Celecoxib induces hepatic stellate cell apoptosis through inhibition of Akt activation and suppresses hepatic fibrosis in rats.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) but not quiescent HSCs express cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2), suggesting that the COX-2/prostanoid pathway has an active role in hepatic fibrogenesis. However, the role of COX-2 inhibitors in hepatic fibrogenesis remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the antifibrotic effects of celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor. METHODS: The effects of various COX inhibitors-that is, ibuprofen, celecoxib, NS-398 and DFU, were investigated in activated human HSCs. Then, the antifibrotic effect of celecoxib was evaluated in hepatic fibrosis developed by bile duct ligation (BDL) or peritoneal thioacetamide (TAA) injection in rats. RESULTS: Celecoxib, NS-398 and DFU inhibited platelet-derived growth facor (PDGF)-induced HSC proliferation; however, only celecoxib (> or =50 microM) induced HSC apoptosis. All COX inhibitors completely inhibited prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) and PGI(2) production in HSCs. Separately, PGE(2) and PGI(2) induced cell proliferation and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation in HSCs. All COX inhibitors attenuated ERK activation, but only celecoxib significantly inhibited Akt activation in HSCs. Celecoxib-induced apoptosis was significantly attenuated in HSCs infected with adenovirus containing a constitutive active form of Akt (Ad5myrAkt). Celecoxib had no significant effect on PPARgamma (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma) expression in HSCs. Celecoxib inhibited type I collagen mRNA and protein production in HSCs. Oral administration of celecoxib (20 mg/kg/day) significantly decreased hepatic collagen deposition and alpha-SMA (alpha-smooth muscle actin) expression in BDL- and TAA-treated rats. Celecoxib treatment significantly decreased mRNA expression of COX-2, alpha-SMA, transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) and collagen alpha1(I) in both models. CONCLUSIONS: Celecoxib shows a proapoptotic effect on HSCs through Akt inactivation and shows antifibrogenic effects in BDL- and TAA-treated rats, suggesting celecoxib as a novel antifibrotic agent of hepatic fibrosis.

d-alpha-tocopherol inhibits collagen alpha 1(I) gene expression in cultured human fibroblasts. Modulation of constitutive collagen gene expression by lipid peroxidation.

Ascorbic acid stimulates collagen gene transcription in cultured fibroblasts, and this effect is mediated through the induction of lipid peroxidation by ascorbic acid. Quiescent cultured fibroblasts in the absence of ascorbic acid have a high constitutive level of collagen production, but the mechanisms of collagen gene regulation in this unstimulated state are not known. Because lipid peroxidation also occurs in normal cells, we wondered if lipid peroxidation plays a role in the regulation of basal collagen gene expression. Inhibition of lipid peroxidation in cultured human fibroblasts with d-alpha-tocopherol or methylene blue decreased the synthesis of collagen, the steady-state levels of procollagen alpha 1(I) mRNA and the transcription of the procollagen alpha 1(I) gene. This effect on collagen gene expression was selective and not associated with cellular toxicity. Thus, these experiments suggest a role for lipid peroxidation in the modulation of constitutive collagen gene expression.

Identification of c-fos-responsive elements downstream of TAR in the long terminal repeat of human immunodeficiency virus type-1.

Activation of HIV-1 requires the binding of host cell transcription factors to cis elements in the proviral long terminal repeat (LTR). This study identifies c-fos-responsive sequence motifs in the U5 transcribed noncoding leader sequences downstream of the viral transactivator responsive (TAR) element. These DNA sequence motifs are the most downstream regulatory elements described thus far in the HIV-1 LTR. Functional studies, using human colon epithelial cell lines, demonstrate that the downstream elements are transactivated by expression of the c-fos protooncogene and can transmit PMA and TNF alpha activation signals to the viral LTR. Moreover, the c-fos-responsive elements mediate HIV-1 LTR transcription independent of Tat and the NF kappa B-binding enhancer element. Nuclear extracts of colon epithelial cells form distinct gel mobility shift complexes with the c-fos-responsive elements. These complexes comigrate with a gel shift complex formed on a classical CRE oligonucleotide and are competed by CRE oligonucleotides. These data indicate that the HIV-1 LTR contains previously unrecognized functional DNA cis-regulatory elements downstream of TAR in the transcribed noncoding 5' leader sequence and suggest that early response genes such as c-fos play a role in the activation of HIV-1 gene expression.

