Vitamin E up-regulates arachidonic acid release and phospholipase A2 in megakaryocytes

The alteration in calcium transport in the liver nuclei of rats orally administered carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) was investigated. Rats received a single oral administration of CCl₄(5, 10, and 25%, 1.0ml/100 g body weight), and 5, 24 and 48 h later the animals were sacrificed. The administration of CCl₄ (25%) caused a remarkable elevetion of calcium content in the liver tissues and the nuclei of rats. Liver nuclear Ca2+-ATPase activity was markedly decreased by CCl₄ (25%) administration. The presence of dibutyryl cyclic AMP(10^-4 and 10^-3 M) or inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (10^-6 and 10^-5 M) in the enzyme reaction mixture caused a significant decrease in Ca²⁺-ATPase activity in the liver nuclei obtained from normal rat, while the enzyme activity was significantly increased by calmodulin (1.0 and 2.0 g/ml). These signaling factor's effects were completely impaired in the liver nuclei obtained from CCl₄ (25%)-administered rats. DNA fragmentation in the liver nuclei obtained from CCl₄ -administered rats was significantly decreased by the presence of EGTA (2 mM) in the reaction mixture, suggesting that the endogenous calcium activates nuclear DNA fragmentation. The present study demonstrates that calcium transport system in the liver nuclei is impaired by liver injury with CCl₄ administration in rats.     

Uteroglobin inhibits phospholipase A2 activity

Although progesterone is known to produce quiescence in the mammalian uterus, the mechanism of this effect is not clearly understood. Here, we report that uteroglobin, a progesterone-induced small molecular weight (16K) protein, inhibits phospholipase A2(PLA2) derived from porcine pancreas as well as from the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. We speculate that progesterone may exert its antimotility effects on the uterus via uteroglobin which, by inhibiting PLA2, decreases arachidonic acid release and subsequently reduces prostaglandin levels in this organ. This may explain why progesterone is so vital for the maintenance of pregnancy in almost all mammals.     

Substrate-specific forms of human platelet phospholipase A2

Purification of human platelet phospholipase A2 (PLA2) from a particulate fraction by ion-exchange chromatography at 4 degrees C yielded a single peak of enzyme activity, which catalyzed the hydrolysis of arachidonic acid from the 2-position of phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn). The activity toward PtdCho and that toward PtdEtn differed in stability during storage, pH optimum, Ca2+ requirement, and affinity for the substrate; however, each activity preferred phospholipid with arachidonate at the 2-position. The two activities appeared to be eluted as an aggregate in a single peak from the ion-exchange column. When the column was run at 22 degrees C, an additional PLA2 activity peak specific for PtdEtn was resolved from the original PLA2 peak. But when the particulate fraction was briefly sonicated in 0.1% octylglucoside before chromatography at 22 degrees C, a different PLA2 activity peak, specific for PtdCho, was obtained. Resolution of the two specific forms of PLA2 under different conditions probably resulted from selective solubilization of the aggregate. The specific PLA2 activities thus isolated were very labile, whereas those in the aggregate were relatively stable. These findings suggest that human platelets contain at least two substrate-specific forms of PLA2, one for PtdCho and another for PtdEtn.     

Monoclonal antibodies against rat platelet phospholipase A2

Monoclonal antibodies which bind specifically to rat platelet phospholipase A2 have been raised. None of them bound to exocrine phospholipase A2 derived from pancreas or snake venom. All antibodies recognized the conformational structure of rat platelet phospholipase A2 supported by intramolecular disulfide bonds, since the reactivity between the antibodies and the enzyme was lost in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol. One of them, designed MB5.2, inhibited the activity of the platelet phospholipase A2 in a dose-dependent manner. A kinetic study revealed that antibody MB5.2 apparently competed with the substrate for the active site of the enzyme. The other antibodies, designed MD7.1 and ME6.1, inhibited the binding of the enzyme to heparin. The distribution of phospholipases A2 bearing a similar determinant to rat platelet phospholipase A2 was investigated by immunoprecipitation of the enzyme activity or by an immunoblot technique. Among rat tissues, cross-reactivity was observed with phospholipases A2 from spleen, lung, and bone marrow. Extracellular phospholipase A2 detected in the peritoneal cavity of casein-treated rat was also recognized by these antibodies. Furthermore, antibody MD7.1 cross-reacted with rabbit and guinea pig platelet phospholipases A2.     

