The bimodal growth response of Swiss 3T3 cells to the B subunit of cholera toxin is independent of the density of its receptor, ganglioside GM1

The B subunit of cholera toxin, a protein which binds specifically to cell surface ganglioside GM1, has been shown to have a bimodal effect on DNA synthesis in Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts. The B subunit induced cellular proliferation of confluent and quiescent cells while it inhibited the growth of the same cells when they were sparse and rapidly dividing. The amount of cell surface GM1 increased when the cells reached confluency. To examine the hypothesis that the variation in levels of GM1 was responsible for the bimodal effect, we increased GM1 levels in rapidly dividing cells by insertion of exogenous GM1 or by treatment of the cells with neuraminidase to convert polysialogangliosides to GM1. Even after the level of GM1 was increased to levels similar to those found in confluent cells, the B subunit still inhibited, rather than stimulated, their growth. Therefore, this result indicates that the bimodal response to the B subunit is not solely a function of the concentration of cell surface GM1; rather it is the growth stage that determines the fate of the signal transduced by the interaction of the B subunit and ganglioside GM1.     

Sialidase activities of cultured human fibroblasts and the metabolism of GM3 ganglioside

Free sialic acid has been found in the cell-conditioned medium of human foreskin fibroblasts. It is proposed that the accumulation of extracellular sialic acid may result from the hydrolysis of GM3 ganglioside on the cell surface of these fibroblasts. Sialidase activities with GM3 ganglioside and sialyllactitol as substrates were demonstrated in cell-conditioned medium, and the levels of their activities correlated positively with cell density. The GM3 sialidase activity at pH 4.5 was 4.1 and 38 pmol/h/ml of medium at sparse and confluent densities, respectively; the corresponding activities with sialyllactitol as the substrate were 12 and 75 pmol/h/ml of medium (pH 4.5). The pH versus activity profiles with GM3 as the substrate suggested the presence of a second sialidase with an optimal activity at pH 6.5 in the conditioned medium of preconfluent cells. This activity was virtually absent in the medium of contact-inhibited cells and could not be assayed with sialyllactitol as the substrate. The turnover of cell surface GM3 was assessed by pulse labeling human foreskin fibroblasts with a radioactive precursor of sialic acid ([1-14C]N-acetylmannosamine) and a radioactive precursor of ceramide ([3,3-3H2]serine). During a chase period of 24 h turnover of the doubly labeled cellular GM3 was observed; there was a loss of about 35% of the 14C-labeled sialic acid without any measureable loss of 3H-labeled ceramide from GM3. We have speculated that the enzyme-catalyzed removal of sialic acid from the GM3 ganglioside on the extracellular aspect of the plasma membrane may be a necessary event involved in the modulation of cell growth.     

Homocysteine-induced decrease in endothelin-1 production is initiated at the extracellular level and involves oxidative products.

The increased cardiovascular risk associated with hyperhomocysteinemia has been partly related to homocysteine (Hcy)-induced endothelial cell dysfunction. However, the intra or extracellular starting point of the interaction between Hcy and endothelial cells, leading to cellular dysfunction, has not yet been identified. We investigated the effects of both intracellular and extracellular Hcy accumulation on endothelin-1 (ET-1) synthesis by cultured human endothelial cells. Incubation of cultures with methionine (1.0 mmol x L(-1)) for 2 h induced a slight increase in cellular Hcy content but no change in ET-1 production. Incubation of cells with Hcy (0.2 mmol x L(-1)) led to a significant fall in ET-1 generation, accompanied by a significant increase in cellular Hcy content. Addition of the amino-acid transport system L substrate 2-amino-2-norbornane carboxylic acid had no effect on the Hcy-induced decrease in ET-1 production but significantly inhibited the Hcy-induced increase in the cellular Hcy content. Incubation of cells with a lower Hcy concentration (0.05 mmol x L(-1)) also reduced ET-1 production without increasing the cellular Hcy content. Co-incubation with extracellular free-radical inhibitors (superoxide dismutase, catalase and mannitol) markedly reduced the effect of Hcy on ET-1 production. Thus, it is extracellular Hcy accumulation that triggers the decrease in ET-1 production by endothelial cells through oxidative products.     

