Regulation of insulin synthesis in an insulin-producing cell line (RINm5F): Long-term experiments

Summary The insulin-producing cell line RINm5F, has been used in short-term experiments to evaluate insulin secretion. We sought to maintain the responsiveness of these cells to stimuli for up to 2 days. We examined the course of new insulin synthesis over this period by measuring at intervals immunoreactive insulin (IRI) in two parts: IRI in the medium (M) and IRI extracted from the cells (C). Control cells were incubated in RPMI 1640/2.8 mM glucose/10% fetal bovine serum/200 μg/ml bacitracin (to prevent insulin degradation). The addition of dibutyryl cAMP 10 mM to the experimental dishes significantly increased total (M+C) IRI at 48 hr to 37% above the insulin content of the control dishes (p<0.01). Theophylline 10 mM increased total (M+C) IRI by 24% over control (p<0.05) after 24 hrs. Glucose, glyceraldehyde, leucine, arginine, glucagon and tolbutamide, other stimulants of insulin production, had no effect. Under the experimental conditions reported here, including the use of bacitracin, IRI synthesis can be studied for up to 48 hr. Portions of this study have been published in abstract form for the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Diabetes Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1987. Supported in part by the American Diabetic Association, Maryland Affiliate.     

Docosahexaenoic acid induces apoptosis in lung cancer cells by increasing MKP-1 and down-regulating p-ERK1/2 and p-p38 expression

Different agents able to modulate apoptosis have been shown to modify the expression of the MAP-kinase-phosphatase-1 (MKP-1). The expression of this phosphatase has been considered a potential positive prognostic factor in lung cancer, and smoke was shown to reduce the levels of MKP-1 in ferret lung. Our aim was to assess whether the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), known to inhibit the growth of several cancer cells mainly inducing apoptosis, may exert pro-apoptotic effect in lung cancer cells by modifying MKP-1 expression. We observed that DHA increased MKP-1 protein and mRNA expression and induced apoptosis in different lung cancer cell lines (mink Mv1Lu adenocarcinoma cells, human A549 adenocarcinoma and human BEN squamous carcinoma cells). We inhibited the pro-apoptotic effect of DHA by treating the cells with the phosphatase inhibitor Na₃VO₄ or by silencing the MKP-1 gene with the specific siRNA. This finding demonstrated that the induction of apoptosis by DHA involved a phosphatase activity, specifically that of MKP-1. DHA reduced also the levels of the phosphorylated MAP-kinases, especially ERK1/2 and p38. Such an effect was not observed when the MKP-1 gene was silenced. Altogether, the data provide evidence that the DHA-induced overexpression of MKP-1 and the resulting decrease of MAP-kinase phosphorylation by DHA may underlie the pro-apoptotic effect of this fatty acid in lung cancer cells. Moreover, they support the hypothesis that DHA may exert chemopreventive action in lung cancer.     

Resistin induces rat insulinoma cell RINm5F apoptosis

Beta-cell apoptosis induced by adipokines may result in beta-cell dysfunction in type 2 diabetes. Resistin, an adipokine-linked obesity with type 2 diabetes, impairs glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in beta-cells. Presently, the effects of resistin on rat insulinoma cells RINm5F were examined. Treatment of RINm5F with resistin induced cell damage. Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) protected resistin-mediated cytotoxicity in RINm5F. Incubation with resistin up-regulated caspase-3 activity and induced the formation of a DNA ladder. TIMP-1 attenuated these effects. The molecular mechanism of TIMP-1 inhibition of resistin-mediated cytotoxicity appeared to involve Akt phosphorylation and activation of IkB-α phosphorylation. Resistin treatment suppressed Akt phosphorylation and activated IkB-α phosphorylation, which could be attenuated by TIMP-1. We conclude that resistin can induce beta-cell apoptosis and that resistin-related beta-cell apoptosis can be prevented by TIMP-1. C.-l. Gao and D.-y. Zhao contributed equally to this work.     

丝裂原活化蛋白激酶和磷酸酯酶-1在心肌病和细胞凋亡中的作用

ERK、JNK和p38等丝裂原活化蛋白激酶通过生长因子、激动剂或应激反应等介导生长、分化、凋亡以及细胞间相互作用等多种过程。ERK、JNK和p38是参与心衰病理过程的主要信号元件,MKP-1是丝裂原活化蛋白激酶等的去磷酸化因子,是一种应激蛋白,在应激反应中可以抑制ERK、JNK和p38的活性,并通过凋节ERK、JNK和p38的活性,参与对心衰病理过程的调节。本文以转基因研究结果为主要线索,对丝裂原活化蛋白激酶和磷酸酯酶．1在心衰病理过程中的作用进行了综述。     

