Potential HIV latency-reversing agents with STAT1-activating activity from the leaves of Wikstroemia chamaedaphne.

Developing highly effective HIV latency-reversing agent is an inportmant approach for the treatment of AIDS via the "shock and kill" of latent HIV. In this study, two unreported modified daphnane-type diterpenes (chamaedaphnelide A and epi-chamaedaphnelide A) and one unreported tigliane-type diterpene (chamaedaphnelide B), along with four known daphnane-type diterpenes and one known tigliane-type diterpene were obtained from the leaves of Wikstroemia chamaedaphne. Chamaedaphnelide A and epi-chamaedaphnelide A represents the first A ring cleavage daphnane-type backbone. Chamaedaphnelide A, epi-chamaedaphnelide A, chamaedaphnelide B, and 6α,7α-epoxy-5ß-hydroxy-12-deoxyphorbol-13-decanoate showed HIV latency-reversing activity, especially chamaedaphnelide B and 6α,7α-epoxy-5ß-hydroxy-12-deoxyphorbol-13-decanoate displayed equally potential to positive drugs prostratin with reversing latent HIV on more than 100-fold compared to unstimulated cells. Furthermore, the activation of STAT1 was involved in the HIV latency-reversing activity of these diterpenes, firstly demonstrating that daphnane- and tigliane-type diterpenes can rapidly activate STAT1 activity. Indeed, these results also supported that activating STAT1 activity is a pathway for reversing latent HIV.

Suppressing autophagy protects photoreceptor cells from light-induced injury.

Autophagy, a conserved cellular self-degradation process, not only serves to protect cells at critical times during development and nutrient stress, but also contributes to cell death. Photoreceptor cells are unique neurons which when directly exposed to the light, transduces light stimuli into visual signal. However, intense light exposure can be cytotoxic to the retina. So far, the precise mechanism underlying retina light injury remains unknown, and the effective therapy is still unavailable. Here, we found that visible light exposure activated the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) pathway and led to remarkable autophagy in photoreceptor cells (661W cells). Directly blocking autophagy with 3MA or LY294002 markedly attenuated light-induced death in 661W cells. Among the activated downstream factors of MAPK pathway, ERK, not JNK or p-38, played a critical role in light-induced death mechanism. Inhibiting the activation of ERK with its specific inhibitor PD98059 significantly suppressed light-induced autophagy and protected 661W cells from light injury. These results indicate that autophagy is an essential event in light-induced photoreceptor death and that directly blocking autophagy or suppressing autophagy by inhibiting the ERK pathway could effectively attenuates light-induced damage. These observations may have a potential application in the treatment of retinal light injury.

Rapamycin attenuates visible light-induced injury in retinal photoreceptor cells via inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress.

An extended exposure of the retina to visible light may lead to photochemical damage in retinal photoreceptor cells. The exact mechanism of retinal light damage remains unknown, and an effective therapy is still unavailable. Here, we demonstrated that rapamycin, an inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), markedly protected 661W photoreceptor cells from visible light exposure-induced damage at the nanomolar level. We also observed by transmission electron microscopy that light exposure led to severe endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in 661W cells as well as abnormal endomembranes and ER membranes. In addition, obvious upregulated ER stress markers were monitored by western blot at the protein level and by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at the mRNA level. Interestingly, rapamycin pretreatment significantly suppressed light-induced ER stress and all three major branches of the unfolded protein response (UPR), including the RNA-dependent protein kinase-like ER kinase (PERK), inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1), and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) pathways both at the protein and mRNA levels. Additionally, the inhibition of ER stress by rapamycin was further confirmed with a dithiothreitol (DTT; a classical ER stress inducer)-damaged 661W cell model. Meanwhile, our results also revealed that rapamycin was able to remarkably inhibit the activation of mTOR and its downstream factors eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4EBP1), p-4EBP1, p70, p-p70, and phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p-S6K) in the light-injured 661W cells. Thus, these data indicate that visible light induces ER stress in 661W cells; whereas the mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, effectively protects 661W cells from light injury through suppressing the ER stress pathway.