The Toxicologist - Society of Toxicology
The Toxicologist - Society of Toxicology
The Toxicologist - Society of Toxicology
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olytic caspase activation, caspase-activity and cleavage <strong>of</strong> inhibitor <strong>of</strong> caspase-activated<br />
DNase (ICAD) were not inhibited whereas the extent <strong>of</strong> apoptotic chromatin<br />
condensation and DNA-fragmentation was decreased. Using the arylhydrocarbon<br />
receptor (AhR) antagonist CH-223191, the inhibiting effect <strong>of</strong> TCDD<br />
towards apoptotic chromatin condensation and fragmentation could be linked to<br />
AhR activation. Next, we investigated whether TCDD directly or indirectly influenced<br />
the activity <strong>of</strong> exogenous caspase-activated DNase (CAD). TCDD did not<br />
affect CAD-activity towards naked genomic DNA. Neither was CAD-activity<br />
modulated towards isolated nuclei treated with TCDD for 24 h. Furthermore, activity<br />
<strong>of</strong> CAD towards nuclei from cells irradiated with UV-light and treated subsequently<br />
with TCDD for 1 h was not influenced. It appears plausible that TCDD<br />
inhibits apoptotic DNA-cleavage by some unknown mechanism in order to retain<br />
genomic integrity, allowing the cell to deal with xenobiotics despite an initiation <strong>of</strong><br />
apoptosis. <strong>The</strong>se cells could recover from an apoptotic insult, harbouring genetic<br />
aberrations. This could explain the tumor promoting potential <strong>of</strong> TCDD and<br />
might be an underlying mechanism for other tumor-promotors which induce<br />
xenobiotic metabolism.<br />
1223 LOCALIZATION OF ENDONUCLEASE G AND<br />
FRAGMENTED DNA DURING ACETAMINOPHEN<br />
LIVER INJURY IN MICE.<br />
N. Braman 1 , E. O. Apostolov 1 , L. Cortez 1 , J. Hinson 1 and A. G. Basnakian 1, 2 .<br />
1<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR and 2 Central Arkansas<br />
Veterans Healthcare System, Little Rock, AR.<br />
Acetaminophen (APAP) is the most common cause <strong>of</strong> acute liver failure in the<br />
United States. <strong>The</strong> morphological damage by APAP observed in the liver is centrilobular<br />
necrosis. It is associated with DNA fragmentation mainly by endonuclease<br />
G (EndoG) as determined by nuclear TUNEL assay, which is a surrogate<br />
method for apoptosis detection. Leakage <strong>of</strong> TUNEL-positive DNA fragments into<br />
the cytoplasm (cytoplasmic TUNEL) has been observed in some studies and interpreted<br />
as a sign <strong>of</strong> necrosis. In the present study, we localized EndoG by immunostaining<br />
and tested whether quantification <strong>of</strong> nuclear and cytoplasmic TUNEL may<br />
be used as a universal assay for APAP-induced liver cell damage that would allow simultaneous<br />
detection <strong>of</strong> apoptosis and necrosis in the same cell. Mice were injected<br />
with APAP (300 mg/kg IP) and liver samples were taken at varying periods <strong>of</strong> time<br />
within 12 hours. <strong>The</strong>re was no significant induction <strong>of</strong> EndoG during this time period,<br />
while some nuclear translocation <strong>of</strong> EndoG was observed. <strong>The</strong> treatment resulted<br />
in the increase <strong>of</strong> TUNEL-positive cells around the central veins between 2<br />
and 12 hours after APAP injections. At the 2-hour time point, the TUNEL was<br />
mainly nuclear suggesting cell death by apoptosis. By 4 hours, TUNEL-positive<br />
material significantly leaked to cytoplasm, where it reached a maximum <strong>of</strong> 22% <strong>of</strong><br />
total TUNEL, indicating the appearance <strong>of</strong> necrosis possibly associated with quick<br />
partial destruction <strong>of</strong> the nuclear membrane. At later time points, both nuclear and<br />
cytoplasmic TUNELs decreased suggesting leakage <strong>of</strong> plasma membrane due to<br />
further development <strong>of</strong> necrosis. <strong>The</strong>se data provide evidence that apoptosis and<br />