Protein phosphorylation is required for diazoxide to open ATP-sensitive potassium channels in insulin (RINm5F) secreting cells

The patch-clamp open-cell recording configuration has been used to investigate the effects of non-hydrolyzable analogues of ATP on the diazoxide-activation of K_ATP channels in the insulin-secreting cell line RINm5F. K⁺ channels inhibited by 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mM ATP were consistently activated by 200 μM diazoxide. During sustained activation of channels, exchange of ATP for either AMP-PNP, AMP-PCP or ATPγS abolished the effects of diazoxide. If diazoxide was added to the membrane in the continued presence of AMP-PNP, AMP-PCP or ATPγS either no effects were observed or alternatively a small transient activation of channels occurred. This study suggests that protein phosphorylation is necessary for diazoxide to activate ATP-sensitive potassium channels in insulin-secreting cells.     

Human TAO kinase 1 induces apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells

The human TAO kinase 1 (hTAOK1) is a member of the Ste20 group of kinases with the kinase domain located at the N-terminus. The rat homologue, originally named TAO1, has been demonstrated to be highly expressed in brain. In this study, the human TAO kinase 1 was transfected into human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and its biological effects on the cell morphology were observed by co-expressing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). It was found that after 16 h of transfection the cells had shrunk, and finally became rounded when transfected with wild-type or mutant K57A genes encoding either the kinase domain (residues 1-376) or the full-length molecule (residues 1-1001). Thirty-four hours after transfection, cells floated and apoptotic bodies were observed after nuclear staining with DAPI. On the other hand, the cells that were transfected with the gene encoding the C-terminal regulatory region (residues 377-1001) of hTAOK1, appeared to remain unchanged. In order to know the signaling events involved in the above biological phenomena, caspase-3-like activities of the transfected cells were measured in the absence or presence of JNK inhibitor SP600125, in which caspase-3 and JNK (C-jun-N-terminal kinase) are both known to be critical components of the neuronal apoptosis. The results showed that the apoptotic cells exhibited elevated caspase-3-like activity, which could be reduced by SP600125 to some extent. It is concluded that human TAO kinase 1 induces apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells and the kinase domain is essential, but its catalytic activity seems to be dispensable in this case.     

Isolation of a purified mitochondrial fraction from viable clonal insulin-producing cells (RINm5F) by percoll density gradient centrifugation

Summary A Percoll density gradient was employed for selecting large numbers of viable insulin-producing RINm5F cells. Homogenates of these cells were then subjected to gradient centrifugation and two clearly visible bands were obtained. The light fraction was essentially composed of mitochondria banded at a density of about 1.06 g/ml. The heavier fraction banded at 1.09 to 1.10 g/ml and contained lysosomes and a small number of secretory granules. The distribution of Percoll particles was restricted to the extracellular space and there was no adsorption to any membrane structures. The distribution pattern of marker enzymes for the mitochondria and lysosomes was similar to that of normal pancreatic β-cells. With the use of a Percoll density gradient it was thus possible to isolate a purified mitochondrial fraction from viable RINm5F cells. This work was supported by the Swedish Medical Research Council (03x-4, 12x-562, 12x-6240), the Swedish Diabetes Association, the Nordic Insulin Foundation, Syskonen Svenssons Foundation, and ?ke Wiberg’s Foundation. Per-Olof Berggren is a recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship from the Swedish Medical Research Council.     

Ultrastructural evidence that apoptosis is the mechanism by which human amylin evokes death in RINm5F pancreatic islet beta-cells

A view is emerging that human amylin (HA) kills pancreatic islet beta-cells by apoptosis. This study strengthens this view by documenting time-dependent morphological and ultrastructural changes in 10 microm HA-treated cultured RINm5F islet beta-cells. Membrane blebbing and microvilli loss were the earliest detectable apoptosis-related phenomena, already evident 1 h after HA exposure. Following 6-12 h of HA-treatment, chromatin margination became evident, consistent with detecting DNA laddering about the same time. Nuclear shrinkage, nuclear membrane convolution and prominent cytoplasmic vacuolization were clearly recognized at 22 h post-treatment. Together, these cellular changes constitute a strong case for HA-induced apoptosis, and further demonstrates that electron microscopy is a more sensitive tool for early apoptosis detection in cultured cells than classical biochemical assays like visualizing DNA laddering. The ultrastructural changes reported here contribute further evidence to be included in the ongoing dissection of molecular mechanisms underlying HA-induced apoptosis, as may occur in type-2 diabetes mellitus.     

