Sublytic C5b-9 induces protective autophagy in cultured podocytes

AIM: In podocytes, autophagy occurs at a high basal level and dysregulated autophagy is associa-ted with a variety of podocytopathies. This paper is to investigate the role of autophagy in sublytic C5b-9-induced podocyte injury. METHODS: Sublytic complement C5b-9 stimulation was used as an in vitro model. Autophagosomes were confirmed using monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining. Immunoblotting was used to measure the change of autophagy-related markers. Cellular morphological changes were observed by Wright-Giemsa staining. Immunofluorescence staining and confocal microscopy were used to detect the expression and distribution of nephrin. The cell viability was assessed by methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay. The cell apoptosis was assessed by Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/PI staining. RESULTS: For ensuring sublytic complement injury, the maximal amounts of anti-podocyte antiserum and 160×-diluted normal human serum were used without inducing cell lysis (defined as >5% LDH release). Sublytic C5b-9 promoted autophagy of podocytes in vitro. The proautophagic effect of sublytic C5b-9 manifested in the form of accumulated MDC-labeled vesicles and enhanced the expression of LC3-Ⅱ. Autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenosine (3-MA) promoted sublytic C5b-9-induced podocyte morphological abnormalities. Compared with the sublytic C5b-9-injured podocytes, 3-MA exposure further decreased the expression of nephrin. 3-MA enhanced sublytic C5b-9-induced podocyte apoptosis. CONCLUSION: Sublytic C5b-9 attack induces autophagy, which may play a protective role against complement-mediated podocyte injury.     

Ellagic acid attenuates hypoxic-ischemic brain injury by alleviating autophagy

AIM:To investigate whether ellagic acid (EA) attenuates hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) by down-regulating autophagy. METHODS:In vivo, Sprague-Dawley rats (n=17) were randomly divided into 3 groups:5 rats for sham group, 6 rats for HIE group and 6 rats for HIE+EA pretreatment group. The rats in HIE+EA pretreatment group were treated with EA (10 mg/kg, 10 mL/kg, suspended in corn oil, ig). After 24 h of operation, the rats from each group were sacrificed and their brains were collected. TTC staining and HE staining were used to define the infarct areas and brain structure. The autophagy-related proteins beclin-1, P62, LC3-Ⅱ/-I and Atg5 in the cortex in each group were compared by Western blot. In vitro, PC12 cells were divided into 3 groups:control group, CoCl₂ group and CoCl₂+EA pretreatment group. CoCl₂ at 800 μmol/L was added to the PC12 cells to induce an anoxic environment. The PC12 cells were pretreated with EA at 8 μmol/L and the cell viability was measured by CCK-8 assay. The production of reactive oxidative species (ROS) in the cells was detected by flow cytometry with DCFH-DA staining. MDC staining and TMRE staining were applied to reflect the extent of autophagy and the state of apoptosis, respectively. The autophagy-related proteins in PC12 cells were also investigated. RESULTS:In HIE group, 7-day-old rats were given the operations and the their large infarct areas in the hemisphere were observed by TTC staining. HE staining displayed the injured hemispheres which contained few neurons, and exhibited edema status and serious structural damage. EA pretreatment decreased the infarct area and alleviated the damage to hemisphere with more visible neurons, compared with HIE group. Compared with sham group, the levels of autophagy-related proteins Atg5, beclin-1 and LC3-Ⅱ/-I in the cortex were increased (P<0.01), and P62 protein expression was decreased (P<0.01) in HIE group. Compared with HIE group, the protein expression of Atg5, beclin-1 and LC3-Ⅱ/-I was decreased (P<0.01) and P62 protein expression was increased in HIE+EA pretreatment group (P<0.01). In vitro, compared with CoCl₂ group, the PC12 cells in CoCl₂+EA pretreatment group showed a lower ROS level. Moreover, the cells in CoCl₂+EA pretreatment group exhibited higher mitochondrial membrane potential than that in CoCl₂ group. MDC staining in CoCl₂ group showed high value of fluorescence and increased number of autophagosomes. EA pretreatment reduced the number of autophagosomes and the extent of autophagy to protect PC12 cells. Furthermore, the protein levels of Atg5, beclin-1 and LC3-Ⅱ/-I in CoCl₂ group were higher (P<0.01), and the protein expression of P62 was lower (P<0.01) than those in control group. In CoCl₂+EA pretreatment group, the protein levels of Atg5, beclin-1 and LC3-Ⅱ/-I were decreased (P<0.01) and the protein expression of P62 was increased as compared with CoCl₂ group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION:EA pretreatment attenuates autophagy to protect the neurons against HIE injury.     

