DNA damage, DNA repair and carcinogenicity: Tobacco smoke versus electronic cigarette aerosol.

The allure of tobacco smoking is linked to the instant gratification provided by inhaled nicotine. Unfortunately, tobacco curing and burning generates many mutagens including more than 70 carcinogens. There are two types of mutagens and carcinogens in tobacco smoke (TS): direct DNA damaging carcinogens and procarcinogens, which require metabolic activation to become DNA damaging. Recent studies provide three new insights on TS-induced DNA damage. First, two major types of TS DNA damage are induced by direct carcinogen aldehydes, cyclic-1,N2-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (γ-OH-PdG) and α-methyl-1, N2-γ-OH-PdG, rather than by the procarcinogens, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and aromatic amines. Second, TS reduces DNA repair proteins and activity levels. TS aldehydes also prevent procarcinogen activation. Based on these findings, we propose that aldehydes are major sources of TS induce DNA damage and a driving force for carcinogenesis. E-cigarettes (E-cigs) are designed to deliver nicotine in an aerosol state, without burning tobacco. E-cigarette aerosols (ECAs) contain nicotine, propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin. ECAs induce O6-methyl-deoxyguanosines (O6-medG) and cyclic γ-hydroxy-1,N2--propano-dG (γ-OH-PdG) in mouse lung, heart and bladder tissues and causes a reduction of DNA repair proteins and activity in lungs. Nicotine and nicotine-derived nitrosamine ketone (NNK) induce the same types of DNA adducts and cause DNA repair inhibition in human cells. After long-term exposure, ECAs induce lung adenocarcinoma and bladder urothelial hyperplasia in mice. We propose that E-cig nicotine can be nitrosated in mouse and human cells becoming nitrosamines, thereby causing two carcinogenic effects, induction of DNA damage and inhibition of DNA repair, and that ECA is carcinogenic in mice. Thus, this article reviews the newest literature on DNA adducts and DNA repair inhibition induced by nicotine and ECAs in mice and cultured human cells, and provides insights into ECA carcinogenicity in mice.

Proteasome regulation of ULBP1 transcription.

Killer lymphocytes recognize stress-activated NKG2D ligands on tumors. We examined NKG2D ligand expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells and other cell lines. HNSCC cells typically expressed MHC class I chain-related gene A (MICA), MICB, UL16-binding protein (ULBP)2, and ULBP3, but they were uniformly negative for cell surface ULBP1 and ULBP4. We then studied how cancer treatments affected NKG2D ligand expression. NKG2D ligand expression was not changed by most cancer-relevant treatments. However, bortezomib and other proteasome inhibitor drugs with distinct mechanisms of action dramatically and specifically up-regulated HNSCC ULBP1 mRNA and cell surface protein. Proteasome inhibition also increased RNA for ULBP1 and other NKG2D ligands in nontransformed human keratinocytes. Proteasome inhibitor drugs increased ULBP1 transcription by acting at a site in the 522-bp ULBP1 promoter. Although the DNA damage response pathways mediated by ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia, mutated) and ATR (ATM and Rad3-related) signaling had been reported to up-regulate NKG2D ligand expression, we found that ULBP1 up-regulation was not inhibited by caffeine and wortmannin, inhibitors of ATM/ATR signaling. ULBP1 expression in HNSCC cells was not increased by several ATM/ATR activating treatments, including bleomycin, cisplatin, aphidicolin, and hydroxyurea. Ionizing radiation caused ATM activation in HNSCC cells, but high-level ULBP1 expression was not induced by gamma radiation or UV radiation. Thus, ATM/ATR signaling was neither necessary nor sufficient for high-level ULBP1 expression in human HNSCC cell lines and could not account for the proteasome effect. The selective induction of ULBP1 expression by proteasome inhibitor drugs, along with variable NKG2D ligand expression by human tumor cells, indicates that NKG2D ligand genes are independently regulated.

DNA methylation maintains allele-specific KIR gene expression in human natural killer cells.

Killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) bind self-major histocompatibility complex class I molecules, allowing natural killer (NK) cells to recognize aberrant cells that have down-regulated class I. NK cells express variable numbers and combinations of highly homologous clonally restricted KIR genes, but uniformly express KIR2DL4. We show that NK clones express both 2DL4 alleles and either one or both alleles of the clonally restricted KIR 3DL1 and 3DL2 genes. Despite allele-independent expression, 3DL1 alleles differed in the core promoter by only one or two nucleotides. Allele-specific 3DL1 gene expression correlated with promoter and 5' gene DNA hypomethylation in NK cells in vitro and in vivo. The DNA methylase inhibitor, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, induced KIR DNA hypomethylation and heterogeneous expression of multiple KIR genes. Thus, NK cells use DNA methylation to maintain clonally restricted expression of highly homologous KIR genes and alleles.

Endogenous androgen deficiency enhances diet-induced hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis in low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice.

