Differential effect of heme oxygenase-1 in endothelial and smooth muscle cell cycle progression

Arterial remodeling in response to pathological insult is a complex process that depends in part on the balance between vascular cell apoptosis and proliferation. Studies in experimental models suggest that HO-1 mediates neointimal formation while limiting lumen stenosing, indicating a differential effect on vascular endothelial (EC) and smooth muscle cells (SMC). We investigated the effect of HO-1 expression on cell cycle progression in EC and SMC. The addition of SnMP (10 microM), an inhibitor of HO activity, to EC or SMC for 24h, resulted in significant abnormalities in DNA distribution and cell cycle progression compared to cells treated with the HO-1 inducers, heme (10 microM) or SnCl(2) (10 microM). SnMP increased G(1) phase and decreased S and G(2)/M phases in EC while heme or SnCl(2) decreased G(1) phase, but increased S and G(2)/M phases (p<0.05). Opposite effects were obtained in SMC. SnMP decreased G(1) phase and increased S and G(2)/M phases while heme or SnCl(2) increased G(1) phase but decreased S and G(2)/M phases (p<0.05). Our data demonstrate that HO-1 regulates the cell cycle in a cell-specific manner; it increases EC but decreases SMC cycle progression. The mechanisms underlying the HO-1 cell-specific effect on cell cycle progression within the vascular wall are yet to be explored. Nevertheless, these findings suggest that cell-specific targeting of HO-1 expression may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.     

Overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 protects smooth muscle cells against oxidative injury and inhibits cell proliferation

To investigate whether the expression of exogenous heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene within vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) could protect the cells from free radical attack and inhibit cell proliferation, we established an in vitro transfection of human HO-1 gene into rat VSMC mediated by a retroviral vector. The results showed that the profound expression of HO-1 protein as well as HO activity was 1.8- and 2.0-fold increased respectively in the transfected cells compared to the non-transfected ones. The treatment of VSMC with different concentrations of H2O2 led to the remarkable cell damage as indicated by survival rate and LDH leakage. However, the resistance of the HO-1 transfected VSMC against H2O2 was significantly raised. This protective effect was dramatically diminished when the transfected VSMC were pretreated with ZnPP-IX, a specific inhibitor of HO, for 24 h. In addition, we found that the growth potential of the transfected cells was significantly inhibited directly by increased activity of H     

Structural characterization of human heme oxygenase-1 in complex with azole-based inhibitors

The development of inhibitors specific for heme oxygenases (HO) aims to provide powerful tools in understanding the HO system. Based on the lead structure (2S, 4S)-2-[2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl]-2-[(1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl]-4-[((4-aminophenyl)thio)methyl]-1,3-dioxolane (azalanstat, QC-1) we have synthesized structural modifications to develop novel and selective HO inhibitors. The structural study of human HO-1 (hHO-1) in complex with a select group of the inhibitors was initiated using X-ray crystallographic techniques. Comparison of the structures of four such compounds each in complex with hHO-1 revealed a common binding mode, despite having different structural fragments. The compounds bind to the distal side of heme through an azole “anchor” which coordinates with the heme iron. An expansion of the distal pocket, mainly due to distal helix flexibility, allows accommodation of the compounds without displacing heme or the critical Asp140 residue. Rather, binding displaces a catalytically critical water molecule and disrupts an ordered hydrogen-bond network involving Asp140. The presence of a triazole “anchor” may provide further stability via a hydrogen bond with the protein. A hydrophobic pocket acts to stabilize the region occupied by the phenyl or adamantanyl moieties of these compounds. Further, a secondary hydrophobic pocket is formed via “induced fit” to accommodate bulky substituents at the 4-position of the dioxolane ring.     

Sauchinone from Saururus chinensis protects vascular inflammation by heme oxygenase-1 induction in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Sauchinone, a diastereomeric lignan isolated from the roots of Saururus chinensis (LOUR.) BAILL. (Saururaceae), is reported to exert a variety of biological activities such as hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory actions and inhibitory effects on bone resorption. In this study, we investigated the effect of sauchinone in suppressing cell adhesion molecules such as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression in high glucose stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Sauchinone inhibited the phosphorylation and degradation of IκB-α, as well as the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 caused by the stimulation of high glucose. In addition, sauchinone induced heme oxygenase (HO)-1 expression through nuclear translocation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 in HUVEC. The effects of sauchinone on the high glucose-induced expression of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 and nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 were partially reversed by transfection of the cells with HO-1 siRNA. These findings suggest that sauchinone-induced HO-1 expression plays a key role in the vascular protective effects of sauchinone in HUVEC.     

