carcinomas: Novel Therapeutic Approaches. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27092671. [PMID: 35566020 PMCID: PMC9101386 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27092671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) inhibit the growth of various tumors, including endometrial carcinomas (EC). However, tumoral receptors that mediate the antiproliferative effects of GHRH antagonists in human ECs have not been fully characterized. In this study, we investigated the expression of mRNA for GHRH and splice variants (SVs) of GHRH receptors (GHRH-R) in 39 human ECs and in 7 normal endometrial tissue samples using RT-PCR. Primers designed for the PCR amplification of mRNA for the full length GHRH-R and SVs were utilized. The PCR products were sequenced, and their specificity was confirmed. Nine ECs cancers (23%) expressed mRNA for SV1, three (7.7%) showed SV2 and eight (20.5%) revealed mRNA for SV4. The presence of SVs for GHRH-Rs could not be detected in any of the normal endometrial tissue specimens. The presence of specific, high affinity GHRH-Rs was also demonstrated in EC specimens using radioligand binding studies. Twenty-four of the investigated thirty-nine tumor samples (61.5%) and three of the seven corresponding normal endometrial tissues (42.9%) expressed mRNA for GHRH ligand. Our findings suggest the possible existence of an autocrine loop in EC based on GHRH and its tumoral SV receptors. The antiproliferative effects of GHRH antagonists on EC are likely to be exerted in part by the local SVs and GHRH system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsuzsanna Szabo
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (Z.S.); (G.H.)
| | - Eva Juhasz
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Miami, FL 33125, USA;
- Department of Pathology, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology-Oncology and Endocrinology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33101, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Balazs Dezso
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Sandor Huga
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (S.H.); (Z.H.)
| | - Zoltan Hernadi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (S.H.); (Z.H.)
| | - Gabor Halmos
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (Z.S.); (G.H.)
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Miami, FL 33125, USA;
| | - Csongor Kiss
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +36-52-452-747; Fax: +36-52-255-893
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Cai R, Zhang X, Wang H, Cui T, Halmos G, Sha W, He J, Popovics P, Vidaurre I, Zhang C, Mirsaeidi M, Schally AV. Synthesis of potent antagonists of receptors for growth hormone-releasing hormone with antitumor and anti-inflammatory activity. Peptides 2022; 150:170716. [PMID: 34952135 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2021.170716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The syntheses and biological evaluation of GHRH antagonists of AVR series with high anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities are described. Compared to our previously reported GHRH antagonist 602 of MIAMI series, AVR analogs contain additional modifications at positions 0, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 20, 21, 29 and 30, which induce greater antitumor activities. Five of nineteen tested AVR analogs presented binding affinities to the membrane GHRH receptors on human pituitary, 2-4-fold better than MIA-602. The antineoplastic properties of these analogs were evaluated in vitro using proliferation assays and in vivo in nude mice xenografted with various human cancer cell lines including lung (NSCLC-ADC HCC827 and NSCLC H460), gastric (NCI-N87), pancreatic (PANC-1 and CFPAC-1), colorectal (HT-29), breast (MX-1), glioblastoma (U87), ovarian (SK-OV-3 and OVCAR-3) and prostatic (PC3) cancers. In vitro AVR analogs showed inhibition of cell viability equal to or greater than MIA-602. After subcutaneous administration at 5 μg/day doses, some AVR antagonists demonstrated better inhibition of tumor growth in nude mice bearing various human cancers, with analog AVR-353 inducing stronger suppression than MIA-602 in lung, gastric, pancreatic and colorectal cancers and AVR-352 in ovarian cancers and glioblastoma. Both antagonists induced greater inhibition of GH release than MIA-602 in vitro in cultured rat pituitary cells and in vivo in rats. AVR-352 also demonstrated stronger anti-inflammatory effects in lung granulomas from mice with lung inflammation. Our studies demonstrate the merit of further investigation of AVR GHRH antagonists and support their potential use for clinical therapy of human cancers and other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renzhi Cai
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami, FL 33125, United States; South Florida VA Foundation for Research and Education, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami, FL 33125, United States
| | - Xianyang Zhang
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami, FL 33125, United States; Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, United States
| | - Haibo Wang
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami, FL 33125, United States; Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, United States
| | - Tengjiao Cui
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami, FL 33125, United States; South Florida VA Foundation for Research and Education, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami, FL 33125, United States; Department of Medicine, Divisions of Medical/Oncology and Endocrinology, and the Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, United States
| | - Gabor Halmos
- Department of Biopharmacy, School of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Wei Sha
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami, FL 33125, United States; Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, United States
| | - Jinlin He
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami, FL 33125, United States; South Florida VA Foundation for Research and Education, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami, FL 33125, United States
| | - Petra Popovics
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami, FL 33125, United States
| | - Irving Vidaurre
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami, FL 33125, United States; South Florida VA Foundation for Research and Education, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami, FL 33125, United States
| | - Chongxu Zhang
- Section of Pulmonary Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami, FL 33125, United States
| | - Mehdi Mirsaeidi
- Section of Pulmonary Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami, FL 33125, United States; Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, United States; Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, United States
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami, FL 33125, United States; South Florida VA Foundation for Research and Education, Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami, FL 33125, United States; Department of Medicine, Divisions of Medical/Oncology and Endocrinology, and the Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, United States; Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, United States.
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20
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Recinella L, Chiavaroli A, Veschi S, Di Valerio V, Lattanzio R, Orlando G, Ferrante C, Gesmundo I, Granata R, Cai R, Sha W, Schally AV, Brunetti L, Leone S. Antagonist of growth hormone-releasing hormone MIA-690 attenuates the progression and inhibits growth of colorectal cancer in mice. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 146:112554. [PMID: 34923341 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is an aggressive tumor in which new treatment options deliver negative results on cure rates and long-term survival. The anticancer effects of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) antagonists have been reported in various experimental tumors, but their activity in CRC is unknown. In the present study, we demonstrated that chronic treatment with GHRH antagonist of MIAMI class, MIA-690, promoted survival and gradually blunted tumor progression in experimentally induced colitis-associated cancer in mice, paralleled by reduced inflammation in colon tissue. In particular, MIA-690 improved disease activity index score, and reduced loss of weight and mortality, by improving the survival rates, compared with vehicle-treated group. MIA-690 was also found to reduce various inflammatory and oxidative markers, such as serotonin, prostaglandin (PG)E2 and 8-iso-PGF2α levels, as well as COX-2, iNOS, TNF-α, IL-6 and NF-kB gene expression. Moreover, MIA-690 inhibited the protein expression of c-Myc, P-AKT and Bcl-2 and upregulated p53 protein expression. In conclusion, we showed that MIA-690 suppresses CRC progression and growth by reducing inflammatory and oxidative markers and modulating apoptotic and oncogenic pathways. Further investigations are required for translating these findings into the clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Recinella
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy.
| | - Annalisa Chiavaroli
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy.
| | - Serena Veschi
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy.
| | - Valentina Di Valerio
- Department of Medicine and Ageing Sciences, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy.
| | - Rossano Lattanzio
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy; Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy.
| | - Giustino Orlando
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy.
| | - Claudio Ferrante
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy.
| | - Iacopo Gesmundo
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy.
| | - Riccarda Granata
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy.
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, and Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, and Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
| | - Wei Sha
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, and Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, and Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, and Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, and Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
| | - Luigi Brunetti
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy.
| | - Sheila Leone
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66013 Chieti, Italy.
