Hypoxia-induced expression of HIF-1alpha and its target genes in umbilical venous endothelial cells of Tibetans and immigrant Han

The better adaptation of native Tibetans to hypoxia is thought to be partly due to improved umbilical circulation, which results in reduced pre- and postnatal fatalities. We hypothesized that the difference in umbilical circulation between native Tibetans and other high-altitude inhabitants was due to differences in the expression of hypoxia-induced factor (HIF-1) and its target genes vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). We tested this hypothesis by examining the effect of hypoxia on the expression of HIF-1alpha, VEGF, and iNOS in cultured umbilical venous endothelial cells (UVECs) from native Tibetans and immigrant Hans. UVECs were collected and cultured under hypoxic (0.5% oxygen) or normoxic conditions for 2, 4, 12 and 24 h. The mRNA levels of HIF-1alpha, VEGF, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and iNOS and the protein level of HIF-1alpha were determined with RT-PCR and Western blot analyses, respectively. In both immigrant Han and Tibetans, HIF-1alpha mRNA was constitutively expressed under normoxic condition, and remained constant after hypoxic exposure. In contrast, HIF-1alpha protein was undetectable under normoxic condition, but underwent dynamic changes in response to hypoxia. It was induced at 4 h, peaked at 12 h, and remained elevated at 24 h. Concurrent with the induction of HIF-1alpha protein, the mRNA levels of VEGF and iNOS were also up-regulated whereas that of eNOS was down-regulated. The lack of a hypoxia-related difference in the expression of HIF-1alpha and its target genes suggests that HIF-1alpha does not play a critical role in high altitude adaptation. Alternative mechanisms may be responsible for the better adaptation of native Tibetans.     

HIF-1alpha, HIF-2alpha and VHL mRNA expression in different cell lines during hypoxia

Hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) mRNA expression is significantly decreased under hypoxia in different cell lines exposed directly to hypoxia or treated with dimethyloxalylglycine which mimics hypoxic effects under normoxic conditions. However, the decreased expression of HIF-1alpha mRNA is accompanied by an increase of HIF-1alpha protein (pHIF-1alpha) level as well as by overexpression of known HIF-dependent genes (VEGF, Glut1, PFKFB-3 and PFKFB-4) under hypoxic conditions or with the use of dimethyloxalylglycine. Expression of HIF-1alpha mRNA also depends on iron because desferrioxamine and cobalt chloride produce similar to hypoxia effects on the levels of this mRNA. It was shown that HIF-1alpha mRNA expression did not change significantly in some cell lines (SKBR3, MDA-MB468 and BT549) under hypoxia. However, in these cell lines hypoxia decreases expression of HIF-2alpha mRNA, another member of HIF-alpha gene family, as a result of cell specific regulation of HIF-alpha genes under hypoxia. Moreover, hypoxia slightly induces expression of PFKFB-4 mRNA in SKBR3, MDA-MB468 and BT549 as compared to other cell lines where this effect of hypoxia was much stronger and adaptation to hypoxia is controlled by HIF-1alpha. Hypoxia slightly reduces expression of tumor suppressor VHL which targets HIF-1alpha for ubiquitination. Thus, our results clearly demonstrated down regulation of HIF-1alpha or HIF-2alpha in different cell lines by hypoxia.     

Hypoxia regulates avian cardiac Arnt and HIF-1alpha mRNA expression

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (Arnt) and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha mediate cellular responses to hypoxia. We investigated the ability of hypoxia to regulate Arnt and HIF-1alpha mRNA in the heart in vivo. We cloned avian Arnt, developed an in vivo model of chronic cardiac hypoxia, and measured expression of cardiac Arnt and HIF-1alpha mRNA by quantitative RT-PCR. Chronic hypoxic exposure (24 h to 15% O(2)) of day 9 chick embryos resulted in a 30-fold increase in covalent binding of (3)H-misonidazole, a hypoxic tissue marker, to cardiac tissue, and a 2-fold induction of cardiac inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA, compared to normoxic controls. In this same model, cardiac Arnt mRNA expression decreased by 35%, while HIF-1alpha mRNA expression increased 400%. These data suggest that regulation of Arnt and HIF-1alpha mRNA expression may contribute to the physiological responses of the heart during prolonged hypoxia.     

