A systemic apolipoprotein A-IV-associated amyloidosis confirmed by proteome analysis.

Amyloidosis is induced by extracellular deposition of certain proteins. Thirty-six proteins have so far been identified as amyloidogenic proteins in humans. Although it is very important to determine the specific amyloid protein type for the choice of therapy for amyloidosis patient, it might be difficult to identify specific proteins from amyloid-deposited tissue. Apolipoprotein A-IV is known as an amyloid-associated protein, but there have been few reports of apolipoprotein A-IV amyloidosis. Here we report a case of systemic apolipoprotein A-IV-associated amyloidosis that was confirmed by proteome analysis using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue and an immunohistochemical technique.

Xanthine oxidoreductase-mediated injury is amplified by upregulated AMP deaminase in type 2 diabetic rat hearts under the condition of pressure overload.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that upregulated AMP deaminase (AMPD) contributes to diastolic ventricular dysfunction via depletion of the adenine nucleotide pool in a rat model of type 2 diabetes (T2DM), Otsuka Long-Evans-Tokushima Fatty rats (OLETF). Meanwhile, AMPD promotes the formation of substrates of xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR), which produces ROS as a byproduct. Here, we tested the hypothesis that a functional link between upregulated AMPD and XOR is involved in ventricular dysfunction in T2DM rats. METHODS AND RESULTS: Pressure-volume loop analysis revealed that pressure overloading by phenylephrine infusion induced severer left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (tau: 14.7 ± 0.8 vs 12.5 ± 0.7 msec, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure: 18.3 ± 1.5 vs 12.2 ± 1.3 mmHg, p < 0.05) and ventricular-arterial uncoupling in OLETF than in LETO, non-diabetic rats, though the baseline parameters were comparable in the two groups. While the pressure overload did not affect AMPD activity, it increased XOR activity both in OLETF and LETO, with OLETF showing significantly higher XOR activity than that in LETO (347.2 ± 17.9 vs 243.2 ± 6.1 µg/min/mg). Under the condition of pressure overload, myocardial ATP level was lower, and levels of xanthine and uric acid were higher in OLETF than in LETO. Addition of exogenous inosine, a product of AMP deamination, to the heart homogenates augmented XOR activity. OLETF showed 68% higher tissue ROS levels and 47% reduction in mitochondrial state 3 respiration compared with those in LETO. Overexpression of AMPD3 in H9c2 cells elevated levels of hypoxanthine and ROS and reduced the level of ATP. Inhibition of XOR suppressed the production of tissue ROS and mitochondrial dysfunction and improved ventricular function under the condition of pressure overload in OLETF. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that increases in the activity of XOR and the formation of XOR substrates by upregulated AMPD contribute to ROS-mediated diastolic ventricular dysfunction at the time of increased cardiac workload in diabetic hearts.

Distinct intra-mitochondrial localizations of pro-survival kinases and regulation of their functions by DUSP5 and PHLPP-1.

ERK and Akt have been shown to regulate cell sensitivity to death-inducing stress by phosphorylating GSK-3ß, a major modulator of the threshold for mitochondrial permeability transition. Here we examined intra-mitochondrial localization of the pro-survival kinases and their regulation by phosphatases. Stepwise trypsin digestion of mitochondria isolated from HEK293 or H9c2 cells was performed, and immunoblotting revealed that GSK-3ß and ERK localized dominantly in the outer membrane (OM), while Akt resided at comparable levels in OM, the inner membrane (IM) and the matrix. Treatment with IGF-1 increased the protein level of Akt in the matrix, while ERK and GSK-3ß protein levels were increased in OM. Simultaneously, IGF-1 treatment elevated the level of Thr202/Tyr204-phospho-ERK in IM and matrix and levels of Ser473-phospho-Akt and Ser9-phospho-GSK-3ß in OM, IM and matrix. Exposing cells to reactive oxygen species (ROS) by using antimycin A increased the levels of DUSP5 and PHLPP-1 mainly in OM and induced dephosphorylation of Akt, ERK and GSK-3ß. The mitochondrial localization of DUSP5 was confirmed by experiments with mitochondria purified by Percoll gradient centrifugation and by transfection of cells with GFP-tagged DUSP5. Knockdown of either DUSP5 or PHLPP-1 increased the levels of both Thr202/Tyr204-phospho-ERK and Ser473-phospho-Akt in mitochondria. Cell death induced by antimycin A was suppressed by siRNA-mediated knockdown of DUSP5. The results suggest that Akt and ERK in mitochondria show distinct intra-mitochondrial localization and crosstalk in GSK-3ß regulation and that recruitment of DUSP5 as well as PHLPP-1 to mitochondria contributes to ROS-induced termination of the protective signaling.

mTORC1 inhibition attenuates necroptosis through RIP1 inhibition-mediated TFEB activation.