Calmodulin stimulates human platelet phospholipase A2.

Calmodulin is a ubiquitous Ca²⁺-binding protein, mediating the effect of Ca²⁺ on many enzyme systems and cellular reactions. Phospholipase A₂ (phosphatide-2-acyl-hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.4) which governs the level of arachidonic acid in human platelets, requires Ca²⁺ for maximum activity. Results presented herein suggest that the stimulation of phospholipase A₂ by Ca²⁺ is also mediated through calmodulin. This finding adds to the growing list of enzymes whose activities are regulated by calmodulin.     

Vitamin E inhibits protein kinase C activity

Vitamin E (dl-alpha-tocopherol) has been found to inhibit in vitro brain protein kinase c with a half inhibitory concentration of 450 microM. The known plasma concentrations of vitamin E are one order of magnitude lower than the protein kinase c half-inhibitory concentration but it is also known that, at the membrane level where the active protein kinase c is located, the lipophilic vitamin E is more concentrated (Burton, G.W., Joyce, A. and Ingold, K.U. and Locke, S. (1983) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 221, 281-290). It appears that vitamin E, in addition to its antioxidant function, may play a role in regulating the activity of protein kinase c.     

Vitamin C inhibits platelet expression of CD40 ligand

Upon stimulation with agonists, platelets express CD40 ligand (CD40L), a transmembrane protein implicated in the initiation and progression of atherosclerotic disease. We have recently discovered that oxidative stress plays a major role in platelet CD40L expression. In this study, we sought to determine whether vitamin C, a known antioxidant, is able to influence platelet CD40L expression. In vitro experiments were done by stimulating platelets with collagen in the presence or absence of vitamin C (50–100 μM) or vehicle as control. An in vivo study was done in 10 healthy subjects who were randomized to intravenous infusion of placebo or 1 g vitamin C for 45 min in a crossover design. At the end of infusion platelet CD40L and O_2- were measured. The in vitro study demonstrated that vitamin C dose dependently inhibited platelet CD40L expression without affecting agonist-induced platelet aggregation. In subjects treated with placebo no changes of platelet CD40L and O_2- were observed; conversely, vitamin C infusion caused a significant and parallel decrease of platelet O_2- (−70%, P < 0.001) and CD40L (−68%, P < 0.001). Platelet aggregation was not modified by either treatment. This study suggests that water-soluble antioxidants, which scavenge superoxide radicals, may reduce platelet CD40L expression.     

The primary structure of rat platelet phospholipase A2

In our previous report (Hayakawa, M., Kudo, I., Tomita, M., & Inoue, K. (1988) J. Biochem. 103, 263-266), we have shown that phospholipases A2 purified from rat platelet membrane fractions and an extracellular medium of thrombin-stimulated rat platelets were essentially identical to each other. Both purified enzymes were digested with proteases, and the resulting peptides were subjected to primary sequence determination. The sequence analysis of the HPLC-separated peptides and the alignment of the sequences showed a tentative primary structure of rat platelet phospholipase A2, which was composed of 125 amino acid residues. It showed 47% homology with snake venom Agkistrodon halys blomhoffii phospholipase A2.     

Purification and characterization of rabbit platelet cytosolic phospholipase A2

A phospholipase A2 was purified from rabbit platelet cytosolic fraction to near homogeneity by sequential column chromatographies on heparin-Sepharose, DEAE-Sephacel, butyl-Toyopearl, DEAE-5PW ion-exchange HPLC, and TSK gel G3000SW gel-filtration HPLC. The final preparation with an estimated specific activity of 8630 nmol/min per mg protein, showed a single band with a molecular mass of about 88 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by silver staining. The 88-kDa phospholipase A2 exhibited a fatty acid preference; it hydrolyzed phospholipid bearing an arachidonoyl residue at the sn-2 position more effectively than that with a linoleoyl residue. The catalytic activity of the purified enzyme with phosphatidylcholine or phosphatidylethanolamine increased sharply in the presence of between 10(-7) and 10(-6) M calcium ion, indicating that it could be regulated by less than micromolar concentration of calcium. These characteristics differ from those of platelet secretory 14-kDa phospholipase A2 reported previously. Therefore, this 88-kDa enzyme is a novel phospholipase A2 and may participate in the stimulus-dependent release of arachidonoyl residues in rabbit platelets.     

