Altered expression of DJ-1 in the hippocampal cells following in vivo and in vitro neuronal damage induced by trimethyltin.

Trimethyltin chloride (TMT) is known to produce neuronal damage in the dentate gyrus at least in part via oxidative stress. DJ-1, an oncogene product, is known to act as an anti-oxidant to prevent neuronal damage in dopaminergic neurons. The aim of this study was to determine the alterations in DJ-1 expression in the hippocampal cells of mice after in vivo and in vitro treatment with TMT. In naïve animals, DJ-1 was ubiquitously expressed in the hippocampus, in which the CA1 pyramidal cell layer and dentate granule cell layer had lower and higher levels of it, respectively. An intraperitoneal injection of TMT at the dose of 2.8 mg/kg produced DJ-1 up-regulation in the CA1 pyramidal cell layer, CA3 stratum lucidum, dentate molecular layer, and dentate hilus, but not in the dentate granule cell layer, on day 3-5 post-treatment. Temporary depletion of endogenous glutathione by the prior subcutaneous injection of 2-cyclohexen-1-one was effective in facilitating neuronal damage and DJ-1 up-regulation in the dentate gyrus induced by an intraperitoneal injection of TMT at the dose of 2.0 mg/kg. In primary cultures of mouse hippocampal cells, DJ-1 was present in neurons, but not in astrocytes. TMT treatment produced a dramatic expression of DJ-1 in the astrocytes in the cultures. Taken together, our data suggest that the DJ-1 protein is positively regulated in response to oxidative stress induced by TMT.

Endogenous reactive oxygen species are essential for proliferation of neural stem/progenitor cells.

It is widely thought that accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causes injury to cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of endogenous ROS on the proliferation of neural stem/progenitor cells derived from the hippocampus of embryonic mice. The cells were treated with free radical-scavenging agents [3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one (edaravone) or 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl (tempol)], an NADPH oxidase inhibitor (apocynin), catalase, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor [N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME)] or a peroxynitrite generator (SIN-1) during the culture period. Edaravone and tempol had the ability to decrease endogenous ROS in the cells exposed for periods from 1 to 24h, with attenuation of the proliferation activity of the cells during culture. Apocynin and L-NAME were also effective in attenuating cell proliferation but not cellular damage. Conversely, SIN-1 was capable of promoting the proliferation activity. However, catalase had no effect on the proliferation activity of the cells during culture. Furthermore, tempol significantly decreased the level of NFkappaB p65, phospho-cyclic AMP response element-binding protein, and beta-catenin within the nucleus of the cells. These data suggest that endogenous ROS and nitric oxide are essential for the proliferation of embryonic neural stem/progenitor cells.

Repression of activated aryl hydrocarbon receptor-induced transcriptional activation by 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone in human prostate cancer LNCaP and human breast cancer T47D cells.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and dioxins are ubiquitous environmental pollutants and activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-activated transcription factor. It has been reported that testosterone represses 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-induced transcription of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1 gene in LNCaP cells. In this study, we investigated the mechanism for the repression of 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC)-induced transcription of AhR-regulated genes, CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP1B1, and AhR repressor (AhRR), by 5alpha-dihydroteststerone (DHT) in LNCaP and T47D cells, which are androgen receptor (AR)- and AhR-positive. Real-time PCR analysis showed that DHT repressed 3MC-induced mRNA expression of the CYP1 family and AhRR genes. DHT repressed 3MC-induced luciferase activity in an AhR response element-driven luciferase reporter assay in LNCaP and T47D cells. The inhibitory effect of DHT was abolished by knockdown of AR protein with siRNA. The protein levels of AhR and AhR nuclear translocator (Arnt), the AhR-dimerizing partner, were not affected by DHT. Co-immunoprecipitation assay showed that DHT significantly facilitated the complex formation between AR and AhR in 3MC-treated cells. These results suggest that complex formation between activated AR and AhR plays an important role in the suppression of 3MC-induced transcription of CYP1 family genes by DHT.