Study of factors causing excess protoporphyrin accumulation in cultured skin fibroblasts from patients with protoporphyria.

The activity of heme synthetase, which catalyzes the chelation of ferrous iron to protoporphyrin to form heme, is deficient in sonicates of skin fibroblasts cultured from patients with protoporphyria. During culture in Eagle's medium supplemented with fetal calf serum, these cells do not accumulate protoporphyrin, however. This may be due to a minimal requirement for heme synthesis, since glycine is incorporated into heme at a low rate which is similar to that in normal fibroblasts. In addition, the activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) synthetase, the first and rate-limiting enzyme of heme biosynthesis which catalyzes the formation of ALA from glycine, is normal in lysates of the fibroblasts. Cultured fibroblasts were therefore incubated with ALA in order to bypass the rate-limiting step of heme biosynthesis. In the presence of 25 muM iron, protoporphyrin was detected in protoporphyria cell lines when the concentration of ALA in the medium reached 50 muM, but not in normal lines. As the concentration of ALA was increased above 50 muM, all lines accumulated protoporphyrin. However, the amount was 2-3 times more in cultured fibroblasts from patients with protoporphyria, reflecting their deficiency of heme synthetase activity. When iron was not added to the medium, protoporphyrin accumulated to a similar degree in normal and protoporphyria fibroblasts; this was significantly more than that in the presence of iron. These studies indicate that excessive protoporphyrin accumulation in protoporphyria, which is due principally to deficient heme synthetase activity, may be modified by the rate of ALA formation in heme-producing tissues, and by the availability of iron.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibits albumin gene expression in a murine model of cachexia.

The mechanisms responsible for decreased serum albumin levels in patients with cachexia-associated infection, inflammation, and cancer are unknown. Since tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) is elevated in cachexia-associated diseases, and chronic administration of TNF alpha induces cachexia in animal models, we assessed the regulation of albumin gene expression by TNF alpha in vivo. In this animal model of cachexia, Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with the functional gene for human TNF alpha were inoculated into nude mice (TNF alpha mice). TNF alpha mice became cachectic and manifested decreased serum albumin levels, albumin synthesis, and albumin mRNA levels. However, even before the TNF alpha mice lost weight, their albumin mRNA steady-state levels were decreased approximately 90%, and in situ hybridization revealed a low level of albumin gene expression throughout the hepatic lobule. The mRNA levels of several other genes were unchanged. Hepatic nuclei from TNF alpha mice before the onset of weight loss were markedly less active in transcribing the albumin gene than hepatic nuclei from control mice. Therefore, TNF alpha selectively inhibits the genetic expression of albumin in this model before weight loss.

Activation of Jun kinase is an early event in hepatic regeneration.

Compensatory hepatic regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PH) is dependent upon the extent of resection. This study analyzes the regulation of the AP-1 transcription factor c-Jun during hepatic regeneration. There is a progressive increase in c-jun mRNA levels after sham operation, one-third PH, and two-thirds PH. A concomitant increase in AP-1 binding activity is also observed. The c-Jun protein is a major constituent of the AP-1 complex in quiescent and early regenerating liver. The activity of c-Jun nuclear kinase (JNK), which phosphorylates the activation domain of the c-Jun protein, is markedly stimulated after one-third PH. JNK1 or an immunologically related kinase is a constituent of this stimulated JNK activity after PH. When primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes are incubated with epidermal growth factor or transforming growth factor-alpha, AP-1 transcriptional activity is increased and the activation domain of the c-Jun protein is further potentiated. Phosphopeptide mapping of the endogenous c-Jun protein in proliferating cultured hepatocytes demonstrates phosphorylation of the c-Jun activation domain. Combining the results of these in vivo and culture studies, we conclude that the minimal stimulation of one-third PH activates JNK, which phosphorylates the c-Jun activation domain in hepatocytes, resulting in enhanced transcription of AP-1-dependent genes.