CUDC-907 induces DNA damage and autophagy in glioma cells

AIM:To investigate the effect of CUDC-907, a dual histone deacetylase (HDAC) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, on the DNA damage, cell cycle distribution and autophagy in human glioma U251 cells. METHODS:U251 cells were treated with CUDC-907 of different concentrations, and the cell viability was detected by MTT assay. The quantitative γ-H2AX foci were determined by laser scanning confocal microscopy. The cell cycle distribution of U251 cells was examined by flow cytometry. The protein expression was determined by Western blot analysis. RESULTS:CUDC-907 inhibited the cell viability and the phosphorylation of Akt and p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70s6K) in the U251 cells (P<0.05). In CUDC-907-treated cells, the number of γ-H2AX foci and protein expression of γ-H2AX were increased significantly (P<0.05). CUDC-907 also induced cell arrest in the G₂/M phase by up-regulating the expression of p21, and inhibiting the protein level of cyclin B1 and the phosphorylation of cell division cycle protein 2 (Cdc2). In addition, CUDC-907 triggered cell autophagy, and inhibition of autophagy increased CUDC-907-induced DNA damage of U251 cells. CONCLUSION:CUDC-907 significantly inhibits PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, induces DNA damage and arrests cell cycle in G₂/M phase. Blockage of autophagy promotes CUDC-907-induced DNA damage of U251 cells.     

Astrocyte activity and autophagy after radiation-induced brain injury in rats

AIM: To investigate the activity of astrocytes and autophagy-related changes after radiation-induced brain injury (RBI) in rats.METHODS: A total of 36 Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 180~200 g, were trained for 4 d in the Morris water maze. They were randomly divided into sham group, model group and 3-methyladenine (3-MA) group. The rats in model group and 3-MA group were given single whole-brain X-ray irradiation at a dose of 20 Gy after intraperitoneal anesthesia. After the irradiation was completed, the rats in model group was given 5 μL of NaCl into the lateral ventricle, and the rats in 3-MA group was injected with 3-MA at 600 nmol into the lateral ventricle. After 8 weeks of feeding, Morris water maze was used for measuring the learning and memory abilities. The brain tissues were taken and HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of the hippocampus. The protein level of GFAP was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot for evaluating astrocyte activity. Dual fluorescence staining of GFAP and LC3 was performed for evaluating the changes of autophagy in the astrocytes. The protein level of cleaved caspase-3 detected by Western blot and TUNEL staining in the ipsilateral hippocampus were used to evaluate the apoptosis. The contents of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were examined by ELISA to assess the inflammatory response in the hippocampus.RESULTS: Radiation inhibited astrocyte activity, activated autophagy in astrocytes, and aggravated brain damage. 3-MA promoted the activation of astrocytes and promoted the repair of brain tissue damage.CONCLUSION: The injury of rat hippocampus after radiation is obvious, and the number of astrocytes is significantly reduced. 3-MA significantly attenuates the damage. This finding may provide a new approach for the treatment of radiation-induced brain injury.     

Effect of exogenous hydrogen sulfide on lipophagy in mouse primary hepatocytes

AIM: To evaluate the effect of exogenous hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) from GYY4137 on lipophagy in mouse primary hepatocytes. METHODS: The C57BL/6 mouse primary hepatocytes isolated and cultured by 2-step in situ perfusion method were divided into 4 groups: the cells in control group were incubated with normal medium; the cells in model group were incubated with 1.2 mmol/L oleic acid (OA) for 48 h; the cells in H₂S group or propargylglycine (PAG) group were incubated with 1.2 mmol/L OA for 48 h followed by serum-free phenol red-free RPMI-1640 medium which contained 1 mmol/L GYY4137 or 200 μmol/L PAG for 6 h. The cells were collected to conduct immunofluorescence staining of LC3 and photography under fluorescence microscope, phase-contrast microscope or transmission electron microscope. The protein expression of LC3-Ⅰ/Ⅱ in the hepatocytes was determined by Western blot. RESULTS: In contrast with the model group, the fluorescent particles of LC3, the protein expression of LC3, the number of autophagic lysosome and vacuoles in hepatocytes in H₂S group increased. CONCLUSION: In steatosis hepatocytes, exogenous H₂S promotes the lipophagy.     

Celecoxib inhibits viability,induces apoptosis and inhibits autophagy in acute myeloid leukemia cell lines HL-60 and HL-60A