Heat shock triggers MAPK activation and MKP-1 induction in Leydig testicular cells

Testicular function is highly dependent on temperature control. In Leydig testicular cells, the signaling pathway activated by heat stress is poorly defined. Here we describe the molecular events triggered by heat shock (HS, 10 min, 45 degrees C) in MA-10 cells. HS produced a rapid and transient activation of ERK1/2 and JNK kinases, and also increased MAP kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) protein and mRNA levels. The effect of HS on MKP-1 messenger reached significance at 15 min, peaked (3.5-fold) at 60 min, and was partially dependent on ERK1/2 activity. The temporal profiles of MKP-1 protein levels and MAPKs phospho-dephosphorylation suggest that MKP-1 induction could contribute to ERK1/2 and JNK inactivation after HS. In summary, this study indicates that the response to heat stress in Leydig cells includes the activation of MAPKs related to cell survival (ERK1/2) and death (JNK), and the induction of a MAPK activity inhibitory loop.     

CMTM5-v1 induces apoptosis in cervical carcinoma cells

CMTM5 (CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain-containing member 5) exhibits tumor inhibition activity with frequent epigenetic inactivation in various tumor cell lines including cervical carcinoma (CC) cells. In this paper, we examined the function of CMTM5-v1 (the primary RNA splicing form) in both HeLa and SiHa cells. Overexpression of CMTM5-v1 in both cells can induce apoptosis, but the effects are more obvious in SiHa than that in HeLa. In SiHa cells, restoration of CMTM5-v1 caused disruption of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, release of cytochrome c, activation of caspase3 and cleavage of PARP. General caspase inhibitor almost prevented apoptosis of SiHa cells, suggesting that CMTM5-v1 induces apoptosis mainly through caspase-dependent pathway. These findings verify that CMTM5-v1 inhibits the growth of CC cell lines via inducing apoptosis.     

Sustained enhancement of Ca(2+) influx by glibenclamide induces apoptosis in RINm5F cells

Cytosolic Ca(2+) elevations are known to be involved in triggering apoptosis in many tissues, but the effect of sustained enhancement of Ca(2+) influx on apoptosis in beta cells remains unknown. We have found that the viability of RINm5F cells is decreased dose-dependently by continuous exposure to glibenclamide at concentrations from 10(-7) to 10(-4) M, and that this effect is partially ameliorated by pretreatment with cycloheximide. Electrophoresis of the cells exposed to glibenclamide revealed ladder-like fragmentation characteristic of apoptosis, and which also is suppressed by cycloheximide pretreatment. By using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining, we detected increased DNA fragmentation in the nuclei of the cells exposed to glibenclamide, and staining with Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide showed a dose-dependent increase in the number of cells with the chromatin condensation and fragmentation in their nuclei that is characteristic of apoptosis. The effects of glibenclamide on cell viability and apoptotic cell death were partially inhibited by treatment with Ca(2+) channel blocker, and by reducing the extracellular Ca(2+) concentration during glibenclamide exposure, suggesting that they may be derived from increased Ca(2+) influx. Furthermore, only the percentage of apoptotic cells, and not that of necrotic cells, increased with the increasing intracellular Ca(2+) concentration during glibenclamide exposure. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that the sustained enhancement of Ca(2+) influx caused by glibenclamide exposure can induce apoptotic cell death in a pure beta cell line.     

Triptolide (PG-490) induces apoptosis of dendritic cells through sequential p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation and caspase 3 activation

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells that play crucial roles in the regulation of immune response. Triptolide, an active component purified from the medicinal plant Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F., has been demonstrated to act as a potent immunosuppressive drug capable of inhibiting T cell activation and proliferation. However, little is known about the effects of triptolide on DCs. The present study shows that triptolide does not affect phenotypic differentiation and LPS-induced maturation of murine DCs. But triptolide can dramatically reduce cell recovery by inducing apoptosis of DCs at concentration as low as 10ng/ml, as demonstrated by phosphatidylserine exposure, mitochondria potential decrease, and nuclear DNA condensation. Triptolide induces activation of p38 in DCs, which precedes the activation of caspase 3. SB203580, a specific kinase inhibitor for p38, can block the activation of caspase 3 and inhibit the resultant apoptosis of DCs. Our results suggest that the anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities of triptolide may be due, in part, to its apoptosis-inducing effects on DCs.     

Alpha-tocopheryl succinate induces cytostasis and apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells: the role of E2F1

Alpha-tocopheryl succinate (alpha-TOS), a redox-inactive analog of vitamin E, induces cell cycle arrest, differentiation, and triggers apoptosis. We examined the ability of alpha-TOS to induce cytostasis and/or apoptosis in two human osteosarcoma cell lines, which carry wild-type pRb but differ in the p53 status. In the wt-p53 cells, alpha-TOS induced apoptosis, which was associated with p53 activation and enhanced E2F1 expression. Mutant p53 cells failed to undergo apoptosis when challenged with alpha-TOS. The cell growth arrest after alpha-TOS treatment was associated with a reduced expression of E2F1. Knocking down E2F1 rendered the alpha-TOS-sensitive cells rather resistant to the apoptotic stimulus inducing a marked and prolonged cell growth arrest. We conclude that alpha-TOS induces cell growth arrest or apoptosis involving E2F1.     

