Summary Apoptosis and necrosis are two major forms of cell death observed in normal and disease pathologies. Although there are many assays for detection of apoptosis, relatively few assays are available for measuring necrosis. A key signature for necrotic cells is the permeabilization of plasma membrane. This event can be quantified in tissue culture settings by measuring the release of the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). When combined with other methods, measuring LDH release is a useful method for detection of necrosis. In this chapter, we describe the step-by-step procedure for detection of LDH release from necrotic cells using a microtiter plate based colorimetric absorbance assay.

Diseases that cause hemolysis or myonecrosis lead to the leakage of large amounts of heme proteins. Free heme has proinflammatory and cytotoxic effects. Heme induces TLR4-dependent production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), whereas heme cytotoxicity has been attributed to its ability to intercalate into cell membranes and cause oxidative stress. We show that heme caused early macrophage death characterized by the loss of plasma membrane integrity and morphologic features resembling necrosis. Heme-induced cell death required TNFR1 and TLR4/MyD88-dependent TNF production. Addition of TNF to Tlr4 ؊/؊ or to Myd88 ؊/؊ macrophages restored hemeinduced cell death. The use of necrostatin-1, a selective inhibitor of receptor-interacting protein 1 (RIP1, also known as RIPK1), or cells deficient in Rip1 or Rip3 revealed a critical role for RIP proteins in heme-induced cell death. Serum, antioxidants, iron chelation, or inhibition of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) ameliorated heme-induced oxidative burst and blocked macrophage cell death. Macrophages from heme oxygenase-1 deficient mice (Hmox1 ؊/؊ ) had increased oxidative stress and were more sensitive to heme. Taken together, these results revealed that heme induces macrophage necrosis through 2 synergistic mechanisms: TLR4/Myd88-dependent expression of TNF and TLR4-independent generation of ROS. (Blood. 2012;119(10): 2368-2375) IntroductionThe term programmed cell death was used for many years as a synonym of apoptosis, whereas necrosis in the opposite extreme was considered an abrupt and uncontrolled type of cell death. However, recent evidence clearly shows that several nonapoptotic cell death modes including autophagy, pyroptosis, and necrosis also involve elaborate molecular circuitry. 1,2 This scenario was originally revealed in a study showing that depending on the cell type, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) could trigger different cellular fates including survival, apoptosis, and necrosis. 3 On blockage of protein synthesis or NF-B, activation of death cytokine receptors of the TNF superfamily triggers caspase-dependent apoptosis, whereas simultaneous inhibition of caspase reorients the cell death to necrosis. [4][5][6][7] Receptor-interacting protein 1 (RIP1, also known as RIPK1) regulates survival and cell death fates. Mice deficient in Rip1 present extensive apoptosis, dying early after birth. The increased sensitivity to TNF-mediated cell death in Rip1 Ϫ/Ϫ cells correlates with a failure to activate NF-B. 8 Recent work shows that necrotic cell death is highly regulated by the RIP1 and RIP3 kinases (also known as RIPK3). 6,7,9-11 Programmed necrosis can be initiated by several stimuli including DNA damage, oxidative stress, infection, and activation of pattern recognition receptors. 1,2,[12][13][14][15][16][17] Intra or extra vascular hemolysis, rhabdomyolysis, and extensive cell damage cause the release of large quantities of hemeproteins. The oxidation of some hemeproteins including hemoglobin and myoglobin can release the heme moiety promoting further oxidation an...

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The cytokine IL-1β is intimately linked to many pathological inflammatory conditions. Mature IL-1β secretion requires cleavage by the inflammasome. Recent evidence indicates that many cell death signal adaptors have regulatory roles in inflammasome activity. These include the apoptosis inducers FADD and caspase 8, and the necroptosis kinases receptor interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) and RIPK3. Phosphoglycerate mutase family member 5 (PGAM5) is a mitochondrial phosphatase that has been reported to function downstream of RIPK3 to promote necroptosis and IL-1β secretion. To interrogate the biological function of PGAM5, we generated Pgam5−/− mice. We found that Pgam5−/− mice were smaller in size compared with wild type littermates, and male Pgam5−/− mice were born at sub-Mendelian ratio. Despite these growth and survival defects, Pgam5−/− cells responded normally to multiple inducers of apoptosis and necroptosis. Rather, we found that PGAM5 is critical for IL-1β secretion in response to NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasome agonists. Moreover, vesicular stomatosis virus (VSV)-induced IL-1β secretion was impaired in Pgam5−/− bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDMs), but not in Ripk3−/− BMDMs, indicating that PGAM5 functions independent of RIPK3 to promote inflammasome activation. Mechanistically, PGAM5 promotes ASC polymerization, maintenance of mitochondrial integrity, and optimal ROS production in response to inflammasome signals. Hence, PGAM5 is a novel regulator of inflammasome and caspase 1 activity that functions independently of RIPK3.

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An animal's stress response requires different adaptive strategies depending on the nature and duration of the stressor. While acute stressors, like predation, induce a rapid and energydemanding fight or flight response, long-term environmental stressors induce the gradual and long-lasting activation of highly conserved cytoprotective processes 1-3 . In animals across the evolutionary spectrum the continued activation of the fight-or-flight response weakens the animal's resistance to environmental challenges 4,5 . However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate the trade-off between flight response and long-term stressors are poorly understood. Here we show that repeated induction of the C. elegans flight response shortens lifespan and inhibits conserved cytoprotective mechanisms. The flight response activates neurons that release tyramine, the invertebrate analog of adrenaline/noradrenaline. Tyramine stimulates the DAF-2/Insulin/IGF-1 pathway and precludes the induction of stress response genes by activating an adrenergic-like receptor in the intestine. In contrast, long-term environmental stressors, such as heat or oxidative stress, reduce tyramine release allowing the induction of cytoprotective genes. These findings demonstrate that a neural stress-hormone supplies a state-dependent neural switch between acute flight and long-term environmental stress responses and provides mechanistic insights into how the flight response impairs cellular defense systems and accelerates aging.