Abstract-Reactive oxygen species have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, hypertension, and restenosis, in part by promoting vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) growth. Many VSMC growth factors are secreted by VSMC and act in an autocrine manner. Here we demonstrate that cyclophilin A (CyPA), a member of the immunophilin family, is secreted by VSMCs in response to oxidative stress and mediates extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) activation and VSMC growth by reactive oxygen species. Human recombinant CyPA can mimic the effects of secreted CyPA to stimulate ERK1/2 and cell growth. The peptidyl-prolyl isomerase activity is required for ERK1/2 activation by CyPA. In vivo, CyPA expression and secretion are increased by oxidative stress and vascular injury. These findings are the first to identify CyPA as a secreted redox-sensitive mediator, establish CyPA as a VSMC growth factor, and suggest an important role for CyPA and enzymes with peptidyl-prolyl isomerase activity in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases. (Circ Res. 2000;87:789 -796.)Key Words: oxidative stress Ⅲ cyclophilin Ⅲ secretion Ⅲ mitogen-activated protein kinase Ⅲ smooth muscle cells R eactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, hypertension, and restenosis, in part by promoting vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) growth. [1][2][3][4] We have previously reported that ROS stimulate VSMC growth and DNA synthesis. 5 This proliferation was associated with stimulation of protein kinases, especially the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2, also termed p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinases [MAPKs]). 4 ERK1/2 are stimulated by growth factors and cytokines and play pivotal roles in cell growth and differentiation. 6,7 Activation of ERK1/2 by ROS generators, such as the napthoquinolinedione LY83583, menadione, and xanthine/xanthine oxidase as well as H 2 O 2 , was biphasic; an early peak of ERK1/2 activity was present at 5 to 10 minutes, whereas a delayed ERK1/2 activation appeared at 2 hours. 8 A similar biphasic activation of ERK1/2 has been reported for mitogens such as fibroblast growth factor. 9 Recently, the delayed ERK1/2 activation has been reported to be mediated by different mechanisms than the early ERK1/2 activation and to be critical for cell cycle progression and cell proliferation. 9,10 Increasing evidence suggests that secretion of growth factors in response to VSMC agonists mediates their mitogenic activity. For example, epiregulin, an epidermal growth factor-related growth factor, is a potent VSMC-secreted mitogen whose expression is regulated by angiotensin II, endothelin-1, and thrombin. 11 These same agonists also stimulate secretion of other growth factors, including plateletderived growth factor 12,13 and transforming growth factor-␤. 14 However, no factors have been identified as mediators of VSMC proliferation in response to ROS.We hypothesized that in response to ROS, VSMCs may secrete factors that participate in autocrine and paracrine growth mecha...

Reactive oxygen species have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and hypertension, in part by promoting vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) growth. We have previously shown that LY83583, a generator of O 2 . , activated extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) with early (10 min) and late (2 h) peaks and stimulated VSMC growth. To investigate whether secreted oxidative stress-induced factors (termed SOXF) from VSMC were responsible for late ERK1/2 activation in response to LY83583, we purified putative SOXF proteins from conditioned medium (2 h of LY83583 exposure) by sequential chromatography based on activation of ERK1/2. Proteins identified by capillary chromatography, electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, and data base searching included heat shock protein 90-␣ (HSP90-␣) and cyclophilin B. Western blot analysis of conditioned medium showed specific secretion of HSP90-␣ but not HSP90-␤. Immunodepletion of HSP90-␣ from conditioned medium significantly inhibited conditioned medium-induced ERK1/2 activation. Human recombinant HSP90-␣ reproduced the effect of conditioned medium on ERK1/2 activation. These results show that brief oxidative stress causes sustained release of protein factors from VSMC that can stimulate ERK1/2. These factors may be important mediators for the effects of reactive oxygen species on vascular function.Oxidative stress has become recognized as an important stimulus for the vessel wall. Increasing evidence suggests that increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) 1 is pathogenic for vascular diseases including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and the response to injury (1). The increase in ROS formation may occur by changes in neurohormonal state (activation of the renin angiotensin system), hemodynamic parameters (hypertension, increase stretch), and cell-cell interactions (decreased nitric oxide formation by endothelium or increased breakdown of cyclic GMP by VSMC). Recent studies have provided mechanistic insight into mediators for increased ROS with a primary focus on induction and/or activation of NAD(P)H oxidase and changes in glutathione biosynthesis (1, 2). However, there has been a relative paucity of investigation into the adaptive responses by which the vessel wall attempts to compensate for the increase in ROS. One logical mechanism for endothelial cells and VSMC to respond to ROS would be to produce autocrine/paracrine signals that enhanced cell survival or stimulated pathways that protected cells from the damaging effects of ROS. VSMC are particularly likely to secrete protective factors that also promote cell survival based on previous studies that demonstrate secretion of a number of growth factors from VSMC in response to various stimuli. These growth factors include adrenomedullin, endothelin, epiregulin, FGF, Gas6, PDGF, and TGF-␤ (3-8).The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) respond to diverse stimuli, including growth factors and reactive oxygen species, and transduce signals from the cell membrane to the nucleus (9, ...

Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10) is primarily expressed in the normal human colon and small intestine but overexpressed in liver and lung cancer. Our previous studies have shown that AKR1B10 mediates the ubiquitin-dependent degradation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase-␣. In this study, we demonstrate that AKR1B10 is critical to cell survival. In human colon carcinoma cells (HCT-8) and lung carcinoma cells (NCI-H460), small-interfering RNA-induced AKR1B10 silencing resulted in caspase-3-mediated apoptosis. In these cells, the total and subspecies of cellular lipids, particularly of phospholipids, were decreased by more than 50%, concomitant with 2-3-fold increase in reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial cytochrome c efflux, and caspase-3 cleavage. AKR1B10 silencing also increased the levels of ␣,␤-unsaturated carbonyls, leading to the 2-3-fold increase of cellular lipid peroxides. Supplementing the HCT-8 cells with palmitic acid (80 M), the end product of fatty acid synthesis, partially rescued the apoptosis induced by AKR1B10 silencing, whereas exposing the HCT-8 cells to epalrestat, an AKR1B10 inhibitor, led to more than 2-fold elevation of the intracellular lipid peroxides, resulting in apoptosis. These data suggest that AKR1B10 affects cell survival through modulating lipid synthesis, mitochondrial function, and oxidative status, as well as carbonyl levels, being an important cell survival protein.Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 (AKR1B10, 2 also designated aldose reductase-like-1, ARL-1) is primarily expressed in the human colon, small intestine, and adrenal gland, with a low level in the liver (1-3). However, this protein is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma, cervical cancer, lung squamous cell carcinoma, and lung adenocarcinoma in smokers, being a potential diagnostic and/or prognostic marker (1, 2, 4 -6).The biological function of AKR1B10 in the intestine and adrenal gland, as well as its role in tumor development and progression, remains unclear. AKR1B10 is a monomeric enzyme that efficiently catalyzes the reduction to corresponding alcohols of a range of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes and ketones, including highly electrophilic ␣,␤-unsaturated carbonyls and antitumor drugs containing carbonyl groups, with NADPH as a co-enzyme (1, 7-12). The electrophilic carbonyls are constantly produced by lipid peroxidation, particularly in oxidative conditions, and are highly cytotoxic; through interaction with proteins, peptides, and DNA, the carbonyls cause protein dysfunction and DNA damage (breaks and mutations), resulting in mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, or apoptosis (10, 13-19). AKR1B10 also shows strong enzymatic activity toward all-trans-retinal, 9-cis-retinal, and 13-cis-retinal, reducing them to the corresponding retinols, which may regulate the intracellular retinoic acid, a signaling molecule modulating cell proliferation and differentiation (6, 20 -23). In lung cancer, AKR1B10 expression is correlated with the patient smoking history and activates procarcinogens in cigarette sm...

Recent studies have demonstrated that aldo-keto reductase family 1 B10 (AKR1B10), a novel protein overexpressed in human hepatocellular carcinoma and non-small cell lung carcinoma, may facilitate cancer cell growth by detoxifying intracellular reactive carbonyls. This study presents a novel function of AKR1B10 in tumorigenic mammary epithelial cells (RAO-3), regulating fatty acid synthesis. In RAO-3 cells, Sephacryl-S 300 gel filtration and DEAE-Sepharose ion exchange chromatography demonstrated that AKR1B10 exists in two distinct forms, monomers (ϳ40 kDa) bound to DEAE-Sepharose column and protein complexes (ϳ300 kDa) remaining in flow-through. Co-immunoprecipitation with AKR1B10 antibody and protein mass spectrometry analysis identified that AKR1B10 associates with acetyl-CoA carboxylase-␣ (ACCA), a rate-limiting enzyme of de novo fatty acid synthesis. This association between AKR1B10 and ACCA proteins was further confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation with ACCA antibody and pulldown assays with recombinant AKR1B10 protein. Intracellular fluorescent studies showed that AKR1B10 and ACCA proteins colocalize in the cytoplasm of RAO-3 cells. More interestingly, small interfering RNA-mediated AKR1B10 knock down increased ACCA degradation through ubiquitination-proteasome pathway and resulted in >50% decrease of fatty acid synthesis in RAO-3 cells. These data suggest that AKR1B10 is a novel regulator of the biosynthesis of fatty acid, an essential component of the cell membrane, in breast cancer cells.Aldo-keto reductase family 1 B10 (AKR1B10, 2 also designated aldose reductase-like-1, ARL-1) is a novel protein identified from human hepatocellular carcinoma (1). This protein belongs to the aldo-keto reductase superfamily, a group of proteins implicated in intracellular detoxification, cell carcinogenesis, and cancer therapeutics (2-5). AKR1B10 is primarily expressed in the colon and small intestine with low levels in the liver, thymus, prostate, and testis (1). However, this gene is overexpressed in 54% of human hepatocellular carcinoma, 84.4% of lung squamous cell carcinoma, and 29.2% of lung adenocarcinoma in smokers, making it a potential diagnostic and/or prognostic marker (1, 6, 7). AKR1B10 is an enzyme that efficiently catalyzes the reduction of carbonyls to corresponding alcohols with NADPH as a co-enzyme (1). Recent studies demonstrate that AKR1B10 expression facilitates growth of cancer cells, enhances their clonogenic capability, and reduces their susceptibility to reactive carbonyls such as acrolein and crotonaldehyde (8, 9). In vitro, AKR1B10 also shows strong enzymatic activity toward all-trans-retinal, 9-cis-retinal, and 13-cis-retinal, reducing them to the corresponding retinols. The diversity of retinal metabolism may diminish intracellular retinoic acid, a signaling molecule regulating cell proliferation and differentiation (4, 10).The current study presents a novel biological function of AKR1B10, regulating long chain fatty acid synthesis, in human breast cancer cells. During tumorigenic transformatio...

