Dietary flavonoids bind to mono-ubiquitinated annexin A1 in nuclei, and inhibit chemical induced mutagenesis.

In order to investigate the mechanisms of anti-mutagenic action by dietary flavonoids, we investigated if they inhibit mutation of the thymidine kinase (tk) gene in L5178Ytk(±) lymphoma cells. Silibinin, quercetin and genistein suppressed mutation of the tk gene induced in L5178Ytk(±) lymphoma cells by methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and As(3+). Flavone and flavonol were less effective. To establish that mutation of the tk gene in L5178Ytk(±) lymphoma cells by MMS and As(3+) is mediated through mono-ubiquitinated annexin A1, L5178Ytk(±) lymphoma cells were treated with annexin A1 anti-sense oligonucleotide. The treatment reduced mRNA as well as protein levels of annexin A1, and suppressed mutation of the tk gene. Nuclear extracts from L5178Ytk(±) lymphoma cells catalyzed translesion DNA synthesis with an oligonucleotide template containing 8-oxo-guanosine in an annexin A1 dependent manner. This translesion DNA synthesis was inhibited by the anti-mutagenic flavonoids, silibinin, quercetin and genistein, in a concentration dependent manner, but only slightly by flavone and flavonol. Because these observations implicate involvement of annexin A1 in mutagenesis, we examined if flavonoids suppress nuclear annexin A1 helicase activity. Silibinin, quercetin and genistein inhibited ssDNA binding, DNA chain annealing and DNA unwinding activities of purified nuclear mono-ubiquitinated annexin A1. Flavone and flavonol were ineffective. The apparent direct binding of anti-mutagenic flavonoids to the annexin A1 molecule was supported by fluorescence quenching. Taken together, these findings illustrate that nuclear annexin A1 may be a novel and productive target protein of prevention for DNA damage induced gene mutation, ultimately conferring cancer chemoprevention.

Matrix metalloproteinase-9, -10, and -12, MDM2 and p53 expression in mouse liver during dimethylnitrosamine-induced oxidative stress and genomic injury.

Treatment during early tumor development has greater success because tissue growth remains largely confined to its original locus. At later stages, malignant cells migrate from their original location, invade surrounding normal areas, and can disseminate widely throughout the body. Remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) serves as a key facilitator of this dissemination. Proteolytic enzymes including plasmin and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an integral role in degrading the surrounding ECM proteins and clearing a path for tumor cell migration. Specific MMPs are highly expressed late during malignant tumor invasion. It is not understood whether early changes in MMPs influence apoptotic and necrotic cell death, processes known to govern the early stages of carcinogenesis. Similarly, the interaction between MDM2 and p53 is tightly controlled by a complex array of post-translational modifications, which in turn dictates the stability and activity of both p53 and MDM2. The present studies examine the hypothesis that model hepatotoxin dimethylnitrosamine (DMN), which is also a model carcinogen, will induce the MMP family of proteins after administration in hepatotoxic doses. Doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg DMN were administered i.p. to male C3H mice. Changes in parameters associated with apoptotic and necrotic cell death, DNA damage, cell proliferation, and extracellular proteinases were examined in liver at 24 h. Serum ALT activity, oxidative stress [malondialdehyde], and caspase-activated DNAse mediated DNA laddering increased in a dose-dependent manner, as did the level of MDM2 protein. MMP-9, -10 and -12 (gelatinase-B, stromelysin-2, macrophage elastase), and p53 protein levels increased following 25 mg/kg DMN, but were successively decreased after higher DMN doses. The results of this study demonstrate changes in MDM2 and MMPs during DMN-induced acute liver injury and provide a plausible linkage between DMN-induced oxidative stress-mediated genomic injury and its likely involvement in setting the stage for initiating subsequent metastatic disease at later circumstances.

Carcinogenic heavy metals, As3+ and Cr6+, increase affinity of nuclear mono-ubiquitinated annexin A1 for DNA containing 8-oxo-guanosine, and promote translesion DNA synthesis.