Calmodulin-independent inhibition of platelet phospholipase A2 by calmodulin antagonists

We tested the effects of calmodulin, two types of calmodulin antagonists, and various phospholipids on the phospholipase A2 activities of intact platelets, platelet membranes, and partially purified enzyme preparations. Trifluoperazine, chlorpromazine (phenothiazines) and N-(6-amino-hexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W-7), at concentrations which antagonize the effects of calmodulin, significantly inhibited thrombin- and Ca2+ ionophore-induced production of arachidonic acid metabolites by suspensions of rabbit platelets and Ca2+-induced arachidonic acid release from phospholipids of membrane fractions, but not phospholipase A2 activity in purified enzyme preparations. The addition of acidic phospholipids, but not calmodulin, stimulated phospholipase A2 activity in purified enzyme preparations while decreasing its Km for Ca2+. The dose-response and kinetics of inhibition by calmodulin antagonists of acidic phospholipid-activated phospholipase A2 activity in purified preparations were similar to those of Ca2+-induced arachidonic acid release from membrane fractions. Calmodulin antagonists were also found to inhibit Ca2+ binding to acidic phospholipids in a similar dose-dependent manner. Our results suggest that the platelet phospholipase A2 is the key enzyme involved in arachidonic acid mobilization in platelets and is regulated by acidic phospholipids in a Ca2+-dependent manner and that calmodulin antagonists inhibit phospholipase A2 activity via an action on acidic phospholipids.     

Retinol induces platelet aggregation via activation of phospholipase A2

All-trans-retinol induced aggregation of rabbit platelets, and this effect could be inhibited by a cyclooxygenase inhibitor and a thromboxane A2 (TXA2) receptor antagonist, indicating an essential role for endogenously produced TXA2. We found a two-phase arachidonic acid release in retinol-stimulated platelets. The first phase was induced by the action of retinol alone and not inhibited by TXA2 receptor antagonist. The second phase was induced via synergistic action of retinol and initially generated small amount of TXA2, and was inhibited by the antagonist. Moreover, we discussed that the arachidonic acid release may be mediated by the action of phospholipase A2.     

Structure of genomic DNA for rat platelet phospholipase A2

A genomic DNA for rat platelet phospholipase A2 was isolated by screening a rat genomic library with oligonucleotide probes based on its published amino acid sequence. The rat platelet phospholipase A2 gene had a total length of about 2.5 kb and contained five exons and four introns. The intron-exon structure of the rate gene was similar to that of human non-pancreatic phospholipase A2.     

Vitamin E inhibits PGE2 and O2- production in rat peritoneal macrophages.

In order to examine the possible role of vitamin E on the modulation of macrophages, we investigated the effect of vitamin E on O2- and PGE2 production in macrophages. The production of both PGE2 and O2- in rat peritoneal macrophages was dose-dependently stimulated by the addition of PMA and calcium ionophore A23187. However, the macrophages obtained after intraperitoneal injection of vitamin E for six successive days showed less PGE2 and O2- production when stimulated with PMA or A23187 as compared to those of control macrophages. O2- production in control macrophages stimulated with 139 nM PMA and 1 microM A23187 as 4.2 +/- 0.3 and 3.0 +/- 0.2 nmol/min per 10(6) cells, respectively. On the other hand, O2- production by the macrophages from vitamin E-treated rats was 1.5 +/- 0.4 nmol/min per 10(6) cells when stimulated with the PMA, and was not detectable when stimulated with A23187. As for the production of PGE2, control macrophages produced 2.59 +/- 0.70 ng/30 min per 10(6) cells when stimulated with PMA and 8.96 +/- 3.26 ng/30 min per 10(6) cells with the A23187, whereas PGE2 production by the macrophages from vitamin E-treated rats was reduced to 12-20% of the control. By analyzing alpha-tocopherol content and intracellular concentration of calcium ion [( Ca2+]i) in the macrophages isolated from control and vitamin E-treated rats, vitamin E treatment augmented alpha-tocopherol content (384.7 +/- 76.1 vs. 1.2 +/- 0.4 ng/10(6) cells) and decreased free [Ca2+]i when stimulated with A23187 (652 +/- 14 vs. 1201 +/- 223 nM).     