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21
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Recinella L, Chiavaroli A, Orlando G, Ferrante C, Veschi S, Cama A, Marconi GD, Diomede F, Gesmundo I, Granata R, Cai R, Sha W, Schally AV, Brunetti L, Leone S. Effects of growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor antagonist MIA-602 in mice with emotional disorders: a potential treatment for PTSD. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:7465-7474. [PMID: 34331008 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01228-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety and depression have been suggested to increase the risk for post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). A link between all these mental illnesses, inflammation and oxidative stress is also well established. Recent behavior studies by our group clearly demonstrate a powerful anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of a novel growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) antagonist of MIAMI class, MIA-690, probably related to modulatory effects on the inflammatory and oxidative status. In the present work we investigated the potential beneficial effects of MIA-602, another recently developed GHRH antagonist, in mood disorders, as anxiety and depression, and the possible brain pathways involved in its protective activity, in adult mice. MIA-602 exhibited antinflammatory and antioxidant effects in ex vivo and in vivo experimental models, inducing anxiolytic and antidepressant-like behavior in mice subcutaneously treated for 4 weeks. The beneficial effect of MIA-602 on inflammatory and oxidative status and synaptogenesis resulting in anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects could be related by increases of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling pathways in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. These results strongly suggest that GHRH analogs should be tried clinically for the treatment of mood disorders including PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Recinella
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Annalisa Chiavaroli
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Giustino Orlando
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Claudio Ferrante
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Serena Veschi
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Alessandro Cama
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Guya Diletta Marconi
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Francesca Diomede
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Iacopo Gesmundo
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and Città Della Salute e Della Scienza Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Riccarda Granata
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and Città Della Salute e Della Scienza Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA.,Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, and Division of Medical/Oncology, Department of Medicine, and Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Wei Sha
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA.,Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, and Division of Medical/Oncology, Department of Medicine, and Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA.,Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, and Division of Medical/Oncology, Department of Medicine, and Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Luigi Brunetti
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
| | - Sheila Leone
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
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22
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Wu HM, Chen LH, Schally AV, Huang HY, Soong YK, Leung PCK, Wang HS. Impact of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) antagonist on Decidual stromal cell growth and apoptosis in vitro. Biol Reprod 2021; 106:145-154. [PMID: 34792103 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometrial stromal cells remodeling is critical during human pregnancy. GHRH and its functional receptor have been shown to be expressed in gynecological cancer cells and eutopic endometrial stromal cells. Recent studies have demonstrated the potential clinical uses of antagonists of GHRH as effective antitumor agents because of its directly antagonistic effect on the locally produced GHRH in gynecological tumors. However, the impact of GHRH antagonists on normal endometrial stromal cell growth remained to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a GHRH antagonist (JMR-132) on cell proliferation and apoptosis of human decidual stromal cells and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Our results showed that GHRH and the splice variant 1 (SV1) of GHRH receptor (GHRH-R SV1) are expressed in human decidual stromal cells isolated from the decidual tissues of early pregnant women receiving surgical abortion. In addition, treatment of stroma cells with JMR-132 induced cell apoptosis with increasing cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-9 activities, and decrease cell viability in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Using a dual inhibition approach (pharmacological inhibitors and siRNA-mediated knockdown), we showed that JMR-132-induced activation of apoptotic signals are mediated by the activation of ERK1/2 and JNK signaling pathways and the subsequent upregulation of GADD45α. Taken together, JMR-132 suppresses cell survival of decidual stromal cells by inducing apoptosis through the activation of ERK1/2- and JNK-mediated upregulation of GADD45α in human endometrial stromal cells. Our findings provide new insights into the potential impact of GHRH antagonist on the decidual programming in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsien-Ming Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan R.O.C. 333
| | - Liang-Hsuan Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan R.O.C. 333
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Departments of Pathology and Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Hong-Yuan Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan R.O.C. 333
| | - Yung-Kuei Soong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan R.O.C. 333
| | - Peter C K Leung
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6H3V5
| | - Hsin-Shih Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan R.O.C. 333
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23
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Rodrigues-Dos-Santos K, Soares GM, Guimarães DSPSF, Araújo TR, Vettorazzi JF, Zangerolamo L, Marconato-Júnior E, Cai R, Sha W, Schally AV, Boschero AC, Barbosa HCL. Effects of growth hormone-releasing hormone agonistic analog MR-409 on insulin-secreting cells under cyclopiazonic acid-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 535:111379. [PMID: 34252492 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is one of the mechanisms related to decreased insulin secretion and beta cell death, contributing to the progress of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Thus, investigating agents that can influence this process would help prevent the development of T2D. Recently, the growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) action has been demonstrated in INS-1E cells, in which it increases cell proliferation and insulin secretion. As the effects of GHRH and its agonists have not been fully elucidated in the beta cell, we proposed to investigate them by evaluating the role of the GHRH agonist, MR-409, in cells under ER stress. Our results show that the agonist was unable to ameliorate or prevent ER stress. However, cells exposed to the agonist showed less oxidative stress and greater survival even under ER stress. The mechanisms by which GHRH agonist, MR-409, leads to these outcomes require further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Rodrigues-Dos-Santos
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, P.O. Box 6109, CEP: 13083-865, Brazil; Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gabriela M Soares
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, P.O. Box 6109, CEP: 13083-865, Brazil; Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Dimitrius S P S F Guimarães
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, P.O. Box 6109, CEP: 13083-865, Brazil; Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thiago R Araújo
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, P.O. Box 6109, CEP: 13083-865, Brazil; Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jean F Vettorazzi
- Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Educational Union of Cascavel, UNIVEL, Cascavel, Parana, Brazil
| | - Lucas Zangerolamo
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, P.O. Box 6109, CEP: 13083-865, Brazil; Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Emilio Marconato-Júnior
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, P.O. Box 6109, CEP: 13083-865, Brazil; Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 1201 NW 16th Street, Research Service (151), Room 2A103C, Miami, FL, 33125, United States; Departments of Pathology and Medicine, Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Endocrinology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1600 NW 10th Avenue #1140, Miami, FL, 33136, United States
| | - Wei Sha
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 1201 NW 16th Street, Research Service (151), Room 2A103C, Miami, FL, 33125, United States; Departments of Pathology and Medicine, Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Endocrinology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1600 NW 10th Avenue #1140, Miami, FL, 33136, United States
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 1201 NW 16th Street, Research Service (151), Room 2A103C, Miami, FL, 33125, United States; Departments of Pathology and Medicine, Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Endocrinology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1600 NW 10th Avenue #1140, Miami, FL, 33136, United States.
| | - Antônio C Boschero
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, P.O. Box 6109, CEP: 13083-865, Brazil; Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Helena C L Barbosa
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, P.O. Box 6109, CEP: 13083-865, Brazil; Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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24
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Gesmundo I, Granato G, Fuentes-Fayos AC, Alvarez CV, Dieguez C, Zatelli MC, Congiusta N, Banfi D, Prencipe N, Leone S, Brunetti L, Castaño JP, Luque RM, Cai R, Sha W, Ghigo E, Schally AV, Granata R. Antagonists of Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Inhibit the Growth of Pituitary Adenoma Cells by Hampering Oncogenic Pathways and Promoting Apoptotic Signaling. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13163950. [PMID: 34439107 PMCID: PMC8393969 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13163950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Many studies have demonstrated that the antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) exert inhibitory activities in a variety of experimental cancers; however, their potential antitumor role in pituitary adenomas (PAs) remains largely unknown. Here, we show that GHRH antagonists of Miami (MIA) class, MIA-602 and MIA-690, are able to reduce the growth and promote cell death in hormone-secreting PA cell lines, through the inhibition of mechanisms implicated in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. MIA-602 and MIA-690 also decreased the viability of tumor cells derived from human pituitary tumors. Overall, these findings suggest that GHRH antagonists may represent new therapeutic tools for the treatment of PAs, both alone or in combination with standard pharmacological treatments. Abstract Pituitary adenomas (PAs) are intracranial tumors, often associated with excessive hormonal secretion and severe comorbidities. Some patients are resistant to medical therapies; therefore, novel treatment options are needed. Antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) exert potent anticancer effects, and early GHRH antagonists were found to inhibit GHRH-induced secretion of pituitary GH in vitro and in vivo. However, the antitumor role of GHRH antagonists in PAs is largely unknown. Here, we show that the GHRH antagonists of MIAMI class, MIA-602 and MIA-690, inhibited cell viability and growth and promoted apoptosis in GH/prolactin-secreting GH3 PA cells transfected with human GHRH receptor (GH3-GHRHR), and in adrenocorticotropic hormone ACTH-secreting AtT20 PA cells. GHRH antagonists also reduced the expression of proteins involved in tumorigenesis and cancer progression, upregulated proapoptotic molecules, and lowered GHRH receptor levels. The combination of MIA-690 with temozolomide synergistically blunted the viability of GH3-GHRHR and AtT20 cells. Moreover, MIA-690 reduced both basal and GHRH-induced secretion of GH and intracellular cAMP levels. Finally, GHRH antagonists inhibited cell viability in human primary GH- and ACTH-PA cell cultures. Overall, our results suggest that GHRH antagonists, either alone or in combination with pharmacological treatments, may be considered for further development as therapy for PAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iacopo Gesmundo
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medical Science, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (I.G.); (G.G.); (N.C.); (D.B.); (N.P.); (E.G.)
| | - Giuseppina Granato
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medical Science, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (I.G.); (G.G.); (N.C.); (D.B.); (N.P.); (E.G.)
| | - Antonio C. Fuentes-Fayos
- Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba and Reina Sofia University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; (A.C.F.-F.); (J.P.C.); (R.M.L.)
- CIBER Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Clara V. Alvarez
- Centro de Investigaciones Médicas (CIMUS) e Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias, University of Santiago de Compostela and Complexo Hospitalario Universitario of Santiago de Compostela, 14004 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (C.V.A.); (C.D.)
| | - Carlos Dieguez
- Centro de Investigaciones Médicas (CIMUS) e Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias, University of Santiago de Compostela and Complexo Hospitalario Universitario of Santiago de Compostela, 14004 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (C.V.A.); (C.D.)
| | - Maria Chiara Zatelli
- Section of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, 15706 Ferrara, Italy;
| | - Noemi Congiusta
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medical Science, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (I.G.); (G.G.); (N.C.); (D.B.); (N.P.); (E.G.)
| | - Dana Banfi
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medical Science, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (I.G.); (G.G.); (N.C.); (D.B.); (N.P.); (E.G.)
| | - Nunzia Prencipe
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medical Science, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (I.G.); (G.G.); (N.C.); (D.B.); (N.P.); (E.G.)
| | - Sheila Leone
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (S.L.); (L.B.)
| | - Luigi Brunetti
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy; (S.L.); (L.B.)
| | - Justo P. Castaño
- Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba and Reina Sofia University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; (A.C.F.-F.); (J.P.C.); (R.M.L.)
- CIBER Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Raúl M. Luque
- Maimonides Institute for Biomedical Research of Córdoba (IMIBIC), Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba and Reina Sofia University Hospital, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; (A.C.F.-F.); (J.P.C.); (R.M.L.)
- CIBER Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBERobn), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (R.C.); (W.S.); (A.V.S.)
- Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Wei Sha
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (R.C.); (W.S.); (A.V.S.)
- Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA
| | - Ezio Ghigo
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medical Science, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (I.G.); (G.G.); (N.C.); (D.B.); (N.P.); (E.G.)
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; (R.C.); (W.S.); (A.V.S.)
- Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
- Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Riccarda Granata
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medical Science, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy; (I.G.); (G.G.); (N.C.); (D.B.); (N.P.); (E.G.)
- Correspondence:
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25
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Recinella L, Chiavaroli A, Orlando G, Ferrante C, Gesmundo I, Granata R, Cai R, Sha W, Schally AV, Brunetti L, Leone S. Growth hormone-releasing hormone antagonistic analog MIA-690 stimulates food intake in mice. Peptides 2021; 142:170582. [PMID: 34051291 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2021.170582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In addition to its metabolic and endocrine effects, growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) was found to modulate feeding behavior in mammals. However, the role of recently synthetized GHRH antagonist MIA-690 and MR-409, a GHRH agonist, on feeding regulation remains to be evaluated. We investigated the effects of chronic subcutaneous administration of MIA-690 and MR-409 on feeding behavior and energy metabolism, in mice. Compared to vehicle, MIA-690 increased food intake and body weight, while MR-409 had no effect. Both analogs did not modify locomotor activity, as well as subcutaneous, visceral and brown adipose tissue (BAT) mass. A significant increase of hypothalamic agouti-related peptide (AgRP) gene expression and norepinephrine (NE) levels, along with a reduction of serotonin (5-HT) levels were found after MIA-690 treatment. MIA-690 was also found able to decrease gene expression of leptin in visceral adipose tissue. By contrast, MR-409 had no effect on the investigated markers. Concluding, chronic peripheral administration of MIA-690 could play an orexigenic role, paralleled by an increase in body weight. The stimulation of feeding could be mediated, albeit partially, by elevation of AgRP gene expression and NE levels and decreased 5-HT levels in the hypothalamus, along with reduced leptin gene expression, in the visceral adipose tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Recinella
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy.
| | | | - Giustino Orlando
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy.
| | - Claudio Ferrante
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy.
| | - Iacopo Gesmundo
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and Città Della Salute e Della Scienza Hospital, Turin, 10126, Italy.
| | - Riccarda Granata
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and Città Della Salute e Della Scienza Hospital, Turin, 10126, Italy.
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, 33125, United States; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, and Division of Medical/Oncology, Department of Medicine, and Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL33136 and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL, 33136, United States.
| | - Wei Sha
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, 33125, United States; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, and Division of Medical/Oncology, Department of Medicine, and Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL33136 and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL, 33136, United States.
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, 33125, United States; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, and Division of Medical/Oncology, Department of Medicine, and Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL33136 and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL, 33136, United States.
| | - Luigi Brunetti
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy.
| | - Sheila Leone
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy.
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Cen LP, Ng TK, Liang JJ, Xu C, Zhuang X, Liu YF, Chen SL, Xu Y, Yang Q, Yuan XL, Qin YJ, Chan SO, Chen H, Zhang M, Schally AV, Pang CP. Agonist of growth hormone-releasing hormone enhances retinal ganglion cell protection induced by macrophages after optic nerve injury. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e1920834118. [PMID: 34244423 PMCID: PMC8285901 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1920834118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Optic neuropathies are leading causes of irreversible visual impairment and blindness, currently affecting more than 100 million people worldwide. Glaucoma is a group of optic neuropathies attributed to progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). We have previously demonstrated an increase in survival of RGCs by the activation of macrophages, whereas the inhibition of macrophages was involved in the alleviation on endotoxin-induced inflammation by antagonist of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). Herein, we hypothesized that GHRH receptor (GHRH-R) signaling could be involved in the survival of RGCs mediated by inflammation. We found the expression of GHRH-R in RGCs of adult rat retina. After optic nerve crush, subcutaneous application of GHRH agonist MR-409 or antagonist MIA-602 promoted the survival of RGCs. Both the GHRH agonist and antagonist increased the phosphorylation of Akt in the retina, but only agonist MR-409 promoted microglia activation in the retina. The antagonist MIA-602 reduced significantly the expression of inflammation-related genes Il1b, Il6, and Tnf Moreover, agonist MR-409 further enhanced the promotion of RGC survival by lens injury or zymosan-induced macrophage activation, whereas antagonist MIA-602 attenuated the enhancement in RGC survival. Our findings reveal the protective effect of agonistic analogs of GHRH on RGCs in rats after optic nerve injury and its additive effect to macrophage activation, indicating a therapeutic potential of GHRH agonists for the protection of RGCs against optic neuropathies especially in glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Ping Cen
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou University Medical College, 515041 Shantou, China
| | - Tsz Kin Ng
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou University Medical College, 515041 Shantou, China
- Shantou University Medical College, 515041 Shantou, China
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Jia-Jian Liang
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou University Medical College, 515041 Shantou, China
| | - Ciyan Xu
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou University Medical College, 515041 Shantou, China
| | - Xi Zhuang
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou University Medical College, 515041 Shantou, China
| | - Yu-Fen Liu
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou University Medical College, 515041 Shantou, China
- Shantou University Medical College, 515041 Shantou, China
| | - Shao-Lang Chen
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou University Medical College, 515041 Shantou, China
| | - Yanxuan Xu
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou University Medical College, 515041 Shantou, China
| | - Qichen Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Xiang-Ling Yuan
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou University Medical College, 515041 Shantou, China
- Shantou University Medical College, 515041 Shantou, China
| | - Yong Jie Qin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Eye Institute, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, 510080 Guangzhou, China
| | - Sun On Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Haoyu Chen
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou University Medical College, 515041 Shantou, China
| | - Mingzhi Zhang
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou University Medical College, 515041 Shantou, China
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136;
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136
- Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33125
| | - Chi Pui Pang
- Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shantou University Medical College, 515041 Shantou, China;
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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27
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Zhang C, Tian R, Dreifus EM, Hashemi Shahraki A, Holt G, Cai R, Griswold A, Bejarano P, Jackson R, V Schally A, Mirsaeidi M. Activity of the growth hormone-releasing hormone antagonist MIA602 and its underlying mechanisms of action in sarcoidosis-like granuloma. Clin Transl Immunology 2021; 10:e1310. [PMID: 34257968 PMCID: PMC8256670 DOI: 10.1002/cti2.1310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is a potent stimulator of growth hormone (GH) secretion from the pituitary gland. Although GHRH is essential for the growth of immune cells, the regulatory effects of its antagonist in granulomatous disease remain unknown. Methods Here, we report expression of GHRH receptor (R) in human tissue with sarcoidosis granuloma and demonstrate the anti-inflammatory effects of MIA602 (a GHRH antagonist) in two in vitro human granuloma models and an in vivo granuloma model using different methods including ELISA, immunohistochemistry, RNA-seq analysis and flow cytometry. Results MIA602 decreases the levels of IL-2, IL-2R, IL-7, IL-12, IL-17A and TNF-α in an in vitro granuloma model. Further, we show that the anti-inflammatory effect of MIA602 appears to be mediated by a reduction in CD45+CD68+ cells in granulomatous tissue and upregulation in PD-1 expression in macrophages. Analysis of the expression of proteins involved in the mitochondrial stage of apoptosis showed that MIA602 increases the levels of caspase-3, BCL-xL/BAK dimer and MCl-1/Bak dimer in the granuloma. These findings indicate that MIA602 may not induce apoptosis. Conclusions Our findings further suggest that GHRH-R is potentially a clinical target for the treatment of granulomatous disease and that MIA602 may be used as a novel therapeutic agent for sarcoidosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongxu Zhang
- Section of Pulmonary Miami VA Healthcare System Miami FL USA
| | - Runxia Tian
- Section of Pulmonary Miami VA Healthcare System Miami FL USA
| | | | | | - Gregory Holt
- Section of Pulmonary Miami VA Healthcare System Miami FL USA.,Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care University of Miami Miami FL USA
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Section of Pulmonary Miami VA Healthcare System Miami FL USA
| | - Anthony Griswold
- School of Medicine John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics University of Miami Miami FL USA
| | | | - Robert Jackson
- Section of Pulmonary Miami VA Healthcare System Miami FL USA.,School of Medicine University of Miami Miami FL USA
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Polypeptide and Cancer Institute Veterans Affairs Medical Center Miami FL USA.,Department of Pathology University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami FL USA
| | - Mehdi Mirsaeidi
- Section of Pulmonary Miami VA Healthcare System Miami FL USA.,Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care University of Miami Miami FL USA
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28
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Xiang P, Jing W, Lin Y, Liu Q, Shen J, Hu X, Chen J, Cai R, Hare JM, Zhu W, Schally AV, Yu H. Improvement of cardiac and systemic function in old mice by agonist of growth hormone-releasing hormone. J Cell Physiol 2021; 236:8197-8207. [PMID: 34224586 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.30490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Age-related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases portend disability, increase health expenditures, and cause late-life mortality. Synthetic agonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) exhibit several favorable effects on heart function and remodeling. Here we assessed whether GHRH agonist MR409 can modulate heart function and systemic parameters in old mice. Starting at the age of 15 months, mice were injected subcutaneously with MR409 (10 µg/day, n = 8) or vehicle (n = 7) daily for 6 months. Mice treated with MR409 showed improvements in exercise activity, cardiac function, survival rate, immune function, and hair growth in comparison with the controls. More stem cell colonies were grown out of the bone marrow recovered from the MR409-treated mice. Mitochondrial functions of cardiomyocytes (CMs) from the MR409-treated mice were also significantly improved with more mitochondrial fusion. Fewer β-gal positive cells were observed in endothelial cells after 10 passages with MR409. In Doxorubicin-treated H9C2 cardiomyocytes, cell senescence marker p21 and reactive oxygen species were significantly reduced after cultured with MR409. MR409 also improved cellular ATP production and oxygen consumption rate in Doxorubicin-treated H9C2 cells. Mitochondrial protein OPA1 long isoform was significantly increased after treatment with MR409. The effects of MR409 were mediated by GHRH receptor and protein kinase A (PKA). In short, GHRH agonist MR409 reversed the aging-associated changes with respect of heart function, mobility, hair growth, cellular energy production, and senescence biomarkers. The improvement of heart function may be related to a better mitochondrial functions through GHRH receptor/cAMP/PKA/OPA1 signaling pathway and relieved cardiac inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingping Xiang
- Cardiovascular Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wangwei Jing
- Cardiovascular Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yinuo Lin
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qi Liu
- Cardiovascular Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jian Shen
- Cardiovascular Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xinyang Hu
- Cardiovascular Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jinghai Chen
- Cardiovascular Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.,Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Joshua M Hare
- Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Wei Zhu
- Cardiovascular Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.,Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Hong Yu
- Cardiovascular Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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29
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Szabó Z, Dezső B, Fodor K, Szegedi K, Flaskó T, Szabó E, Oláh G, Sipos É, Dobos N, Gardi J, Schally AV, Halmos G. Expression of Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone (LHRH) and Type-I LHRH Receptor in Transitional Cell Carcinoma Type of Human Bladder Cancer. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26051253. [PMID: 33652606 PMCID: PMC7956722 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26051253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Bladder cancer (BC) is the tenth most frequently detected cancer in both sexes. Type-I luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) receptor (LHRH-R-I) is expressed not only in the pituitary, but also in several types of cancer disease. There are few data about LHRH-R-I expression in human BC. This study aimed to investigate the expression of LHRH and LHRH-R-I in the transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) type of human BC. RNA was extracted from 24 human bladder tumor specimens and three BC cell lines. RT-PCR was performed to detect mRNA for LHRH and LHRH-R-I. The protein of LHRH-R-I was further studied by immunohistochemistry (IHC), ligand competition assay, and Western Blot. PCR products of LHRH were found in 19 of 24 (79%) specimens and mRNA of LHRH-R-I was detected in 20 of 24 specimens (83%). Positive immunostaining for LHRH-R-I with different expression intensity was found in all samples examined, showing negative correlation with TCC grade. Radioligand binding studies also showed the presence of specific LHRH-R-I and high affinity binding of LHRH analogs. The high incidence of LHRH-R in BC suggests that it could serve as a molecular target for therapy of human BC with cytotoxic LHRH analogs or modern powerful antagonistic analogs of LHRH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsuzsanna Szabó
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (Z.S.); (K.F.); (E.S.); (G.O.); (É.S.); (N.D.)
