Nitric oxide promotes germ cell necrosis in the delayed phase after experimental testicular torsion of rat

The purpose of this study is to determine whether inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is involved in the pathogenesis of testicular ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in association with germ cell death, through either necrosis or apoptosis. Western blot analysis showed that iNOS expression was markedly increased 1 h after ischemia, and was accompanied by a huge nitric oxide (NO) production, as measured by the Griess method, with a peak at 48 h of reperfusion. Immunohistochemistry showed that iNOS was expressed predominantly in the macrophage-like cells infiltrated in the interstitial tissues of the testis. Intraperitoneal injection of aminoguanidine (AMG) (400 mg/day), the inhibitor of iNOS, reduced NO production by 57.7% at 96 h of reperfusion. Calpain activation and proteolysis of alpha-fodrin induced by I/R were inhibited by AMG. Germ cell apoptosis was demonstrated by in situ TUNEL and DNA fragmentation on agarose gel electrophoresis. Germ cell apoptosis was maximally induced at 24 h of reperfusion, and was not inhibited by AMG. NO produced by iNOS in the delayed phase of reperfusion promoted alpha-fodrin proteolysis, which is closely associated with necrosis. Inducible NOS inhibition combined with calpain inhibition may improve impaired spermatogenesis after testicular torsion.     

Cytochrome c release into cytosol with subsequent caspase activation during warm ischemia in rat liver

Apoptosis plays an important role in liver ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the molecular basis of apoptosis in I/R injury is poorly understood. The aims of this study were to ascertain when and how apoptotic signal transduction occurs in I/R injury. The apoptotic pathway in rats undergoing 90 min of warm ischemia with reperfusion was compared with that of rats undergoing prolonged ischemia alone. During ischemia, mitochondrial cytochrome c was released into the cytosol in a time-dependent manner in hepatocytes and sinusoidal endothelial cells, and caspase-3 and an inhibitor of caspase-activated DNase were cleaved. However, apoptotic manifestation and DNA fragmentation were not observed. After reperfusion, nuclear condensation, cells positive for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling, and DNA fragmentation were observed and caspase-8 and Bid cleavage occurred. In contrast, prolonged ischemia alone induced necrosis rather than apoptosis. In summary, our results show that release of mitochondrial cytochrome c and caspase activation proceed during ischemia, although apoptosis is manifested after reperfusion.     

Overexpression of TRPC3 increases apoptosis but not necrosis in response to ischemia-reperfusion in adult mouse cardiomyocytes

An increase in cytosolic Ca2+ via a capacitative calcium entry (CCE)-mediated pathway, attributed to members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) superfamily, TRPC1 and TRPC3, has been reported to play an important role in regulating cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Increased cytosolic Ca2+ also plays a critical role in mediating cell death in response to ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that overexpression of TRPC3 in cardiomyocytes will increase sensitivity to I/R injury. Adult cardiomyocytes isolated from wild-type (WT) mice and from mice overexpressing TRPC3 in the heart were subjected to 90 min of ischemia and 3 h of reperfusion. After I/R, viability was 51 +/- 1% in WT mice and 42 +/- 5% in transgenic mice (P < 0.05). Apoptosis assessed by annexin V was significantly increased in the TRPC3 group compared with WT (32 +/- 1% vs. 21 +/- 3%; P < 0.05); however, there was no significant difference in necrosis between groups. Treatment of TRPC3 cells with the CCE inhibitor SKF-96365 (0.5 microM) significantly improved cellular viability (54 +/- 4%) and decreased apoptosis (15 +/- 4%); in contrast, the L-type Ca2+ channel inhibitor verapamil (10 microM) had no effect. Calpain-mediated cleavage of alpha-fodrin was increased approximately threefold in the transgenic group following I/R compared with WT (P < 0.05); this was significantly attenuated by SKF-96365. The calpain inhibitor PD-150606 (25 microM) attenuated the increase in both alpha-fodrin cleavage and apoptosis in the TPRC3 group. Increased TRPC3 expression also increased sensitivity to Ca2+ overload stress, but it did not affect the response to TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis. These results suggest that CCE mediated via TRPC may play a role in cardiomyocyte apoptosis following I/R due, at least in part, to increased calpain activation.     