BACKGROUND: Despite numerous clinical and animal studies, the role of sex steroid hormones on lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerosis remain controversial. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the effects of endogenous estrogen and testosterone on lipoprotein levels and atherosclerosis using mice fed a low-fat diet with no added cholesterol. METHODS: Male and female low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice were fed an open stock low-fat diet (10% of kcals from fat) for 2, 4, or 17 weeks. Ovariectomy, orchidectomy, or sham surgeries were performed to evaluate the effects of the presence or absence of endogenous hormones on lipid levels, lipoprotein distribution, and atherosclerosis development. RESULTS: Female mice fed the study diet for 17 weeks had a marked increase in levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein-B containing lipoproteins, and atherosclerosis compared with male mice. Surprisingly, ovariectomy in female mice had no effect on any of these parameters. In contrast, castration of male mice markedly increased total cholesterol concentrations, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins, and atherosclerotic lesion formation compared with male and female mice. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that endogenous androgens protect against diet-induced increases in cholesterol concentrations, formation of proatherogenic lipoproteins, and atherosclerotic lesions formation. Conversely orchidectomy, which decreases androgen concentrations, promotes increases in cholesterol concentrations, proatherogenic lipoprotein formation, and atherosclerotic lesion formation in low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice in response to a low-fat diet.

A murine model of obesity with accelerated atherosclerosis.

The epidemic of obesity sweeping developed nations is accompanied by an increase in atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Dyslipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, delineating the mechanism of obesity-accelerated atherosclerosis has been hampered by a paucity of animal models. Similar to humans, apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE(-/-)) mice spontaneously develop atherosclerosis over their lifetime. To determine whether apoE(-/-) mice would develop obesity with accelerated atherosclerosis, we fed mice diets containing 10 (low fat (LF)) or 60 (high fat (HF)) kcal % from fat for 17 weeks. Mice fed the HF diet had a marked increase in body weight and atherosclerotic lesion formation compared to mice fed the LF diet. There were no significant differences between groups in serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, or leptin concentrations. Plasma concentrations of the acute-phase reactant serum amyloid A (SAA) are elevated in both obesity and cardiovascular disease. Accordingly, plasma SAA concentrations were increased fourfold (P < 0.01) in mice fed the HF diet. SAA was associated with both pro- and antiatherogenic lipoproteins in mice fed the HF diet compared to those fed the LF diet, in which SAA was primarily associated with the antiatherogenic lipoprotein high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Moreover, SAA was localized with apoB-containing lipoproteins and biglycan in the vascular wall. Taken together, these data suggest male apoE-deficient mice are a model of metabolic syndrome and that chronic low level inflammation associated with increased SAA concentrations may mediate atherosclerotic lesion formation.

Functional redundancy of transcription factor-binding sites in the killer cell Ig-like receptor (KIR) gene promoter.

Variegated expression of inhibitory killer cell Ig-like receptors (KIRs) for MHC class I molecules helps NK cells distinguish normal from aberrant self and avoid autoreactivity. Prior studies of KIR promoters have produced conflicting results and no cis-acting sites have been independently confirmed. We took a comprehensive linker-scanning mutagenesis approach and substituted 24 consecutive 10-bp segments in the human KIR3DL1 promoter. Our analysis revealed eight segments that activated and three segments that repressed KIR transcription. Site-directed mutagenesis and electrophoretic mobility shift assays indicated that optimal KIR transcription requires a proximal Ets site that binds several Ets family members, a cAMP response element (CRE), a Runx site and a site that mediates complex interactions between Ets family members, signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) and YY1; Sp1 also contributes to KIR transcription. KIR transcription was greatly reduced by several compound mutations and was abrogated by a combination of mutations that affected the proximal Ets site, and the CRE, Runx, Sp1 and Ets/STAT sites. The many transcription factors that contribute to KIR transcription are partially redundant in the setting of transient transfection assays, helping to explain why only 0-2 activating sites had been reported in each of three prior studies. We propose that the multiplicity of transcription factors enables NK cells to sustain continuous KIR expression in diverse cellular and cytokine milieus, thus preventing NK autoreactivity.

Epigenetic control of highly homologous killer Ig-like receptor gene alleles.

Mature human NK lymphocytes express the highly homologous killer Ig-like receptor (KIR) genes in a stochastic fashion, and KIR transcription precisely correlates with allele-specific DNA methylation. In this study, we demonstrate that CpG methylation of a minimal KIR promoter inhibited transcription. In human peripheral blood NK cells and long-term cell lines, expressed KIR genes were associated with a moderate level of acetylated histone H3 and H4 and trimethylated histone H3 lysine 4. Histone modifications were preferentially associated with the transcribed allele in NK cell lines with monoallelic KIR expression. Although reduced, a substantial amount of histone acetylation and H3 lysine 4 trimethylation also was associated with nonexpressed KIR genes. DNA hypomethylation correlated with increased chromatin accessibility, both in vitro and in vivo. Treatment of NK cell lines and developing NK cells with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine, caused a dramatic increase in KIR RNA and protein expression, but little change in histone modification. Our findings suggest that KIR transcription is primarily controlled by DNA methylation.