| | - Balázs Dezső
- Department of Pathology, Clinical Center and Section of Dental Microbiology and Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Klára Fodor
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (Z.S.); (K.F.); (E.S.); (G.O.); (É.S.); (N.D.)
| | - Krisztián Szegedi
- Department of Urology, Clinical Center, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (K.S.); (T.F.)
- Doctoral School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Tibor Flaskó
- Department of Urology, Clinical Center, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (K.S.); (T.F.)
| | - Erzsébet Szabó
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (Z.S.); (K.F.); (E.S.); (G.O.); (É.S.); (N.D.)
| | - Gábor Oláh
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (Z.S.); (K.F.); (E.S.); (G.O.); (É.S.); (N.D.)
| | - Éva Sipos
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (Z.S.); (K.F.); (E.S.); (G.O.); (É.S.); (N.D.)
| | - Nikoletta Dobos
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (Z.S.); (K.F.); (E.S.); (G.O.); (É.S.); (N.D.)
| | - János Gardi
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary;
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Miami, FL 33101, USA;
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Divisions of Hematology Oncology and Endocrinology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33101, USA
| | - Gábor Halmos
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (Z.S.); (K.F.); (E.S.); (G.O.); (É.S.); (N.D.)
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Miami, FL 33101, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +0036-52-411-717 (ext. 55292)
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30
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Fodor K, Sipos É, Dobos N, Nagy J, Steiber Z, Méhes G, Dull K, Székvölgyi L, Schally AV, Halmos G. Correlation between the Expression of Angiogenic Factors and Stem Cell Markers in Human Uveal Melanoma. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:life10120310. [PMID: 33255843 PMCID: PMC7760175 DOI: 10.3390/life10120310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common malignant tumor of the eye with extremely high metastatic potential. UM tumor cells can disseminate only hematogenously, thus, angiogenic signals have a particular role in the prognosis of the disease. Although the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in densely vascularized UMs has been reported previously, their role in the process of hematogenous spread of UM has not been studied. In this study, we investigated the regulation of angiogenesis in UM in correlation with the presence of CSCs. Seventy UM samples were collected to analyze the expression of CSC markers and angiogenic factors. The expression of CSC markers was studied by RT-PCR, Western blotting techniques and IHC-TMA technique. RT-PCR showed high expression of CSC markers, particularly nestin, FZD6 and SOX10 and somewhat lower expression of NGFR. The protein expression of FZD6, HIF-1α and VEGFA was further evaluated in 52 UM samples by the IHC-TMA technique. We report here for the first time a significant correlation between FZD6 and VEGFA expression in UM samples. The observed correlation between FZD6 and VEGFA suggests the presence of CSCs in UM that are associated with the vascularization process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klára Fodor
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (K.F.); (É.S.); (N.D.)
| | - Éva Sipos
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (K.F.); (É.S.); (N.D.)
| | - Nikoletta Dobos
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (K.F.); (É.S.); (N.D.)
| | - János Nagy
- Clinical Center, Department of Oncology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Zita Steiber
- Clinical Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Gábor Méhes
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (G.M.); (K.D.)
| | - Kata Dull
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (G.M.); (K.D.)
| | - Lóránt Székvölgyi
- MTA-DE Momentum, Genome Architecture and Recombination Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Miami, FL 33101, USA;
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Divisions of Hematology Oncology and Endocrinology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33101, USA
| | - Gábor Halmos
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (K.F.); (É.S.); (N.D.)
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Miami, FL 33101, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +36-52-255-292
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31
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Akhter MS, Uddin MA, Schally AV, Kubra KT, Barabutis N. Involvement of the unfolded protein response in the protective effects of growth hormone releasing hormone antagonists in the lungs. J Cell Commun Signal 2020; 15:125-129. [PMID: 33185812 PMCID: PMC7661822 DOI: 10.1007/s12079-020-00593-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) antagonists enhance endothelial barrier function and counteract the LPS-induced lung endothelial hyperpermeability, the cardinal feature of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a multifaceted molecular mechanism, strongly involved in tissue defense against injury. The current study introduces the induction of UPR by GHRH antagonists, since those peptides induced several UPR activation markers, including the inositol-requiring enzyme-1α (IRE1α), the protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK), and the activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6). On the other hand, the GHRH agonist MR-409 exerted the opposite effects. Furthermore, GHRH antagonists counteracted the kifunensine (UPR suppressor)-induced lung endothelial barrier dysfunction. Our observations suggest that UPR mediates, at least in part, the protective effects of GHRH antagonists in the lung microvasculature. To the best of our knowledge; this is the first study to provide experimental evidence in support of the hypothesis that UPR induction is a novel mechanism by which GHRH antagonists oppose severe human disease, including ARDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad S Akhter
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, 1800 Bienville Drive, Monroe, LA, 71201, USA
| | - Mohammad A Uddin
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, 1800 Bienville Drive, Monroe, LA, 71201, USA
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA
- Divisions of Medical Oncology and Endocrinology, Department of Medicine and Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Khadeja-Tul Kubra
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, 1800 Bienville Drive, Monroe, LA, 71201, USA
| | - Nektarios Barabutis
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, 1800 Bienville Drive, Monroe, LA, 71201, USA.
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32
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Zhang C, Cui T, Cai R, Wangpaichitr M, Mirsaeidi M, Schally AV, Jackson RM. Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone in Lung Physiology and Pulmonary Disease. Cells 2020; 9:E2331. [PMID: 33096674 PMCID: PMC7589146 DOI: 10.3390/cells9102331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is secreted primarily from the hypothalamus, but other tissues, including the lungs, produce it locally. GHRH stimulates the release and secretion of growth hormone (GH) by the pituitary and regulates the production of GH and hepatic insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Pituitary-type GHRH-receptors (GHRH-R) are expressed in human lungs, indicating that GHRH or GH could participate in lung development, growth, and repair. GHRH-R antagonists (i.e., synthetic peptides), which we have tested in various models, exert growth-inhibitory effects in lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo in addition to having anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and pro-apoptotic effects. One antagonist of the GHRH-R used in recent studies reviewed here, MIA-602, lessens both inflammation and fibrosis in a mouse model of bleomycin lung injury. GHRH and its peptide agonists regulate the proliferation of fibroblasts through the modulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Akt pathways. In addition to downregulating GH and IGF-1, GHRH-R antagonist MIA-602 inhibits signaling pathways relevant to inflammation, including p21-activated kinase 1-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3/nuclear factor-kappa B (PAK1-STAT3/NF-κB and ERK). MIA-602 induces fibroblast apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, which is an effect that is likely important in antifibrotic actions. Taken together, the novel data reviewed here show that GHRH is an important peptide that participates in lung homeostasis, inflammation, wound healing, and cancer; and GHRH-R antagonists may have therapeutic potential in lung diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongxu Zhang
- Research Service, Miami VAHS, Miami, FL 33125, USA; (C.Z.); (T.C.); (R.C.); (M.W.); (M.M.); (A.V.S.)
| | - Tengjiao Cui
- Research Service, Miami VAHS, Miami, FL 33125, USA; (C.Z.); (T.C.); (R.C.); (M.W.); (M.M.); (A.V.S.)
