PPARα deficiency augments a ketogenic diet-induced circadian PAI-1 expression possibly through PPARγ activation in the liver.

An increased level of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and PAI-1 gene expression is under the control of molecular circadian clocks in mammals. We recently showed that PAI-1 expression is augmented in a phase-advanced circadian manner in mice fed with a ketogenic diet (KD). To determine whether peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) is involved in hypofibrinolytic status induced by a KD, we examined the expression profiles of PAI-1 and circadian clock genes in PPARα-null KD mice. Chronic administration of bezafibrate induced the PAI-1 gene expression in a PPARα-dependent manner. Feeding with a KD augmented the circadian expression of PAI-1 mRNA in the hearts and livers of wild-type (WT) mice as previously described. The KD-induced mRNA expression of typical PPARα target genes such as Cyp4A10 and FGF21 was damped in PPARα-null mice. However, plasma PAI-1 concentrations were significantly more elevated in PPARα-null KD mice in accordance with hepatic mRNA levels. These observations suggest that PPARα activation is dispensable for KD-induced PAI-1 expression. We also found that hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, and the hepatic expressions of PPARγ and its coactivator PCG-1α were more effectively induced in PPARα-null, than in WT mice on a KD. Furthermore, KD-induced hepatic PAI-1 expression was significantly suppressed by supplementation with bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, a PPARγ antagonist, in both WT and PPARα-null mice. PPARγ activation seems to be involved in KD-induced hypofibrinolysis by augmenting PAI-1 gene expression in the fatty liver.

Ketogenic diet disrupts the circadian clock and increases hypofibrinolytic risk by inducing expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1.

OBJECTIVE: Metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity are considered risk factors for cardiovascular diseases by increasing levels of blood plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). Ketogenic diets (KDs) have been used as an approach to weight loss in both obese and nonobese individuals. We examined circadian changes in plasma PAI-1 and its mRNA expression levels in tissues from mice fed with a KD (KD mice), to evaluate its effects on fibrinolytic functions. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two weeks on the kDa increased plasma levels of free fatty acids and ketones accompanied by hypoglycemia in mice. Plasma PAI-1 concentrations were extremely elevated in accordance with mRNA expression levels in the heart and liver, but not in the kidneys of KD mice. Circadian expression of PAI-1 mRNA was phase-advanced for 4.7, 7.9, and 7.8 hours in the heart, kidney, and adipose tissues, respectively, as well as that of circadian genes mPer2 and DBP in KD mice, suggesting that peripheral clocks were phase-advanced by ketosis despite feeding ad libitum under a periodic light-dark cycle. The circadian clock that regulates behavioral activity rhythms was also phase-advanced, and its free-running period was significantly shortened in KD mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that ketogenic status increases hypofibrinolytic risk by inducing abnormal circadian expression of PAI-1.

Verotoxin-1 stimulation of macrophage-like THP-1 cells up-regulates tissue factor expression through activation of c-Yes tyrosine kinase: Possible signal transduction in tissue factor up-regulation.

Verotoxin (VT)-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 infections are frequently complicated by thrombotic angiopathy, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and neurological symptoms. The present data demonstrate that VT-1 (Shiga toxin) stimulation of macrophage-like THP-1 cells up-regulates the activity, antigen and mRNA levels of tissue factor (TF), a key cofactor of the coagulation-inflammation-thrombosis circuit. This up-regulation is accompanied by phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase), IkappaB kinase beta (IKKbeta) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2). Changes in TF mRNA levels were in parallel with the activation of NF-kappaB/Rel and Egr-1 activation, but not with AP-1. Inhibition of PI3-kinase attenuated VT-1-induced phosphorylation of IKKbeta and ERK2, and the up-regulation of TF mRNA levels. VT-1 stimulation rapidly activated c-Yes tyrosine kinase, a member of the Src family. Treatment of the cells with c-Yes antisense oligos attenuated the VT-1-induced phosphorylation of PI3-kinase, IKKbeta and ERK2, activations of NF-kappaB/Rel and Egr-1, and up-regulation of TF mRNA levels. These results suggest that VT-1-induced macrophage stimulation activates c-Yes, which then up-regulates TF expression through activation of the IKKbeta/proteasome/NF-kappaB/Rel and MEK/ERK2/Egr-1 pathways via activation of PI3-kinase. Induction of macrophage TF expression by VT-1 may play an important role in the acceleration of the coagulation-inflammation-thrombosis circuit during infections by VT-producing E. coli.

