Effect of H-7 on cultured human trabecular meshwork cells.

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of the serine-threonine kinase inhibitor H-7, which blocks actomyosin contractility and increases outflow facility in live monkeys, on morphology, cytoskeleton, and cellular adhesions of human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells in culture. METHODS: Cultured HTM cells were videographically recorded and evaluated before and after exposure to H-7 at different concentrations. The subcellular distribution of the actin-based cytoskeleton and associated anchor proteins including vinculin, paxillin, and beta-catenin, as well as phosphotyrosine-containing proteins were evaluated by fluorescence immunocytochemistry and digital fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS: H-7 induced pronounced but reversible HTM cell thickening toward the cell center and deterioration of the actin cytoskeletal network. Cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) and cell-cell adhesions were also affected, but the beta-catenin-rich, vinculin-containing adherens junctions were clearly more resistant than focal contacts. Phosphotyrosine labeling in focal contacts was highly sensitive to H-7. CONCLUSIONS: H-7 induces alterations in cell shape, actin cytoskeleton, and associated focal adhesions in cultured HTM cells, which may be responsible for the effects of H-7 on outflow facility in live monkey eyes.

Regulation of TIGR/MYOC gene expression in human trabecular meshwork cells.

Glucocorticoid (GC) treatment of human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells produces delayed, progressive cellular and extracellular protein/glycoprotein inductions with characteristics matching those for intraocular pressure elevation with corticosteroid eyedrops. The cloning of the Trabecular Meshwork Inducible Glucocorticoid Response (TIGR) gene from this system has suggested possible environmental and genetic influences in relation to glaucoma mechanisms. As reported here, the major GC-induced increase of TIGR expression in HTM cells is reduced approximately 4-fold by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF, 100-1000 pM), with a somewhat smaller inhibition noted with the thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3, 100 nM). Such endogenous 'protective' factors could help balance stimulatory effects on TIGR gene expression from 'stress' and/or mechanical perturbations in the trabecular meshwork. TIGR coding region mutations affecting the gene's olfactomedin (OLF) homology domain may also perturb biosynthetic pathways and cellular homeostatic functions. Our recent studies have shown the OLF domain corresponds to a major translocational 'pause', an area where critical processes for normal TIGR biogenesis are expected to take place. Observations that Glu323Lys (and other mutations early in the OLF domain) altered the pattern of paused protein intermediates provide possible clues to previously unexplained pathogenetic mechanisms. HTM cell transfection studies using TIGR-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions showed increased and altered distribution of the expressed protein with constructs missing the OLF domain, an effect also found with the Pro370 Leu mutation for early-onset glaucoma. The data suggest an activation of stress/apoptotic pathways in HTM cells as a potential mechanism for environmental/genetic interactions in glaucoma pathogenesis.

Cellular pharmacology and molecular biology of the trabecular meshwork inducible glucocorticoid response gene product.

Studies of the effects of glucocorticoid (GC) and oxidative stress stimuli in differentiated cultures of human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells have provided the rationale for our studies of a major new gene termed TIGR (trabecular meshwork inducible GC response). The TIGR clone was isolated by differential library screening using selection criteria based on the induction pattern of a new protein/glycoprotein found in HTM cultures after prolonged but not brief exposure to GCs. This GC induction pattern matched the time course and dose response required for intraocular pressure elevation in patients receiving corticosteroids. The very large, progressive induction of TIGR combined with specific structural features of its cDNA suggested that TIGR should be considered a candidate gene for outflow obstruction in glaucoma. Among the properties of TIGR cDNA were a signal sequence for secretion, several structural features for interactions with glycosaminoglycans and other glycoproteins and putative sites for cell surface interactions. In addition, the leucine zippers in the structure were related to TIGR-TIGR oligomerization that was shown to occur with native and recombinant TIGR protein. The verification that TIGR was a major stress response protein in HTM cells following hydrogen peroxide (or phorbol esters) exposure provided a potential link between GC and oxidative mechanisms thought to be involved in glaucoma pathogenesis. Pharmacological evaluation showed that basic fibroblast growth factory and transforming growth factor beta decreased the GC induction of TIGR, and certain nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs protected against both GC- and oxidation-induced stress responses in HTM cells. Our recent studies of TIGR's genomic structure have shown motifs in the promoter region that suggest a basis by which multiple hormonal/environmental stimuli can regulate TIGR production and by which putative genetic alterations could lead to an overexpression of the protein. Further application of cell biology/biochemistry, molecular biology, genetic and histological approaches will be helpful in understanding the role of TIGR in different glaucoma syndromes.

High affinity vasoactive intestinal peptide receptors on fetal human nonpigmented ciliary epithelial cells.

The effect of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) on stimulation of adenylyl cyclase in fetal human nonpigmented ciliary epithelial (NPE) and pigmented ciliary epithelial (CPE) cells was studied. 1 microM VIP elicited a 5-10 fold increase in intracellular cAMP in NPE cells from three fetal donors, but caused little or no response in CPE from two fetal donors and other ocular cell types employed as controls. Appearance of cAMP in the extracellular medium was stimulated in NPE but not in CPE in response to VIP. Both NPE and CPE gave similar cAMP responses (8-13 fold) to the beta-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol. Binding studies of [125I]VIP to intact NPE and CPE revealed that VIP bound to NPE cells at a high affinity site (KD = .33 nM and a low affinity site (KD = 16 nM), whereas VIP bound to CPE cells only at the low affinity site (KD = 18 nM). In NPE cells, VIP stimulated cAMP formation with an EC50 of approximately 0.6-1 nM, similar to the high affinity binding site KD, with maximal stimulation at 10 nM. Four peptides with various degrees of sequence homology to VIP were also studied. Of these, PHM and PHI stimulated cAMP with EC50s of 50 and 300 nM, respectively, while secretin and glucagon stimulated only at concentrations above 0.1 microM. These results suggest that in fetal human ciliary epithelium, as in rabbit ciliary epithelium (Mittag et al., J Pharm Exp Ther 241: 230, [1987]), VIP stimulation of adenylyl cyclase is a characteristic of NPE but not CPE cells.

Cellular injury from sustained vs. acute hydrogen peroxide exposure in cultured human corneal endothelium and human lens epithelium.

The duration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) exposure was examined in confluent monolayers of human corneal endothelium (HCE) and human lens epithelium (HLE) by comparing 3-minute, 15-minute, 30-minute, and 90-minute treatment protocols. The cells showed remarkable ability to withstand high doses of H2O2 (1 mM, approximately 30 ppm) for up to 30 minutes without noticeable morphologic alterations or decreases in rubidium-86 chloride (86RbCl) uptake (a marker used to evaluate damage to the cells' active transport properties). In contrast, when H2O2 levels were maintained for 90 minutes, a substantially lower dose (0.1 mM, approximately 3 ppm) produced cell death, morphologic alterations, and depression of 86RbCl uptake. The marked difference in the dose-response for injury also appeared to be associated with a decrease in cells' abilities to remove H2O2 from the tissue culture medium. Knowledge of the time-dependency for H2O2 damage may be useful in the design of future in vitro studies concerning H2O2 effects, and may help explain the apparent lack of major cellular damage in vivo if topical H2O2 solutions are removed rapidly from the eye.