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Research Service, Miami VAHS, Miami, FL 33125, USA; (C.Z.); (T.C.); (R.C.); (M.W.); (M.M.); (A.V.S.)
| | - Medhi Wangpaichitr
- Research Service, Miami VAHS, Miami, FL 33125, USA; (C.Z.); (T.C.); (R.C.); (M.W.); (M.M.); (A.V.S.)
| | - Mehdi Mirsaeidi
- Research Service, Miami VAHS, Miami, FL 33125, USA; (C.Z.); (T.C.); (R.C.); (M.W.); (M.M.); (A.V.S.)
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- Research Service, Miami VAHS, Miami, FL 33125, USA; (C.Z.); (T.C.); (R.C.); (M.W.); (M.M.); (A.V.S.)
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA
- Department of Pathology and Sylvester Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA
| | - Robert M. Jackson
- Research Service, Miami VAHS, Miami, FL 33125, USA; (C.Z.); (T.C.); (R.C.); (M.W.); (M.M.); (A.V.S.)
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA
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Leone S, Recinella, PharmD L, Chiavaroli, PharmD A, Orlando, PharmD G, Ferrante, PharmD C, Gesmundo I, Granata R, Cai R, Sha W, Schally AV, Brunetti L. SAT-603 Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone (GHRH) Antagonists Stimulate Feeding in Mice. J Endocr Soc 2020. [PMCID: PMC7209225 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvaa046.486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide which stimulates the synthesis and secretion of growth hormone (GH) in pituitary gland. GHRH was also found to modulate food intake in mammals. MIA-690 is a synthetic GHRH antagonist of the Miami (MIA) series with potent antitumor effects. To date, its role in hypothalamic feeding modulation has not been evaluated. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of chronic MIA-690 administration on feeding behavior, locomotor activity and hypothalamic dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-hydroxytriptamine, 5-HT), orexigenic peptides [agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY)] and anorexigenic peptides [cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) and proopiomelanocortin (POMC)] activity. Adult C57/BL6 mice were treated daily for 4 weeks by subcutaneous administration of (5 µg) MIA-690 or vehicle solution. Food intake and body weight were recorded every 4 days throughout the study. Immediately after the last injection, locomotor activity in the home cage was recorded, and thereafter animals were sacrificed. Visceral, subcutaneous and brown fat depots were quickly excised and weighed. Hypothalamus was also dissected for evaluating gene expression of AgRP, NPY, CART and POMC by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In addition, hypothalamic DA, NE and 5-HT levels were measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to electrochemical detection. Our findings show that administration of MIA-690 increased food intake and body weight, without affecting locomotor activity. No difference was observed in visceral, subcutaneous and brown fat mass in animals treated with MIA-690 or vehicle. As for neuromodulatory effects, a significant increase of AgRP gene expression and NE levels, along with a reduction of 5-HT levels were found after MIA-690 treatment. On the other hand, we did not observe any alteration in NPY, POMC and CART gene expression, as well as DA levels, following MIA-690 administration. In conclusion, chronic peripheral administration of MIA-690 could play an orexigenic role paralleled by increased body weight. The stimulation of feeding could be mediated, at least in part, by increased AgRP gene expression and NE levels and decreased 5-HT levels, in the hypothalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila Leone
- G d’Annunzio University, Department of Pharmacy, Chieti, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Iacopo Gesmundo
- University of Turin, Department of Medical Sciences, Turin, Italy
| | - Riccarda Granata
- University of Turin, Department of Medical Sciences, Turin, Italy
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Wei Sha
- University of Miami, Department of Pathology, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Luigi Brunetti
- G d’Annunzio University, Department of Pharmacy, Chieti, Italy
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Barabutis N, Akhter MS, Uddin MA, Kubra KT, Schally AV. GHRH Antagonists Protect Against Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Breakdown of Brain Microvascular Endothelium Integrity. Horm Metab Res 2020; 52:336-339. [PMID: 32403147 DOI: 10.1055/a-1149-9347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Growth hormone releasing hormone is a hypothalamic neuropeptide, which regulates the release of growth hormone from the anterior pituitary gland. Growth hormone releasing hormone antagonists are anticancer agents, associated with strong anti-inflammatory activities. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the GHRH antagonist MIA-602 in the integrity of the brain microvascular endothelium in vitro. Our observations suggest that MIA-602 protects against the H2O2-induced breakdown of the brain endothelium and enhances its integrity by inducing P53, deactivating cofilin, and suppressing the RhoA inflammatory pathway. Thus, GHRH antagonists may offer an exciting possibility for the treatment of pathologies related to the blood brain barrier dysfunction, including the Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nektarios Barabutis
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Mohammad S Akhter
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Mohammad A Uddin
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Khadeja-Tul Kubra
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
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Zhang C, Chery S, Lazerson A, Altman NH, Jackson R, Holt G, Campos M, Schally AV, Mirsaeidi M. Anti-inflammatory effects of α-MSH through p-CREB expression in sarcoidosis like granuloma model. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7277. [PMID: 32350353 PMCID: PMC7190699 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64305-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung inflammation due to sarcoidosis is characterized by a complex cascade of immunopathologic events, including leukocyte recruitment and granuloma formation. α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is a melanocortin signaling peptide with anti-inflammatory properties. We aimed to evaluate the effects of α-MSH in a novel in vitro sarcoidosis model. An in vitro sarcoidosis-like granuloma model was developed by challenging peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) derived from patients with confirmed treatment-naïve sarcoidosis with microparticles generated from Mycobacterium abscessus cell walls. Unchallenged PBMCsand developed granulomas were treated daily with 10 μM α-MSH or saline as control. Cytokine concentrations in supernatants of culture and in cell extracts were measured using Illumina multiplex Elisa and western blot, respectively. Gene expression was analyzed using RNA-Seq and RT-PCR. Protein secretion and gene expression of IL-7, IL-7R, IFN-γ, MC1R, NF-κB, phosphorylated NF-κB (p-NF-κB), MARCO, and p-CREB were measured with western blot and RNAseq. A significant increase in IL-7, IL-7R, and IFN-γ protein expression was found in developed granulomas comparing to microparticle unchallenged PBMCs. IL-7, IL-7R, and IFN-γ protein expression was significantly reduced in developed granulomas after exposure to α-MSH compared with saline treated granulomas. Compared with microparticle unchallenged PBMCs, total NF-κB and p-NF-κB were significantly increased in developed granulomas, while expression of p-CREB was not changed. Treatment with α-MSH promoted a significantly higher concentration of p-CREB in granulomas. The anti-inflammatory effects of α-MSH were blocked by specific p-CREB inhibition. α-MSH has anti-inflammatory properties in this in vitro granuloma model, which is an effect mediated by induction of phosphorylation of CREB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongxu Zhang
- Section of Pulmonary, Miami VA Health System, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Stephanie Chery
- Departments of Medicine University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Aaron Lazerson
- Comparative Pathology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Norman H Altman
- Comparative Pathology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Robert Jackson
- Section of Pulmonary, Miami VA Health System, Miami, FL, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Greg Holt
- Section of Pulmonary, Miami VA Health System, Miami, FL, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Michael Campos
- Section of Pulmonary, Miami VA Health System, Miami, FL, USA
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Mehdi Mirsaeidi
- Section of Pulmonary, Miami VA Health System, Miami, FL, USA.