高铁血红素对心肌缺血／再灌注损伤的防护作用及其机制

目的：在大鼠急性心肌缺血／再灌ii（I／R）模型上,观察高铁血红素在钙激活中性蛋白酶（calpain）介导的心肌I／R损伤中的作用。并初步探讨其可能的机制。方法：64只雄性SD大鼠随机8组（n：8）：假手术组（sham组）、（I／R）组、MDL28170＋I／R组、单纯MDL28170组、高铁血红素＋I／R组、单纯高铁血红素组、锌原卟啉Ⅸ＋高铁血红素＋I／R组、单纯锌原卟啉Ⅸ组。采用大鼠离体心脏Langendorff灌流技术,心脏I／R后,测定左室发展压（LVDP）、心肌梗死面积、冠脉流出液中的乳酸脱氢酶（LDH）释放量。检测calpain、血红素氧化酶（HO）、和半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白酶3（caspase3）活性。Westernblot观察心肌钙蛋白酶抑制蛋白（calpastatin）蛋白表达。结果：①心肌I／R后,calpain、caspase3活性明显增高。calpain抑制剂MDL28170可抑制I／R诱导的LDH释放量增加,增高LVDP,缩小心肌梗死面积。②与单纯I／R组相比,大鼠预先给予高铁血红素后,心脏HO-1活性增加,calpain和caspase3活性下降。同时,LDH释放量减少,LVDP明显增高,心肌梗死面积缩小。③I／R组心肌calpastatin表达量明显低于对照组,高铁血红素组大鼠calpastatin表达量增高。HO-1的抑制剂锌原卟啉Ⅸ可取消高铁血红素对calpastain表达量的影响,并取消其心肌保护作用。结论：高铁血红素预处理可通过抑制calpain的激活,减轻大鼠心肌I／R损伤,其机制可能与增加calpastatin蛋白表达有关。     

Bid is cleaved by calpain to an active fragment in vitro and during myocardial ischemia/reperfusion

Reperfusion after myocardial ischemia is associated with a rapid influx of calcium, leading to activation of various enzymes including calpain. Isolated perfused adult rabbit hearts subjected to global ischemia and reperfusion were studied. Calpain or a calpain-like activity was activated within 15 min after reperfusion, and preconditioning suppressed calpain activation. In contrast, caspase activation was not detected although cytochrome c was released after ischemia and reperfusion. The pro-apoptotic BH3-only Bcl-2 family member, Bid, was cleaved during ischemia/reperfusion in the adult rabbit heart. Recombinant Bid was cleaved by calpain to a fragment that was able to mediate cytochrome c release. The calpain cleavage site was mapped to a region within Bid that is extremely susceptible to proteolysis. These findings suggest that there is cross-talk between apoptotic and necrotic pathways in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury.     

Caspase-dependent cytochrome c release and cell death in chick cardiomyocytes after simulated ischemia-reperfusion

We recently demonstrated that reperfusion rapidly induces the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis in chick cardiomyocytes after 1 h of simulated ischemia. Here we tested whether ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced apoptosis could be initiated by caspase-dependent cytochrome c release in this model of cardiomyocyte injury. Fluorometric assays of caspase activity showed little, if any, activation of caspases above baseline levels induced by 1 h of ischemia alone. However, these assays revealed rapid activation of caspase-2, yielding a 2.95 +/- 0.52-fold increase (over ischemia only) within the 1st h of reperfusion, whereas activities of caspases-3, -8, and -9 increased only slightly from their baseline levels. The rapid and prominent activation of caspase-2 suggested that it could be an important initiator caspase in this model, and using specific caspase inhibitors given only at the point of reperfusion, we tested this hypothesis. The caspase-2 inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Asp(Ome)-Val-Ala-Asp(Ome)-CH(2)F was the only caspase inhibitor that significantly inhibited cytochrome c release from mitochondria. This inhibitor also completely blocked activation of caspases-3, -8, and -9. The caspase-3/7 inhibitor transiently and only partially blocked caspase-2 activity and was less effective in blocking the activities of caspases-8 and -9. The caspase-8 inhibitor failed to significantly block caspase-2 or -3, and the caspase-9 inhibitor blocked only caspase-9. Furthermore, the caspase-2 inhibitor protected against I/R-induced cell death, but the caspase-8 inhibitor failed to do so. These data suggest that active caspase-2 initiates cytochrome c release after reperfusion and that it is critical for the I/R-induced apoptosis in this model.     