Higenamine reduces apoptotic cell death by induction of heme oxygenase-1 in rat myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury

Pharmacological modulation of heme oxygenase (HO) gene expression may have significant therapeutic potential in oxidant-induced disorders, such as ischemia reperfusion (I/R) injury. Higenamine is known to reduce ischemic damages by unknown mechanism(s). The protective effect of higenamine on myocardial I/R-induced injury was investigated. Ligation of rat left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 min under anesthesia was done and followed by 24 h reperfusion before sacrifice. I/R-induced myocardial damages were associated with mitochondria-dependent apoptosis as evidenced by the increase of cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activity. Administration of higenamine (bolus, i.p) 1 h prior to I/R-injury significantly decreased the release of cytochrome c, caspase-3 activity, and Bax expression but up-regulated the expression of Bcl-2, HO-1, and HO enzyme activity in the left ventricles, which were inhibited by ZnPP IX, an enzyme inhibitor of HO-1. In addition, DNA-strand break-, immunohistochemical-analysis, and TUNEL staining also supported the anti-apoptotic effect of higenamine in I/R-injury. Most importantly, administration of ZnPP IX inhibited the beneficial effect of higenamine. Taken together, it is concluded that HO-1 plays a core role for the protective action of higenamine in I/R-induced myocardial injury.     

A significant role for the heme oxygenase-1 gene in endothelial cell cycle progression

Heme oxygenase (HO) catalyzes the conversion of heme to biliverdin with the release of iron and carbon monoxide. HO-1 is inducible by inflammatory conditions, which cause oxidative stress in endothelial cells. Overexpression of human HO-1 in endothelial cells may have the potential to provide protection against a variety of agents that cause oxidative stress. We investigated the physiological significance of human HO-1 overexpression, using a retroviral vector, on cell cycle progression in the presence and absence of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC). The addition of PDTC (25 and 50 microM) to human microvessel endothelial cells over 24 h resulted in significant (P < 0.05) abnormalities in DNA distribution and cell cycle progression compared to cells overexpressing the HO-1 gene. The addition of PDTC resulted in a significantly decreased G(1) phase and an increased G(2)/M phase in the control cells, but not in cells transduced with the human HO-1 gene (P < 0.05). Further, PDTC had a potent effect on DNA distribution abnormalities in exponentially grown cells compared to subconfluent cells. Upregulation of HO activity in endothelial cells, as a result of overexpressing human HO-1, prevented PDTC-mediated abnormalities in DNA distribution. Inhibition of HO activity by tin-mesoporphyrin (SnMP) (30 microM) resulted in enhancement of PDTC-mediated abnormalities in cell cycle progression. Bilirubin or iron did not mediate DNA distribution. We conclude that an increase in endothelial cell HO-1 activity with subsequent generation of carbon monoxide, elicited by gene transfer, reversed the PDTC-mediated abnormalities in cell cycle progression and is thus a potential therapeutic means for attenuating the effects of oxidative stress-causing agents.     

Prostaglandin D2 induces heme oxygenase-1 in human retinal pigment epithelial cells

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) constitutes the blood-retinal barrier, whose function is impaired in various pathological conditions, including cerebral malaria, a lethal complication of Plasmodium falciparum infection. Prostaglandin (PG) D₂ is abundantly produced in the brain to regulate sleep responses. Moreover, PGD₂ is a potential factor derived from intra-erythrocyte falciparum parasites. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is important for iron homeostasis via catalysis of heme degradation to release iron, carbon monoxide and biliverdin/bilirubin, and may influence iron supply to the intra-erythrocyte falciparum parasites. Here, we showed that treatment of human RPE cell lines, ARPE-19 and D407, with PGD₂ significantly increased the expression levels of HO-1 mRNA, in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Transient expression assays showed that PGD₂ treatment increased the HO-1-gene promoter activity through the enhancer sequence, containing a Maf-recognition element. Thus, PGD₂ may contribute to the maintenance of heme homeostasis in the brain by inducing HO-1 expression.     

