The role of cyclic-3′,5′-adenosine monophosphate in prostaglandin-mediated inhibition of basic calcium phosphate crystal-induced mitogenesis and collagenase induction in cultured human fibroblasts

Synovial fluid basic calcium phosphate (BCP) crystals are associated with severe destructive arthropathies characterised by synovial proliferation and non-inflammatory degradation of intra-articular collagenous structures. BCP crystals stimulate fibroblast and chondrocyte mitogenesis, metalloprotease secretion and prostaglandin production. As a tissue protective effect of prostaglandins has been suggested, we recently studied the effect of PGE₁ on BCP crystal-induced mitogenesis and collagenase mRNA accumulation in human fibroblasts (HF). We demonstrated a dose-dependent inhibition of BCP crystal-induced mitogenesis and collagenase mRNA accumulation. The mechanism of PGE₁ inhibition of BCP crystal-induced mitogenesis and collagenase mRNA accumulation was therefore explored. PGE₁ (100 ng/ml) increased HF intracellular cAMP 40-fold over control. BCP alone caused no such change but inhibited the PGE₁-induced increase in intracellular cAMP by at least 60%. The PGE₁-induced increase in intracellular cAMP was also blocked by the adenyl cyclase inhibitor, 2′,5′-dideoxyadenosine (ddA) (10 μM) and ddA reversed the PGE₁-mediated inhibition of BCP crystal-induced mitogenesis. Dibutyrul cAMP also inhibited BCP crystal-induced mitogenesis in a concentration-dependent manner. Agents which increase intracellular cAMP levels such as the adenyl cyclase activator forskolin and the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) mimicked the effect of PGE₁ on HF collagenase mRNA levels. PGE₁ inhibits the biologic effects of BCP crystals through the cAMP signal transduction pathway and such inhibition may have significant therapeutic implications.     

Basic calcium phosphate crystals cause coordinate induction and secretion of collagenase and stromelysin.

Synovial fluid basic calcium phosphate crystals (BCP) are often found in severely degenerated joints. Crystalline BCP is a growth factor stimulating fibroblast mitogenesis and acting as a competence factor similar to platelet-derived growth factor. In human fibroblasts (HF), the synthesis of collagenase and stromelysin is coordinately induced after stimulation with a variety of cytokines and growth factors. We sought to determine whether BCP, like other growth factors, might induce proteases that would damage articular tissue. Northern blot analysis of mRNA for collagenase and stromelysin in HF stimulated with BCP was performed. Secreted enzymes were analyzed by immunoblot using a monoclonal antibody to collagenase and by immunoprecipitation using a polyclonal antibody to stromelysin. Stromelysin activity was confirmed using casein substrate gels. A significant, dose-dependent accumulation of collagenase and stromelysin message was evident after 4 h and continued for at least 24 h in BCP-stimulated cultures. Forty-nine and 54 kD proteins immunoreacting with collagenase antibody were identified in the conditioned media (CM) from BCP-stimulated cultures while 50 and 55 kD proteins were identified by immunoprecipitation with stromelysin antibody. Collagenase activity was increased significantly in the CM from BCP treated cells; casein substrate gels showed casein degrading bands at molecular weights consistent with stromelysin. BCP stimulates coordinate induction of collagenase and stromelysin which may mediate the joint destruction associated with these crystals.     

Basic calcium phosphate crystals induce matrix metalloproteinase-1 through the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase/c-Fos/AP-1/metalloproteinase 1 pathway. Involvement of transcription factor binding sites AP-1 and PEA-3.

Synovial fluid basic calcium phosphate (BCP) crystals are common in osteoarthritis and are associated with severe degenerative arthropathy. Besides stimulating synovial fibroblast-like cells to proliferate, BCP crystals are a potent inducer of human matrix metalloproteinases (hMMPs), which can speed up the articular joint tissue degeneration of osteoarthritis patients. Here, we report that transfections with hMMP1 luciferase reporter plasmids in fibroblast-like synoviocytes revealed that the induction of hMMP1 promoter by BCP crystals was mainly mediated through the -72AP-1 element. Elimination of the -72AP-1 element either by mutation or deletion abolished the induction of hMMP1 promoter activity by BCP crystals almost completely. Interestingly, a mutation at the -88PEA-3 site also abolished the induction of hMMP1 promoter. Further mutation at the -181AP-1 site resumed the induction, indicating that the -181AP-1 element had an effect opposite to the -72AP-1 element. The effect of -181AP-1 could be inactivated either by a mutation at this -181AP-1 site or by the -88PEA-3 element. In addition, dominant negative Ras, Raf, and MEK1/2 could block the induction of hMMP1, and a MEK1/2-specific inhibitor (UO126) could block the induction of hMMP1 and c-Fos by BCP crystals. Taken together, these data indicate that multiple elements, including at least AP-1 and PEA-3, are involved in the induction of hMMP1 gene expression by BCP crystals and that the induction follows the Ras/MAPK/c-Fos/AP-1/MMP1 signaling pathway.     

