Ciprofibrate stimulates protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation of an 85 kDa protein in rat Fao hepatic derived cells.

The effect of ciprofibrate on early events of signal transduction was previously studied in Fao cells. Protein kinase C (PKC) assays performed on permeabilized cells showed a more than two-fold increase in PKC activity in cells treated for 24 h with 500 microM ciprofibrate. To show the subsequent effect of this increase on protein phosphorylation, the in vitro phosphorylation on particulate fractions obtained from Fao cells was studied. Among several modifications, the phosphorylation of protein(s) with an apparent molecular mass of 85 kDa was investigated. This modification appeared in the first 24 h of treatment with 500 microM ciprofibrate. It was shown to occur on Ser/Thr residue(s). It was calcium but not calmodulin-dependent. The phosphorylation level of this/these protein(s) was reduced with kinase inhibitors and especially with 300 nM GF-109203X, a specific inhibitor of PKC. All these results suggest that the phosphorylation of the 85 kDa protein(s) is due to a PKC or to another Ser/Thr kinase activated via a PKC pathway. A possible biochemical candidate for 85 kDa protein seems to be the beta isoform of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit.

Regulation of the peroxisomal beta-oxidation-dependent pathway by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha and kinases.

The first PPAR (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor) was cloned in 1990 by Issemann and Green (Nature 347:645-650). This nuclear receptor was so named since it is activated by peroxisome proliferators including several drugs of the fibrate family, plasticizers, and herbicides. This receptor belongs to the steroid receptor superfamily. After activation by a specific ligand, it binds to a DNA response element, PPRE (peroxisome proliferator response element), which is a DR-1 direct repeat of the consensus sequence TGACCT x TGACCT. This mechanism leads to the transcriptional activation of target genes (Motojima et al., J Biol Chem 273:16710-16714, 1998). After the first discovery, several isoforms were characterized in most of the vertebrates investigated. PPAR alpha, activated by hypolipidemic agents of the fibrate family or by leukotrienes; regulates lipid metabolism as well as the detoxifying enzyme-encoding genes. PPAR beta/delta, which is not very well known yet, appears to be more specifically activated by fatty acids. PPAR gamma (subisoforms 1, 2, 3) is activated by the prostaglandin PGJ2 or by antidiabetic thiazolidinediones (Vamecq and Latruffe, Lancet 354:411-418, 1999). This latter isoform is involved in adipogenesis. The level of PPAR expression is largely dependent on the tissue type. PPAR alpha is mainly expressed in liver and kidney, while PPAR beta/delta is almost constitutively expressed. In contrast, PPAR gamma is largely expressed in white adipose tissue. PPAR is a transcriptional factor that requires other nuclear proteins in order to function, i.e. RXRalpha (9-cis-retinoic acid receptor alpha) in all cases in addition to other regulatory proteins. Peroxisomes are specific organelles for very long-chain and polyunsaturated fatty acid catabolism. From our results and those of others, the inventory of the role of PPAR alpha in the regulation of peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation is presented. In relation to this, we showed that PPAR alpha activates peroxisomal beta-oxidation-encoding genes such as acyl-CoA oxidase, multifunctional protein, and thiolase (Bardot et al., FEBS Lett 360:183-186, 1995). Moreover, rat liver PPAR alpha regulatory activity is dependent on its phosphorylated state (Passilly et al., Biochem Pharmacol 58:1001-1008, 1999). On the other hand, some signal transduction pathways such as protein kinase C are modified by peroxisome proliferators that increase the phosphorylation level of some specific proteins (Passilly et al. Eur J Biochem 230:316-321, 1995). From all these findings, PPAR alpha and kinases appear to play an important role in lipid homeostasis.

Phosphorylation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha in rat Fao cells and stimulation by ciprofibrate.

The basic mechanism(s) by which peroxisome proliferators activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) is (are) not yet fully understood. Given the diversity of peroxisome proliferators, several hypotheses of activation have been proposed. Among them is the notion that peroxisome proliferators could activate PPARs by changing their phosphorylation status. In fact, it is well known that several members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily are regulated by phosphorylation. In this report, we show that the rat Fao hepatic-derived cell line, known to respond to peroxisome proliferators, exhibited a high content of PPARalpha. Alkaline phosphatase treatment of Fao cell lysate as well as immunoprecipitation of PPARalpha from cells prelabeled with [32P] orthophosphate clearly showed that PPARalpha is indeed a phosphoprotein in vivo. Moreover, treatment of rat Fao cells with ciprofibrate, a peroxisome proliferator, increased the phosphorylation level of the PPARalpha. In addition, treatment of Fao cells with phosphatase inhibitors (okadaic acid and sodium orthovanadate) decreased the activity of ciprofibrate-induced peroxisomal acyl-coenzyme A oxidase, an enzyme encoded by a PPARalpha target gene. Our results suggest that the gene expression controlled by peroxisome proliferators could be mediated in part by a modulation of the PPARalpha effect via a modification of the phosphorylation level of this receptor.