Purification of rabbit platelet secretory phospholipase A2 and its characteristics

It was reported previously that rat platelets release phospholipase A2 upon in vitro stimulation by thrombin, ADP, or A23187 (Horigome, K., Hayakawa, M., Inoue, K., & Nojima, S. (1987) J. Biochem. 101, 53-61). Secretion of phospholipase A2 was also observed with rabbit platelets. Rabbit platelets seem to release phospholipase A2 upon stimulation in vivo, because the rabbit plasma taken immediately after intravenous injection of PAF contained an appreciable level of phospholipase A2 activity and fewer platelets. Rabbit platelet phospholipase A2 released in vitro was purified by column chromatography using Sepharose CL-4B conjugated with anti-rat platelet derived phospholipase A2 monoclonal antibody, followed by reversed-phase HPLC. The purified enzyme was subjected to structural analysis by HPLC peptide mapping and primary sequence determination of the separated peptides. Based on the homology with rat platelet secretory phospholipase A2 (Hayakawa, M., Kudo, I., Tomita, M., Nojima, S., & Inoue, K. (1988) J. Biochem. 104, 767-772), a partial primary structure (62 amino acid residues) of the rabbit enzyme was tentatively determined; the two sequences were highly homologous (72%). The rabbit sequence was also nearly identical to that of rabbit ascitic fluid phospholipase A2, which was determined by Forst et al. (Forst, S., Weiss, J., Elsbach, P., Maraganore, J.M., Reardon, I., & Heinrikson, R.L. (1986) Biochemistry 25, 8381-8385). Phospholipase A2 from the membrane fraction of rabbit platelets was also purified; it had the same characteristics and th same amino-terminal sequence as the purified secretory enzyme. Secretory and membrane-bound phospholipase A2 of rabbit platelets may in fact be identical.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Solubilization and properties of Ca2+-dependent human platelet phospholipase A2

Using a sonicated dispersion of radiolabeled 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine as substrate, we found that phospholipase A2 activity of human platelets was enhanced 2.4-fold by albumin (1 mg/ml). The enzyme was recovered predominantly in the cytosolic fraction of platelets with less than a third of its activity being associated with the membrane fraction. In the presence of 24 mM n-octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (octylglucoside) phospholipase A2 was effectively (more than 90%) extracted from platelet lysates without solubilization of platelet membranes. Ion exchange chromatography of the soluble enzyme yielded a phospholipase A2 of unchanged total activity and great stability. This phospholipase A2 was active only in the presence of divalent cations (Ca2+ greater than Sr2+ greater than Mg2+ = 0), required albumin for optimal activity and exhibited exclusive positional specificity for the acyl ester bond at the 2-position of 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. Indomethacin (500 microM), mepacrine (500 microM) and N-ethylmaleimide (4 mM) inhibited the phospholipase A2 by 69, 62 and 19%, respectively. The results are discussed in the light of previous findings on human platelet phospholipase A2.     

Stimulation of Ca2+-activated human platelet phospholipase A2 by diacylglycerol.

The adenosine analogues 5'-(N-ethyl)carboxamidoadenosine (NECA) and N6-(phenylisopropyl)adenosine (PIA) activate glycogen phosphorylase 5-fold and 4.2-fold respectively in rat hepatocytes incubated in the absence of endogenous adenosine. Half-maximally effective concentrations are 0.5 microM for NECA and 20 microM for PIA, demonstrating the presence of A2-adenosine receptors. Exogenous adenosine activates phosphorylase 4.6-fold, but high rates of adenosine disappearance from the medium render estimates of its half-maximally effective concentration unreliable. These effects of NECA and adenosine are inhibited by 0.1 mM-caffeine. Activation of phosphorylase by a physiological concentration of adenosine (3.3 microM) was 50% inhibited by a physiological concentration of caffeine (35 microM).