Circadian variations in coagulation and fibrinolytic factors among four different strains of mice.

This study examined circadian variation in coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters among Jcl:ICR, C3H/HeN, BALB/cA, and C57BL/6J strains of mice. Plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) levels fluctuated in a circadian manner and peaked in accordance with the mRNA levels at the start of the active phase in all strains. Fibrinogen mRNA levels peaked at the start of rest periods in all strains, although plasma fibrinogen levels remained constant. Strain differences in plasma antithrombin (AT) activity and protein C (PC) levels were then identified. Plasma AT activity was circadian rhythmic only in Jcl:ICR, but not in other strains, although the mRNA levels remained constant in all strains. Levels of plasma PC and its mRNA fluctuated in a circadian manner only in Jcl:ICR mice, whereas those of plasma prothrombin, factor X, factor VII, prothrombin time (PT), and activated partial thrombin time (APTT) remained constant in all strains. These results suggest that genetic heterogeneity underlies phenotypic variations in the circadian rhythmicity of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis. The circadian onset of thrombotic events might be due in part to the rhythmic gene expression of coagulation and fibrinolytic factors. The present study provides fundamental information about mouse strains that will help to understand the circadian variation in blood coagulation and fibrinolysis.

Clock mutation affects circadian regulation of circulating blood cells.

BACKGROUND: Although the number of circulating immune cells is subject to high-amplitude circadian rhythms, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. METHODS: To determine whether intact CLOCK protein is required for the circadian changes in peripheral blood cells, we examined circulating white (WBC) and red (RBC) blood cells in homozygous Clock mutant mice. RESULTS: Daytime increases in total WBC and lymphocytes were suppressed and slightly phase-delayed along with plasma corticosterone levels in Clock mutant mice. The peak RBC rhythm was significantly reduced and phase-advanced in the Clock mutants. Anatomical examination revealed hemoglobin-rich, swollen red spleens in Clock mutant mice, suggesting RBC accumulation. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that endogenous clock-regulated circadian corticosterone secretion from the adrenal gland is involved in the effect of a Clock mutation on daily profiles of circulating WBC. However, intact CLOCK seems unnecessary for generating the rhythm of corticosterone secretion in mice. Our results also suggest that CLOCK is involved in discharge of RBC from the spleen.

Pitavastatin-induced thrombomodulin expression by endothelial cells acts via inhibition of small G proteins of the Rho family.

OBJECTIVE: 3-hydroxyl-3-methyl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) can function to protect the vasculature in a manner that is independent of their lipid-lowering activity. The main feature of the antithrombotic properties of endothelial cells is an increase in the expression of thrombomodulin (TM) without induction of tissue factor (TF) expression. We investigated the effect of statins on the expression of TM and TF by endothelial cells. METHODS AND RESULTS: The incubation of endothelial cells with pitavastatin led to a concentration- and time-dependent increase in cellular TM antigen and mRNA levels. In contrast, the expression of TF mRNA was not induced under the same conditions. A nuclear run-on study revealed that pitavastatin accelerates TM transcription rate. The stimulation of TM expression by pitavastatin was prevented by either mevalonate or geranylgeranylpyrophosphate. Specific inhibition of geranylgeranyltransferase-I and Rac/Cdc42 by GGTI-286 and Clostridium sordellii lethal toxin, respectively, enhanced TM expression, whereas inactivation of Rho by Clostridium botulinum C3 exoenzyme was ineffective. CONCLUSIONS: Statins regulate TM expression via inhibition of small G proteins of the Rho family; Rac/Cdc42. A statin-mediated increase in TM expression by endothelial cells may contribute to the beneficial effects of statins on endothelial function.