Relationship between signal transduction and PPAR alpha-regulated genes of lipid metabolism in rat hepatic-derived Fao cells.

The goal of this study was to characterize phosphorylated proteins and to evaluate the changes in their phosphorylation level under the influence of a peroxisome proliferator (PP) with hypolipidemic activity of the fibrate family. The incubation of rat hepatic derived Fao cells with ciprofibrate leads to an overphosphorylation of proteins, especially one of 85 kDa, indicating that kinase (or phosphatase) activities are modified. Moreover, immunoprecipitation of 32P-labeled cell lysates shows that the nuclear receptor, PP-activated receptor, alpha isoform, can exist in a phosphorylated form, and its phosphorylation is increased by ciprofibrate. This study shows that PP acts at different steps of cell signaling. These steps can modulate gene expression of enzymes involved in fatty acid metabolism and lipid homeostasis, as well as in detoxication processes.

Inhibitory effect of resveratrol on the proliferation of human and rat hepatic derived cell lines.

Resveratrol is a polyphenolic compound especially produced by grapevine and consequently found in wine. Based on epidemiological studies resveratrol may act as a cancer chemopreventive compound. The ability of resveratrol to inhibit cell proliferation was studied in rat hepatoma Fao cell line and human hepatoblastoma HepG2 cell line. The results show that resveratrol strongly inhibits cell proliferation at the micromolar range in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Concentrations higher than 50 microM become toxic. Fao cells are more sensitive than HepG2 cells. Interestingly, the presence of ethanol lowers the threshold of resveratrol effect. Resveratrol appears to prevent or to delay the entry to mitosis since no inhibition of [3H]thymidine incorporation is observed, while there is an increase of cell number in S and G2/M phases. In conclusion, resveratrol shows a strong inhibition of hepatic cell proliferation where alcohol may act as an enhancing agent.

Carcinogenic aspect of xenobiotic molecules belonging to the peroxisome proliferator family.

It is known that a short-term exposure of rat, mice or incubation of hepatic cells with fibrate molecules leads to increase in peroxisome number and cell hyperplasia. Further, long-term incubation of cells (at least a year) show transformed characteristics with foci and nodules. To explain the hepatocarcinogenic effect of peroxisome proliferators in rodents we studied the effect of peroxisome proliferators on rat liver oncogenes expression. Earlier, we reported an increase in liver and kidney mRNA level of c-myc and N-myc. Since several metabolic genes are activated by PPAR (peroxisome proliferators activated receptor) through a PPRE (peroxisome proliferator response element), we suggest the involvment of PPAR in oncogene activation, because of the presence of PPRE in the N-myc 5'-upstream region. We showed by flow cytometric analysis that ciprofibrate increased the size of rat Fao derived cell line and the activity of palmitoyl CoA oxidase, a peroxisome proliferation enzyme marker for studying peroxisome proliferation was increased. The above effects which can contribute to hepatocarcinogenesis seem to be restricted to rat and mice, which show strong response to peroxisome proliferators. Indeed, no changes are observed in weak responsive species such as humans (using hepatic derived cell lines) and guinea pig. These data provide arguments for the non-carcinogenic effect of this xenobiotic class in human especially when sensitive, or normal individuals are exposed either to hypolipidaemic agents of the fibrate family.

Properties of a fluorescent bezafibrate derivative (DNS-X). A new tool to study peroxisome proliferation and fatty acid beta-oxidation.