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
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Crawford ED, Schally AV. The role of FSH and LH in prostate cancer and cardiometabolic comorbidities. Can J Urol 2020; 27:10167-10173. [PMID: 32333736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In this article we advance a potential explanation for the incidence of cardiovascular (CV) and cardiometabolic risk in patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer. Our conceptual model involves the differential impact of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists and antagonists on the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) system. MATERIALS AND METHODS Authors searched online repositories and meeting abstract databases for relevant materials. RESULTS Mounting evidence links FSH with development and progression of prostate cancer. What is also becoming clear is that the differential effects of GnRH agonists and antagonists on FSH may at least partially explain the differing effects these agents have on CV risk during ADT. While GnRH antagonists immediately suppress FSH, GnRH agonists provoke a transient surge in FSH that may contribute to the higher CV risk observed with these agents. Additionally, recent studies suggest that GnRH antagonists may significantly reduce CV risk compared to GnRH agonists, particularly in men with pre-existing CV disease. CONCLUSIONS Patients with cardiovascular risk factors who require ADT may benefit from the better control of FSH provided by GnRH antagonists. ADT itself appears to heighten CV risk, and data suggest that FSH may at least partly drive this risk by promoting inflammation, atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, adipocyte rearrangement and plaque instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- E David Crawford
- Division of Urology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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Abstract
Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) is characterized by a block in differentiation where leukemic cells are halted at the promyelocyte stage. A characteristic balanced chromosomal translocation between chromosomes 15 and 17 t (15;17) (q24; q21) is seen in 95% of cases — the translocation results in the formation of the PML-RARA fusion protein. The introduction of retinoic acid (RA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) has been responsible for initially remarkable cure rates. However, relapsed APL, particularly in the high-risk subset of patients, remains an important clinical problem. In addition, despite the success of ATRA & ATO, many clinicians still elect to use cytotoxic chemotherapy in the treatment of APL. Patients who become resistant to ATO have an increased risk of mortality. The probability of relapse is significantly higher in the high-risk subset of patients undergoing treatment for APL; overall approximately 10-20% of APL patients relapse regardless of their risk stratification. Furthermore, 20-25% of patients undergoing treatment will develop differentiation syndrome, a common side effect of differentiation agents. Recent evidence using in vitro models has shown that mutations in the B2 domain of the PML protein, mediate arsenic resistance. Alternative agents and approaches considering these clinical outcomes are needed to address ATO resistance as well as the relapse rate in high risk APL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquin J Jimenez
- Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Ravinder S Chale
- Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Andrea C Abad
- Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Medicine, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
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Recinella L, Chiavaroli A, Orlando G, Ferrante C, Marconi GD, Gesmundo I, Granata R, Cai R, Sha W, Schally AV, Brunetti L, Leone S. Antinflammatory, antioxidant, and behavioral effects induced by administration of growth hormone-releasing hormone analogs in mice. Sci Rep 2020; 10:732. [PMID: 31959947 PMCID: PMC6971229 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-57292-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) antagonist MIA-690 and GHRH agonist MR-409, previously synthesized and developed by us have demonstrated potent antitumor effects. However, little is known about the effects of these analogs on brain functions. We investigated the potential antinflammatory and antioxidant effects of GHRH antagonist MIA-690 and GHRH agonist MR-409, on isolated mouse prefrontal cortex specimens treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Additionally, we studied their effects on emotional behavior after chronic in vivo treatment. Ex vivo, MIA-690 and MR-409 inhibited LPS-induced inflammatory and pro-oxidative markers. In vivo, both MIA-690 and MR-409 induced anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects, increased norepinephrine and serotonin levels and decreased nuclear factor-kB, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 gene expression in prefrontal cortex. Increased nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 expression was also found in mice treated with MIA-690 and MR-409. MIA-690 showed higher efficacy in inhibiting all tested inflammatory and oxidative markers. In addition, MR-409 induced a down regulation of the gene and protein expression of pituitary-type GHRH-receptor in prefrontal cortex of mice after 4 weeks of treatment at 5 µg/day. In conclusion, our results demonstrate anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of GHRH analogs that could involve modulatory effects on monoaminergic signaling, inflammatory and oxidative status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Recinella
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Iacopo Gesmundo
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and Città Della Salute e Della Scienza Hospital, Turin, 10126, Italy
| | - Riccarda Granata
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and Città Della Salute e Della Scienza Hospital, Turin, 10126, Italy
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, 33125, USA.,Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.,Division of Medical/Oncology, Department of Pathology, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Wei Sha
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, 33125, USA.,Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.,Division of Medical/Oncology, Department of Pathology, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, 33125, USA.,Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.,Division of Medical/Oncology, Department of Pathology, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL, 33136, USA
| | - Luigi Brunetti
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy.
| | - Sheila Leone
- Department of Pharmacy, G. d'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy.
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Abstract
Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone (GHRH) regulates the release of growth hormone from the anterior pituitary gland. GHRH also acts as a growth and inflammatory factor in a variety of experimental models in oncology. In the current study, we used bovine pulmonary arterial cells in order to investigate the effects of GHRH and its antagonistic and agonistic analogs in key intracellular pathways that regulate endothelial permeability. GHRH antagonists suppressed the activation of MLC2, ERK1/2, JAK2/STAT3 pathway and increased the intracellular P53 and pAMPK levels. In contrast, both GHRH and GHRH agonist MR409 exerted the opposite effects. Furthermore, GHRH antagonists supported the integrity of endothelial barrier, while GHRH and GHRH agonists had the contrary effects, as reflected in measurements of transendothelial resistance. Our observations support the evidence for the anti - inflammatory role of GHRH antagonists in the vasculature. Moreover, our results suggest that GHRH antagonists should be considered as promising therapeutic agents for treating severe respiratory abnormalities, such as the lethal Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad A Uddin
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Mohammad S Akhter
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Sitanshu S Singh
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Khadeja-Tul Kubra
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA.,Divisions of Medical Oncology and Endocrinology, Department of Medicine and Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Seetharama Jois
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Nektarios Barabutis
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
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Zhang C, Cai R, Lazerson A, Delcroix G, Wangpaichitr M, Mirsaeidi M, Griswold AJ, Schally AV, Jackson RM. Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Receptor Antagonist Modulates Lung Inflammation and Fibrosis due to Bleomycin. Lung 2019; 197:541-549. [PMID: 31392398 PMCID: PMC6778540 DOI: 10.1007/s00408-019-00257-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is a 44-amino acid peptide that regulates growth hormone (GH) secretion. We hypothesized that a GHRH receptor (GHRH-R) antagonist, MIA-602, would inhibit bleomycin-induced lung inflammation and/or fibrosis in C57Bl/6J mice. METHODS We tested whether MIA-602 (5 μg or vehicle given subcutaneously [SC] on days 1-21) would decrease lung inflammation (at day 14) and/or fibrosis (at day 28) in mice treated with intraperitoneal (IP) bleomycin (0.8 units on days 1, 3, 7, 10, 14, and 21). Bleomycin resulted in inflammation and fibrosis around airways and vessels evident histologically at days 14 and 28. RESULTS Inflammation (histopathologic scores assessed blindly) was visibly less evident in mice treated with MIA-602 for 14 days. After 28 days, lung hydroxyproline (HP) content increased significantly in mice treated with vehicle; in contrast, lung HP did not increase significantly compared to naïve controls in mice treated with GHRH-R antagonist. GHRH-R antagonist increased basal and maximal oxygen consumption of cultured lung fibroblasts. Multiple genes related to chemotaxis, IL-1, chemokines, regulation of inflammation, and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) were upregulated in lungs of mice treated with bleomycin and MIA-602. MIA-602 also prominently suppressed multiple genes related to the cellular immune response including those for T-cell differentiation, receptor signaling, activation, and cytokine production. CONCLUSIONS MIA-602 reduced lung inflammation and fibrosis due to bleomycin. Multiple genes related to immune response and T-cell functions were downregulated, supporting the view that MIA-602 can modulate the cellular immune response to bleomycin lung injury.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Research Service, Miami VAHS, Miami, FL, 33125, USA
| | - Aaron Lazerson
- Department of Comparative Pathology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33101, USA
| | | | | | - Mehdi Mirsaeidi
- Research Service, Miami VAHS, Miami, FL, 33125, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33101, USA
| | - Anthony J Griswold
- Dr. John T. MacDonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33101, USA
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Research Service, Miami VAHS, Miami, FL, 33125, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33101, USA
- Department of Pathology and Sylvester Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, 33101, USA
| | - Robert M Jackson
- Research Service, Miami VAHS, Miami, FL, 33125, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33101, USA.
- Research Service, Miami VAHS, 1201 NW 16th Street, Miami, FL, 33125, USA.