Oxidized phospholipids in oxidized low-density lipoprotein reduce the activity of tissue factor pathway inhibitor through association with its carboxy-terminal region.

Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) is a Kunitz-type protease inhibitor that inhibits the initial reactions of blood coagulation. In this study, we explored the nature of active components that reduce the anticoagulant activity of TFPI in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). The organic solvent-soluble fraction obtained from ox-LDL was fractionated by normal-phase HPLC. The binding profile of each fraction to TFPI showed a single peak eluting near purified oxidized phospholipid. To explore further the components in oxidized phospholipid that inhibit TFPI activity, we used oxidized phospholipids that mimic the biological activity of ox-LDL. The oxidation products of 1- and/or 2-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine or phosphatidylethanolamine were the most potent inhibitors of TFPI activity, whereas those of arachidonyl phosphatidylcholine possessed only a weak inhibitory effect on the TFPI activity. These oxidized phospholipids mainly associated with the C-terminal basic region of the TFPI molecule. The results indicate that oxidation products of delta-9 unsaturated phospholipids are candidate active components of ox-LDL that impair the function of TFPI through specific association with its C-terminal basic region.

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein associates strongly with carboxy-terminal domain of tissue factor pathway inhibitor and reduces the catalytic activity of the protein.

Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) is a physiological protease inhibitor of the extrinsic blood coagulation pathway. Previously we have shown that TFPI associates quite rapidly with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), with a reduction of the inhibitory activity on factor X activation. In the present study, it was found, by means of agarose gel electrophoresis, that the pre-incubation of full-length rTFPI with heparin or the carboxy (C)-terminal part (peptide 240-265) of TFPI prevented the association with ox-LDL in a dose-dependent manner. When rTFPI lacking the C-terminal basic part of the molecule (rTFPI-C) was mixed with ox-LDL, only a small amount of rTFPI-C was shifted to the position of ox-LDL on electrophoresis. Further, ox-LDL did not reduce the activity of rTFPI-C. These results indicate that the C-terminal domain of TFPI molecule plays a predominant role in the binding to ox-LDL and the binding through the C-terminal part is essential for the ox-LDL-dependent reduction of the anticoagulant activity of TFPI.

Tissue-specific augmentation of circadian PAI-1 expression in mice with streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

Diabetes is associated with an excess risk of cardiac events, and the risk for infarction is partly determined by plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). We found that plasma total and active PAI-1 levels increased in a circadian manner in mice with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. Circadian expression of PAI-1 mRNA in the lung, heart, liver, and kidney increased in a tissue-specific manner. Peak to peak comparisons revealed that the mRNA expression levels increased by 1.7, 1.7, 1.2, and 1.6-fold in the heart, lung, liver, and kidney, respectively. In contrast, the circadian expression of the clock gene, mPer2, was preserved in the diabetic mice, suggesting that the altered expression of PAI-1 mRNA did not arise due to impaired circadian clocks. Our results suggest that impairment of the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems induced by diabetes is partly due to impaired circadian PAI-1 fluctuation at the level of mRNA expression.

Comparative study of circadian variation in numbers of peripheral blood cells among mouse strains: unique feature of C3H/HeN mice.

We examined strain differences in numbers of blood cells and their circadian rhythms in male Jcl:ICR, BALB/cA, C57BL/6J and C3H/HeN mice. The total numbers of circulating white blood cells (WBCs) were increased during subjective day and night, and the peaks in the active period were common to all strains. However, the number of WBCs in C3H/HeN mice remained lower and plasma levels of corticosterone (CS) were slightly higher throughout the day compared with the other strains. The numbers of circulating red blood cells (RBC) also differed according to strain. The numbers of RBCs, hematocrit (HCT) and hemoglobin (HGB) were considerably lower in C3H/HeN mice compared with the other strains, although mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were highest among the tested strains. We found that serum erythropoietin (EPO) levels were considerably higher in C3H/HeN mice than in the other three strains. The high EPO level might be related to the unique features of RBCs in C3H/HeN mice. The present observations provide basic information about the numbers of peripheral blood cells and their circadian rhythm in mouse models and also demonstrate a unique feature of C3H/HeN mice.