Parallel signaling pathways in endothelin-1-induced proliferation of U373MG astrocytoma cells

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent mitogen for many cells, especially when its levels are elevated under pathological conditions, as seen in tumor cell progression and astroglial activation in neuropathies. While ET-1 is known to cause astroglial proliferation, in the present study, multiple signaling pathways involved in ET-1-mediated astrocyte proliferation were characterized. Treatment with PD98059 and U0126 (MEK inhibitors) inhibited not only ET-1-induced cell proliferation but also ET-1-activated phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in U373MG astrocytoma cells. Whereas the nonselective protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor chelerythrine attenuated ET-1-induced cell proliferation, it was unable to block ET-1-induced ERK phosphorylation. However, ET-1 did not activate conventional or novel PKCs and did not elevate intracellular calcium. In addition, U73122 (a selective phospholipase C inhibitor), FTI-277 (an H-Ras inhibitor), as well as protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors also did not abolish ET-1-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation. ET-1 treatment increased the activity of total Ras but not H-Ras. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway appeared to be involved in signal transduction induced by ET-1, but it did not appear to participate in cross talk with the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Activated ET receptors did not propagate signals either through protein tyrosine kinases or transactivation of EGF receptor tyrosine kinases, which typically trigger Ras-Raf-MAPK pathways. The results indicate that ET-1 stimulates cell proliferation by the activation of MAPK-, PKC-, and PI3K-dependent pathways that appear to function in a parallel manner. There is no apparent, direct "cross talk" between these pathways in U373MG cells, but rather, they might act on the independent but necessary components of the mitogenic effects of ET-1.     

Synthesis and distribution of cytoskeletal elements in endothelial cells as a function of cell growth and organization

Confluent cultures of adult bovine aortic endothelial (ABAE), correal endothelial (BCE), and fetal bovine heart endothelial (FBHE) cells form a monolayer of highly flattened, closely apposed, and nonoverlapping cells. In ABAE and BCE cultures, this is associated with a 50-fold decrease in the rate of DNA synthesis and correlates with a 14-fold decrease in protein synthesis. In contrast, in confluent FBHE cultures only partial decreases in the rates of DNA synthesis (6-fold) and protein synthesis (3-fold) are observed. FBHE cells therefore fulfill the morphological, but not the biochemical, criteria for confluent cultured endothelial cell monolayers. The appearance of the cytoskeletal elements actin, tubulin, and vimentin in sparse and confluent cultures of endothelial cells has been analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunofluorescence. Sparse versus confluent ABAE, FBHE, and BCE cultures showed no changes in their relative rates of synthesis or cellular content of tubulin. Actin behaved similarly to tubulin in FBHE and BCE cultures, while in ABAE cultures a small increase (3-fold) in its relative rate of synthesis was observed in confluent versus sparse cultures. BCE cultures showed no change in the rate of synthesis of vimentin, but the cellular content of vimentin was markedly increased when cultures reached confluence. When the distribution of vimentin in both sparse and confluent BCE cultures was analyzed by immunofluorescence, in both cases it appeared distributed throughout the cytoplasm as thin fibers and bundles of fibers. In confluent ABAE cultures, both the relative amount and biosynthetic rate of vimentin increased by 15-fold. This increase in the intracellular accumulation of vimentin correlated with its immunofluorescent distribution within the cells. While in sparse cultures, vimentin appeared to be distributed as thin fibers, in confluent cultures thick curl-like fibrous bundles could be seen distributed throughout the cytoplasm and organized in a perinuclear ring. In contrast, in FBHE cultures no significant changes in the distribution and organization of rate of synthesis of vimentin were observed.     

Cell Density Impacts Epigenetic Regulation of Cytokine-Induced E-Selectin Gene Expression in Vascular Endothelium

Growing evidence suggests that the phenotype of endothelial cells during angiogenesis differs from that of quiescent endothelial cells, although little is known regarding the difference in the susceptibility to inflammation between both the conditions. Here, we assessed the inflammatory response in sparse and confluent endothelial cell monolayers. To obtain sparse and confluent monolayers, human umbilical vein endothelial cells were seeded at a density of 7.3×10³ cells/cm² and 29.2×10³ cells/cm², respectively, followed by culturing for 36 h and stimulation with tumor necrosis factor α. The levels of tumor necrosis factor α-induced E-selectin protein and mRNA expression were higher in the confluent monolayer than in the sparse monolayer. The phosphorylation of c-jun N-terminal kinase and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase or nuclear factor-κB activation was not involved in this phenomenon. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay of the E-selectin promoter using an anti-acetyl-histone H3 antibody showed that the E-selectin promoter was highly and specifically acetylated in the confluent monolayer after tumor necrosis factor α activation. Furthermore, chromatin accessibility real-time PCR showed that the chromatin accessibility at the E-selectin promoter was higher in the confluent monolayer than in the sparse monolayer. Our data suggest that the inflammatory response may change during blood vessel maturation via epigenetic mechanisms that affect the accessibility of chromatin.     