AIM: To investigate the effects of celecoxib on viability, apoptosis and autophagy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines HL-60 and HL-60A. METHODS: The HL-60 cells and HL-60A cells were cultured with various concentrations (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 μmol/L) of celecoxib. The inhibitory effect of celecoxib on the cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay. Apoptosis was analyzed by Annexin-V/PI staining. Apoptosis-related and autophagy-related proteins were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: IC₅₀ of celecoxib were 49.4 μmol/L, 32.0 μmol/L and 25.1 μmol/L for HL-60 cells treated with celecoxib for 24 h, 48 h and 72 h, respectively. For HL-60A cells, the corresponding IC₅₀ were 69.1 μmol/L, 42.5 μmol/L and 29.6 μmol/L, respectively. The results of flow cytometry analysis showed the proportions of Annexin-Ⅴ⁺ PI^-, Annexin-Ⅴ⁺ PI⁺ and Annexin-Ⅴ^-PI⁺ cells were increased in the HL-60 cells, and those of Annexin-Ⅴ⁺PI^- and Annexin-Ⅴ⁺ PI⁺ cells were increased in the HL-60A cells treated with celecoxib for 24 h. After treated with celecoxib, the induction of apoptosis was observed, the apoptosis-related proteins cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP were upregulated, the autophagy-related proteins LC3 II and P62 were both increased, and mTOR, p-mTOR, 4-EBP and p-4-EBP were not changed, indicating that celecoxib inhibited autophagy in the AML cells without the mTOR pathway involvement. CONCLUSION: Celecoxib inhibits the viability of HL-60 cells and HL-60A cells in a time-and dose-dependent manner by its effects of inducing apoptosis and necrosis. Celecoxib inhibits mTOR-independent autophagy in AML cells, indicating a possible way of using celecoxib for enhancing the antitumor activity of therapeutic agents to induce cytoprotective autophagy in the AML cells.     

Effect of autophagy in traumatic brain injury

Autophagy is a metabolic process of eukaryotic cells. When lacking of nutrient and energy, the cells obtain biosynthetic materials by degrading the organelles and recycling the proteins to maintain homeostasis. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common kind of mechanic injury, usually with a poor outcome. Accumulated evidence indicates that the activity of autophagy increases after TBI. However, its implication for nervous tissue is still controversy. On one hand, autophagy exerts a protective effect on the neural cells. On the other hand, autophagy can also induce cell death exacerbating neural injury. This review focuses on the processes of autophagy and its roles in TBI, which may provide some novel therapeutic strategies.     

草地贪夜蛾Sf9细胞对饥饿诱导自噬的响应

为研究草地贪夜蛾对饥饿诱导自噬的响应。从草地贪夜蛾EST数据库中筛选到一段核苷酸序列,设计特异性引物,RT-PCR技术从草地贪夜蛾Sf9细胞中扩增该核苷酸序列,经过生物信息学分析该序列与昆虫自噬相关基因ATG8同源性最高,命名为SfATG8基因,并构建了pIEX-4-mCherry-EGFP-SfATG8载体转染Sf9细胞。Sf9细胞经饥饿(PBS)诱导4 h后,Lyso-Tracker染色、Western Blotting、共聚焦显微镜检测细胞对自噬的响应程度。结果表明,经饥饿(PBS)诱导4 h的Sf9细胞中出现Sf Atg8-PE的表达,共聚焦显微镜检测到Sf9细胞膜上的自噬小体。以上证据证实饥饿(PBS)能诱导Sf9细胞发生自噬,为深入研究Sf9细胞对自噬的响应奠定了基础。     

脊尾白虾翻译控制肿瘤蛋白基因TCTP克隆及自噬调控相关基因在卵巢发育期的表达

为深入了解脊尾白虾(Exopalaemon carinicauda)卵巢发育和卵黄蛋白原发生的分子机制,本研究克隆得到脊尾白虾翻译控制肿瘤蛋白基因TCTP,并结合自噬调控基因TCTP、Hif-1α、Beclin1和Bcl-2在卵巢发育期的表达水平,阐释脊尾白虾卵黄蛋白原合成过程中的分子调控特征。研究显示,脊尾白虾TCTP基因c DNA全长为732 bp,编码168个氨基酸,具有典型的TCTP1和TCTP2功能域以及PKC和TKⅡ等mTOR信号通路相关的磷酸化位点。同时发现,甲壳动物TCTP普遍缺乏在其他动植物中高度保守的C末端的cys残基。进化分析显示,脊尾白虾TCTP与中华绒螯蟹(Eriocheir sinensis)亲缘关系最近。4种自噬调控基因在脊尾白虾卵巢发育期的表达结果显示,肝胰腺TCTP基因从增殖期到产后恢复期呈递减趋势;肝胰腺Hif-1α、Beclin1和Bcl-2基因表达趋势相似,即从增殖期到小生长期高表达,大生长期极显著下降,表达量最低(P0.01),这与外源性卵黄蛋白原的合成趋势大致相反。这些自噬调控基因可能通过自噬作用共同调节外源性卵黄蛋白原的合成。卵巢TCTP基因在小生长期表达量最高;卵巢Hif-1α基因从增殖期到产后恢复期持续升高,这与内源性卵黄蛋白原表达趋势相似;卵巢Beclin1基因在大生长期表达量最高,与脊尾白虾卵巢Ec R表达趋势相似,与卵巢Bcl-2基因表达趋势相反,这些自噬调控基因可能通过自噬作用共同促进内源性卵黄蛋白的合成。本研究表明,自噬调控基因TCTP、Hif-1α、Beclin1和Bcl-2在脊尾白虾卵巢发育时期相互协调共同作用,可能通过自噬作用调节脊尾白虾卵黄蛋白原的合成和卵巢发育。