Anti-herpes virus activities of Achyranthes aspera: An Indian ethnomedicine,and its triterpene acid

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiviral potential of methanolic extract (ME) of Achyranthes aspera, an Indian folk medicine and one of its pure compound oleanolic acid (OA) against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). The ME possessed weak anti-herpes virus activity (EC₅₀ 64.4 μg/ml for HSV-1 and 72.8 μg/ml for HSV-2). While OA exhibited potent antiherpesvirus activity against both HSV-1 (EC₅₀ 6.8 μg/ml) and HSV-2 (EC₅₀ 7.8 μg/ml). The time response study revealed that the antiviral activity of ME and OA is highest at 2–6 h post infection. The infected and drug-treated peritoneal macrophage at specific time showed increased level of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL6 and IL12). Further, the PCR of DNA from infected cultures treated with ME and OA, at various time intervals, failed to show amplification at 48–72 h, similar to that of HSV infected cells treated with acyclovir, indicating that the ME and OA probably inhibit the early stage of multiplication (post infection of 2–6 h). Thus, our study demonstrated that ME and OA have good anti-HSV activity, with SI values of 12, suggesting the potential use of this plant.     

Ca2+ influx mechanisms in caveolae vesicles of pulmonary smooth muscle plasma membrane under inhibition of α2β1 isozyme of Na+/K+-ATPase by ouabain

AimsWe sought to determine the mechanisms of an increase in Ca²⁺ level in caveolae vesicles in pulmonary smooth muscle plasma membrane during Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase inhibition by ouabain.Main methodsThe caveolae vesicles isolated by density gradient centrifugation were characterized by electron microscopic and immunologic studies and determined ouabain induced increase in Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ levels in the vesicles with fluorescent probes, SBFI-AM and Fura2-AM, respectively.Key findingsWe identified the α₂β₁ and α₁β₁ isozymes of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase in caveolae vesicles, and only the α₁β₁ isozyme in noncaveolae fraction of the plasma membrane. The α₂-isoform contributes solely to the enzyme inhibition in the caveolae vesicles at 40 nM ouabain. Methylisobutylamiloride (Na⁺/H⁺-exchange inhibitor) and tetrodotoxin (voltage-gated Na⁺-channel inhibitor) pretreatment prevented ouabain induced increase in Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ levels. Ouabain induced increase in Ca²⁺ level was markedly, but not completely, inhibited by KB-R7943 (reverse-mode Na⁺/Ca²⁺-exchange inhibitor) and verapamil (L-type Ca²⁺-channel inhibitor). However, pretreatment with tetrodotoxin in conjunction with KB-R7943 and verapamil blunted ouabain induced increase in Ca²⁺ level in the caveolae vesicles, indicating that apart from Na⁺/Ca⁺-exchanger and L-type Ca²⁺-channels, “slip-mode conductance” of Na⁺ channels could also be involved in this scenario.SignificanceInhibition of α₂ isoform of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase by ouabain plays a crucial role in modulating the Ca²⁺ influx regulatory components in the caveolae microdomain for marked increase in (Ca²⁺)_i in the smooth muscle, which could be important for the manifestation of pulmonary hypertension.     

Nuclear co-translocation of myotrophin and p65 stimulates myocyte growth. Regulation by myotrophin hairpin loops

Myotrophin, a 12-kDa ankyrin repeat protein, stimulates protein synthesis and cardiomyocyte growth to initiate cardiac hypertrophy by activating the NF-kappaB signaling cascade. We found that, after internalization into myocytes, myotrophin cotranslocates into the nucleus with p65 to stimulate myocyte growth. We used structure-based mutations on the hairpin loops of myotrophin to determine the effect of the loops on myotrophin and p65 localization, induction of protein synthesis, and cardiac hypertrophy. Loop mutants, most prominently glutamic acid 33-->alanine (E33A), stimulated protein synthesis much less than wild type. Myotrophin-E33A internalized into myocytes but did not translocate into the nucleus and failed to promote nuclear translocation of p65. In addition, two cardiac hypertrophy marker genes, atrial natriuretic factor and beta-myosin heavy chain, were not up-regulated in E33A-treated cells. Myotrophin-induced myocyte growth and initiation of hypertrophy thus require nuclear co-translocation of myotrophin and p65, in a manner that depends crucially on the myotrophin hairpin loops.     