Involvement of phospholipase D activation in endothelin-1-induced release of arachidonic acid in osteoblast-like cells

In a previous study, we have shown that endothelin-1 (ET-1) activates phospholipase D independently from protein kinase C in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells. It is well recognized that phosphatidylycholine hydrolysis by phospholipase D generates phosphatidic acid, which can be further degraded by phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase to diacylglycerol. In the present study, we investigated the role of phospholipase D activation in ET-1-induced arachidonic acid release and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) synthesis in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells. ET-1 stimulated arachidonic acid release dose-dependently in the range between 0.1 nM and 0.1 μM. Propranolol, an inhibitor of phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase, significantly inhibited the ET-1-induced arachidonic acid release in a dose-dependent manner as well as the ET-1-induced diacylglycerol formation. 1,6-bis-(cyclohexyloxyminocarbonylamino)-hexane (RHC-80267), an inhibitor of diacylglycerol lipase, significantly suppressed the ET-1-induced arachidonic acid release. The pretreatment with propranolol and RHC-80267 also inhibited the ET-1-induced PGE₂ synthesis. These results strongly suggest that phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis by phospholipase D is involved in the arachidonic acid release induced by ET-1 in osteoblast-like cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 64:376–381. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Nitric oxide attenuates endothelin-1-induced activation of ERK1/2, PKB, and Pyk2 in vascular smooth muscle cells by a cGMP-dependent pathway

Nitric oxide (NO), in addition to its vasodilator action, has also been shown to antagonize the mitogenic and hypertrophic responses of growth factors and vasoactive peptides such as endothelin-1 (ET-1) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). However, the mechanism by which NO exerts its antimitogenic and antihypertrophic effect remains unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether NO generation would modify ET-1-induced signaling pathways involved in cellular growth, proliferation, and hypertrophy in A-10 VSMCs. Treatment of A-10 VSMCs with S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) or sodium nitroprusside (SNP), two NO donors, attenuated the ET-1-enhanced phosphorylation of several key components of growth-promoting and hypertrophic signaling pathways such as ERK1/2, PKB, and Pyk2. On the other hand, inhibition of the endogenous NO generation with N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, increased the ET-1-induced phosphorylation of these signaling components. Since NO mediates its effect principally through a cGMP-soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) pathway, we investigated the role of these molecules in NO action. 8-Bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate, a nonmetabolizable and cell-permeant analog of cGMP, exhibited a effect similar to that of SNAP and SNP. Furthermore, 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), an inhibitor of sGC, reversed the inhibitory effect of NO on ET-1-induced responses. SNAP treatment also decreased the protein synthesis induced by ET-1. Together, these data demonstrate that NO, in a cGMP-dependent manner, attenuated ET-1-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2, PKB, and Pyk2 and also antagonized the hypertrophic effects of ET-1. It may be suggested that NO-induced generation of cGMP contributes to the inhibition of ET-1-induced mitogenic and hypertrophic responses in VSMCs.     

Contributory role of VEGF overexpression in endothelin-1-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy

Although endothelin-1 (ET-1) stimulates vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in a variety of cells, including endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells, the effects of ET-1 on expression of VEGF and its receptors in cardiomyocytes are unknown. In the present study, we found that treatment of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes with ET-1 for 24 h resulted in upregulation of VEGF and its two principal receptors, fetal liver kinase 1 and fms-like tyrosine kinase 1, in a concentration-dependent manner (10(-12) to 10(-6) M). ET-1 treatment also caused significant cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, as indicated by increases in cell surface area and [(14)C]leucine uptake by cardiomyocytes. Treatment with TA-0201 (10(-6) M), an ET(A)-selective blocker, eliminated ET-1-induced overexpression of VEGF and its receptors as well as cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Treatment with VEGF neutralizing peptides (5-10 mug/ml) partially but significantly inhibited ET-1-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. These results suggest that ET-1 treatment of cardiomyocytes promotes overexpression of VEGF and its receptors via activation of ET(A) receptors, and consequently the upregulated VEGF signaling system appears to contribute, at least in part, to ET-1-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.     