Mithramycin selectively inhibits collagen-alpha 1(I) gene expression in human fibroblast.

The products of the collagen-alpha 1(I) and -alpha 2(I) genes form the triple helical molecule collagen type I, which constitutes the major ECM protein in tissue fibrosis. The collagen-alpha 1(I) gene is mainly transcriptionally regulated, and its promoter activity depends on the interaction of the transcription factors NF-I and Sp1 with a tandem repeat of evolutionary conserved NF-I/Sp1 switch elements. An increased affinity of Sp1 to these elements has been observed in experimental liver fibrosis. Here, we demonstrate that the DNA binding drug mithramycin displays a high affinity binding to the GC-rich elements in the collagen-alpha 1(I) promoter as measured by DNAse I protection and gel retardation assays. Mithramycin interferes with Sp1 but not with NF-I binding to these sites. At a concentration of 100 nM, mithramycin efficiently reduces basal and TGF-beta-stimulated alpha 1(I) gene expression in human primary fibroblasts. The transcriptional activity and mRNA steady state levels of other genes, including the collagenase gene, as well as the growth rate of fibroblasts remained unchanged on exposure to this drug. Taken together, our results indicate that the transcriptional activity of the type I collagen gene highly depends on its GC-rich regulatory elements, and further, that these elements can be differentially blocked, thereby changing the balance between ECM structural and degrading gene activities in human fibroblasts.

NFkappaB prevents apoptosis and liver dysfunction during liver regeneration.

Although NFkappaB binding activity is induced during liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy, the physiological consequence of this induction is unknown. We have assessed the role of NFkappaB during liver regeneration by delivering to the liver a superrepressor of NFkappaB activity using an adenoviral vector expressing a mutated form of IkappaBalpha. This adenovirus (Ad5IkappaB) was almost exclusively expressed in the liver and inhibited NFkappaB DNA binding activity and transcriptional activity in cultured cells as well as in the liver in vivo. After partial hepatectomy, infection with Ad5IkappaB, but not a control adenovirus (Ad5LacZ), resulted in the induction of massive apoptosis and hepatocytes as demonstrated by histological staining and TUNEL analysis. In addition, infection with Ad5IkappaB but not Ad5LacZ decreased the mitotic index after partial hepatectomy. These two phenomena, increased apoptosis and failure to progress through the cell cycle, were associated with liver dysfunction in animals infected with the Ad5IkappaB but not Ad5LacZ, as demonstrated by elevated serum bilirubin and ammonia levels. Thus, the induction of NFkappaB during liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy appears to be a required event to prevent apoptosis and to allow for normal cell cycle progression.

Growth inhibitory properties of endothelin-1 in activated human hepatic stellate cells: a cyclic adenosine monophosphate-mediated pathway. Inhibition of both extracellular signal-regulated kinase and c-Jun kinase and upregulation of endothelin B receptors.

During chronic liver diseases, hepatic stellate cells (HSC) acquire an activated myofibroblast-like phenotype, proliferate, and synthetize fibrosis components. We have shown that endothelin-1 (ET-1) inhibits the proliferation of activated human HSC via endothelin B (ETB) receptors. We now investigate the transduction pathway involved in the growth inhibitory effect of ET-1 in activated HSC. Endothelin-1 and the ETB receptor agonist, sarafotoxin-S6C, increased synthesis of PGI2 and PGE2, leading to elevation of cAMP. The cyclooxygenase inhibitor ibuprofen and the adenylyl cyclase inhibitor SQ22536 both blunted the growth inhibitory effect of ET-1. Analysis of early steps associated with growth inhibition indicated that: (a) similar to ET-1, forskolin decreased c-jun mRNA induction without affecting c-fos and krox 24 mRNA expression; (b) ET-1, sarafotoxin-S6C, as well as forskolin, reduced activation of both c-Jun kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase. Finally, forskolin, PGI2, and PGE2 raised by fivefold the number of ET binding sites after 6 h, and increased the proportion of ETB receptors from 50% in control cells to 80% in treated cells. In conclusion, ET-1 inhibits proliferation of activated HSC via ETB receptors, through a prostaglandin/cAMP pathway that leads to inhibition of both extracellular signal-regulated kinase and c-Jun kinase activities. Upregulation of ETB receptors by prostaglandin/cAMP raises the possibility of a positive feedback loop that would amplify the growth inhibitory response. These results suggest that ET-1 and agents that increase cAMP might be of interest to limit proliferation of activated HSC during chronic liver diseases.