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Schally AV, Zhang X, Cai R, Hare JM, Granata R, Bartoli M. Actions and Potential Therapeutic Applications of Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Agonists. Endocrinology 2019; 160:1600-1612. [PMID: 31070727 DOI: 10.1210/en.2019-00111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In this article, we briefly review the identification of GHRH, provide an abridged overview of GHRH antagonists, and focus on studies with GHRH agonists. Potent GHRH agonists of JI and MR class were synthesized and evaluated biologically. Besides the induction of the release of pituitary GH, GHRH analogs promote cell proliferation and exert stimulatory effects on various tissues, which express GHRH receptors (GHRH-Rs). A large body of work shows that GHRH agonists, such as MR-409, improve pancreatic β-cell proliferation and metabolic functions and facilitate engraftment of islets after transplantation in rodents. Accordingly, GHRH agonists offer a new therapeutic approach to treating diabetes. Various studies demonstrate that GHRH agonists promote repair of cardiac tissue, producing improvement of ejection fraction and reduction of infarct size in rats, reduction of infarct scar in swine, and attenuation of cardiac hypertrophy in mice, suggesting clinical applications. The presence of GHRH-Rs in ocular tissues and neuroprotective effects of GHRH analogs in experimental diabetic retinopathy indicates their possible therapeutic applications for eye diseases. Other effects of GHRH agonists, include acceleration of wound healing, activation of immune cells, and action on the central nervous system. As GHRH might function as a growth factor, we examined effects of GHRH agonists on tumors. In vitro, GHRH agonists stimulate growth of human cancer cells and upregulate GHRH-Rs. However, in vivo, GHRH agonists inhibit growth of human cancers xenografted into nude mice and downregulate pituitary and tumoral GHRH-Rs. Therapeutic applications of GHRH analogs are discussed. The development of GHRH analogs should lead to their clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew V Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida
- Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
- Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Xianyang Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida
| | - Joshua M Hare
- Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
- Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Riccarda Granata
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Manuela Bartoli
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
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Qin YJ, Chu WK, Huang L, Ng CHY, Chan TCY, Cao D, Yang C, Zhang L, Huang SP, Li J, Lin HL, Li WQ, Chen L, Schally AV, Chan SO, Zhang HY, Pang CP. Induction of Apoptosis in Pterygium Cells by Antagonists of Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Receptors. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2019; 59:5060-5066. [PMID: 30357400 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.18-24751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The aim of the study was to investigate the signaling of growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRH-R) in the pathogenesis of pterygium and determine the apoptotic effect of GHRH-R antagonist on pterygium epithelial cells (PECs). Methods Fourteen samples of primary pterygium of grade T3 with size of corneal invasion ≥ 4 mm were obtained for investigation by histology, immunofluorescence, electron microscopy, explant culture, and flow cytometry. Results We found that PECs were localized in the basal layer of the epithelium in advancing regions of the head of pterygium. These cells harbored clusters of rough endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, and mitochondria, which were consistent with their aggressive proliferation. Immunofluorescence studies and Western blots showed that GHRH-R and the downstream growth hormone receptor (GH-R) were intensively expressed in PECs. Their respective ligands, GHRH and GH, were also elevated in the pterygium tissues as compared to conjunctival cells. Explanted PECs were strongly immunoreactive to GHRH-R and exhibited differentiation and proliferation that led to lump formation. Treatment with GHRH-R antagonist MIA-602 induced apoptosis of PECs in a dose-dependent manner, which was accompanied by a downregulation of ERK1 and upregulation of Caspase 3 expression. Conclusions Our results revealed that GHRH-R signaling is involved in survival and proliferation of PECs and suggest a potential therapeutic approach for GHRH-R antagonist in the treatment of pterygium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Jie Qin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Eye Institute, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wai Kit Chu
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Li Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Clara Hoi Yen Ng
- Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery Programme, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tommy Chung Yan Chan
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Di Cao
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Cheng Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Eye Institute, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Eye Institute, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shao Ping Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Eye Institute, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Juan Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Eye Institute, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hong Liang Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Eye Institute, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen Qian Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Eye Institute, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Eye Institute, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Department of Pathology and Department of Medicine, University of Miami Medical School, Miami, Florida, United States.,Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida, United States
| | - Sun On Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hong Yang Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Eye Institute, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chi Pui Pang
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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Ren JL, Yu QX, Ma D, Liang WC, Leung PY, Ng TK, Chu WK, Schally AV, Pang CP, Chan SO. Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor mediates cytokine production in ciliary and iris epithelial cells during LPS-induced ocular inflammation. Exp Eye Res 2019; 181:277-284. [PMID: 30831084 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2019.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The receptor for growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH-R) has been shown to upregulate specifically in the ciliary and iris epithelial cells and infiltrating cells in the aqueous humor in a rat model of acute anterior uveitis. Treatment with GHRHR-R antagonist alleviates significantly these inflammatory responses. Herein we investigated whether the ciliary and iris epithelial cells can respond directly to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) without the influences of circulating leukocytes to produce inflammatory mediators through a GHRH-R mediated mechanism. In explant cultures of rat ciliary body and iris, LPS caused a substantial increase of GHRH-R in 24 h. Immunohistochemistry showed a localization of TLR4, the receptor for LPS, and an elevated expression of IL-6 and IL-1β in ciliary and iris epithelial cells after LPS treatment. LPS also elevated the level of IL-1β, IL-6, and iNOS and increased secretion of IL-1β and IL-6 from the explants. The GHRH-R antagonist, MIA-602, suppressed the elevated expression of IL-1β and IL-6, and reduced the release of IL-6. Such effects were not seen for the GHRHR agonist, MR-409. When co-cultured with leukocytes, expression of GHRH-R in the ocular explants was further enhanced during LPS treatment. Our results demonstrate a direct action of LPS on ciliary and iris epithelial cells to produce pro-inflammatory factors through a GHRH-R mediated mechanism, and suggest a role of these epithelial cells, in addition to the resident antigen presenting cells, in immune surveillance of the eye. Infiltrating leukocytes may enhance these inflammatory responses by regulating GHRH-R in ciliary and iris epithelial cells, in addition to their functions of synthesizing proinflammatory cytokines.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Aqueous Humor/metabolism
- Ciliary Body/metabolism
- Ciliary Body/pathology
- Cytokines/biosynthesis
- Disease Models, Animal
- Eye Infections, Bacterial/genetics
- Eye Infections, Bacterial/metabolism
- Eye Infections, Bacterial/pathology
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Immunohistochemistry
- Iris/metabolism
- Male
- RNA/genetics
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptors, Neuropeptide/biosynthesis
- Receptors, Neuropeptide/genetics
- Receptors, Pituitary Hormone-Regulating Hormone/biosynthesis
- Receptors, Pituitary Hormone-Regulating Hormone/genetics
- Uveitis, Anterior/genetics
- Uveitis, Anterior/metabolism
- Uveitis, Anterior/pathology
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Lin Ren
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Qiu Xiao Yu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Ding Ma
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Wei Cheng Liang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Pui Ying Leung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Tsz Kin Ng
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Wai Kit Chu
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Endocrine, Polypeptide, and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, USA; Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Endocrinology, Department of Medicine and Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Chi Pui Pang
- Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
| | - Sun-On Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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Abstract
P53 is a transcription factor very often mutated in malignancies. It functions towards the regulation of important cellular activities, such as cell cycle, senescence and apoptosis. Since inflammation and cancer are strongly associated through common pathways, P53 can suppress inflammation in a plethora of human tissues. Growth Hormone - Releasing Hormone is a hypothalamic peptide with a great capacity to affect the complex networks of cellular regulation via GHRH - specific receptors. GHRH antagonistic and agonistic analogs have been developed for clinical applications, including treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, breast, prostate and lung cancers, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. The epicenter of the current manuscript is the protective role of P53 against inflammation and cancer and emphasizes the p53 – mediated beneficial effects of GHRH antagonists in various human diseases. Inflammation is tightly associated with cancer. GHRH antagonists induce P53 expression. P53 exerts a protective effect against cancer and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nektarios Barabutis
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, LA 71201, USA.
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Department of Pathology and Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33156, USA; Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL 33156, USA
| | - Agnieszka Siejka
- Department of Clinical Endocrinology, Medical University of Lodz, Poland
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45
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Popovics P, Cai R, Sha W, Rick FG, Schally AV. Growth hormone-releasing hormone antagonists reduce prostatic enlargement and inflammation in carrageenan-induced chronic prostatitis. Prostate 2018; 78:970-980. [PMID: 29786867 DOI: 10.1002/pros.23655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inflammation plays a key role in the etiology of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) through multiple pathways involving the stimulation of proliferation by cytokines and growth factors as well as the induction of the focal occurrence of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We have previously reported that GHRH acts as a prostatic growth factor in experimental BPH and in autoimmune prostatitis models and its blockade with GHRH antagonists offer therapeutic approaches for these conditions. Our current study was aimed at the investigation of the beneficial effects of GHRH antagonists in λ-carrageenan-induced chronic prostatitis and at probing the downstream molecular pathways that are implicated in GHRH signaling. METHODS To demonstrate the complications triggered by recurrent/chronic prostatic inflammation in Sprague-Dawley rats, 50 μL 3% carrageenan was injected into both ventral prostate lobes two times, 3 weeks apart. GHRH antagonist, MIA-690, was administered 5 days after the second intraprostatic injection at 20 μg daily dose for 4 weeks. GHRH-induced signaling events were identified in BPH-1 and in primary prostate epithelial (PrEp) cells at 5, 15, 30, and 60 min with Western blot. RESULTS Inflammation induced prostatic enlargement and increased the area of the stromal compartment whereas treatment with the GHRH antagonist significantly reduced these effects. This beneficial activity was consistent with a decrease in prostatic GHRH, inflammatory marker COX-2, growth factor IGF-1 and inflammatory and EMT marker TGF-β1 protein levels and the expression of multiple genes related to EMT. In vitro, GHRH stimulated multiple pathways involved in inflammation and growth in both BPH-1 and PrEp cells including NFκB p65, AKT, ERK1/2, EGFR, STAT3 and increased the levels of TGF-β1 and Snail/Slug. Most interestingly, GHRH also stimulated the transactivation of the IGF receptor. CONCLUSIONS The study demonstrates that GHRH antagonists could be beneficial for the treatment of prostatic inflammation and BPH in part by inhibiting the growth-promoting and inflammatory effects of locally produced GHRH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Popovics
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
- Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
- Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida
| | - Wei Sha
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
- Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida
| | - Ferenc G Rick
- Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida
- Department of Urology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International, University, Miami, Florida
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
- Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
- Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
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46
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Muñoz-Moreno L, Schally AV, Prieto JC, Carmena MJ, Bajo AM. Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor antagonists modify molecular machinery in the progression of prostate cancer. Prostate 2018; 78:915-926. [PMID: 29748961 DOI: 10.1002/pros.23648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Therapeutic strategies should be designed to transform aggressive prostate cancer phenotypes to a chronic situation. To evaluate the effects of the new growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRH-R) antagonists: MIA-602, MIA-606, and MIA-690 on processes associated with cancer progression as cell proliferation, adhesion, migration, and angiogenesis. METHODS We used three human prostate cell lines (RWPE-1, LNCaP, and PC3). We analyzed several molecules such as E-cadherin, β-catenin, Bcl2, Bax, p53, MMP2, MMP9, PCNA, and VEGF and signaling mechanisms that are involved on effects exerted by GHRH-R antagonists. RESULTS GHRH-R antagonists decreased cell viability and provoked a reduction in proliferation in LNCaP and PC3 cells. Moreover, GHRH-R antagonists caused a time-dependent increase of cell adhesion in all three cell lines and retarded the wound closure with the highest value with MIA-690 in PC3 cells. GHRH-R antagonists also provoked a large number of cells in SubG0 phase revealing an increase in apoptotic cells in PC3 cell line. CONCLUSIONS Taken all together, GHRH-R antagonists of the MIAMI series appear to be inhibitors of tumor progression in prostate cancer and should be considered for use in future therapeutic strategies on this malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Muñoz-Moreno
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida
- Departments of Pathology and Medicine, Divisions of Hematology/Oncology, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Juan C Prieto
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - M José Carmena
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana M Bajo
- Department of Systems Biology, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
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47
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Oláh G, Dobos N, Vámosi G, Szabó Z, Sipos É, Fodor K, Harda K, Schally AV, Halmos G. Experimental therapy of doxorubicin resistant human uveal melanoma with targeted cytotoxic luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analog (AN-152). Eur J Pharm Sci 2018; 123:371-376. [PMID: 30076951 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cytotoxic analogs of LHRH (luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone) can be successfully used for the treatment of hormone-dependent cancers such as prostatic, ovarian, endometrial, but our knowledge about their effect on hormone-independent cancers such as human uveal melanoma (UM) is limited. Previously, we have demonstrated that 46% of UM express full-length LHRH receptors. This finding has led us to further examine the mechanism of action of LHRH receptor based targeted therapies in this malignancy. AIMS In the present study we investigated the cellular uptake of doxorubicin (DOX) and cytotoxic LHRH analog AN-152 (AEZS-108, zoptarelin doxorubicin) on human UM cell lines (OCM3) and its DOX resistant form OCM3DOX320 by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The LHRH receptor expression was characterized by RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry. RESULTS We were able to establish a new, stable and DOX resistant human UM cell line OCM3DOX320. Our results demonstrated the expression of splice variants and isoforms of receptor for LHRH in OCM3 UM cell line and its doxorubicin resistant form OCM3DOX320. It has been revealed by MTT assay that AN-152 inhibited cell proliferation in a dose dependent manner in OCM3DOX320 cells. Furthermore, receptor-mediated uptake of AN-152 was demonstrated using confocal laser scanning microscopy in both cell line. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the antiproliferative effect of AN-152 can be detected even if only LHRH receptor isoforms are expressed. Our study also demonstrates the LHRH receptor-mediated uptake of AN-152 in DOX resistant OCM3DOX320 cells. Our experiments provide new insights into a potential targeted therapy of UM and give further details about the accumulation of AN-152 in hormone-independent DOX-resistant cells expressing splice variants of the LHRH receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Oláh
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Nikoletta Dobos
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - György Vámosi
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Szabó
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Éva Sipos
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Klára Fodor
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Kristóf Harda
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Gábor Halmos
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary; Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA.