Necrosis and apoptosis: sequence of liver damage following reperfusion after 60 min ischemia in rats

This study evaluated the time-dependent modes of cell death that occur during the course of reperfusion after 60 min ischemia. The serum ALT level increased immediately after reperfusion, peaked at 6 h and then declined gradually thereafter. This was supported by the H&E staining of the liver tissues taken at 2 h reperfusion, which revealed massive peri-portal necrosis. The succinate driven mitochondrial-swelling rate, release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm, increase in caspase-3 activity and TUNEL stained tissue were measured to determine the changes in the biochemical markers of apoptosis. The biochemical markers of apoptosis increased by 2 h of reperfusion, peaked at 6 h and remained elevated throughout the 24 h reperfusion period. Cyclosporin A, an inhibitor of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), inhibited MPT opening, the release of cytochrome c and caspase-3 activation. This indicates that necrotic death occurs particularly in the peri-portal region in the initial period of reperfusion, and delayed apoptotic death occurs primarily in the peri-central region in the liver tissues undergoing I/R.     

Inhibition of 12/15 lipoxygenase by baicalein reduces myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury via modulation of multiple signaling pathways

12/15-Lipoxygenase (LOX) is a member of the LOX family that catalyzes the step from arachidonic acid to hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs). Previous studies demonstrated that 12/15-LOX plays a critical role in the development of atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart failure, and other diseases; however, its role in myocardial ischemic injury was contraversal. Here, we investigated the inhibition of 12/15-LOX by baicalein on acute cardiac injury and dissected its molecular mechanism. In a mouse model of acute ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, 12/15-LOX was significantly upregulated in the peri-infarct area surrounding the primary infarction. In cultured cardiac myocytes, baicalein suppressed apoptosis and caspase 3 activity in response to simulated ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Moreover, administration of 12/15-LOX inhibitor, baicalein, significantly attenuated myocardial infarct size induced by I/R injury. Moreover, baicalein treatment significantly inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis, inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in the heart after I/R injury. The mechanisms underlying these effects were associated with the activation of ERK1/2 and AKT pathways and inhibition of activation of p38 MAPK, JNK1/2, and NF-kB/p65 pathways in the I/R-treated hearts and neonatal cardiomyoctes. Our data indicated that 12/15-LOX inhibitor baicalein can prevent myocardial I/R injury by modulation of multiple mechanisms, and suggest that baicalein could represent a novel therapeutic drug for acute myocardial infarction.     

Calpains and proteasomes mediate degradation of ryanodine receptors in a model of cardiac ischemic reperfusion

Type-2 ryanodine receptors (RyR2) – the calcium release channels of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum – have a central role in cardiac excitation–contraction coupling. In the heart, ischemia/reperfusion causes a rapid and significant decrease in RyR2 content but the mechanisms responsible for this effect are not fully understood. We have studied the involvement of three proteolytic systems – calpains, the proteasome and autophagy – on the degradation of RyR2 in rat neonatal cardiomyocyte cultures subjected to simulated ischemia/reperfusion (sI/R). We found that 8 h of ischemia followed by 16 h of reperfusion decreased RyR2 content by 50% without any changes in RyR2 mRNA. Specific inhibitors of calpains and the proteasome prevented the decrease of RyR2 caused by sI/R, implicating both pathways in its degradation. Proteasome inhibitors also prevented the degradation of calpastatin, the endogenous calpain inhibitor, hindering the activation of calpain induced by calpastatin degradation. Autophagy was activated during sI/R as evidenced by the increase in LC3-II and beclin-1, two proteins involved in autophagosome generation, and in the emergence of GFP-LC3 containing vacuoles in adenovirus GFP-LC3 transduced cardiomyocytes. Selective autophagy inhibition, however, induced even further RyR2 degradation, making unlikely the participation of autophagy in sI/R-induced RyR2 degradation. Our results suggest that calpain activation as a result of proteasome-induced degradation of calpastatin initiates RyR2 proteolysis, which is followed by proteasome-dependent degradation of the resulting RyR2 fragments. The decrease in RyR2 content during ischemia/reperfusion may be relevant to the decrease of heart contractility after ischemia.     

