ABSTRACT
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Pro-atherogenic and pro-oxidant, oxidised LDL trigger adverse effects on pancreatic beta cells, possibly contributing to diabetes progression. Because oxidised LDL diminish the expression of genes regulated by the inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER), we investigated the involvement of this transcription factor and of oxidative stress in beta cell failure elicited by oxidised LDL. METHODS: Isolated human and rat islets, and insulin-secreting cells were cultured with human native or oxidised LDL or with hydrogen peroxide. The expression of genes was determined by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. Insulin secretion was monitored by EIA kit. Cell apoptosis was determined by scoring cells displaying pycnotic nuclei. RESULTS: Exposure of beta cell lines and islets to oxidised LDL, but not to native LDL raised the abundance of ICER. Induction of this repressor by the modified LDL compromised the expression of important beta cell genes, including insulin and anti-apoptotic islet brain 1, as well as of genes coding for key components of the secretory machinery. This led to hampering of insulin production and secretion, and of cell survival. Silencing of this transcription factor by RNA interference restored the expression of its target genes and alleviated beta cell dysfunction and death triggered by oxidised LDL. Induction of ICER was stimulated by oxidative stress, whereas antioxidant treatment with N-acetylcysteine or HDL prevented the rise of ICER elicited by oxidised LDL and restored beta cell functions. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Induction of ICER links oxidative stress to beta cell failure caused by oxidised LDL and can be effectively abrogated by antioxidant treatment.
Subject(s)
Cyclic AMP Response Element Modulator/physiology , Insulin-Secreting Cells/physiology , Islets of Langerhans/physiopathology , Oxidative Stress/physiology , Acetylcysteine/pharmacology , Animals , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Apoptosis/drug effects , Cells, Cultured , Cyclic AMP Response Element Modulator/drug effects , Cyclic AMP Response Element Modulator/genetics , Humans , Hydrogen Peroxide/pharmacology , Insulin/metabolism , Insulin-Secreting Cells/cytology , Insulin-Secreting Cells/drug effects , Islets of Langerhans/cytology , Islets of Langerhans/drug effects , Lipoproteins, LDL/pharmacology , Male , Models, Animal , Oxidative Stress/drug effects , RNA, Small Interfering/pharmacology , Rats , Rats, Sprague-DawleyABSTRACT
The 5' untranslated leader sequence from the encephalomyocarditis virus was used to engineer bicistronic or tricistronic expression vectors encoding two subunits (P2X2 and P2X3) of an ATP-gated cation channel. Human embryonic kidney (293) and chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells were transfected with the vector, and stable cell lines were generated by single cell subcloning. Selection was made in a 96-well format on the basis of a sustained increase in intracellular calcium (fluorescence of Fluo3-loaded cells) evoked by the ATP analog alpha beta methylene ATP. A high proportion of transformants expressed heteromeric receptors containing both P2X2 and P2X3 subunits, as evidenced by a nondesensitizing current in response to alpha beta methylene ATP. The method is fast and simple and could be generally useful for the stable expression of heteromultimeric channel proteins.