Regulatory role of the conserved stem-loop structure at the 5' end of collagen alpha1(I) mRNA.

Three fibrillar collagen mRNAs, alpha1(I), alpha2(I), and alpha1(III), are coordinately upregulated in the activated hepatic stellate cell (hsc) in liver fibrosis. These three mRNAs contain sequences surrounding the start codon that can be folded into a stem-loop structure. We investigated the role of this stem-loop structure in expression of collagen alpha1(I) reporter mRNAs in hsc's and fibroblasts. The stem-loop dramatically decreases accumulation of mRNAs in quiescent hsc's and to a lesser extent in activated hsc's and fibroblasts. The stem-loop decreases mRNA stability in fibroblasts. In activated hsc's and fibroblasts, a protein complex binds to the stem-loop, and this binding requires the presence of a 7mG cap on the RNA. Placing the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of collagen alpha1(I) mRNA in a reporter mRNA containing this stem-loop further increases the steady-state level in activated hsc's. This 3' UTR binds alphaCP, a protein implicated in increasing stability of collagen alpha1(I) mRNA in activated hsc's (B. Stefanovic, C. Hellerbrand, M. Holcik, M. Briendl, S. A. Liebhaber, and D. A. Brenner, Mol. Cell. Biol. 17:5201-5209, 1997). A set of protein complexes assembles on the 7mG capped stem-loop RNA, and a 120-kDa protein is specifically cross-linked to this structure. Thus, collagen alpha1(I) mRNA is regulated by a complex interaction between the 5' stem-loop and the 3' UTR, which may optimize collagen production in activated hsc's.

DNA-mediated gene transfer into adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture.

Proliferation-competent and differentiation-competent adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture were investigated for their ability to express reporter genes (firefly luciferase, bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, and bacterial beta-galactosidase) driven by tumor virus or eucaryotic promoters that vary in transcriptional efficiency and tissue specificity. Supercoiled plasmid DNA molecules were introduced into the cells by the calcium phosphate coprecipitation protocol of C. Chen and H. Okayama (Mol. Cell. Biol. 7:2745-2752, 1987). Reporter gene expression was virtually restricted to hepatocytes and was efficient (2 to 20% of the cells). The patterns and absolute levels of reporter gene expression depended on assay conditions employed (plasmid concentration [optimal at 2.4 micrograms of DNA per ml] and duration of exposure [optimal between 5 and 10 h]), culture growth cycle stages (lag, log, or stationary phase), properties and tissue specificity of the promoter(s) tested, and composition (and timing of fluid change) of the culture medium with or without the hepatocyte mitogen human transforming growth factor-alpha. Initial observations suggest that during hepatocellular growth transitions, human transforming growth factor-alpha differentially regulates exogenously introduced promoters associated with hepatocyte-specific function and proliferation. These findings provide a simple, fast, and powerful approach to analyzing the molecular and cellular biology of hepatocyte growth control.

Transcription factors nuclear factor I and Sp1 interact with the murine collagen alpha 1 (I) promoter.