The first peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) was cloned in 1990 by Issemann and Green. Many studies have reported the importance of this receptor in the control of gene expression of enzymes involved in lipid metabolic pathways including mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation, lipoprotein structure [apolipoprotein (apo) A2, apo CIII], and fatty acid synthase. By using radiolabeled molecules, it was shown that peroxisome proliferators bind and activate PPAR. As an alternative method, we developed a fluorescent dansyl (1-dimethylaminonaphthalene-5-sulfonyl) derivative peroxisome proliferator from bezafibrate (DNS-X), a hypolipidemic agent that exhibits an in vitro peroxisome proliferative activity on rat Fao-hepatic derived cultured cells. However, until now, the effect of this new compound on the liver of animals and subcellular localization was unknown. In addition to in vivo rat studies, we present a more efficient large-scale technique of DNS-X purification. Treating rats (DNS-X in the diet at 0.3% w/w) for 6 d leads to a hepatomegaly and a marked increase in liver peroxisomal palmitoyl-CoA oxidase activity. We also developed a method to localize and quantify DNS-X in tissues or cell compartment organelles. The primarily cytosolic distribution of DNS-X was confirmed by direct visualization using fluorescence microscopy of cultured Fao cells. Finally, transfection assay demonstrated that DNS-X enhanced the PPAR alpha activity as well as other peroxisome proliferators do.

Influence of peroxisome proliferators on phosphoprotein levels in human and rat hepatic-derived cell lines.

To elucidate the effect of peroxisome proliferators on the signal-transduction pathway, we have compared the effect of ciprofibrate, an hypolipaemic agent, on the overall phosphoprotein level between rat and human well differentiated hepatic derived cell lines. The phosphorylation status of several phosphoproteins in the rat Fao cell line was increased by the drug while no changes were observed in the human HepG2 cell line. In rat Fao cells, this increase, which is concentration and time dependent, can be as much as eightfold for 20-kDa and 22-kDa proteins. Wy-14,643, a non-fibrate molecule and a more potent peroxisome proliferator than ciprofibrate, increased the phosphorylation status of the same phosphoproteins. Peroxisome proliferators may act by activating kinases inactive in control cells, by amplifying kinases already active in control cells or by inactivating phosphatases. The phosphoamino acid residues affected are essentially serine and threonine. This modification of the signal-transduction pathway by the peroxisome proliferators in rodent cells appears to be an early event or an independent mechanism of the peroxisome proliferation. These results support the accumulating evidence that the perturbation of this pathway may be a major cause of the hepatomegaly and the hepatocarcinogenesis induced by peroxisome proliferators in rodent species. In contrast, the lack of phosphorylation changes in the human HepG2 cell line supports the non-toxic effect of peroxisome proliferators also used as hypolipaemic agents in humans.

[Demonstration of the biosynthesis of prostaglandins from arachidonic acid by rat adrenal cortex cells in culture]. / Mise en évidence de la biosynthèse de prostaglandines à partir d'acide arachidonique par les cellules corticosurrénaliennes de rat en culture.

The biosynthesis of prostaglandins of the E pathway was shown in new-born rat adrenocortical cells in long-term primary culture, by direct incubation of labelled arachidonic acid or by incubation with prelabelled cells. A rapid method of extraction was developed using silanised silica cartridges.

Histidyl phosphorylation of P36 in rat hepatoma Fao cells in vitro and in vivo.

We have previously shown that a membrane-associated P36 from rat liver was in vitro phosphorylated at His residue(s) with a phosphoric amide bond (FEBS Lett., 319:75-79, 1993), and the activity was solubilized and partially purified (J. Biol. Chem., 269:9030-9037, 1994). The present study demonstrates that the P36 histidyl phosphorylation occurs in rat hepatoma cells under normal conditions. Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of histidine as well as those of serine, threonine and tyrosine residues may also play an important role in animal cells.

Human HepG2 and rat Fao hepatic-derived cell lines show different responses to ciprofibrate, a peroxisome proliferator: analysis by flow cytometry.

Peroxisome proliferators, and especially hypolipidemic drugs such as ciprofibrate, are known to be hepatocarcinogens in rodents, but their effect in humans is controversial. In an attempt to investigate the effects of ciprofibrate at a cellular level, the analysis of individual whole cells was performed by flow cytometry on samples from two hepatic-derived cell lines: the rat Fao cell line and the human HepG2 cell line. The increase of light scatter signals in rat Fao cells treated for 3 days with ciprofibrate at 250 microM was related to modifications of intrinsic cellular parameters, such as size and cytoplasmic granularity. Conversely, no variations appeared in human HepG2-treated cells. Moreover, the study of the cell cycle distribution of asynchronously growing cells showed an increase in the percentage of proliferative cells in Fao-treated cells, but not in HepG2-treated cells. In order to give a simultaneous assessment of changes in cellular parameters and cell metabolism, these flow cytometric experiments were completed with the measurements of the palmitoyl-CoA oxidase activity, used as a marker of peroxisome proliferation. The cellular modifications in the rat Fao cell line were accompanied by a great increase in this enzymatic activity, whereas the human HepG2 cell line, which failed to exhibit changes of cytometric data, presented no, or weak, increase in this oxidase activity. The cellular modifications observed in the rat Fao cell line may be related to the well-known hepatocarcinogenicity of ciprofibrate in rodents, whereas the absence of response of HepG2 cells is in favor of the noncarcinogenicity of this drug in humans. This report validates another methodological approach for the investigation of the safety of peroxisome proliferators in humans.

