During the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the synovial fibroblasts increase in number and produce proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that function to promote inflammation and joint destruction. Recent investigations have suggested that cell cycle activity and inflammation may be linked. However, little is known about the mechanisms responsible for the coordinate regulation of proliferation and the expression of proinflammatory molecules in RA synovial fibroblasts. Here, we demonstrate a 50 ± 10% decrease in the expression of p21, a cell cycle inhibitor, in the synovial fibroblast population from RA compared with osteoarthritis (OA) synovial tissue. Moreover, p21 positivity in the synovial fibroblasts inversely correlates with medium synovial lining thickness (r = −0.76; p < 0.02). The expression of p21 is also reduced in isolated RA synovial fibroblasts compared with OA synovial fibroblasts. Adenovirus-mediated delivery of p21 (Ad-p21) arrests both RA and OA synovial fibroblasts in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle without inducing cytotoxicity. However, the spontaneous production of IL-6 and MMP-1 is suppressed only in the Ad-p21-infected RA synovial fibroblasts, indicating a novel role for p21 in RA. Analyses of p21-deficient mouse synovial fibroblasts reveal a 100-fold increase in IL-6 protein and enhance IL-6 and MMP-3 mRNA. Restoration of p21, but not overexpression of Rb, which also induces G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, decreases IL-6 synthesis in p21-null synovial fibroblasts. Furthermore, in RA synovial fibroblasts the ectopic expression of p21 reduces activation of the AP-1 transcription factor. Additionally, p21-null synovial fibroblasts display enhanced activation of AP-1 compared with wild-type synovial fibroblasts. These data suggest that alterations in p21 expression may activate AP-1 leading to enhanced proinflammatory cytokine and MMP production and development of autoimmune disease.
Abrogation of ubiquitin/proteasome-dependent turnover of p53 is critical for its activation. UbL-UBA proteins, including human homolog of Rad23 (hHR23) proteins, may regulate proteasomal degradation of substrates such as p53, due to their ability to interact with both ubiquitinated substrates and the proteasome. siRNAmediated depletion of hHR23A or hHR23B in human cell lines accelerated p53 degradation. In contrast, overexpression of hHR23 proteins led to the accumulation of ubiquitinated p53, and purified hHR23 proteins also blocked p53 proteasome degradation in vitro. An hHR23-MDM2 complex was identified, suggesting that MDM2 and hHR23 cooperate in the regulation of p53 proteasome degradation. Consistent with this hypothesis, an MDM2 mutant that demonstrated increased binding in vivo to hHR23A was able to ubiquitinate, but not degrade p53. Moreover, the defective phenotype of this MDM2 mutant was rescued by siRNA knockdown of hHR23A. Our data indicate that MDM2 acts at a step in the p53 degradation pathway after ubiquitination, to counteract hHR23 inhibition of p53 turnover. Moreover, our data suggest the possibility that ubiquitin ligase/UbL-UBA protein complexes, as exemplified by the MDM2/hHR23 complex, may serve a general role in regulating substrate degradation by the proteasome.
Fetal urine flow is influenced by fetal intravascular volume, glomerular filtration rate, tubular reabsorption, and fluid regulatory hormones. As maternal-to-fetal fluid transfer is dependent on hydrostatic and osmotic gradients, we postulated that a chronic decrease in maternal plasma osmolality would promote transplacental fluid transfer and increase fetal urine flow. Six pregnant ewes and singleton fetuses (131 +/- 2 days; term = 150 days) received bladder and hindlimb arterial and venous catheters. After 5 days, plasma and urine composition, urine flow rate (Uvol), and plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) levels were measured during a 2-h control period. At 2 h, tap water (2 liter, 38 degrees C) was administered to the ewe. At 3 h, ewes received a 20-micrograms bolus of 1-desamino-[D-Arg8]vasopressin (DDAVP), followed by continuous infusion (4 micrograms/h). In response to water loading, maternal urine osmolality decreased (761 +/- 158 to 339 +/- 13 mosmol/kgH2O), and Uvol increased. After DDAVP, maternal urine osmolality increased (1,270 +/- 89 mosmol/kgH2O), and Uvol, hematocrit, plasma osmolality (304 +/- 1 to 284 +/- 4 mosmol/kgH2O), and protein concentration decreased. Five hours after maternal DDAVP infusion, fetal plasma osmolality decreased (300 +/- 1 to 281 +/- 3 mosmol/kgH2O), and Uvol increased (0.4 +/- 0.1 to 1.3 +/- 0.2 ml/min) and remained elevated at 24 h. There was no change in fetal plasma DDAVP (immunoreactive AVP) levels or fetal urine osmolality. Controlled changes in maternal plasma osmolality may prove useful in modulating fetal urine flow and, ultimately, amniotic fluid volume.
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