Thrombomodulin is a clock-controlled gene in vascular endothelial cells.

Cardiovascular diseases are closely related to circadian rhythm, which is under the control of an internal biological clock mechanism. Although a biological clock exists not only in the hypothalamus but also in each peripheral tissue, the biological relevance of the peripheral clock remains to be elucidated. In this study we searched for clock-controlled genes in vascular endothelial cells using microarray technology. The expression of a total of 229 genes was up-regulated by CLOCK/BMAL2. Among the genes that we identified, we examined the thrombomodulin (TM) gene further, because TM is an integral membrane glycoprotein that is expressed primarily in vascular endothelial cells and plays a major role in the regulation of intravascular coagulation. TM mRNA and protein expression showed a clear circadian oscillation in the mouse lung and heart. Reporter analyses, gel shift assays, and chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses using the TM promoter revealed that a heterodimer of CLOCK and BMAL2 binds directly to the E-box of the TM promoter, resulting in TM promoter transactivation. Indeed, the oscillation of TM gene expression was abolished in clock mutant mice, suggesting that TM expression is regulated by the clock gene in vivo. Finally, the phase of circadian oscillation of TM mRNA expression was altered by temporal feeding restriction, suggesting TM gene expression is regulated by the peripheral clock system. In conclusion, these data suggest that the peripheral clock in vascular endothelial cells regulates TM gene expression and that the oscillation of TM expression may contribute to the circadian variation of cardiovascular events.

Oxidation products of phospholipid-containing delta-9 fatty acids specifically impair the activity of tissue factor pathway inhibitor.

In the present study, we explored the active components in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) that reduce the catalytic activity of tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), a Kunitz-type protease inhibitor of the extrinsic blood coagulation pathway. The active fraction was extracted from the phospholipid fraction of ox-LDL and separated. The oxidation products of 1- and/or 2-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine (PC) or phosphatidylethanolamine were the most potent compounds, while those of arachidonyl PC possessed only a weak inhibitory effect on the TFPI activity. These oxidized phospholipids associated strongly with rTFPI containing the carboxyl-terminal domain. When rTFPI was incubated with purified oxononanoyl PC (9CHO-PC) and its carboxylic form (9COOH-PC), the catalytic activity was specifically impaired, though neither oxovaleroyl PC (5CHO-PC) nor lyso-phospholipids reduced the TFPI activity. We conclude that the oxidation products of delta-9 unsaturated phospholipid in the lipoproteins are the active components that impair the anti-coagulation activity of TFPI.

Oxidized phospholipids in oxidized low-density lipoprotein down-regulate thrombomodulin transcription in vascular endothelial cells through a decrease in the binding of RARbeta-RXRalpha heterodimers and Sp1 and Sp3 to their binding sequences in the TM promoter.

The present work investigated the mechanism for down-regulation of thrombomodulin (TM), an anticoagulant glycoprotein, on cultured umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) exposed to lipid extracts from oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). HUVECs exposed to phospholipid extracts, but not to free cholesterol, triglyceride, or cholesterol ester, isolated from ox-LDL reduced TM mRNA levels to nearly the same extent as native ox-LDL. Oxidized 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (ox-PAPC), but not native PAPC or a reduced form of ox-PAPC, markedly decreased TM mRNA levels. The apparent half-life (t 1/2 = 2.7 hours) of TM mRNA in control cells was not significantly different from that in cells exposed to ox-LDL or ox-PAPC. TM mRNA levels were regulated by transcriptional activation via a retinoid receptor beta (RARbeta). The binding activities of nuclear proteins from HUVECs treated with ox-LDL or ox-PAPC to the DR4 or stimulatory protein 1 (Sp1) sequence in the TM promoter were significantly reduced with decreased expression of RARbeta, retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRalpha), Sp1, and Sp3 in the nuclei. The promoter activity in HUVECs transfected with a reporter plasmid expressing the TM promoter with targeted deletions in the DR4 and Sp1 binding elements was decreased to about 20% of that with the wild-type construct. Treatment of the cells with ox-PAPC had no additional effect on the promoter activity. These results suggest that oxidized phospholipids in ox-LDL inhibit transcription of the TM gene in HUVECs by inhibiting the binding of RARbeta-RXRalpha heterodimer and Sp, including Sp1 and Sp3, to the DR4 element and Sp1 binding element, respectively, in the TM promoter with reduced expression of RARbeta, RXRalpha, and Sp1 and Sp3 in the nuclei.

