27.09.2014 Views

The Toxicologist - Society of Toxicology

The Toxicologist - Society of Toxicology

The Toxicologist - Society of Toxicology

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

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

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!