Covalent heme attachment to the protein in human heme oxygenase-1 with selenocysteine replacing the His25 proximal iron ligand

To characterize heme oxygenase with a selenocysteine (SeCys) as the proximal iron ligand, we have expressed truncated human heme oxygenase-1 (hHO-1) His25Cys, in which Cys-25 is the only cysteine, in the Escherichia coli cysteine auxotroph strain BL21(DE3)cys. Selenocysteine incorporation into the protein was demonstrated by both intact protein mass measurement and mass spectrometric identification of the selenocysteine-containing tryptic peptide. One selenocysteine was incorporated into approximately 95% of the expressed protein. Formation of an adduct with Ellman’s reagent (DTNB) indicated that the selenocysteine in the expressed protein was in the reduced state. The heme-His25SeCys hHO-1 complex could be prepared by either (a) supplementing the overexpression medium with heme, or (b) reconstituting the purified apoprotein with heme. Under reducing conditions in the presence of imidazole, a covalent bond is formed by addition of the selenocysteine residue to one of the heme vinyl groups. No covalent bond is formed when the heme is replaced by mesoheme, in which the vinyls are replaced by ethyl groups. These results, together with our earlier demonstration that external selenolate ligands can transfer an electron to the iron [Y. Jiang, P.R. Ortiz de Montellano, Inorg. Chem. 47 (2008) 3480-3482 ], indicate that a selenyl radical is formed in the hHO-1 His25SeCys mutant that adds to a heme vinyl group.     

Galantamine and carbon monoxide protect brain microvascular endothelial cells by heme oxygenase-1 induction

Galantamine, a reversible inhibitor of acetylcholine esterase (AChE), is a novel drug treatment for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. Interestingly, it has been suggested that galantamine treatment is associated with more clinical benefit in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease compared to other AChE inhibitors. We hypothesized that the protective effects of galantamine would involve induction of the protective gene, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), in addition to enhancement of the cholinergic system. Brain microvascular endothelial cells (mvECs) were isolated from spontaneous hypertensive rats. Galantamine significantly reduced H₂O₂-induced cell death of mvECs in association with HO-1 induction. These protective effects were completely reversed by nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) inhibition or HO inhibition. Furthermore, galantamine failed to induce HO-1 in mvECs which lack inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), supplementation of a nitric oxide (NO) donor or iNOS gene transfection on iNOS-deficient mvECs resulted in HO-1 induction with galantamine. These data suggest that the protective effects of galantamine require NF-κB activation and iNOS expression, in addition to HO-1. Likewise, carbon monoxide (CO), one of the byproducts of HO, up-regulated HO-1 and protected mvECs from oxidative stress in a similar manner. Our data demonstrate that galantamine mediates cytoprotective effects on mvECs through induction HO-1. This pharmacological action of galantamine may, at least in part, account for the superior clinical efficacy of galantamine in vascular dementia and Alzheimer disease.     

Crystallization of recombinant human heme oxygenase-1

Heme oxygenase catalyzes the NADPH, O2, and cytochrome P450 reductase dependent oxidation of heme to biliverdin and carbon monoxide. One of two primary isozymes, HO-1, is anchored to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane via a stretch of hydrophobic residues at the C-terminus. While full-length human HO-1 consists of 288 residues, a truncated version with residues 1-265 has been expressed as a soluble active enzyme in Escherichia coli. The recombinant enzyme crystallized from ammonium sulfate solutions but the crystals were not of sufficient quality for diffraction studies. SDS gel analysis indicated that the protein had undergone proteolytic degradation. An increase in the use of protease inhibitors during purification eliminated proteolysis, but the intact protein did not crystallize. N-terminal sequencing and mass spectral analysis of dissolved crystals indicated that the protein had degraded to two major species consisting of residues 1-226 and 1-237. Expression of the 1-226 and 1-233 versions of human HO-1 provided active enzyme that crystallizes in a form suitable for diffraction studies. These crystals belong to space group P2(1), with unit cell dimensions a = 79.3 A, b = 56.3 A, c = 112.8 A, and beta = 101.5 degrees.     