The collagen alpha 1(I) promoter, which is efficiently transcribed in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, contains four binding sites for trans-acting factors, as demonstrated by DNase I protection assays (D. A. Brenner, R. A. Rippe, and L. Veloz, Nucleic Acids Res. 17:6055-6064, 1989). This study characterizes the DNA-binding proteins that interact with the two proximal footprinted regions, both of which contain a reverse CCAAT box and a G + C-rich 12-bp direct repeat. Analysis by DNase I protection assays, mobility shift assays, competition with specific oligonucleotides, binding with recombinant proteins, and reactions with specific antisera showed that the transcriptional factors nuclear factor I (NF-I) and Sp1 bind to these two footprinted regions. Because of overlapping binding sites, NF-I binding and Sp1 binding appear to be mutually exclusive. Overexpression of NF-I in cotransfection experiments with the alpha 1(I) promoter in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts increased alpha 1(I) expression, while Sp1 overexpression reduced this effect, as well as basal promoter activity. The herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase promoter, which contains independent NF-I- and Sp1-binding sites, was stimulated by both factors. Therefore, expression of the collagen alpha 1(I) gene may depend on the relative activities of NF-I and Sp1.

Effect of insertions, deletions, and double-strand breaks on homologous recombination in mouse L cells.

We have used DNA-mediated gene transfer to study homologous recombination in cultured mammalian cells. A family of plasmids with insertion and deletion mutations in the coding region of the herpes simplex type 1 thymidine kinase (tk) gene served as substrates for DNA-mediated gene transfer into mouse Ltk- cells by the calcium phosphate technique. Intermolecular recombination events were scored by the number of colonies in hypoxanthine-aminopterin-thymidine selective medium. We used supercoiled plasmids containing tk gene fragments to demonstrate that an overlap of 62 base pairs (bp) of homologous DNA was sufficient for intermolecular recombination. Addition of 598 bp of flanking homology separated from the region of recombination by a double-strand gap, deletion, or insertion of heterologous DNA increased the frequency of recombination by 300-, 20-, or 40-fold, respectively. Linearizing one of the mutant plasmids in a pair before cotransfer by cutting in the area of homology flanking a deletion of 104 bp or an insertion of less than 24 bp increased the frequency of recombination relative to that with uncut plasmids. However, cutting an insertion mutant of greater than or equal to 24 bp in the same manner did not increase the frequency. We show how our data are consistent with models that postulate at least two phases in the recombination process: homologous pairing and heteroduplex formation.

Regulatory elements in the 5'-flanking region and the first intron contribute to transcriptional control of the mouse alpha 1 type I collagen gene.

We have identified two blocks of regulatory sequences located in the 5'-flanking region and the first intron of the mouse alpha 1 type I collagen (COL1A1) gene. Both blocks were found to contain positive as well as negative regulatory elements. Sequences located within 222 base pairs upstream of the transcription start site showed a strong stimulatory effect on the COL1A1 promoter and were sufficient for tissue-specific regulation of the COL1A1 gene. The combined upstream and intron regulatory sequences showed a marked inhibition of COL1A1 promoter activity in fibroblasts. This finding suggests that additional, more remote regulatory sequences may be required for establishing the high level of activity of the endogenous COL1A1 gene in fibroblastoid cells.

Posttranscriptional regulation of collagen alpha1(I) mRNA in hepatic stellate cells.

The hepatic stellate cell (HSC) is the primary cell responsible for the dramatic increase in the synthesis of type I collagen in the cirrhotic liver. Quiescent HSCs contain a low level of collagen alpha1(I) mRNA, while activated HSCs contain about 60- to 70-fold more of this mRNA. The transcription rate of the collagen alpha1(I) gene is only two fold higher in activated HSCs than in quiescent HSCs. In assays using actinomycin D or 5,6-dichlorobenzimidazole riboside collagen alpha1(I) mRNA has estimated half-lives of 1.5 h in quiescent HSCs and 24 h in activated HSCs. Thus, this 16-fold change in mRNA stability is primarily responsible for the increase in collagen alpha1(I) mRNA steady-state level in activated HSCs. We have identified a novel RNA-protein interaction targeted to the C-rich sequence in the collagen alpha1(I) mRNA 3' untranslated region (UTR). This sequence is localized 24 nucleotides 3' to the stop codon. In transient transfection experiments, mutation of this sequence diminished accumulation of an mRNA transcribed from a collagen alpha1(I) minigene and in stable transfections decreased the half-life of collagen alpha1(I) minigene mRNA. Binding to the collagen alpha1(I) 3' UTR is present in cytoplasmic extracts of activated but not quiescent HSCs. It contains as a subunit alphaCP, which is also found in the complex involved in stabilization of alpha-globin mRNA. The auxiliary factors necessary to promote binding of alphaCP to the collagen 3' UTR are distinct from the factors necessary for binding to the alpha-globin sequence. Since alphaCP is expressed in both quiescent and activated HSCs, these auxiliary factors are responsible for the differentially expressed RNA-protein interaction at the collagen alpha1(I) mRNA 3' UTR.