necrosis coexist in liver during APAP injury, and that measurement <strong>of</strong> nuclear and<br />
cytoplasmic TUNEL may be a useful method for the assessment <strong>of</strong> apoptosis and<br />
necrosis coexisting in individual cells in vivo, and for measuring the progression <strong>of</strong><br />
toxic liver injury.<br />
1224 ENDONUCLEASE G MEDIATES ENDOTHELIAL<br />
TOXICITY INDUCED BY CISPLATIN.<br />
Y. Apostolov 1 , D. Ray 1 , A. Savenka 1 and A. Basnakian 1, 2 .<br />
1<br />
Pharmacology/<strong>Toxicology</strong>, University <strong>of</strong> Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock,<br />
AR and 2 Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Little Rock, AR.<br />
Cisplatin is one <strong>of</strong> the most frequently used drugs for the treatment <strong>of</strong> advanced<br />
breast cancer, lung cancer, testicular cancer and leucosis. It is known to induce endothelial<br />
cell injury, which may lead to thrombotic complications and arterial hypertension,<br />
and significantly contribute to cardiac and kidney toxicities.<br />
Endothelial injury is a key mechanism in pathogenesis <strong>of</strong> the chemotherapy-induced<br />
cardiovascular complications. <strong>The</strong> mechanisms <strong>of</strong> endothelial cell injury induced<br />
by cisplatin are unknown. Our recent studies strongly suggest that endonuclease<br />
G (EndoG), a cytotoxic mitochondrial enzyme, serves as a universal key<br />
molecule in caspase-independent apoptosis and autophagy in various in vitro and<br />
in vivo cell injuries induced by cisplatin. In the current study, we hypothesized that<br />
EndoG mediates cisplatin endothelial toxicity. We first demonstrated that cisplatin<br />
in therapeutic doses causes injury <strong>of</strong> human coronary artery endothelial cells<br />
(HCAECs) in vitro as determined by LDH release assay. EndoG expression measured<br />
by cell ELISA showed that cisplatin-treated HCAECs express significantly<br />
more EndoG than untreated cells. Targeted inhibition <strong>of</strong> EndoG by siRNA led to<br />
above 70% protection <strong>of</strong> HCAECs treated with cisplatin (25 uM). To determine<br />
whether inactivation <strong>of</strong> EndoG is protective to endothelial cells in vivo, EndoG<br />
knockout (KO) and control wild-type mice were subjected to single injection <strong>of</strong> cisplatin<br />
(6 mg/kg, IV). <strong>The</strong> number <strong>of</strong> rescued endothelial cells in aorta was evaluated<br />
using quantitative microscopy, while floating (dead) endothelial CD31-positive<br />
endothelial cells in blood were quantified using flow cytometry. <strong>The</strong>se experiments<br />
showed that endothelial cells in KO mice are significantly protected from cisplatin<br />
injury. <strong>The</strong>refore our data suggest that EndoG plays causative role in<br />
cisplatin-induced endothelial toxicity and may potentially be used as a target for<br />
support therapy in order to prevent its cardiovascular complications.<br />
1225 1, 1-BIS(3’-INDOLYL)-1-(P-SUBSTITUTED<br />
PHENYL)METHANES ACTIVATE MITOCHONDRIAL<br />
PERMEABILITY TRANSITION PORE-MEDIATED<br />
APOPTOSIS IN BOTH COLON AND PANCREATIC<br />
CANCER CELLS.<br />
P. Lei, S. Zhang, K. Kim, X. Liu and S. Safe. Institute <strong>of</strong> Biosciences and<br />
Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Houston, TX.<br />
1,1-Bis(3’-indoly)-1-(p-substituted phenyl)methanes (C-DIM) activate peroxisome<br />
proliferator-activated receptor gamma and nerve growth factor-induced Balpha<br />
(Nur77) and induce receptor-dependent and receptor-independent apoptosis in<br />
cancer cells and tumors. In this study, we investigated the activation <strong>of</strong> apoptosis in<br />
colon and pancreatic cancer cells by p-bromo substituted analogs (DIM-C-pPhBr).<br />
DIM-C-pPhBr activated the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways and decreased<br />
mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in both colon and pancreatic<br />