人体血红素加氧酶-1的研究进展

血红素加氧酶（heme oxygenase,HO)是哺乳动物中血红素代谢的限速酶,HO－1是HO同功酶之一,主要分布在肝、脾、肺等多种脏器,具有调节和保护功能。作者拟从人体HO－1蛋白的晶体结构、HO－1的功能和HO－1表达的诱导因素,以及HO－1基因的表达与调控等研究进展做一综述。     

Lipid metabolite involvement in the activation of the human heme oxygenase-1 gene

Cellular effects of ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation include peroxidation of membrane lipids as well as a decrease in intracellular glutathione. We have investigated whether damage to membrane lipids is involved in the activation of the human heme oxygenase-1 gene by UVA. Irradiation of human skin fibroblasts in the presence of the lipophilic antioxidants, butylated hydroxytoluene and a-tocopherol, enhances the UVA-induced HO-1 mRNA accumulation, suggesting that peroxidation of plasma membrane lipids is not involved. Furthermore, sodium ascorbate, which induces lipid peroxidation mainly in the plasma membrane, induces HO-1 mRNA to low levels only. The decrease in GSH by UVA radiation is not affected by the presence of the lipophilic antioxidants while ascorbate treatment increases the intracellular GSH by twofold above controls. These results indicate that peroxidation of internal membrane lipids, a decrease in the intracellular GSH levels and the integrity of the plasma membrane are all important for the UVA-induction of heme oxygenase-1. Both nonenzymatic as well as enzymatic lipid peroxidation metabolites are inducers of heme oxygenase-1. The nonenzymatic lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal induces heme oxygenase-1 mRNA up to 40-fold and the phospholipase metabolites diacylglycerol and arachidonic acid induce this mRNA by three-to sixfold above basal levels. We also demonstrate that the cyclooxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid are important for the UVA-activation of the heme oxygenase-1 gene.     

Evidence for the hydrophobic cavity of heme oxygenase-1 to be a CO-trapping site

Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced during the heme catabolism by heme oxygenase. In brain or blood vessels, CO functions as a neurotransmitter or an endothelial-derived relaxing factor. To verify whether crystallographically proposed CO-trapping sites of rat and cyanobacterial heme oxygenase-1 really work, heme catabolism by heme oxygenase-1 from rat and cyanobacterial Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 has been scrutinized in the presence of 2-propanol. If 2-propanol occupies the trapping sites, formation of CO-bound verdoheme should be enhanced. Although effects of 2-propanol on the rat heme oxygenase-1 reaction were obscure, the reaction of cyanobacterial enzyme in the presence of NADPH/ferredoxin reductase/ferredoxin was apparently affected. Relative amount of CO-verdoheme versus CO-free verdoheme detected by optical absorption spectra increased as the equivalent of 2-propanol increased, thereby supporting indirectly that the hydrophobic cavity in cyanobacterial enzyme traps CO to reduce CO inhibition of verdoheme degradation.     

Electrochemical reduction of ferrous alpha-verdoheme in complex with heme oxygenase-1

The heme oxygenase (HO) reaction consists of three successive oxygenation reactions, i.e. heme to alpha-hydroxyheme, alpha-hydroxyheme to verdoheme, and verdoheme to biliverdin-iron chelate. Of these, the least understood step is the conversion of verdoheme to biliverdin-iron chelate. For the cleavage of the oxaporphyrin ring of ferrous verdoheme, involvement of a verdoheme pi-neutral radical has been proposed. To probe this hypothetical mechanism in the HO reaction, we performed electrochemical reduction of ferrous verdoheme complexed with rat HO-1 under anaerobic conditions. On the basis of the electrochemical spectral changes, the midpoint potential for the one-electron reduction of the oxaporphyrin ring of ferrous verdoheme was found to be -0.47+/-0.01 V vs the normal hydrogen electrode (NHE). Because this potential is far lower than those of both flavins of NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase, and of NADPH, it is concluded that the one-electron reduction of the oxaporphyrin ring of ferrous verdoheme is unlikely to occur and that the formation of the pi-neutral radical cannot be the initial step in the degradation of verdoheme by HO. Rather, it appears more reasonable to consider an alternative mechanism in which binding of O(2) to the ferrous iron of verdoheme is the first step in the degradation of verdoheme.     