DNA methylation represses the murine alpha 1(I) collagen promoter by an indirect mechanism.

Several lines of evidence indicate that DNA methylation plays a role in the transcriptional regulation of the murine alpha 1(I) collagen gene. To study the molecular mechanisms involved, a reporter gene construct containing the alpha 1(I) promoter and part of the first exon linked to the luciferase gene (Col3luc) was methylated in vitro and transfected into murine fibroblasts and embryonal carcinoma cells. Methylation resulted in repression of the alpha 1(I) promoter in both cell types, although it was less pronounced in embryonal carcinoma cells than in fibroblasts. The extent of repression depended on the density of methylation. DNase footprint and mobility shift assays indicated that the trans-acting factors binding to the alpha 1(I) promoter and first exon are ubiquitous factors and that their DNA binding is not inhibited by methylation. Transfection of Col3luc into Drosophila SL2 cells together with expression vectors for the transcription factors Sp1 and NF-1 showed that DNA methylation also inhibits the alpha 1(I) promoter in nonvertebrate cells, although to a much lesser extent than in murine cells. However, Sp1 and NF-1 transactivated the unmethylated and methylated reporter gene in SL2 cells equally well, confirming that these factors can bind and transactivate methylated DNA and indicating that DNA methylation represses the alpha 1(I) promoter by an indirect mechanism. This was further confirmed by cotransfection experiments with unspecific methylated competitor DNA which partially restored the activity of the methylated alpha 1(I) promoter. Our results suggest that DNA methylation can inhibit promoter activity by an indirect mechanism independent of methyl-C-binding proteins and that in vertebrate cells, chromatin structure and methyl-C-binding proteins cooperatively mediate the transcriptional inhibitory effect of DNA methylation.

The mitochondrial permeability transition is required for tumor necrosis factor alpha-mediated apoptosis and cytochrome c release.

This study assesses the controversial role of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) in apoptosis. In primary rat hepatocytes expressing an IkappaB superrepressor, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) induced apoptosis as shown by nuclear morphology, DNA ladder formation, and caspase 3 activation. Confocal microscopy showed that TNFalpha induced onset of the MPT and mitochondrial depolarization beginning 9 h after TNFalpha treatment. Initially, depolarization and the MPT occurred in only a subset of mitochondria; however, by 12 h after TNFalpha treatment, virtually all mitochondria were affected. Cyclosporin A (CsA), an inhibitor of the MPT, blocked TNFalpha-mediated apoptosis and cytochrome c release. Caspase 3 activation, cytochrome c release, and apoptotic nuclear morphological changes were induced after onset of the MPT and were prevented by CsA. Depolarization and onset of the MPT were blocked in hepatocytes expressing DeltaFADD, a dominant negative mutant of Fas-associated protein with death domain (FADD), or crmA, a natural serpin inhibitor of caspases. In contrast, Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-cho, an inhibitor of caspase 3, did not block depolarization or onset of the MPT induced by TNFalpha, although it inhibited cell death completely. In conclusion, the MPT is an essential component in the signaling pathway for TNFalpha-induced apoptosis in hepatocytes which is required for both cytochrome c release and cell death and functions downstream of FADD and crmA but upstream of caspase 3.

Mice lacking inducible nitric oxide synthase have improved left ventricular contractile function and reduced apoptotic cell death late after myocardial infarction.

