Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism induces browning of white adipose tissue through impairment of autophagy and prevents adipocyte dysfunction in high-fat-diet-fed mice.

The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) controls adipocyte function, but its role in the conversion of white adipose tissue (WAT) into thermogenic fat has not been elucidated. We investigated responses to the MR antagonists spironolactone (spiro; 20 mg/kg/d) and drospirenone (DRSP; 6 mg/kg/d) in C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat (HF) diet for 90 d. DRSP and spiro curbed HF diet-induced impairment in glucose tolerance, and prevented body weight gain and white fat expansion. Notably, either MR antagonist induced up-regulation of brown adipocyte-specific transcripts and markedly increased protein levels of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in visceral and inguinal fat depots when compared with the HF diet group. Positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance spectroscopy confirmed acquisition of brown fat features in WAT. Interestingly, MR antagonists markedly reduced the autophagic rate both in murine preadipocytes in vitro (10(-5) M) and in WAT depots in vivo, with a concomitant increase in UCP1 protein expression. Moreover, the autophagy repressor bafilomycin A1 (10(-8) M) mimicked the effect of MR antagonists, increasing UCP1 protein expression in primary preadipocytes. Hence, we showed that adipocyte MR regulates brown remodeling of WAT through a modulation of autophagy. These results provide a rationale for the use of MR antagonists to prevent the adverse metabolic consequences of adipocyte dysfunction.

Cardiomyocyte mineralocorticoid receptors are essential for deoxycorticosterone/salt-mediated inflammation and cardiac fibrosis.

Because the role of mineralocorticoid receptors in specific cell types in cardiac remodeling remains unknown, we have compared cardiac responses with deoxycorticosterone/salt in cardiomyocyte mineralocorticoid receptor-null (MyoMRKO) and wild-type (WT) mice at 8 days and 8 weeks. No differences in cardiac function between untreated WT and MyoMRKO mice were found, whereas profibrotic markers were reduced in MyoMRKO hearts at baseline. At 8 days, MyoMRKO showed monocyte/macrophage recruitment equivalent to WT mice in response to deoxycorticosterone/salt but a suppression of markers of fibrosis compared with WT. At 8 weeks, MyoMRKO mice showed no deoxycorticosterone/salt-induced increase in inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen deposition or in proinflammatory gene expression. Although some profibrotic markers were equivalently increased in both genotypes, MyoMRKO mice also showed increased baseline levels of mRNA and protein for the transforming growth factor-ß/connective tissue growth factor inhibitor decorin compared with WT that was accompanied by higher levels of matrix metalloproteinase 2/matrix metalloproteinase 9 activity. These data point to a direct role for cardiomyocyte mineralocorticoid receptor in both deoxycorticosterone/salt-induced tissue inflammation and remodeling and suggest potential mechanisms for the cardioprotective effects of selective mineralocorticoid receptor blockade in cardiomyocytes that may involve regulation of matrix metalloproteinase 2/matrix metalloproteinase 9 activity and the transforming growth factor-ß-connective tissue growth factor profibrotic pathway.

Macrophage mineralocorticoid receptor signaling plays a key role in aldosterone-independent cardiac fibrosis.

Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) activation promotes the development of cardiac fibrosis and heart failure. Clinical evidence demonstrates that MR antagonism is protective even when plasma aldosterone levels are not increased. We hypothesize that MR activation in macrophages drives the profibrotic phenotype in the heart even when aldosterone levels are not elevated. The aim of the present study was to establish the role of macrophage MR signaling in mediating cardiac tissue remodeling caused by nitric oxide (NO) deficiency, a mineralocorticoid-independent insult. Male wild-type (MRflox/flox) and macrophage MR-knockout (MRflox/flox/LysMCre/+; mac-MRKO) mice were uninephrectomized, maintained on 0.9% NaCl drinking solution, with either vehicle (control) or the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 150 mg/kg/d) for 8 wk. NO deficiency increased systolic blood pressure at 4 wk in wild-type L-NAME/salt-treated mice compared with all other groups. At 8 wk, systolic blood pressure was increased above control in both L-NAME/salt treated wild-type and mac-MRKO mice by approximately 28 mm Hg by L-NAME/salt. Recruitment of macrophages was increased 2- to 3-fold in both L-NAME/salt treated wild-type and mac-MRKO. Inducible NOS positive macrophage infiltration and TNFα mRNA expression was greater in wild-type L-NAME/salt-treated mice compared with mac-MRKO, demonstrating that loss of MR reduces M1 phenotype. mRNA levels for markers of vascular inflammation and oxidative stress (NADPH oxidase 2, p22phox, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, G protein-coupled chemokine receptor 5) were similar in treated wild-type and mac-MRKO mice compared with control groups. In contrast, L-NAME/salt treatment increased interstitial collagen deposition in wild-type by about 33% but not in mac-MRKO mice. mRNA levels for connective tissue growth factor and collagen III were also increased above control treatment in wild-type (1.931 ± 0.215 vs. 1 ± 0.073) but not mac-MRKO mice (1.403 ± 0.150 vs. 1.286 ± 0.255). These data demonstrate that macrophage MR are necessary for the translation of inflammation and oxidative stress into interstitial and perivascular fibrosis after NO deficiency, even when plasma aldosterone is not elevated.

Platinum-based inhibitors of amyloid-beta as therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's disease.

Amelyoid-beta peptide (Abeta) is a major causative agent responsible for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Abeta contains a high affinity metal binding site that modulates peptide aggregation and toxicity. Therefore, identifying molecules targeting this site represents a valid therapeutic strategy. To test this hypothesis, a range of L-PtCl(2) (L = 1,10-phenanthroline derivatives) complexes were examined and shown to bind to Abeta, inhibit neurotoxicity and rescue Abeta-induced synaptotoxicity in mouse hippocampal slices. Coordination of the complexes to Abeta altered the chemical properties of the peptide inhibiting amyloid formation and the generation of reactive oxygen species. In comparison, the classic anticancer drug cisplatin did not affect any of the biochemical and cellular effects of Abeta. This implies that the planar aromatic 1,10-phenanthroline ligands L confer some specificity for Abeta onto the platinum complexes. The potent effect of the L-PtCl(2) complexes identifies this class of compounds as therapeutic agents for AD.

Neurotoxicity from glutathione depletion is mediated by Cu-dependent p53 activation.

Loss of intracellular neuronal glutathione (GSH) is an important feature of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The consequences of GSH depletion include increased oxidative damage to proteins, lipids, and DNA and subsequent cytotoxic effects. GSH is also an important modulator of cellular copper (Cu) homeostasis and altered Cu metabolism is central to the pathology of several neurodegenerative diseases. The cytotoxic effects of Cu in cells depleted of GSH are not well understood. We have previously reported that depletion of neuronal GSH levels results in cell death from trace levels of extracellular Cu due to elevated Cu(I)-mediated free radical production. In this study we further examined the molecular pathway of trace Cu toxicity in neurons and fibroblasts depleted of GSH. Treatment of primary cortical neurons or 3T3 fibroblasts with the glutathione synthetase inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine resulted in substantial loss of intracellular GSH and increased cytotoxicity. We found that both neurons and fibroblasts revealed increased expression and activation of p53 after depletion of GSH. The increased p53 activity was induced by extracellular trace Cu. Furthermore, we showed that in GSH-depleted cells, Cu induced an increase in oxidative stress resulting in DNA damage and activation of p53-dependent cell death. These findings may have important implications for neurodegenerative disorders that involve GSH depletion and aberrant Cu metabolism.