Hyperglycemia induces apoptosis and p53 mobilization to mitochondria in RINm5F cells

The mechanisms related to hyperglycemia-induced pancreatic β-cell apoptosis are poorly defined. Rat insulin-producing cells (RINm5F) cultured in high glucose concentrations (30 mM) showed increased apoptosis and protein p53 translocation to mitochondria. In addition, hyperglycemia induced both the disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δ < eqid1 > _m), and an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), as shown by fluorescence changes of JC-1 and dichlorodihydrofluorescein-diacetate (DCDHF-DA), respectively. The increased intracellular ROS by high glucose exposure was blunted by mitochondrial-function and NADPH-oxidase inhibitors. We postulate that the concomitant mobilization of p53 protein to the mitochondria and the subsequent changes on the Δ < eqid2 > _m, lead to an important pancreatic β-cell apoptosis mechanism induced by oxidative stress caused by hyperglycemia. This work is part of the thesis required for the doctorate degree in Biological Sciences at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico.     

Upregulation of endogenous glutathione system by 3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione in pancreatic RINm5F beta-cells as a novel strategy for protecting against oxidative beta-cell injury

This study was undertaken to investigate the inducibility of glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) by 3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione (D3T) in beta-cells, and the resultant cytoprotection against oxidant injury. Incubation of the insulin-secreting RINm5F cells with D3T led to significant induction of GSH, GR and GPx. D3T-mediated induction of GSH was abolished by buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), suggesting a critical involvement of γ-glutamylcysteine ligase (γGCL). Consistently, incubation of RINm5F cells with D3T resulted in increased expression of γGCL protein and mRNA. Pretreatment of RINm5F cells with D3T provided remarkable protection against oxidant-elicited cytotoxicity. On the other hand, depletion of cellular GSH by BSO sensitized RINm5F cells to oxidant injury. Furthermore, cotreatment of RINm5F cells with BSO to reverse D3T-mediated GSH induction abolished the cytoprotective effects of D3T on oxidant injury. Taken together, this study demonstrates that upregulation of glutathione system by D3T is effective for protecting against oxidative beta-cell injury.     

Possible involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) in thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-induced prolactin gene expression

The role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in mediating the ability of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) to stimulate the prolactin gene has been well elucidated. ERK is inactivated by a dual specificity phosphatase, mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase (MKP). In this study, we examined the induction of MKP-1 protein by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in pituitary GH3 cells, and investigated the possible role for MKP-1 in TRH-induced prolactin gene expression. MKP-1 protein was induced significantly from 60 min after TRH stimulation, and remained elevated at 4 h. The effect of TRH on MKP-1 expression was completely prevented in the presence of the MEK inhibitor, U0126. In the experiments using triptolide, a potent blocker for MKP-1, MKP-1 induction by TRH was completely inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. TRH-induced ERK activation was significantly enhanced in this condition. Prolactin promoter activity, activated by TRH, was reduced to the control level in the presence of triptolide in a dose-dependent manner. In GH3 cells, which were transfected with MKP-1 specific siRNA, both the basal and TRH-stimulated activities of the prolactin promoter were significantly reduced compared to the cells transfected with negative control siRNA. Our present results support a critical role of MKP-1 in TRH-induced, ERK-dependent, prolactin gene expression.     

Positive regulation of ERK activation and MKP-1 expression by peroxovanadium complex bpV (phen)

Lower micromolar concentrations of peroxovanadium compound potassium bisperoxo(1,10-phenanthroline)oxovanadate (V) [bpV (phen)] stimulate RINm5F cell metabolic activity. 1 and 3 mol/L bpV (phen) induces strong and sustained activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). However, it seems that bpV (phen) does not effect c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation. In addition, bpV (phen) induces mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) expression. We found that ERK activation could be completely abolished if RINm5F cells were incubated with both bpV (phen) and PD 98059, a specific inhibitor of upstream ERK kinase MEK1. On the other hand, this combined treatment up-regulated activation of stress kinases, JNK and p38 MAPK, significantly suppressed MKP-1 expression and induced cell death. Thus, our results suggest that the mechanism underlying bpV (phen) survival-enhancing effect could be associated with induced ERK activation and MKP-1 expression.