Human hepatic cell uptake of resveratrol: involvement of both passive diffusion and carrier-mediated process.

This work reports significant advances on the transport in hepatic cells of resveratrol, a natural polyphenol with potent protective properties. First, we describe a new simple technique to qualitatively follow resveratrol cell uptake and intracellular distribution, based on resveratrol fluorescent properties. Second, the time-course study and the quantification of (3)H-labelled resveratrol uptake have been performed using human hepatic derived cells (HepG2 tumor cells) and hepatocytes. The temperature-dependence of the kinetics of uptake as well as the cis-inhibition experiments agree with the involvement of a carrier-mediated transport in addition to passive diffusion. The decrease of passive uptake resulting from resveratrol binding to serum proteins brings to light a mediated mechanism in physiological situation.

Biosynthesis of (20S)-20 alpha-reduced steroids simultaneously with corticosteroids in primary cultures of newborn rat adrenocortical cells stimulated by ACTH.

Newborn rat adrenal cells in primary culture produce corticosteroid hormones and (20S)-20 alpha-reduced progesterone metabolites in amounts which depend on ACTH concentrations and stimulation time. Eight (20S)-20 alpha-reduced progesterone metabolites, including 18-hydroxy-(20S)-20 alpha-dihydroprogesterone, were identified by comparison of their data in high performance liquid chromatography and in gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to those of existing or newly synthesized reference steroids. Quantitative studies of individual steroid biosynthesis were also performed using high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography. Several experiments were made without ACTH and with different concentrations of ACTH for periods of more than 3 weeks. The importance of the two main steroidogenic pathways, corticosteroid biosynthesis and progesterone reductive metabolism was modified by ACTH stimulation of the cultured cells. The progesterone reductive metabolism, important without ACTH and in the first days of ACTH stimulation, was decreased by 6.6 mU of ACTH/ml or higher concentrations but remained active throughout the life span of the stimulated cell cultures.

Peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptors as physiological sensors of fatty acid metabolism: molecular regulation in peroxisomes.

The enzymes required for the beta-oxidation of fatty acyl-CoA are present in peroxisomes and mitochondria. Administration of hypolipidaemic compounds such as clofibrate to rodents leads to an increase in the volume and density of peroxisomes in liver cells. These proliferators also induce simultaneously the expression of genes encoding acyl-CoA oxidase, enoyl-CoA hydratase-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (multifunctional enzyme) and thiolase (3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase). All these enzymes are responsible for long-chain and very-long-chain fatty acid beta-oxidation in peroxisomes. Similar results were observed when rat hepatocytes, or liver-derived cell lines, were cultured with a peroxisome proliferator. The increased expression of these genes is due to the stimulation of their transcription rate. These results show that the peroxisome proliferators act on the hepatic cells and regulate the transcription through various cellular components and pathways, including peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha). After activation by specific ligands, either fibrates or fatty acid derivatives, PPARalpha binds to a DNA response element: peroxisome-proliferator-responsive element (PPRE), which is a direct repeat of the following consensus sequence: TGACCTXTGACCT, found in the promoter region of the target genes. PPARalpha is expressed mainly in liver, intestine and kidney. PPARalpha is a transcriptional factor, which requires other nuclear proteins for function including retinoic acid X receptor (RXRalpha) and other regulatory proteins. From our results and others we suggest the role of PPARalpha in the regulation of the peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation. In this regard, we showed that although PPARalpha binds to thiolase B gene promoter at -681 to -669, a better response is observed with hepatic nuclear factor 4 ("HNf-4"). Moreover, rat liver PPARalpha regulatory activity is dependent on its phosphorylated state. In contrast, a protein-kinase-C-mediated signal transduction pathway seems to be modified by peroxisome proliferators, leading to an increase in the phosphorylation level of specific proteins, some of which have been shown to be involved in the phosphoinositide metabolism.