cancer cells. <strong>The</strong> mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) blocker cyclosporin<br />
A (CsA) inhibited DIM-C-pPhBr -induced apoptosis and decrease <strong>of</strong><br />
MMP, indicating that DIM-CpPhBr-induced apoptosis is related to MPTP opening.<br />
C-DIM-pPhBr also activated the c-Jun NH(2) kinase (JNK) pathway, resulting<br />
in the induction <strong>of</strong> CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein,<br />
death receptor 5, and the extrinsic apoptotic pathway. Inhibitor studies showed that<br />
CsA, reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibitor NAC and JNK inhibitor SP600125<br />
blocked the JNK stress pathway in C-DIM-pPhBr treated cells, indicating that C-<br />
DIM-pPhBr-activated JNK stress pathway is MPTP- and ROS-dependent. Further<br />
analysis showed that C-DIM-pPhBr induced ROS generation which is also blocked<br />
by both CsA and NAC, indicating MPTP opening playing a role in C-DIM-pPhBr<br />
induced ROS generation. Moreover, western blotting analysis showed that CsA inhibited<br />
the activation <strong>of</strong> caspase-8 and caspase-9 while NAC only blocked the activation<br />
<strong>of</strong> caspase-8. Thus, C-DIM-pPhBr induced MPTP opening in both colon<br />
and pancreatic cancer cells, resulting in activation <strong>of</strong> the intrinsic apoptotic pathway<br />
and ROS generation. Subsequent activation <strong>of</strong> the JNK and the extrinsic apoptotic<br />
pathway was also dependent on opening <strong>of</strong> the MPTP complex and induction<br />
<strong>of</strong> ROS.<br />
1226 P62 SEQUESTERS KEAP1 INTO AUTOPHAGOSOMES,<br />
PREVENTING THE KEAP1-DEPENDENT<br />
UBIQUITINATION AND DEGRADATION OF NRF2.<br />
A. Lau, X. Wang, F. Zhao, N. F. Villeneuve, T. Jiang, T. Wu, Z. Sun and D. D.<br />
Zhang. Pharmacology and <strong>Toxicology</strong>, University <strong>of</strong> Arizona, Tucson, AZ.<br />
Protein degradation is tightly regulated by two major degradation machineries, the<br />
ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and the autophagy-lysosome pathway (ALP).<br />
Here, we report the cross-talk between these two systems through p62. We demonstrate<br />
that activation or inhibition <strong>of</strong> autophagy increases the formation <strong>of</strong> autophagosomes<br />
and thus, suppresses the degradation <strong>of</strong> a well-characterized UPS<br />
substrate, Nrf2, in a highly specific manner. Under basal conditions, Nrf2 is ubiquitinated<br />
by the Keap1-Cul3-E3 ubiquitin ligase complex and targeted to the 26S<br />
proteasome for degradation. In this current study, we show that upregulation <strong>of</strong> endogenous<br />
p62, or ectopic expression <strong>of</strong> p62, sequesters Keap1 into autophagosomes<br />
through direct interaction resulting in the inhibition <strong>of</strong> the Keap1-mediated Nrf2<br />
ubiquitination and subsequent Nrf2 degradation by the UPS. In contrast, overexpression<br />
<strong>of</strong> mutated p62, which loses its ability to interact with Keap1, had no effect<br />
on Nrf2 stability. Moreover, overexpression <strong>of</strong> p62 had no effect on the stability<br />
<strong>of</strong> other UPS substrates, including IκBα, c-Jun, and cyclin A, B1, and D1,<br />
demonstrating its specificity for Nrf2. <strong>The</strong>se findings contribute to our understanding<br />
<strong>of</strong> how autophagy may regulate specific UPS substrates.<br />
1227 AUTOPHAGY: A KEY MECHANISM IN ARSENITE-<br />
INDUCED CYTOTOXICITY IN HUMAN<br />
LYMPHOBLASTOID CELL LINES.<br />
A. M. Bolt, R. M. Byrd and W. T. Klimecki. Pharmacology and <strong>Toxicology</strong>,<br />
University <strong>of</strong> Arizona, Tucson, AZ.<br />
Arsenic is a ubiquitous environmental toxicant that is associated with a range <strong>of</strong> diseases<br />
and has a complex set <strong>of</strong> molecular targets in diverse tissue types, making it<br />
difficult to identify the mechanisms and pathways involved in arsenic-induced cytotoxicity.<br />
One commonality in arsenic toxicology is its ability to induce apoptosis<br />
SOT 2010 ANNUAL MEETING 261