To elucidate the biological roles of mono-ubiquitinated annexin A1 in nuclei, we investigated the interaction of purified nuclear mono-ubiquitinated annexin A1 with intact and oxidatively damaged DNA. We synthesized the 80mer 5'-GTCCACTATTAAAGAACGTGGACTCCAACGTCAAAGGGCGAAAAACCGTCTATCAGGGCGATGGCCCACTACGTGAACCA-3' (P0G), and four additional 80mers, each with a selected single G in position 14, 30, 37 or 48 replaced by 8-oxo-guanosine (8-oxo-G) to model DNA damaged at a specific site by oxidation. Nuclear mono-ubiquitinated annexin A1 was able to bind oligonucleotides containing 8-oxo-G at specific positions, and able to anneal damaged oligonucleotide DNA to M13mp18 in the presence of Ca(2+) or heavy metals such as As(3+) and Cr(6+). M13mp18/8-oxo-G-oligonucleotide duplexes were unwound by nuclear annexin A1 in the presence of Mg(2+) and ATP. The binding affinity of nuclear annexin A1 for ssDNA was higher for oxidatively damaged oligonucleotides than for the undamaged oligonucleotide P0G, whereas the maximal binding was not significantly changed. The carcinogenic heavy metals, As(3+) and Cr(6+), increased the affinity of mono-ubiquitinated annexin A1 for oxidatively damaged oligonucleotides. Nuclear mono-ubiquitinated annexin A1 stimulated translesion DNA synthesis by Pol ß. Nuclear extracts of L5178Y tk(+/-) lymphoma cells also promoted translesion DNA synthesis in the presence of the heavy metals As(3+) and Cr(6+). This DNA synthesis was inhibited by anti-annexin A1 antibody. These observations do not prove but provide strong evidence for the hypothesis that nuclear mono-ubiquitinated annexin A1 is involved in heavy metal promoted translesion DNA synthesis, thereby exhibiting the capacity to increase the introduction of mutations into DNA.

Carcinogenic heavy metals replace Ca2+ for DNA binding and annealing activities of mono-ubiquitinated annexin A1 homodimer.

Mono-ubiquitinated annexin A1 was purified from rat liver nuclei. The homodimer form of mono-ubiquitinated annexin A1 was able to unwind dsDNA in a Mg(2+)- and ATP-dependent manner, and to anneal ssDNA in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. Phospholipids decreased the concentration of Ca(2+) required for maximal annealing activity. Heavy metals such as As(3+), Cr(6+), Pb(2+) and Cd(2+) substituted for Ca(2+) in the ssDNA binding and annealing activities of annexin A1. While these metals inhibited the unwinding of dsDNA by nuclear annexin A1 in the presence of Mg(2+) and ATP, they enhanced dsDNA-dependent ATPase activity of annexin A1. Heavy metals may have produced dsDNA, a substrate for the DNA unwinding reaction, via the DNA annealing reaction. DNA synthesomes were isolated from L5178Y tk(+/-) mouse lymphoma cells in exponential growth, and were found to contain helicase activities. The As(3+)- or Cr(6+)-induced increases in ssDNA binding activity of DNA synthesomes were reduced by a mono-specific anti-annexin A1 antibody, but not by anti-Ig antibody. Anti-annexin A1 antibody also blocked the inhibitory and stimulatory effects of As(3+) or Cr(6+) towards DNA unwinding and annealing activities of DNA synthesomes. Based on these observations, it can be concluded that the effects of heavy metals on DNA annealing and unwinding activities are mediated, at least in substantial part, through actions of the mono-ubiquitinated annexin A1 homodimer.

Silymarin modulates doxorubicin-induced oxidative stress, Bcl-xL and p53 expression while preventing apoptotic and necrotic cell death in the liver.

The emergence of silymarin (SMN) as a natural remedy for liver diseases, coupled with its entry into NIH clinical trial, signifies its hepatoprotective potential. SMN is noted for its ability to interfere with apoptotic signaling while acting as an antioxidant. This in vivo study was designed to explore the hepatotoxic potential of Doxorubicin (Dox), the well-known cardiotoxin, and in particular whether pre-exposures to SMN can prevent hepatotoxicity by reducing Dox-induced free radical mediated oxidative stress, by modulating expression of apoptotic signaling proteins like Bcl-xL, and by minimizing liver cell death occurring by apoptosis or necrosis. Groups of male ICR mice included Control, Dox alone, SMN alone, and Dox with SMN pre/co-treatment. Control and Dox groups received saline i.p. for 14 days. SMN was administered p.o. for 14 days at 16 mg/kg/day. An approximate LD(50) dose of Dox, 60 mg/kg, was administered i.p. on day 12 to animals receiving saline or SMN. Animals were euthanized 48 h later. Dox alone induced frank liver injury (>50-fold increase in serum ALT) and oxidative stress (>20-fold increase in malondialdehyde [MDA]), as well as direct damage to DNA (>15-fold increase in DNA fragmentation). Coincident genomic damage and oxidative stress influenced genomic stability, reflected in increased PARP activity and p53 expression. Decreases in Bcl-xL protein coupled with enhanced accumulation of cytochrome c in the cytosol accompanied elevated indexes of apoptotic and necrotic cell death. Significantly, SMN exposure reduced Dox hepatotoxicity and associated apoptotic and necrotic cell death. The effects of SMN on Dox were broad, including the ability to modulate changes in both Bcl-xL and p53 expression. In animals treated with SMN, tissue Bcl-xL expression exceeded control values after Dox treatment. Taken together, these results demonstrated that SMN (i) reduced, delayed onset, or prevented toxic effects of Dox which are typically associated with hydroxyl radical production, (ii) performed as an antioxidant limiting oxidative stress, (iii) protected the integrity of the genome, and (iv) antagonized apoptotic and necrotic cell death while increasing antiapoptotic Bcl-xL protein levels and minimizing the leakage of proapoptotic cytochrome c from liver mitochondria. These observations demonstrate the protective actions of SMN in liver, and raise the possibility that such protection may extend to other organs during Dox treatment including the heart.