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48
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Jeanne Dit Fouque K, Salgueiro LM, Cai R, Sha W, Schally AV, Fernandez-Lima F. Structural Motif Descriptors as a Way To Elucidate the Agonistic or Antagonistic Activity of Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone Peptide Analogues. ACS Omega 2018; 3:7432-7440. [PMID: 31458901 PMCID: PMC6644384 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b00375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The synthesis of analogues of hypothalamic neuropeptide growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is an efficient strategy for designing new therapeutic agents. Several promising synthetic agonist and antagonist analogues of GHRH have been developed based on amino acid mutations of the GHRH (1-29) sequence. Because structural information on the activity of the GHRH agonists or antagonists is limited, there is a need for more effective analytical workflows capable of correlating the peptide sequence with biological activity. In the present work, three GHRH agonists-MR-356, MR-406, and MR-409-and three GHRH antagonists-MIA-602, MIA-606, and MIA-690-were investigated to assess the role of substitutions in the amino acid sequence on structural motifs and receptor binding affinities. The use of high resolution trapped ion mobility spectrometry coupled to mass spectrometry allowed the observation of a large number of peptide-specific mobility bands (or structural motif descriptors) as a function of the amino acid sequence and the starting solution environment. A direct correlation was observed between the amino acid substitutions (i.e., basic residues and d/l-amino acids), the structural motif descriptors, and the biological function (i.e., receptor binding affinities of the GHRH agonists and antagonists). The simplicity, ease, and high throughput of the proposed workflow based on the structural motif descriptors can significantly reduce the cost and time during screening of new synthetic peptide analogues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Jeanne Dit Fouque
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International
University, 11200 SW 8th Street, AHC4-233, Miami, Florida 33199, United States
| | - Luis M. Salgueiro
- Veterans
Affairs Medical Center, 1201 NW 16th Street, Research Service (151), Room
2A103C, Miami, Florida 33125, United States
- Departments
of Pathology and Medicine, Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Endocrinology,
Miller School of Medicine, University of
Miami, 1600 NW 10th Avenue
#1140, Miami, Florida 33136, United States
| | - Renzhi Cai
- Veterans
Affairs Medical Center, 1201 NW 16th Street, Research Service (151), Room
2A103C, Miami, Florida 33125, United States
- Departments
of Pathology and Medicine, Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Endocrinology,
Miller School of Medicine, University of
Miami, 1600 NW 10th Avenue
#1140, Miami, Florida 33136, United States
| | - Wei Sha
- Veterans
Affairs Medical Center, 1201 NW 16th Street, Research Service (151), Room
2A103C, Miami, Florida 33125, United States
- Departments
of Pathology and Medicine, Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Endocrinology,
Miller School of Medicine, University of
Miami, 1600 NW 10th Avenue
#1140, Miami, Florida 33136, United States
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- Veterans
Affairs Medical Center, 1201 NW 16th Street, Research Service (151), Room
2A103C, Miami, Florida 33125, United States
- Departments
of Pathology and Medicine, Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Endocrinology,
Miller School of Medicine, University of
Miami, 1600 NW 10th Avenue
#1140, Miami, Florida 33136, United States
| | - Francisco Fernandez-Lima
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International
University, 11200 SW 8th Street, AHC4-233, Miami, Florida 33199, United States
- Biomolecular
Sciences Institute, Florida International
University, 11200 SW 8th Street, AHC4-211, Miami, Florida 33199, United States
- E-mail:
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49
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Cui T, Schally AV. Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and its agonists inhibit hepatic and tumoral secretion of IGF-1. Oncotarget 2018; 9:28745-28756. [PMID: 29983893 PMCID: PMC6033336 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.25676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of hypothalamic growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) in the release of growth hormone (GH) from the pituitary is well established. However, direct effects of GHRH and its agonistic analogs on extra-pituitary cells and tissues have not been completely elucidated. In the present study, we first demonstrated that human and rat hepatocytes express receptors for GHRH. We then showed that GHRH(1-29)NH 2 and GHRH agonist, MR-409, downregulated mRNA levels for IGF-1 in human cancer cell lines and inhibited IGF-1 secretion in vitro when these cancer lines were exposed to rhGH. Another GHRH agonist, MR-356, lowered serum IGF-l and inhibited tumor growth in nude mice bearing xenografted NCI-N87 human stomach cancers. GHRH(1-29)NH 2 and MR-409 also suppressed the expression of mRNA for IGF-1 and IGF-2 in rat and human hepatocytes, decreased the secretion of IGF-1 in vitro from rat hepatocytes stimulated with rhGH, and lowered serum IGF-l levels in hypophysectomized rats injected with rhGH. Vasoactive intestinal peptide had no effect on the release of IGF-1 from the hepatocytes. Treatment of C57BL/6 mice with MR-409 reduced serum levels of IGF-l from days 1 to 5. These results show that GHRH and its agonists can, by a direct action, inhibit the secretion of IGF-1 from the liver and from tumors. The inhibitory effect of GHRH appears to be mediated by the GHRH receptor (GHRH-R) and GH receptor (GHR), with the involvement of JAK2/STAT5 pathways. Further studies are required to investigate the possible physiopathological role of GHRH in the control of secretion of IGF-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengjiao Cui
- Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA
- Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology, Oncology and Endocrinology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA
- Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology, Oncology and Endocrinology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
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50
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Jimenez JJ, DelCanto GM, Popovics P, Perez A, Vila Granda A, Vidaurre I, Cai RZ, Rick FG, Swords RT, Schally AV. A new approach to the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia targeting the receptor for growth hormone-releasing hormone. Br J Haematol 2018; 181:476-485. [PMID: 29663325 DOI: 10.1111/bjh.15207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is secreted by the hypothalamus and acts on the pituitary gland to stimulate the release of growth hormone (GH). GHRH can also be produced by human cancers, in which it functions as an autocrine/paracrine growth factor. We have previously shown that synthetic antagonistic analogues of GHRH are able to successfully suppress the growth of 60 different human cancer cell lines representing over 20 cancers. Nevertheless, the expression of GHRH and its receptors in leukaemias has never been examined. Our study demonstrates the presence of GHRH receptor (GHRH-R) on 3 of 4 human acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cell lines-K-562, THP-1, and KG-1a-and significant inhibition of proliferation of these three cell lines in vitro following incubation with the GHRH antagonist MIA-602. We further show that this inhibition of proliferation is associated with the upregulation of pro-apoptotic genes and inhibition of Akt signalling in leukaemic cells. Treatment with MIA-602 of mice bearing xenografts of these human AML cell lines drastically reduced tumour growth. The expression of GHRH-R was further confirmed in 9 of 9 samples from patients with AML. These findings offer a new therapeutic approach to this malignancy and suggest a possible role of GHRH-R signalling in the pathology of AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquin J Jimenez
- Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Gina M DelCanto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Petra Popovics
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Aymee Perez
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Ailin Vila Granda
- Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | | | - Ren-Zhi Cai
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Ferenc G Rick
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Urology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Ronan T Swords
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Andrew V Schally
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA.,Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.,Department of Pathology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
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