ET-1 stimulates ERK signaling pathway through sequential activation of PKC and Src in rat myometrial cells

In this study, we analyzed in ratmyometrial cells the signaling pathways involved in the endothelin(ET)-1-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activationrequired for the induction of DNA synthesis. We found that inhibitionof protein kinase C (PKC) by Ro-31-8220 abolished ERK activation.Inhibition of phospholipase C (PLC) by U-73122 or of phosphoinositide(PI) 3-kinase by wortmannin partially reduced ERK activation. A similarpartial inhibition was observed after treatment with pertussis toxin orPKC downregulation by phorbol ester treatment. The effect of wortmanninwas additive with that produced by PKC downregulation but not with thatdue to pertussis toxin. These results suggest that bothdiacylglycerol-sensitive PKC, activated by PLC products, anddiacylglycerol-insensitive PKC, possibly activated by aG_i-PI 3-kinase-dependent process, are involved inET-1-induced ERK activation. These two pathways were found to beactivated mainly through the ET_A receptor subtype. ET-1 andphorbol ester stimulated Src activity in a PKC-dependent manner, bothresponses being abolished in the presence of Ro-31-8220. Inhibition of Src kinases by PP1 abrogated phorbol ester- and ET-1-induced ERK activation. Finally, ET-1 activated Ras in a PP1-and Ro-31-8220-sensitive manner. Altogether, our results indicatethat ET-1 induces ERK activation in rat myometrial cells through thesequential stimulation of PKC, Src, and Ras.

     

G蛋白,蛋白激酶C和Na^＋—H^＋交换在内皮素—1诱导培养心肌细胞肥大反应中的

内皮系-1（ET-1）是一种强的生长因子,并诱导心肌细胞肥大反应。在本实验中,我们探讨了G蛋白、蛋白激酶C（PKC）和Na＋－H＋交换在ET-1诱导的培养新生大鼠心肌细胞肥大反应中的作用。ET-1（10－10～10－7mol／L）促进3H－亮氨酸掺入,增加细胞蛋白质的含量和心肌细胞的表面积,且呈剂量依赖性,它们的EC50分别为5．2×10-10,5．2×10－10和7．3×10－10mol／L。用蛋白激酶C（PKC）抑制剂,Staurosporin（2nmol／L）预处理心肌细胞,可完全阻断ET-1诱导的心肌细胞的这些肥大反应,而蛋白激酶C激动剂,佛波酸酯（PMA）（10－8～10－6mol／L）呈剂量依赖性促进心肌细胞的肥大反应。用Na＋－H＋交换抑制剂,氨氯毗咪（10-4mol／L）预处理心肌细胞,可抑制ET－1诱导的心肌细胞肥大反应,但不影响PMA诱导的心肌细胞肥大反应。百日咳毒素（150ng／ml）预处理心肌细胞,可明显抑制ET－1诱导的心肌细胞肥大反应。这些结果提示,ET-1诱导的培养新生大鼠心肌细胞肥大反应是与百日咳毒素敏感的G蛋白相耦联,蛋白激酶C和Na＋．H＋交换可能在ET-1诱导的心肌细胞肥大反应中是重要的细胞内信使转导途径。     

Native and acetylated low density lipoprotein metabolism in proliferating and quiescent bovine endothelial cells in culture

Lipoprotein binding and metabolism in actively dividing (sparse) and quiescent (confluent) bovine aortic endothelial cells (EC) were compared quantitatively using 125I-labelled lipoproteins. The amounts of receptor-bound low density lipoproteins (LDL) decreased five- to ten-fold as the cultures progressed from sparse to confluent morphology. High affinity receptor-bound LDL levels were extremely low in confluent EC and accounted for the inability of confluent EC to internalize and degrade significant amounts of LDL. Conversely, the amounts of acetylated LDL (acLDL) bound and degraded via distinct sites increased at least five-fold during EC growth to confluence. LDL binding and metabolism in individual cells was assessed by fluorescence microscopy using 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine-labelled lipoproteins or fluorescein-conjugated antibodies. LDL and acLDL bound to the surfaces of sparse EC, at either 4 degrees or 37 degrees C, in a random distribution of fine punctate foci, contrary to a previous report. EC therefore appear to resemble fibroblasts in their distribution of surface LDL receptors. No binding or uptake of LDL was seen in confluent EC. Patterns of acLDL binding and uptake in confluent EC resembled those of LDL in sparse EC. Intracellular LDL and acLDL occurred as perinuclear accumulations of large fluorescent foci in sparse EC. Regeneration experiments were carried out in artificially wounded confluent cultures and renewed LDL receptor activity was shown in actively-dividing cells which had migrated into the "wounded" areas. We conclude that quiescent endothelial cells metabolize little LDL via the LDL-receptor pathway due to a drastically reduced number of receptors in confluent cells. This contrasts with the ability of confluent cells to metabolize relatively large amounts of acLDL via a receptor-mediated mechanism.     