Functional role of caspases in heat-induced testicular germ cell apoptosis

In the present study, we determined whether a pan caspase inhibitor could prevent or attenuate heat-induced germ cell apoptosis. Groups of five adult (8 wk old) C57BL/6 mice pretreated with vehicle (DMSO) or Quinoline-Val-Asp (Ome)-CH2-O-Ph (Q-VD-OPH), a new generation broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, were exposed once to local testicular heating (43 degrees C for 15 min) and killed 6 h later. The inhibitor (40 mg/kg body weight) or vehicle was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) 1 h before local testicular heating. Germ cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL assay and quantitated as number of apoptotic germ cells per 100 Sertoli cells at stages XI-XII. Compared with controls (16.8 +/- 3.1), mild testicular hyperthermia within 6 h resulted in a marked activation (277.3 +/- 21.6) of germ cell apoptosis, as previously reported by us. Q-VD-OPH at this dose markedly inhibited caspase 3 activation and significantly prevented (by 67.0%) heat-induced germ cell apoptosis. Q-VD-OPH-mediated rescue of germ cells was independent of cytosolic translocation of mitochondrial cytochrome c and DIABLO. Electron microscopy further revealed normal appearance of these rescued cells. Similar protection from heat-induced germ cell apoptosis was also noted after pretreatment with minocycline, a second-generation tetracycline that effectively inhibits cytochrome c release and, in turn, caspase activation. Collectively, the present study emphasizes the role of caspases in heat-induced germ cell apoptosis.     

MCU Up‐regulation contributes to myocardial ischemia‐reperfusion Injury through calpain/OPA‐1–mediated mitochondrial fusion/mitophagy Inhibition

Mitochondrial dynamic disorder is involved in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. To explore the effect of mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) on mitochondrial dynamic imbalance under I/R and its related signal pathways, a mouse myocardial I/R model and hypoxia/reoxygenation model of mouse cardiomyocytes were established. The expression of MCU during I/R increased and related to myocardial injury, enhancement of mitochondrial fission, inhibition of mitochondrial fusion and mitophagy. Suppressing MCU functions by Ru360 during I/R could reduce myocardial infarction area and cardiomyocyte apoptosis, alleviate mitochondrial fission and restore mitochondrial fusion and mitophagy. However, spermine administration, which could enhance MCU function, deteriorated the above‐mentioned myocardial cell injury and mitochondrial dynamic imbalanced. In addition, up‐regulation of MCU promoted the expression and activation of calpain‐1/2 and down‐regulated the expression of Optic atrophy type 1 (OPA1). Meantime, in transgenic mice (overexpression calpastatin, the endogenous inhibitor of calpain) I/R model and OPA1 knock‐down cultured cell. In I/R models of transgenic mice over‐expressing calpastatin, which is the endogenous inhibitor of calpain, and in H/R models with siOPA1 transfection, inhibition of calpains could enhance mitochondrial fusion and mitophagy, and inhibit excessive mitochondrion fission and apoptosis through OPA1. Therefore, we conclude that during I/R, MCU up‐regulation induces calpain activation, which down‐regulates OPA1, consequently leading to mitochondrial dynamic imbalance.     

