Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor by Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Induced by Amyloid-ß Is Depressed by an Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Inhibitor.

PURPOSE: Amyloid-ß (Aß) is a 36- to 43-amino-acid peptide that is a constituent of drusen, and it has been demonstrated to upregulate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression by retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. This study aimed to determine whether 4-phenylbutyl phosphonylacetate (PBA), a known endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress inhibitor, can reduce Aß-induced expression of VEGF in RPE cells. METHODS: Aß was added to the medium of regularly cultured or polarized ARPE-19 cells, a human RPE cell line, with or without PBA. The levels of VEGF and ER stress markers, namely GRP78/Bip, cleaved caspases 4 and 12 and GADD153/C-EBP homologous protein, were determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay, immunocytochemistry and Western blotting. RESULTS: Exposure of ARPE-19 cells to Aß induced GRP78/Bip expression and activated caspases 4 and 12; however, their expression was decreased by simultaneous exposure to PBA. Aß increased the expression of VEGF both in regularly cultured and polarized ARPE-19 cells, but it was suppressed by PBA. PBA did not cause RPE cell apoptosis. CONCLUSION: Aß has been suggested to be involved in the development of age-related macular degeneration; therefore, our findings suggest that drugs that target ER stress should be considered for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration.

Social isolation stress induces hepatic hypertrophy in C57BL/6J mice.

We previously reported that social isolation stimulated a stress response leading to increasing plasma corticosterone level and disruption of the hepatic lipid metabolism-related pathway, without changing body and organ weights, in mice after 4 weeks of social isolation stress, compared with the grouped-housing control (5 mice/cage). In this study, we evaluated the effects of social isolation stress for an extended period on physiologic changes in male C57BL/6J mice. Plasma corticosterone was reduced after 13 weeks, indicating mice might adapt to social isolation stress. However, body and visceral fat weights were significantly increased in combination with hepatic hypertrophy, and significant decreases in levels of triglyceride and adiponectin in plasma were observed. In conclusion, it is tempting to speculate that mice exposed to social isolation stress for 13 continuous weeks could be at an increased risk of overweight with hepatic hypertrophy. Our results also imply that physiological changes, at least fatty acid metabolism, under stress exposure might be an important factor when evaluating the chronic effects of environmental chemicals.

Inhibitory effects of chrysoeriol on DNA adduct formation with benzo[a]pyrene in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1 families including CYP1A1, 1A2 and 1B1 are well known to be deeply involved in the initiation of several cancers, due to the fact that they activate environmental pro-carcinogens to form ultimate carcinogens. Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is one of the major classes of prototypical pro-carcinogen. It is activated by the CYP1 family to its ultimate carcinogenic forms, mainly BaP-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE), and it forms adducts with DNA. This has been recognized to be a major initiation pathway for cancer. Our previous study demonstrated that chrysoeriol, which is a dietary methoxyflavonoid, selectively inhibited CYP1B1 enzymatic activity and might protect the CYP1B1 related-diseases such as breast cancer. In the present study, we further examined the effects of chrysoeriol on the other initiation pathway of cancer relating to the CYP1 family with BaP in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. The effects of chrysoeriol on the formation of BPDE-DNA adducts were analyzed specifically using the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. When MCF-7 cells were incubated with 2 microM BaP for 24h, three types of BPDE-dG adducts, especially (+)-trans-BPDE-dG as the dominant adduct, were detected. Co-treatment of MCF-7 cells with 10 microM chrysoeriol and BaP remarkably reduced (+)-trans-BPDE-dG formation. Chrysoeriol (1-10 microM) dose-dependently inhibited both EROD activity and the gene expressions of CYP1A1, 1B1 and 1A2 stimulated by treatment with BaP. In addition, the same amounts of chrysoeriol significantly inhibited the binding of BaP to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), which is the key factor concerning the induction of the CYP1 families. In conclusion, our results clearly indicate that chrysoeriol inhibited the formation of BPDE-DNA adducts via regulation of the AhR pathway stimulated by BaP. As a consequence chrysoeriol may be involved in the chemoprevention of environmental pro-carcinogens such as BaP.

Quercetin metabolites and protection against peroxynitrite-induced oxidative hepatic injury in rats.

Quercetin has strong antioxidant potency. Quercetin-3'-O-sulphate (Q3'S) and quercetin-3-O-glucuronide (Q3GA) are the main circulating metabolites after consumption of quercetin-O-glucoside-rich diets by humans. However, information about how these quercetin metabolites function in vivo is limited. Hence, this study evaluated the efficacy of Q3'S and Q3GA for the protection of oxidative injury using in vitro and in vivo experiments. Peroxynitrite-mediated hepatic injury in rats was induced by administration of galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide (GalN/LPS). Twenty-four hours after GalN/LPS treatment, plasma ALT and AST levels delta increased significantly. However, pretreatment with 4(G)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl rutin, a quercetin glycoside (30 mg/kg body weight), prevented these increases and reduced nitrotyrosine formation, indicating that consumption of quercetin glycosides prevent oxidative hepatotoxicity. Moreover, physiological levels of Q3'S and Q3GA (1 microM) effectively prevented peroxynitrite-induced nitrotyrosine formation in human serum albumin in in vitro experiments. These findings indicate peroxynitrite-induced oxidative hepatotoxicity is protected by the in vivo metabolites of quercetin, Q3'S and Q3GA.