Role of heme oxygenase-1 in hydrogen peroxide-induced VEGF synthesis: effect of HO-1 knockout

Hydrogen peroxide is an important mediator of intracellular signaling, which potently enhances the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and upregulates synthesis of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The purpose of the present study was to explore the involvement of HO-1 in regulation of H(2)O(2)-mediated induction of VEGF synthesis. We provide genetic evidence that basal and H(2)O(2)-induced VEGF synthesis is partially dependent on HO-1. Inhibition of HO-1 activity by tin protoporphyrin (SnPPIX) resulted in downregulation of VEGF synthesis in murine fibroblasts and human keratinocytes. The relationship between HO-1 and VEGF was corroborated by using cells derived from HO-1 knockout mice, which demonstrated lower basal and H(2)O(2)-induced production of VEGF. Additionally, knock out of HO-1 gene impaired induction of VEGF by hemin, lysophosphatidylcholine, and prostaglandin-J(2). Our results provide confirmation for the involvement of HO-1 in regulation of angiogenesis.     

Induction of heme oxygenase-1 is involved in anti-proliferative effects of paclitaxel on rat vascular smooth muscle cells

In this study, we evaluated the possibility that the anti-proliferative effects of paclitaxel on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) of the rat might be due to the induction of HO-1 gene expression. Treatment of the cells with paclitaxel resulted in marked time- and dose-dependent inductions of HO-1 mRNA, followed by corresponding increases in HO-1 protein expression and HO enzymatic activities. Furthermore, paclitaxel rapidly activated the JNK, ERK, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. A specific inhibitor of JNK, SP600125, abolished paclitaxel-induced HO-1 mRNA expression, whereas PD98059, a specific inhibitor of ERK, and SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38, had no significant effect. Finally, the suppression of platelet-derived growth factor induced VSMC proliferation was abolished by the HO inhibitor, ZnPP, as well as by the CO scavenger, hemoglobin. These results demonstrated that paclitaxel induces the expression of HO-1 via the JNK pathway in VSMC and that HO-1 expression might be responsible for the anti-proliferative effect of paclitaxel on VSMC.     

基因重组大肠杆菌表达血红素加氧酶-1及培养条件优化

【背景】血红素加氧酶-1 (HO-1)具有抗氧化应激、抗凋亡和抗纤维化等多种生理效应,有望成为一种新型药物应用于临床疾病的治疗。【目的】构建表达HO-1的基因重组大肠杆菌(Escherichiacoli),并优化其表达培养条件,实现HO-1高产率的表达。【方法】PCR法克隆集胞藻(Synechocystissp.)PCC6803的HO-1基因(ho1),构建重组质粒pET-28a-ho1,转化大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)菌株,单因素实验优化表达培养基的种类、诱导剂添加时间、诱导培养时间、诱导剂浓度和诱导培养温度。【结果】构建了表达HO-1的基因重组大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)/pET-28a-ho1菌株,用甘油(GY)培养基培养至菌体浓度OD_(600)约为0.8时,加入终浓度为0.1 mmol/L的IPTG诱导,30°C诱导培养6 h,HO-1的表达量最高,Ni-NTA柱分离纯化得到的HO-1收率占细胞总蛋白的10.9%。【结论】获得了可溶性表达HO-1的基因重组大肠杆菌及其较佳的培养条件,为进一步研究集胞藻来源的HO-1的酶学性质和应用奠定了基础。     

Heme oxygenase-1 prevents superoxide anion-associated endothelial cell sloughing in diabetic rats

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) represents a key defense mechanism against oxidative injury. Hyperglycemia has been linked to increased oxidative stress, leading to endothelial dysfunction, delayed cell replication, and enhanced apoptosis. The effect of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes on HO activity, HO-1 promoter activity, superoxide anion (O*-2, and the number of circulating endothelial cells was measured. The expression of HO-1/HO-2 protein was unchanged, but HO activity was decreased in aortas of diabetic rats compared with control (p < 0.05). High glucose decreased HO-1 promoter activity (p < 0.05). Hyperglycemia increased O*-2 and this increase was augmented with HO-1 inhibition and diminished with HO-1 upregulation (p < 0.05). Circulating endothelial cells were significantly higher in diabetic rats and were decreased or increased with administration of the HO-1 inducer (CoPP) or inhibitor (SnMP), respectively (p<0.05). In conclusion, HO-1 upregulation in diabetic rats brings about an increase in serum bilirubin, a reduction in O*-2 production, and a decrease in endothelial cell sloughing.