低氧中强度训练可通过上调HIF-1α来提高机体抗氧化能力

低氧环境和运动训练均可导致人体体重降低,然而,低氧结合中强度训练对肥胖人群能量代谢及氧化应激的影响尚不清楚。本研究招募了60名无系统运动训练史的健康男性大学生,将受试者分为低氧组和常氧组,每组30名。在一个110 m^2的训练室内通过低氧训练系统模拟人工低氧环境(海拔高度:2 500 m,氧浓度:15%)。两组受试者进行1个月的低氧/常氧中强度骑行训练。此外,对低氧和常氧中强度训练的大鼠进行力竭跑台运动测试,苏木精和伊红(HE)染色评价大鼠骨骼肌形态学变化,RT-PCR检测低氧诱导因子1α(HIF-1α) mRNA的表达。研究显示,运动后低氧组的体重、脂肪重量和BMI均显著低于常氧组(p<0.05)。运动后低氧组的血清TC、HDL-C和LDL-C含量均显著低于常氧组(p<0.05),而总TG含量与常氧组无显著差异(p>0.05)。运动后,低氧组的游离脂肪酸含量显著高于常氧组(p<0.05),两组血糖无显著差异(p>0.05)。运动后,低氧组的SOD和GSH-PX水平显著高于常氧组(p<0.05),而MDA水平显著低于常氧组(p<0.05)。运动后,低氧组的IL-1β、IL-6和TNF-α水平显著低于常氧组(p<0.05)。力竭运动后,低氧组大鼠的骨骼肌形态学改变异常情况明显低于常氧组。低氧组的HIF-1αm RNA水平显著高于常氧组。本研究表明,与常氧相比,低氧中强度训练可有效降低肥胖人群的血脂水平,促进脂肪动员,减弱氧化应激损伤,抑制促炎细胞因子表达,从而促进体重减轻,并防止糖尿病、高血脂等肥胖相关疾病的发生。此外,低氧中强度可通过上调HIF-1α来提高机体抗氧化能力并减弱运动损伤。     

Hypoxia stimulates the autocrine regulation of migration of vascular smooth muscle cells via HIF-1alpha-dependent expression of thrombospondin-1

The migration of vascular smooth muscle cells from the media to intima and their subsequent proliferation are critical causes of arterial wall thickening. In atherosclerotic lesions increases in the thickness of the vascular wall and the impairment of oxygen diffusion capacity result in the development of hypoxic lesions. We investigated the effect of hypoxia on the migration of human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (CASMCs) via HIF-1alpha-dependent expression of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1). When the cells were cultured under hypoxic conditions, mRNA and protein levels of TSP-1, and mRNA levels of integrin beta(3) were increased with the increase in HIF-1alpha protein. DNA synthesis and migration of the cells were stimulated under the conditions, and a neutralizing anti-TSP-1 antibody apparently suppressed the migration, but not DNA synthesis. The migration was also inhibited by RGD peptide that binds to integrin beta(3). Furthermore, the migration was completely suppressed in HIF-1alpha-knockdown cells exposed to hypoxia, while it was significantly enhanced in HIF-1alpha-overexpressing cells. These results suggest that the hypoxia induces the migration of CASMCs, and that the migration is elicited by TSP-1 of which induction is fully dependent on the stabilization of HIF-1alpha, in autocrine regulation. Thus we suggest that HIF-1alpha plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.     

HIF-1 regulation: not so easy come, easy go

The hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is the master regulator of the cellular response to hypoxia and its expression levels are tightly controlled through synthesis and degradation. It is widely accepted that HIF-1alpha protein accumulation during hypoxia results from inhibition of its oxygen-dependent degradation by the von Hippel Lindau protein (pVHL) pathway. However, recent data describe new pVHL- or oxygen-independent mechanisms for HIF-1alpha degradation. Furthermore, the hypoxia-induced increase in HIF-1alpha levels is facilitated by the continued translation of HIF-1alpha during hypoxia despite the global inhibition of protein translation. Recent work has contributed to an increased understanding of the mechanisms that control the translation and degradation of HIF-1alpha under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions.     

Mechanism of hypoxia-specific cytotoxicity of procaspase-3 fused with a VHL-mediated protein destruction motif of HIF-1alpha containing Pro564

Under normoxic conditions the alpha-subunit of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1alpha) protein is targeted for degradation by the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor protein acting as an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Recently, we developed a hypoxia-targeting protein, TOP3, which consisted of procaspase-3 with the VHL-mediated protein destruction motif of HIF-1alpha. This design enables procaspase-3 to be regulated similarly with HIF-1alpha, being degraded under normoxia while stabilized under hypoxia. Furthermore, stabilized TOP3 was cleaved by the hypoxic stress-induced endogenous caspases and thus the procaspase-3 was converted to active caspase-3 specifically under hypoxic conditions. These data demonstrated that the VHL-mediated protein destruction motif of HIF-1alpha endowed procaspase-3 with hypoxia-specific cytotoxicity.