Pycnogenol attenuates the inflammatory and nitrosative stress on joint inflammation induced by urate crystals

Acute gouty arthritis results from monosodium urate (MSU) crystal deposition in joint tissues. Deposited MSU crystals induce an acute inflammatory response which leads to damage of joint tissue. Pycnogenol (PYC), an extract from the bark of Pinus maritime, has documented antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties. The present study aimed to investigate whether PYC had protective effects on MSU-induced inflammatory and nitrosative stress in joint tissues both in vitro and in vivo. MSU crystals upregulated cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), interleukin 8 (IL-8) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression in human articular chondrocytes, but only COX-2 and IL-8 in synovial fibroblasts. PYC inhibited the up-regulation of COX-2, and IL-8 in both articular chondrocytes and synovial fibroblasts. PYC attenuated MSU crystal induced iNOS gene expression and NO production in chondrocytes. Activation of NF-κB and SAPK/JNK, ERK1/2 and p38 MAP kinases by MSU crystals in articular chondrocytes and synovial fibroblasts in vitro was attenuated by treatment with PYC. The acute inflammatory cell infiltration and increased expression of COX-2 and iNOS in synovial tissue and articular cartilage following intra-articular injection of MSU crystals in a rat model was inhibited by coadministration of PYC. Collectively, this study demonstrates that PYC may be of value in treatment of MSU crystal-induced arthritis through its anti-inflammatory and anti-nitrosative activities.     

Influence of sustained mechanical stress on Egr-1 mRNA expression in cultured human endothelial cells

Restenosis after initially successful balloon angioplasty of coronary artery stenosis remains a major problem in clinical cardiology. Previous studies have identified pathogenetic factors which trigger cell proliferation and vascular remodeling ultimately leading to restenosis. Since there is evidence that endothelial cells adjacent to the angioplasty wound area synthesize factors which may initiate this process, we investigated the effects of mechanical stimulation on endothelial gene expression in vitro and focussed on the influence of sustained mechanical stress on expression of immediate early genes which have previously been shown to be induced in the vascular wall in vivo. Primary cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and the human endothelial cell line EA.hy 926 were plated on collagen-coated silicone membranes and subjected to constant longitudinal stress of approximately 20% for 10 min to 6 h. Total RNA was isolated and the expression of the immediate early genes c-Fos and Egr-1 was studied by Northern blot analysis. We found a rapid upregulation c-Fos and Egr-1 mRNA which started at 10 min and reached its maxima at 30 min. HUVEC lost most of their stretch response after the third passage whereas immediate early gene expression was constantly in EA.hy 926 cells. Using specific inhibitors we investigated the contribution of several signal transduction pathways to stretch-activated Egr-1 mRNA expression. We found significant suppression of stretch-induced Egr-1 mRNA expression by protein kinase C (PKC) inhibition (p < 0.05) and by calcium depletion (EA.hy926, p < 0. 05; HUVEC, p = 0.063). No effect on stretch-activated Egr-1 mRNA expression was detected by inhibition of protein kinase A, blockade of stretch-activated cation channels or inhibition of microtubule synthesis. We conclude that sustained mechanical strain induces Egr-1 mRNA expression by PKC- and calcium-dependent mechanisms.     

Basic calcium phosphate crystals induce monocyte/macrophage IL-1β secretion through the NLRP3 inflammasome in vitro

Basic calcium phosphate (BCP) crystals are associated with severe osteoarthritis and acute periarticular inflammation. Three main forms of BCP crystals have been identified from pathological tissues: octacalcium phosphate, carbonate-substituted apatite, and hydroxyapatite. We investigated the proinflammatory effects of these BCP crystals in vitro with special regard to the involvement of the NLRP3-inflammasome in THP-1 cells, primary human monocytes and macrophages, and mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM). THP-1 cells stimulated with BCP crystals produced IL-1β in a dose-dependent manner. Similarly, primary human cells and BMDM from wild-type mice also produced high concentrations of IL-1β after crystal stimulation. THP-1 cells transfected with short hairpin RNA against the components of the NLRP3 inflammasome and mouse BMDM from mice deficient for NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein, or caspase-1 did not produce IL-1β after BCP crystal stimulation. BCP crystals induced macrophage apoptosis/necrosis as demonstrated by MTT and flow cytometric analysis. Collectively, these results demonstrate that BCP crystals induce IL-1β secretion through activating the NLRP3 inflammasome. Furthermore, we speculate that IL-1 blockade could be a novel strategy to inhibit BCP-induced inflammation in human disease.     

Interleukin 1 (IL 1) as a mediator of crystal arthritis. Stimulation of T cell and synovial fibroblast mitogenesis by urate crystal-induced IL 1

We reported before that monosodium urate (MSU) crystals were potent stimulators of endogenous pyrogen (EP) production from human and rabbit mononuclear phagocytes, and proposed that this property of MSU crystals may be important in the pathogenesis of gout. EP activity is now attributed to interleukin 1 (IL 1) peptides but IL 1 is not the only pyrogenic monocyte-derived cytokine, since both interferon-alpha (alpha-IFN) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) are also pyrogenic in rabbits. Using a T cell comitogenic assay based on a murine helper T cell clone that does not respond to IFN or TNF, we now report the release of IL 1 activity from human blood monocytes and synovial fluid mononuclear cells (MNC), following stimulation with MSU crystals. MSU-induced supernatants with IL 1 activity were neutralized with rabbit antiserum to human IL 1 and also stimulated the growth ([3H]thymidine incorporation) of long-term fibroblast-like cell lines derived from human synovial rheumatoid exudate. Two other crystals associated with articular inflammation were tested: hydroxyapatite was a much less potent stimulus compared with MSU crystals, and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate did not stimulate IL 1 release from human monocytes or synovial fluid MNC. As a model for the inflammatory consequences of acute and chronic overproduction of IL 1, gout is the only sterile inflammatory disease where the local and systemic pathology is compatible with such overproduction; raised IL 1 levels have been found at the site of inflammation, and a necessary etiologic agent, crystalline urate, has been shown unequivocally to be a direct activator of mononuclear IL 1 release.