Gadd45b prevents autophagy and apoptosis against rat cerebral neuron oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion injury

Autophagic (type II) cell death has been suggested to play pathogenetic roles in cerebral ischemia. Growth arrest and DNA damage response 45b (Gadd45b) has been shown to protect against rat brain ischemia injury through inhibiting apoptosis. However, the relationship between Gadd45b and autophagy in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains uncertain. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Gadd45b on autophagy. We adopt the oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD/R) model of rat primary cortex neurons, and lentivirus interference used to silence Gadd45b expression. Cell viability and injury assay were performed using CCK-8 and LDH kit. Autophagy activation was monitored by expression of ATG5, LC3, Beclin-1, ATG7 and ATG3. Neuron apoptosis was monitored by expression of Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved caspase3, p53 and TUNEL assay. Neuron neurites were assayed by double immunofluorescent labeling with Tuj1 and LC3B. Here, we demonstrated that the expression of Gadd45b was strongly up-regulated at 24 h after 3 h OGD treatment. ShRNA-Gadd45b increased the expression of autophagy related proteins, aggravated OGD/R-induced neuron cell apoptosis and neurites injury. ShRNA-Gadd45b co-treatment with autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) or Wortmannin partly inhibited the ratio of LC3II/LC3I, and slightly ameliorated neuron cell apoptosis under OGD/R. Furthermore, shRNA-Gadd45b inhibited the p-p38 level involved in autophagy, but increased the p-JNK level involved in apoptosis. ShRNA-Gadd45b co-treatment with p38 inhibitor obviously induced autophagy. ShRNA-Gadd45b co-treatment with JNK inhibitor alleviated neuron cell apoptosis. In conclusion, our data suggested that Gadd45b inhibited autophagy and apoptosis under OGD/R. Gadd45b may be a common regulatory protein to control autophagy and apoptosis.     

Calpain and mitochondria in ischemia/reperfusion injury

Studies of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and preconditioning have shown that ion homeostasis, particularly calcium homeostasis, is critical to limiting tissue damage. However, the relationship between ion homeostasis and specific cell death pathways has not been investigated in the context of I/R. Previously we reported that calpain cleaved Bid in the absence of detectable caspase activation (1). In this study, we have shown that an inhibitor of the sodium/hydrogen exchanger prevented calpain activation after I/R. Calpain inhibitors prevented cleavage of Bid as well as the downstream indices of cell death, including DNA strand breaks, creatine kinase (CK) release, and infarction measured by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. In contrast, the broad spectrum caspase inhibitor IDN6734 was not protective in this model. To ascertain whether mitochondrial dysfunction downstream of these events was a required step, we utilized a peptide corresponding to residues 4-23 of Bcl-x(L) conjugated to the protein transduction domain of HIV TAT (TAT-BH4), which has been shown to protect mitochondria against Ca2+-induced deltaPsi(m) loss (2). TAT-BH4 attenuated CK release and loss of TTC staining, demonstrating the role of mitochondria and a pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member in the process leading to cell death. We propose the following pathway. (i) Reperfusion results in sodium influx followed by calcium accumulation. (ii) This leads to calpain activation, which in turn leads to Bid cleavage. (iii) Bid targets the mitochondria, causing dysfunction and release of pro-apoptotic factors, resulting in DNA fragmentation and death of the cell. Ischemia/reperfusion initiates a cell death pathway that is independent of caspases but requires calpain and mitochondrial dysfunction.     

Reperfusion,not simulated ischemia,initiates intrinsic apoptosis injury in chick cardiomyocytes

Although ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) can initiate apoptosis, the timing and contribution of the mitochondrial/cytochrome c apoptosis death pathway to I/R injury is unclear. We studied the timing of cytochrome c release during I/R and whether subsequent caspase activation contributes to reperfusion injury in confluent chick cardiomyocytes. One-hour simulated ischemia followed by 3-h reperfusion resulted in significant cell death, with most cell death evident during the reperfusion phase and demonstrating mitochondrial cytochrome c release within 5 min after reperfusion. By contrast, cells exposed to prolonged ischemia for 4 h had only marginally increased cell death and no detectable cytochrome c release into the cytosol. Caspase activation could not be detected after ischemia only, but it significantly increased after reperfusion. Caspase inhibitors benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone, Ac-Asp-Gln-Thr-Asp-H, or benzyloxycarbonyl-Leu-Glu (Ome)-His-Asp-(Ome)-fluoromethyl ketone given only at reperfusion significantly attenuated cell death and resulted in return of contraction. Antixoxidants decreased cytochrome c release, nuclear condensation, and cell death. These results suggest that reperfusion oxidants initiate cytochrome c release within minutes, and apoptosis within hours, significant enough to increase cell death and contractile dysfunction.     