Effect of CAWS, a mannoprotein-beta-glucan complex of Candida albicans, on leukocyte, endothelial cell, and platelet functions in vitro.

Candida albicans is a medically important fungus which induces a disseminated candidasis and candidemia in immunocompromised hosts, and releases a polysaccharide fraction into the blood. We recently found that C. albicans released a water-soluble polysaccharide fraction (CAWS) into synthetic medium and demonstrated that CAWS was mainly composed of a complex of mannan and beta-glucan. In the murine system, CAWS showed a lethality resembling anaphylactic shock when administered i.v., and induced coronary arteritis similar to Kawasaki Disease (KD) when given i.p. In the present study, we examined the biological activity of CAWS in the cell culture and found the following: i) CAWS slightly induced production of IFN-gamma and IL-6 by splenocytes at lower dose (ca. 10 micro g/ml), but at a higher dose strongly inhibited the proliferation of splenocytes induced by a B cell mitogen, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and a T cell mitogen, concanavalin A. ii) The viability of these splenocytes monitored by propidium iodide staining was significantly reduced. iii) The addition of CAWS to a culture of monophage RAW264.7 cells significantly reduced cellular growth rate dose dependently. iv) The LPS-mediated synthesis of cytokines by RAW264.7 cells was significantly inhibited by CAWS. v) CAWS induced an aggregation of platelets in human platelet-rich plasma, and vi) CAWS inhibited the production of thrombomodulin by human umbilical endothelial cells and acted synergistically with TNF-alpha. Thus, CAWS strongly inhibited the cellular functions of leukocytes in vitro, partly through direct cytotoxicity. The enhanced production in injured cells of the vascular endothelium would be related to the local inflammatory response in the coronary artery.

Genome-wide expression analysis of mouse liver reveals CLOCK-regulated circadian output genes.

CLOCK is a positive component of a transcription/translation-based negative feedback loop of the central circadian oscillator in the suprachiasmatic nucleus in mammals. To examine CLOCK-regulated circadian transcription in peripheral tissues, we performed microarray analyses using liver RNA isolated from Clock mutant mice. We also compared expression profiles with those of Cryptochromes (Cry1 and Cry2) double knockout mice. We identified more than 100 genes that fluctuated from day to night and of which expression levels were decreased in Clock mutant mice. In Cry-deficient mice, the expression levels of most CLOCK-regulated genes were elevated to the upper range of normal oscillation. Most of the screened genes had a CLOCK/BMAL1 binding site (E box) in the 5'-flanking region. We found that CLOCK was absolutely concerned with the circadian transcription of one type of liver genes (such as DBP, TEF, and Usp2) and partially with another (such as mPer1, mPer2, mDec1, Nocturnin, P450 oxidoreductase, and FKBP51) because the latter were damped but remained rhythmic in the mutant mice. Our results showed that CLOCK and CRY proteins are involved in the transcriptional regulation of many circadian output genes in the mouse liver. In addition to being a core component of the negative feedback loop that drives the circadian oscillator, CLOCK also appears to be involved in various physiological functions such as cell cycle, lipid metabolism, immune functions, and proteolysis in peripheral tissues.