Accumulating evidence indicates that necroptosis contributes to cardiovascular diseases. We recently reported suppression of autophagy by necroptotic signals in cardiomyocytes and protective action of rapamycin. Here we examined the mechanism by which mTORC1 inhibition protects cardiomyocytes from necroptosis. Necroptosis of H9c2 cells was induced by treatment with tumor necrotic factor-α (TNF) and z-VAD-fmk (zVAD), and the extent of necroptosis was determined as the level of LDH release (as % of total). TNF/zVAD increased RIP1-RIP3 interaction and LDH release from 3.4 ±â€¯1.3% to 46.1 ±â€¯2.3%. The effects of TNF/zVAD were suppressed by an mTORC1 inhibitor, rapamycin, and an mTORC1/2 inhibitor, Ku-0063794, but not by a p70s6K inhibitor, PF-4708671. Protection by rapamycin was not abolished by inhibitors of TAK1, IKKα/ß, and cIAP, endogenous necroptosis suppressors upstream of RIP1. Rapamycin and Ku-0063794 suppressed TNF/zVAD-induced RIP1-Ser166 phosphorylation and increased phosphorylation of RIP1-Ser320, an inhibitory phosphorylation site, though such an effect on RIP1-Ser320 was not observed for PF-4708671. Protective effects of rapamycin on TNF/zVAD-induced RIP1-RIP3 binding and necroptosis were undetected in cells transfected with RIP1-S320A. In TNF/zVAD-treated cells, rapamycin and a RIP1 inhibitor, necrostatin-1, increased nuclear localization of transcriptional factor EB (TFEB) and promoted autolysosome formation from autophagosomes in a TFEB-dependent manner. Knockdown of TFEB expression attenuated rapamycin-induced protection from necroptosis in TNF/zVAD-treated cells. The results suggest that mTORC1 inhibition promotes autophagy and protects cardiomyocytes from necroptosis by a TFEB-dependent mechanism and that inhibition of RIP1 by increased phosphorylation at Ser320 is crucial in the cardiomyocyte protection afforded by mTORC1 inhibition.

Canagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, normalizes renal susceptibility to type 1 cardiorenal syndrome through reduction of renal oxidative stress in diabetic rats.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a risk factor of acute kidney injury after myocardial infarction (MI), a form of cardiorenal syndrome. Recent clinical trials have shown that a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor improved both cardiac and renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, but effects of an SGLT2 inhibitor on cardiorenal syndrome remain unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rats [OLETF]) and control (Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka rats [LETO]) were treated with canagliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor, for 2 weeks. Renal tissues were analyzed at 12 h after MI with or without preoperative fasting. RESULTS: Canagliflozin reduced blood glucose levels in OLETF, and blood ß-hydroxybutyrate levels were increased by canagliflozin only with fasting. MI increased neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and kidney injury molecule-1 protein levels in the kidney by 3.2- and 1.6-fold, respectively, in OLETF, but not in LETO. The renal messenger ribonucleic acid level of Toll-like receptor 4 was higher in OLETF than in LETO after MI, whereas messenger ribonucleic acid levels of cytokines/chemokines were not significantly different. Levels of lipid peroxides, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NOX)2 and NOX4 proteins after MI were significantly higher in OLETF than in LETO. Canagliflozin with pre-MI fasting suppressed MI-induced renal expression of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and kidney injury molecule-1 in OLETF, together with reductions in lipid peroxides and NOX proteins in the kidney. Blood ß-hydroxybutyrate levels before MI were inversely correlated with neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin protein levels in OLETF. Pre-incubation with ß-hydroxybutyrate attenuated angiotensin II-induced upregulation of NOX4 in NRK-52E cells. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that SGLT2 inhibitor treatment with a fasting period protects kidneys from MI-induced cardiorenal syndrome, possibly by ß-hydroxybutyrate-mediated reduction of NOXs and oxidative stress, in type 2 diabetic rats.