Caspases cleave the amino-terminal calpain inhibitory unit of calpastatin during apoptosis in human Jurkat T cells

We have previously reported the activation of procalpain mu (precursor for low-calcium-requiring calpain) in apoptotic cells using a cleavage-site-directed antibody specific to active calpain [Kikuchi, H. and Imajoh-Ohmi, S. (1995) Cell Death Differ. 2, 195-199]. In this study, calpastatin, the endogenous inhibitor protein for calpain, was cleaved to a 90-kDa polypeptide during apoptosis in human Jurkat T cells. The limited proteolysis of calpastatin preceded the autolytic activation of procalpain. Inhibitors for caspases rescued the cells from apoptosis and simultaneously inhibited the cleavage of calpastatin. The full-length recombinant calpastatin was also cleaved by caspase-3 or caspase-7 at Asp-233 into the same size fragment. Cys-241 was also targeted by these caspases in vitro but not in apoptotic cells. Caspase-digested calpastatin lost its amino-terminal inhibitory unit, and inhibited three moles of calpain per mole. Our findings suggest that caspases trigger the decontrol of calpain activity suppression by degrading calpastatin.     

N‐terminal cleavage of Bax by calpain generates a potent proapoptotic 18‐kDa fragment that promotes Bcl‐2‐independent cytochrome C release and apoptotic cell death

Upon apoptosis induction, the proapoptotic protein Bax is translocated from the cytosol to mitochondria, where it promotes release of cytochrome c, a caspase‐activating protein. However, the molecular mechanisms by which Bax triggers cytochrome c release are unknown. Here we report that before the initiation of apoptotic execution by etoposide or staurosporin, an active calpain activity cleaves Bax at its N‐terminus, generating a potent proapoptotic 18‐kDa fragment (Bax/p18). Both the calpain‐mediated Bax cleavage activity and the Bax/p18 fragment were found in the mitochondrial membrane‐enriched fraction. Cleavage of Bax was followed by release of mitochondrial cytochrome c, activation of caspase‐3, cleavage of poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase, and fragmentation of DNA. Unlike the full‐length Bax, Bax/p18 did not interact with the antiapoptotic Bcl‐2 protein in the mitochondrial fraction of drug‐treated cells. Pretreatment with a specific calpain inhibitor calpeptin inhibited etoposide‐induced calpain activation, Bax cleavage, cytochrome c release, and caspase‐3 activation. In contrast, transfection of a cloned Bax/p18 cDNA into multiple human cancer cell lines targeted Bax/p18 to mitochondria, which was accompanied by release of cytochrome c and induction of caspase‐3‐mediated apoptosis that was not blocked by overexpression of Bcl‐2 protein. Therefore, Bax/p18 has a cytochrome c–releasing activity that promotes cell death independent of Bcl‐2. Finally, Bcl‐2 overexpression inhibited etoposide‐induced calpain activation, Bax cleavage, cytochrome c release, and apoptosis. Our results suggest that the mitochondrial calpain plays an essential role in apoptotic commitment by cleaving Bax and generating the Bax/p18 fragment, which in turn mediates cytochrome c release and initiates the apoptotic execution. J. Cell. Biochem. 80:53–72, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

A1 adenosine receptor overexpression attenuates ischemia-reperfusion-induced apoptosis and caspase 3 activity

