Beneficial effects of primidone in Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC)-model cells and mice: Reduction of unesterified cholesterol levels in cells and extension of lifespan in mice.

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is caused by a loss of function of either NPC1 or NPC2 protein, resulting in the accumulation of unesterified, free-cholesterol (free-C) in cells/tissues and thus leading to cell/tissue damage. In the brain of patients/animals with NPC, as a consequence of the accumulation of free-C in late endosomes/lysosomes (LE/LY) in cells, multiple lipids including complex sphingolipids are accumulated, and almost all patients/animals ultimately develop progressive/fatal neurodegeneration. Several reagents that are considered to act in the brain show beneficial effects on NPC-model animals. In the present study, we investigated the effects of antiepileptic drugs, such as primidone and valproic acid, on the accumulation of free-C in NPC1-null CHO cells and NPC1* fibroblasts, human fibroblasts established from a patient with NPC1 mutation. Like valproic acid, treatment with primidone reduced free-C levels in LE/LY in NPC1-null/mutant cells. Down-regulation of cholesterol ester levels in NPC1-null cells and up-regulation of HMG-CoA reductase and low-density lipoprotein receptor mRNA levels in NPC1* cells were partially recovered by primidone treatment. Thus, primidone was suggested to enhance free-C trafficking from LE/LY to endoplasmic reticulum in NPC1-null/mutant cells. In NPC1-null mice, oral application of primidone (100 mg/kg/day) extended lifespan by approximately 5 days, although the first days showing ataxia, a typical symptom of neuromotor dysfunction, were not affected. Our findings suggest the potential of primidone for the treatment of NPC.

Phosphorylation and inhibition of ceramide kinase by protein kinase C-ß: Their changes by serine residue mutations.

Ceramide kinase (CerK) phosphorylates ceramide to ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P), and various roles for the CerK/C1P pathway in the regulation of cellular/biological functions have been demonstrated. CerK is constitutively phosphorylated at several serine (Ser, S) residues, however, the roles of Ser residues, including their phosphorylation, in CerK activity, have not yet been elucidated in detail. Therefore, we conducted the present study to investigate this issue. In A549 cells expressing wild-type CerK, a treatment with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) decreased the formation of C1P in a protein kinase C (PKC)-ßI/II-mediated manner. In the Phos-tag SDS-PAGE analysis, CerK existed in its phosphorylated form and was further phosphorylated by the PMA treatment in a PKC-ßI/II-mediated manner. We examined the effects of the displacement of Ser residues (72/300/340/403/408/427) in CerK by alanine (Ala, A) on its activity and phosphorylation. Triple mutations (S340/408/427A), but not a single or double mutations (S340/408A), in CerK significantly decreased the formation of C1P. PMA-induced phosphorylation levels in S340/408A- and S340/408/427A-CerK were significantly and maximally reduced, respectively, but were similar in CerK with a single mutation and wild-type CerK. Ser residue mutations tested, including six mutations, did not affect PMA-induced decreases in C1P formation more than expected. Treatments with the protein phosphatase inhibitors, okadaic acid and cyclosporine A, decreased the formation of C1P. These results demonstrated that the activity of CerK was regulated in a phosphorylation-dependent manner in cells.

Cholesterol-dependent increases in glucosylceramide synthase activity in Niemann-Pick disease type C model cells: Abnormal trafficking of endogenously formed ceramide metabolites by inhibition of the enzyme.

Sphingolipids such as sphingomyelin and glycosphingolipids (GSLs) derived from glucosylceramide (GlcCer), in addition to cholesterol, accumulate in cells/neurons in Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC). The activities of acid sphingomyelinase and lysosomal glucocerebrosidase (GCase), which degrade sphingomyelin and GlcCer, respectively, are down-regulated in NPC cells, however, changes in GlcCer synthase activity have not yet been elucidated. We herein demonstrated for the first time that GlcCer synthase activity for the fluorescent ceramide, 4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole-labeled C6-ceramide (NBD-ceramide) increased in intact NPC1((-/-)) cells and cell lysates without affecting the protein levels. In NBD-ceramide-labeled NPC1((-/-)) cells, NBD-fluorescence preferentially accumulated in the Golgi complex and vesicular specks in the cytoplasm 40 and 150 min, respectively, after labeling, while a treatment for 48 h with the GlcCer synthase inhibitors, N-butyldeoxynojirimycin (NB-DNJ) and 1-phenyl-2-palmitoylamino-3-morpholino-1-propanol, accelerated the appearance of vesicular specks emitting NBD-fluorescence within 40 min. The treatment of NPC1((-/-)) cells with NB-DNJ for 48 h additionally increased the levels of cholesterol, but not those of sphingomyelin. Increases in the activity of GlcCer synthase and formation of vesicular specks emitting NBD-fluorescence in NPC1((-/-)) cells were dependent on cholesterol. LacCer taken up by endocytosis, which accumulated in the Golgi complex in normal cells, accumulated in vesicular specks after 10 and 40 min in NPC1((-/-)) cells, and this response was not accelerated by the NB-DNJ treatment, but was restored by the depletion of cholesterol. The cellular roles for enhanced GlcCer synthesis and increased levels of cholesterol in the trafficking of NBD-ceramide metabolites in NPC1((-/-)) cells have been discussed.