Confluence of vascular endothelial cells induces cell cycle exit by inhibiting p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase activity

Like other cellular models, endothelial cells in cultures stop growing when they reach confluence, even in the presence of growth factors. In this work, we have studied the effect of cellular contact on the activation of p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) by growth factors in mouse vascular endothelial cells. p42/p44 MAPK activation by fetal calf serum or fibroblast growth factor was restrained in confluent cells in comparison with the activity found in sparse cells. Consequently, the induction of c-fos, MAPK phosphatases 1 and 2 (MKP1/2), and cyclin D1 was also restrained in confluent cells. In contrast, the activation of Ras and MEK-1, two upstream activators of the p42/p44 MAPK cascade, was not impaired when cells attained confluence. Sodium orthovanadate, but not okadaic acid, restored p42/p44 MAPK activity in confluent cells. Moreover, lysates from confluent 1G11 cells more effectively inactivated a dually phosphorylated active p42 MAPK than lysates from sparse cells. These results, together with the fact that vanadate-sensitive phosphatase activity was higher in confluent cells, suggest that phosphatases play a role in the down-regulation of p42/p44 MAPK activity. Enforced long-term activation of p42/p44 MAPK by expression of the chimera DeltaRaf-1:ER, which activates the p42/p44 MAPK cascade at the level of Raf, enhanced the expression of MKP1/2 and cyclin D1 and, more importantly, restored the reentry of confluent cells into the cell cycle. Therefore, inhibition of p42/p44 MAPK activation by cell-cell contact is a critical step initiating cell cycle exit in vascular endothelial cells.     

Differential effects of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor I on human endothelial cell migration

Effects of growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and endothelin-1 (ET-1) on endothelial cell migration and the underlying molecular mechanisms were explored using a human umbilical cord endothelial cell line, ECV304 cells, in vitro. Treatment of the cells with IGF-I or ET-1, but not GH, stimulated the cell migration. Interestingly, however, ET-1-induced, but not IGF-I-induced, migration of the cells was inhibited by GH. Both ET-1 and IGF-I caused activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in the cells, and GH eliminated the MAPK activation produced by ET-1 but not that produced by IGF-I. On the other hand, migration of the cells was stimulated by protein kinase C (PKC) agonist, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. ET-1 promoted PKC activity, and a PKC inhibitor, GF-109203X, blocked ET-1-induced cell migration. Although GH inhibited ET-1-induced cell migration and MAPK activity, it did not block ET-1-induced PKC activation. Thus ET-1 stimulation of endothelial cell migration appears to be mediated by PKC/MAPK pathway, and GH may inhibit the MAPK activation by ET-1 at the downstream of PKC.     

Endothelin-1 Receptor Binding and Cellular Signal Transduction in Cultured Human Brain Endothelial Cells

Abstract: The kinetic properties of endothelin-1 (ET-1) binding sites and the production of inositol phosphates (IPs; IP₁, IP₂, IP₃), cyclic AMP, thromboxane B₂, and prostaglandin F_2α induced by various endothelins (ET-1, ET-2, ET-3, and sarafotoxin S6b) were examined in endothelial cells derived from human brain microvessels (HBECs). The presence of both high- and low-affinity binding sites for ET-1 with K_D1 = 122 pM and K_D2 = 31 nM, and B_max1 = 124 fmol/mg of protein and B_max2 = 909 fmol/mg of protein, respectively, was demonstrated on intact HBECs. ET-1 dose-dependently stimulated IP accumulation with EC₅₀ (IP₃) = 0.79 nM, whereas ET-3 was ineffective. The order of potency for displacing ET-1 from high-affinity binding sites (ET-1 > ET-2 > sarafotoxin S6b > ET-3) correlated exponentially with the ability of respective ligands to induce IP₃ formation. ET-1-induced IP₃ formation by HBEC was inhibited by the ET_A receptor antagonist, BQ123. The protein kinase C activator phorbol myristate ester dose-dependently inhibited the ET-1-stimulated production of IPs, whereas pertussis toxin was ineffective. Cyclic AMP production by HBECs was enhanced by both phorbol myristate ester and ET-1, and potentiated by combined treatment with ET-1 and phorbol myristate ester. Data indicate that protein kinase C plays a role in regulating the ET-1-induced activation of phospholipase C, whereas interaction of different messenger systems may regulate ET-1-induced accumulation of cyclic AMP. ET-1 also stimulated endothelial prostaglandin F_2α production, suggesting that activation of phospholipase A₂ is most likely secondary to IP₃-mediated intracellular calcium mobilization because both ET-1-induced IP₃ and prostaglandin F_2α were inhibited by BQ123. These findings are the first demonstration of ET-1 (ET_A-type) receptors linked to phospholipase C and phospholipase A₂ activation in HBECs.     