We tested the hypothesis that myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced apoptosis is attenuated in transgenic mice overexpressing cardiac A(1) adenosine receptors. Isolated hearts from transgenic (TG, n = 19) and wild-type (WT, n = 22) mice underwent 30 min of ischemia and 2 h of reperfusion, with evaluation of apoptosis, caspase 3 activity, function, and necrosis. I/R-induced apoptosis was attenuated in TG hearts. TG hearts had less I/R-induced apoptotic nuclei (0.88 +/- 0.10% vs. 4.22 +/- 0.24% terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive cells in WT, P < 0.05), less DNA fragmentation (3.30 +/- 0.38-fold vs. 4.90 +/- 0.39-fold over control in WT, P < 0.05), and less I/R-induced caspase 3 activity (145 +/- 25% over nonischemic control vs. 234 +/- 31% in WT, P < 0.05). TG hearts also had improved recovery of function and less necrosis than WT hearts. In TG hearts pretreated with LY-294002 (3 microM) to evaluate the role of phosphosinositol-3-kinase in acute signaling, there was no change in the functional protection or apoptotic response to I/R. These data suggest that cardioprotection with transgenic overexpression of A(1) adenosine receptors involves attenuation of I/R-induced apoptosis that does not involve acute signaling through phosphoinositol-3-kinase.     

Calpain inhibitor-1 protects the rat heart from ischemia-reperfusion injury: analysis by mechanical work and energetics

We hypothesized that calpain inhibitor-1 protected left ventricular (LV) function from ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting the proteolysis of alpha-fodrin. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effect of calpain inhibitor-1 on LV mechanical work and energetics in the cross-circulated rat hearts that underwent 15-min global ischemia and 60-min reperfusion (n = 9). After ischemia-reperfusion with calpain inhibitor-1, mean end-systolic pressure at midrange LV volume and systolic pressure-volume area (PVA) at midrange LV volume (total mechanical energy per beat) were hardly changed, although they were significantly (P < 0.01) decreased after ischemia-reperfusion without calpain inhibitor-1. Mean myocardial oxygen consumption per beat (Vo(2)) intercepts (PVA-independent Vo(2); Vo(2) for the total Ca(2+) handling in excitation-contraction coupling and basal metabolism) of Vo(2)-PVA linear relations were also unchanged after ischemia-reperfusion with calpain inhibitor-1, although they were significantly (P < 0.01) decreased after ischemia-reperfusion without calpain inhibitor-1. There were no significant differences in O(2) costs of LV PVA and contractility among the hearts in control (or normal) postischemia-reperfusion and postischemia-reperfusion with calpain inhibitor-1. Western blot analysis of alpha-fodrin and the immunostaining of 150-kDa products of alpha-fodrin confirmed that calpain inhibitor-1 almost completely protected the proteolysis of alpha-fodrin. Our results indicate that calpain inhibitor-1 prevents the heart from ischemia-reperfusion injury associated with the impairment of total Ca(2+) handling by directly inhibiting the proteolysis of alpha-fodrin.     

Diospyrin derivative, an anticancer quinonoid, regulates apoptosis at endoplasmic reticulum as well as mitochondria by modulating cytosolic calcium in human breast carcinoma cells

Diospyrin diethylether (D7), a bisnaphthoquinonoid derivative, exhibited an oxidative stress-dependent apoptosis in several human cancer cells and tumor models. The present study was aimed at evaluation of the increase in cytosolic calcium [Ca(2+)](c) leading to the apoptotic cell death triggered by D7 in MCF7 human breast carcinoma cells. A phosphotidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC) inhibitor, viz. U73122, and an antioxidant, viz. N-acetylcysteine, could significantly prevent the D7-induced rise in [Ca(2+)](c) and PC-PLC activity. Using an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Ca(2+) mobilizer (thapsigargin) and an ER-IP3R antagonist (heparin), results revealed ER as a major source of [Ca(2+)](c) which led to the activation of calpain and caspase12, and cleavage of fodrin. These effects including apoptosis were significantly inhibited by the pretreatment of Bapta-AM (a cell permeable Ca(2+)-specific chelator), or calpeptin (a calpain inhibitor). Furthermore, D7-induced [Ca(2+)](c) was found to alter mitochondrial membrane potential and induce cytochrome c release, which was inhibited by either Bapta-AM or ruthenium red (an inhibitor of mitochondrial Ca(2+) uniporter). Thus, these results provided a deeper insight into the D7-induced redox signaling which eventually integrated the calcium-dependent calpain/caspase12 activation and mitochondrial alterations to accentuate the induction of apoptotic cell death.