Nitric oxide produced by inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of chronic myocardial remodeling and failure. We tested the role of NOS2 in left ventricular (LV) remodeling early (1 month) and late (4 months) after myocardial infarction (MI) in mice lacking NOS2. MI size measured 7 days, 1 month, and 4 months after MI was the same in NOS2 knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice. The LV end-diastolic pressure-volume relationship measured by the isovolumic Langendorff technique showed a progressive rightward shift from 1 to 4 months after MI in WT mice. LV developed pressure measured over a range of LV volumes was reduced at 1 and 4 months after MI in WT mice (P<0.05 and P<0.01 versus shams, respectively). In KO mice, the rightward shift was similar to that in WT mice at 1 and 4 months after MI, as was peak LV developed pressure at 1 month after MI. In contrast, at 4 months after MI, peak LV developed pressure in KO mice was higher than in WT mice (P<0.05 versus WT) and similar to that in sham-operated mice. At 1 month after MI, the frequency of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive myocytes in the remote myocardium was increased to a similar extent in WT and KO mice. At 4 months after MI, the frequency of apoptotic myocytes was increased in WT mice but not in KO mice (P<0.05 versus WT). Improved contractile function and reduced apoptosis were associated with reduced mortality rate in KO mice at 4 months after MI. Thus, NOS2 does not play an important role in determining infarct size or early LV remodeling during the first month after MI. In contrast, during late (ie, 4 months after MI) remodeling, NOS2 in remote myocardium contributes to decreased contractile function, increased myocyte apoptosis in remote myocardium, and reduced survival.

The 5' stem-loop regulates expression of collagen alpha1(I) mRNA in mouse fibroblasts cultured in a three-dimensional matrix.

The stability of collagen alpha1(I) mRNA is regulated by its 5' stem-loop, which binds a cytoplasmic protein in a cap-dependent manner, and its 3'-untranslated region (UTR), which binds alphaCP. When cultured in a three-dimensional gel composed of type I collagen, mouse fibroblasts had decreased collagen alpha1(I) mRNA steady-state levels, which resulted from a decreased mRNA half-life. In cells cultured in gel, hybrid mouse-human collagen alpha1(I) mRNA with a wild-type 5' stem-loop decayed faster than the same mRNA with a mutated stem-loop. When the 5' stem-loop was placed in a heterologous mRNA, the mRNA accumulated to a lower level in cells grown in gel than in cells grown on plastic. This suggests that the 5' stem-loop down-regulates collagen alpha1(I) mRNA. Protein binding to the 5' stem-loop was reduced in cells grown in gel, which was associated with destabilization of the collagen alpha1(I) mRNA. In addition to the binding of a cytoplasmic protein, there was also a nuclear binding activity directed to the collagen alpha1(I) 5' stem-loop. The nuclear binding was increased in cells grown in gel, suggesting that it may negatively regulate expression of collagen alpha1(I) mRNA. Binding of alphaCP, a protein involved in stabilization of collagen alpha1(I) mRNA, was unchanged by the culture conditions.

Characterization of the interaction between alphaCP(2) and the 3'-untranslated region of collagen alpha1(I) mRNA.

Activated hepatic stellate cells produce increased type I collagen in hepatic fibrosis. The increase in type I collagen protein results from an increase in mRNA levels that is mainly mediated by increased mRNA stability. Protein-RNA interactions in the 3'-UTR of the collagen alpha1(I) mRNA correlate with stabilization of the mRNA during hepatic stellate cell activation. A component of the binding complex is alphaCP(2). Recombinant alphaCP(2) is sufficient for binding to the 3'-UTR of collagen alpha1(I). To characterize the binding affinity of and specificity for alphaCP(2), we performed electrophoretic mobility shift assays using the poly(C)-rich sequence in the 3'-UTR of collagen alpha1(I) as probe. The binding affinity of alphaCP(2) for the 3'-UTR sequence is approximately 2 nM in vitro and the wild-type 3' sequence binds with high specificity. Furthermore, we demonstrate a system for detecting protein-nucleotide interactions that is suitable for high throughput assays using molecular beacons. Molecular beacons, developed for DNA-DNA hybridization, are oligonucleotides with a fluorophore and quencher brought together by a hairpin sequence. Fluorescence increases when the hairpin is disrupted by binding to an antisense sequence or interaction with a protein. Molecular beacons displayed a similar high affinity for binding to recombinant alphaCP(2) to the wild-type 3' sequence, although the kinetics of binding were slower.