Seasonal and pandemic influenza H1N1 viruses induce differential expression of SOCS-1 and RIG-I genes and cytokine/chemokine production in macrophages.

BACKGROUND: Infection with pandemic (pdm) A/H1N1 virus induces high levels of pro-inflammatory mediators in blood and lungs of experimental animals and humans. METHODS: To compare the involvement of seasonal A/PR/8/34 and pdm A/H1N1 virus strains in the regulation of inflammatory responses, we analyzed the changes in the whole-genome expression induced by these strains in macrophages and A549 epithelial cells. We also focused on the functional implications (cytokine production) of the differential induction of suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-1, SOCS-3, retinoid-inducible gene (RIG)-I and interferon receptor 1 (IFNAR1) genes by these viral strains in early stages of the infection. RESULTS: We identified 130 genes differentially expressed by pdm A/H1N1 and A/PR/8/34 infections in macrophages. mRNA levels of SOCS-1 and RIG-I were up-regulated in macrophages infected with the A/PR/8/34 but not with pdm A/H1N1 virus. mRNA levels of SOCS-3 and IFNAR1 induced by A/PR/8/34 and pdm A/H1N1 strains in macrophages, as well as in A549 cells were similar. We found higher levels of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10, CCL3, CCL5, CCL4 and CXCL8 (p < 0.05) in supernatants from cultures of macrophages infected with the pdm A/H1N1 virus compared to those infected with the A/PR/8/34 strain, coincident with the lack of SOCS-1 and RIG-I expression. In contrast, levels of INF-α were higher in cultures of macrophages 48h after infection with the A/PR/8/34 strain than with the pdm A/H1N1 virus. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that factors inherent to the pdm A/H1N1 viral strain may increase the production of inflammatory mediators by inhibiting SOCS-1 and modifying the expression of antiviral immunity-related genes, including RIG-I, in human macrophages.

Dehydroepiandrosterone inhibits the TNF-alpha-induced inflammatory response in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has a protective role against atherosclerosis. We determined the effect of pharmacological doses of DHEA upon the adhesion of monocytic U937 cells to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), as well as the expression of adhesion and chemoattractant molecules, the translocation of NF-kappaB, the degradation of IkappaB-alpha and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HUVEC. Adhesion of U937 cells to DHEA-treated HUVEC was evaluated by co-culture experiments using [(3)H]-thymidine-labeled U937 cells. The expression of adhesion and chemoattractant molecules was evaluated by flow cytometry and RT-PCR, respectively; NF-kappaB translocation was determined by Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay (EMSA) and IkappaB-alpha degradation by Western blot. ROS production was determined by the reduction of fluorescent DCFDA. TNF-alpha was used to induce inflammatory responses in HUVEC. One hundred micromolar of DHEA-treatment inhibited the TNF-alpha-induced expression of ICAM-1, E-selectin, ROS production and U937 cells adhesion to HUVEC, and interfered with NF-kappaB translocation and IkappaB-alpha degradation. DHEA at the above mention concentration also inhibited the mRNA expression of MCP-1 and IL-8 in basal conditions but not in TNF-alpha-stimulated conditions. Our results suggest that DHEA inhibits the expression of molecules involved in the inflammatory process, therefore it could be used as an alternative in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis.

Ceramide induces early and late apoptosis in human papilloma virus+ cervical cancer cells by inhibiting reactive oxygen species decay, diminishing the intracellular concentration of glutathione and increasing nuclear factor-kappaB translocation.

Ceramide is regarded as an important cellular signal for the induction of cell death. We have previously shown that ceramide induces the death of cervical tumor cells without biochemical and morphological markers of apoptosis. The mechanisms by which ceramide induces cell death are not understood, therefore we evaluated the effect of C6-ceramide, a synthetic cell-permeable analog of endogenous ceramides, in signaling pathways involved in the oxidative stress of three cervical human papilloma virus cancer cell lines. Reactive oxygen species production was determined by fluorescent 2,7-dichlorofluorescein, nitrite concentration by the Griess reaction (as an indirect measure of nitric oxide production), mitochondrial membrane potential by staining with Rh123, reduced-glutathione concentration by high-pressure liquid chromatography, nuclear factor-kappaB translocation by electrophoretic mobility shift assay, inhibitory protein of nuclear factor-kappaB expression by Western blot and cell death by a poly-caspases fluorochrome-labeled inhibitors of caspases apoptosis assay. C6-ceramide induced early and late apoptosis, which was associated with an increase in reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide production, a loss in mitochondrial membrane potential, an increase in nuclear factor-kappaB translocation, and a decrease in reduced glutathione concentration. C6-ceramide did not modify the expression of inhibitory protein of nuclear factor-kappaB and its antiproliferative effect was not abrogated by Bay 11-7082, an inhibitory protein of nuclear factor-kappaB kinase inhibitor. Our results suggest that oxidative stress might participate in the ceramide-induced damage to human papilloma virus cervical cancer cells.

Ceramide promotes the death of human cervical tumor cells in the absence of biochemical and morphological markers of apoptosis.

C8-ceramide, a synthetic cell-permeable analog of endogenous ceramides, interfered with cell proliferation, and was cytotoxic to papilloma virus-containing human cervix carcinoma cells, CALO, INBL, and HeLa, that match two clinical stages of tumor progression. C8-ceramide (3 microM) markedly reduced the tumor cell number after 48 h of treatment, an effect that endured even after the removal of C8-ceramide. The carcinoma cells showed morphologic changes, characteristic of necrosis and released lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). A biologically inactive analog C8-dihydro-ceramide had no effect on cell viability in any of the cell lines tested. Seventy-two hours after C8-ceramide treatment none of the biochemical and morphological markers characteristic of apoptosis: (a) nuclear chromatin condensation, (b) DNA fragmentation, (c) proteolysis of the caspase-3 substrate poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase (PARP), and (d) appearance of phosphatidylserine on the external cell membrane, were observed. C8-ceramide had no effect on human cervix fibroblasts and induced a mild reduction (30%) in the proliferation of normal human cervix epithelia and HeLa cells (IV-B metastatic stage). The cytotoxicity of C8-ceramide was restricted to CALO (early II-B) and INBL (IV-A non-metastatic) carcinoma cells. The possible application of ceramide in the treatment of early stages of cervical cancer is discussed.