Prevention of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure by silencing of NF-kappaB

Activation of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathway may be associated with the development of cardiac hypertrophy and its transition to heart failure (HF). The transgenic Myo-Tg mouse develops hypertrophy and HF as a result of overexpression of myotrophin in the heart associated with an elevated level of NF-κB activity. Using this mouse model and an NF-κB-targeted gene array, we first determined the components of NF-κB signaling cascade and the NF-κB-linked genes that are expressed during the progression to cardiac hypertrophy and HF. Second, we explored the effects of inhibition of NF-κB signaling events by using a gene knockdown approach: RNA interference through delivery of a short hairpin RNA against NF-κB p65 using a lentiviral vector (L-sh-p65). When the short hairpin RNA was delivered directly into the hearts of 10-week-old Myo-Tg mice, there was a significant regression of cardiac hypertrophy, associated with a significant reduction in NF-κB activation and atrial natriuretic factor expression. Our data suggest, for the first time, that inhibition of NF-κB using direct gene delivery of sh-p65 RNA results in regression of cardiac hypertrophy. These data validate NF-κB as a therapeutic target to prevent hypertrophy/HF.     

The efficacy of a novel insecticidal protein, Allium sativum leaf lectin (ASAL), against homopteran insects monitored in transgenic tobacco

The homopteran group of polyphagous sucking insect pests causes severe damage to many economically important plants including tobacco. Allium sativum leaf lectin (ASAL), a mannose-binding 25-kDa homodimeric protein, has recently been found to be antagonistic to various sucking insects in the homopteran group through artificial diet bioassay experiments. The present study describes, for the first time, the expression of the ASAL coding sequence under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter in tobacco by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation technology. Molecular analyses demonstrated the integration of the chimeric ASAL gene in tobacco and its inheritance in the progeny plants. Western blot analysis followed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) determined the level of ASAL expression in different lines to be in the range of approximately 0.68%-2% of total soluble plant protein. An in planta bioassay conducted with Myzus persicae, peach potato aphid (a devastating pest of tobacco and many other important plants), revealed that the percentage of insect survival decreased significantly to 16%-20% in T0 plants and T1 progeny, whilst approximately 75% of insects survived on untransformed tobacco plants after 144 h of incubation. Ligand analyses of insect brush border membrane vesicle receptors and expressed ASAL in transgenic tobacco showed that the expressed ASAL binds to the aphid gut receptor in the same manner as native ASAL, pointing to the fact that ASAL maintains the biochemical characteristics even in the transgenic situation. These findings in a model plant open up the possibility of expressing the novel ASAL gene in a wide range of crop plants susceptible to various sap-sucking insects.     

Role of MMP-2 in inhibiting Na+ dependent Ca2+ uptake by H2O2 in microsomes isolated from pulmonary smooth muscle

Treatment of microsomes (preferentially enriched with endoplasmic reticulum) isolated from bovine pulmonary artery smooth muscle tissue with H₂O₂ (1 mM) markedly stimulated matrix metalloproteinase activity and also inhibited Na⁺ dependent Ca²⁺ uptake. Electron micrograph revealed that H₂O₂ (1 mM) does not cause any damage to the microsomes. MMP-2 and TIMP-2 were determined to be the ambient protease and corresponding antiprotease of the microsomes. Pretreatment with vitamin E (1 mM) and TIMP-2 (50 g/ml) reversed the effect produced by H₂O₂ (1 mM) on Na⁺ dependent Ca²⁺ uptake in the microsomes. However, H₂O₂ (1 mM) caused changes in MMP-2 activity and Na⁺ dependent Ca²⁺ uptake were not reversed upon pretreatment of the microsomes with a low concentration of 5 g/ml of TIMP-2 which otherwise reversed MMP-2 (1 g/ml) mediated increase in ¹⁴C-gelatin degradation and inhibition of Na⁺ dependent Ca²⁺ uptake. Combined treatment of the microsomes with a low dose of MMP-2 (0.5 g/ml) and H₂O₂ (0.5 mM) inhibited Na⁺ dependent Ca²⁺ uptake in the microsomes compared to the respective low dose of either of them. Direct treatment of TIMP-2 (5 g/ml) with H₂O₂ (1 mM) abolished the inhibitory effect of the inhibitor on ¹⁴C-gelatinolytic activity elicited by 1 g/ml of MMP-2. Thus, one of the mechanisms by which H₂O₂ activates MMP-2 could be due to inactivation of TIMP-2 by the oxidant. The resulting activation of MMP-2 subsequently inhibits Na⁺ dependent Ca²⁺ uptake in the microsomes. (Mol Cell Biochem 270: 79–87, 2005)