Endothelin-1 induces lipolysis through activation of the GC/cGMP/Ca2+/ERK/CaMKIII pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictive peptide produced and secreted mainly by endothelial cells. Recent studies indicate that ET-1 can regulate lipid metabolism, which may increase the risk of insulin resistance. Our previous studies revealed that ET-1 induced lipolysis in adipocytes, but the underlying mechanisms were unclear. 3T3-L1 adipocytes were used to investigate the effect of ET-1 on lipolysis and the underlying mechanisms. Glycerol levels in the incubation medium and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) phosphorylation were used as indices for lipolysis. ET-1 significantly increased HSL phosphorylation and lipolysis, which were completely inhibited by ERK inhibitor (PD98059) and guanylyl cyclase (GC) inhibitor (LY83583). LY83583 reduced ET-1-induced ERK phosphorylation. A Ca²⁺-free medium and PLC inhibitor caused significant decreases in ET-1-induced lipolysis as well as ERK and HSL phosphorylation, and IP₃ receptor activator (D-IP₃) increased lipolysis. ET-1 increased cGMP production, which was not affected by depletion of extracellular Ca²⁺. On the other hand, LY83583 diminished the ET-1-induced Ca²⁺ influx. Transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV-1) antagonist and shRNA partially inhibited ET-1-induced lipolysis. ET-1-induced lipolysis was completely suppressed by CaMKIII inhibitor (NH-125). These results indicate that ET-1 stimulates extracellular Ca²⁺ entry and activates the intracellular PLC/IP₃/Ca²⁺ pathway through a cGMP-dependent pathway. The increased cytosolic Ca²⁺ that results from ET-1 treatment stimulates ERK and HSL phosphorylation, which subsequently induces lipolysis. ET-1 induces HSL phosphorylation and lipolysis via the GC/cGMP/Ca²⁺/ERK/CaMKIII signaling pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.     

Effects of inducers of differentiation on protein kinase C and CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid:lactosylceramide sialyltransferase activities of HL-60 leukemia cells

Exposure of HL-60 leukemia cells to either 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), exogenous gangliosides GM3, GM1, or bovine brain ganglioside mixture (BBG) resulted in a marked inhibition of the growth of cells. The order of the inhibitory potency was TPA greater than GM3 greater than DMSO greater than BBG greater than GM1. In contrast, sulfatides were without effect on cellular replication. Treatment of HL-60 cells with TPA or GM3 induced differentiation along the monocyte/macrophage lineage, while treatment with DMSO induced maturation along the granulocytic pathway. These effects were accompanied by more than a twofold increase in protein kinase C (PKC) activity. In contrast, treatment with GM1, BBG, or sulfatides caused only a relatively small increase in PKC activity. The activity of CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid:lactosylceramide sialyltransferase (ST1), a key enzyme for membrane gangliosides synthesis, in HL-60 cells was also influenced by the exposure to TPA, GM3, DMSO, GM1, or sulfatides. The inducers of differentiation, TPA and DMSO, caused an increase in ST1 activity, whereas GM3, which also induced cellular differentiation, inhibited ST1 activity, perhaps through the action of end-product inhibition. The non-inducers of differentiation, GM1 and sulfatides, also increased the activity of ST1, but to a much lesser extent. The findings suggest that the direct or indirect modulation of PKC activity by some of these agents may be involved, at least in part, in the regulation of cellular growth and differentiation. Furthermore, it is conceivable that differences in PKC activity may be responsible for the changes in ST1 activity associated with cell differentiation and proliferation.