Aldo-keto reductase 1B10 (AKR1B10) is a secretory protein that is upregulated with tumorigenic transformation of human mammary epithelial cells. This study demonstrated that AKR1B10 was overexpressed in 20 (71.4%) of 28 ductal carcinomas in situ, 184 (83.6%) of 220 infiltrating carcinomas and 28 (87.5%) of 32 recurrent tumors. AKR1B10 expression in breast cancer was correlated positively with tumor size (p 5 0.0012) and lymph node metastasis (p 5 0.0123) but inversely with disease-related survival (p 5 0.0120). Univariate (p 5 0.0077) and multivariate (p 5 0.0192) analyses both suggested that AKR1B10, alone or together with tumor size and node status, is a significant prognostic factor for breast cancer. Silencing of AKR1B10 in BT-20 human breast cancer cells inhibited cell growth in culture and tumorigenesis in female nude mice. Importantly, AKR1B10 in the serum of breast cancer patients was significantly increased to 15.18 6 9.08 ng/ml [n 5 50; 95% confidence interval (CI), 12.60-17.76], with a high level up to 58.4 ng/ml, compared to 3.34 6 2.27 ng/ml in healthy donors (n 5 60; 95% CI, 2.78-3.90). In these patients, AKR1B10 levels in serum were correlated with its expression in tumors (r 5 0.8066; p < 0.0001). Together our data suggests that AKR1B10 is overexpressed in breast cancer and may be a novel prognostic factor and serum marker for this deadly disease.

Oxidative stress has long been known as a pathogenic factor of ulcerative colitis (UC) and colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC), but the effects of secondary carbonyl lesions receive less emphasis. In inflammatory conditions, reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide anion free radical (O2 ∙−), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and hydroxyl radical (HO∙), are produced at high levels and accumulated to cause oxidative stress (OS). In oxidative status, accumulated ROS can cause protein dysfunction and DNA damage, leading to gene mutations and cell death. Accumulated ROS could also act as chemical messengers to activate signaling pathways, such as NF-κB and p38 MAPK, to affect cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. More importantly, electrophilic carbonyl compounds produced by lipid peroxidation may function as secondary pathogenic factors, causing further protein and membrane lesions. This may in turn exaggerate oxidative stress, forming a vicious cycle. Electrophilic carbonyls could also cause DNA mutations and breaks, driving malignant progression of UC. The secondary lesions caused by carbonyl compounds may be exceptionally important in the case of host carbonyl defensive system deficit, such as aldo-keto reductase 1B10 deficiency. This review article updates the current understanding of oxidative stress and carbonyl lesions in the development and progression of UC and CAC.

Background: Numerous man-made pollutants activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and are risk factors for type 2 diabetes. AhR signaling also affects molecular clock genes to influence glucose metabolism.Objective: We investigated mechanisms by which AhR activation affects glucose metabolism.Methods: Glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and expression of peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-α (PPAR-α) and genes affecting glucose metabolism or fatty acid oxidation and clock gene rhythms were investigated in wild-type (WT) and AhR-deficient [knockout (KO)] mice. AhR agonists and small interfering RNA (siRNA) were used to examine the effect of AhR on PPAR-α expression and glycolysis in the liver cell line Hepa-1c1c7 (c7) and its c12 and c4 derivatives. Brain, muscle ARNT-like protein 1 (Bmal1) siRNA and Ahr or Bmal1 expression plasmids were used to analyze the effect of BMAL1 on PPAR-α expression in c7 cells.Results: KO mice displayed enhanced insulin sensitivity and improved glucose tolerance, accompanied by decreased PPAR-α and key gluconeogenic and fatty acid oxidation enzymes. AhR agonists increased PPAR-α expression in c7 cells. Both Ahr and Bmal1 siRNA reduced PPAR-α and metabolism genes. Moreover, rhythms of BMAL1 and blood glucose were altered in KO mice.Conclusions: These results indicate a link between AhR signaling, circadian rhythms, and glucose metabolism. Furthermore, hepatic activation of the PPAR-α pathway provides a mechanism underlying AhR-mediated insulin resistance.

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