Resveratrol-induced apoptotic death in human U251 glioma cells.

Resveratrol (trans-3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene) is a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound highly enriched in grapes, peanuts, red wine, and a variety of food sources. Resveratrol has antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties, and also has potent anticancer properties. Human glioma U251 cells were used to understand the molecular mechanisms by which resveratrol acts as an anticancer agent, since glioma is a particularly difficult cancer to treat and eradicate. Our data show that resveratrol induces dose- and time-dependent death of U251 cells, as measured by lactate dehydrogenase release and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation assays. Resveratrol induces activation of caspase-3 and increases the cleavage of the downstream caspase substrate, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Resveratrol-induced DNA fragmentation can be completely blocked by either a general caspase inhibitor (Z-VAD-FMK) or a selective caspase-3 inhibitor (Z-DEVD-FMK), but not by a selective caspase-1 inhibitor. Resveratrol induces cytochrome c release from mitochondria to the cytoplasm and activation of caspase-9. Resveratrol also increases expression of proapoptotic Bax and its translocation to the mitochondria. Resveratrol inhibits U251 proliferation, as measured by MTS assay [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt], and induces G0/G1 growth arrest, as determined by flow cytometry. The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, olomoucine, prevents cell cycle progression and resveratrol-induced apoptosis. These results suggest that multiple signaling pathways may underlie the apoptotic death of U251 glioma induced by resveratrol, which warrants further exploration as an anticancer agent in human glioma.

Role of Bcl-2 family of proteins in mediating apoptotic death of PC12 cells exposed to oxygen and glucose deprivation.

Apoptotic cell death has been observed in many in vivo and in vitro models of ischemia. However, the molecular pathways involved in ischemia-induced apoptosis remain unclear. We have examined the role of Bcl-2 family of proteins in mediating apoptosis of PC12 cells exposed to the conditions of oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) or OGD followed by restoration of oxygen and glucose (OGD-restoration, OGD-R). OGD decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and induced necrosis of PC12 cells, which were both prevented by the overexpression of Bcl-2 proteins. OGD-R caused apoptotic cell death, induced cytochrome C release from mitochondria and caspase-3 activation, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased levels of pro-apoptotic Bax translocated to the mitochondrial membrane, all of which were reversed by overexpression of Bcl-2. These results demonstrate that the cell death induced by OGD and OGD-R in PC12 cells is potentially mediated through the regulation of mitochondrial membrane potential by the Bcl-2 family of proteins. It also reveals the importance of developing therapeutic strategies for maintaining the mitochondrial membrane potential as a possible way of reducing necrotic and apoptotic cell death that occurs following an ischemic insult.

Nitric oxide synthase inhibition during development: effect on apoptotic death of dopamine neurons.

Naturally occurring cell death via apoptosis occurs in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) during rat development, culminating during the perinatal period. We previously showed that lipid peroxidation-mediated oxidative stress is not involved in this cell death process. Nitric oxide (NO) has been proposed to be critical for many developmental processes in brain and has been shown to mediate cell death in neurotoxin models of neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we reported that in vivo pre- and postnatal treatment with the non-specific NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor, L-NAME (60 mg/kg), or with the neuronal NOS inhibitor, 7-NI (30 mg/kg), dramatically decreased the NOS activity as well as the NADPH-diaphorase staining in brain. However, those treatments did not rescue dopamine neurons from developmental death, suggesting that NO is not involved in vivo in developmental death of these neurons or in the overall development of the SNc.