It is imperative to know how this dual action of ROS works during NLRP3 inflammation activation on different stimuli and what relevance such spatiotemporal redox regulation of NLRP3 inflammasomes has in cell or organ functions and possible human diseases.

Inflammasome is a multiprotein complex consisting of Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NALP 3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), and caspase-1 or 5, which functions to switch on the inflammatory process. The present study hypothesized that the formation and activation of NALP3 inflammasomes turn on podocyte injury leading to glomerulosclerosis during hyperhomocysteinemia (hHcys). RT-PCR and Western blot analysis demonstrated that murine podocytes expressed three essential components of NALP3 inflammasome complex, namely, NALP3, ASC and caspase-1. Treatment of podocytes with L-homocysteine (L-Hcys) induced the formation of NALP3 inflammasome complex, increase in caspase-1 activity, podocyte cytoskeleton rearrangement and decreased production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from podocytes, which were all blocked by silencing the ASC gene or inhibiting caspase-1 activity. In mice with hHcys induced by feeding them a folate-free (FF) diet, NALP3 inflammasome formation and activation in glomerular podocytes were detected at an early stage, as shown by confocal microscopy, size exclusion chromatography of the assembled inflammasome complex and increased interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production in glomeruli. Locally silencing the ASC gene in the kidney significantly reduced NALP3 inflammasome formation and IL-1β production in glomeruli of mice with hHcys. Pathologically, hHcys-associated albuminuria, foot process effacement of podocytes, loss of podocyte slit diaphragm molecules, and glomerulosclerosis at the late stage were significantly improved by local ASC gene silencing or by caspase-1 inhibition. In conclusion, NALP3 inflammasome formation and activation upon stimulation of Hcys is an important molecular mechanism triggering podocyte injury and ultimately resulting in glomerulosclerosis in hHcys.

Activation of cells by receptor-and nonreceptor-mediated stimuli not only requires a change in the activity of signaling proteins but also requires a reorganization of the topology of the signalosom in the cell. The cell membrane contains distinct domains, rafts that serve the spatial organization of signaling molecules in the cell. Many receptors or stress stimuli transform rafts by the generation of ceramide. These stimuli activate the acid sphingomyelinase and induce a translocation of this enzyme onto the extracellular leaflet of the cell membrane. Surface acid sphingomyelinase generates ceramide that serves to fuse small rafts and to form large ceramide-enriched membrane platforms. These platforms cluster receptor molecules, recruit intracellular signaling molecules to aggregated receptors, and seem to exclude inhibitory signaling factors. Thus ceramide-enriched membrane platforms do not seem to be part of a specific signaling pathway but may facilitate and amplify the specific signaling elicited by the cognate stimulus. This general function may enable these membrane domains to be critically involved in the induction of apoptosis by death receptors and stress stimuli, bacterial and viral infections of mammalian cells, and the regulation of cardiovascular functions. signal transduction; acid sphingomyelinase; rafts; membrane platforms RECEPTOR AGGREGATION/CLUSTERINGIn recent years, the receptor-mediated activation of cells and signal transduction in cells has evolved to be determined by at least two principles: 1) receptors regulate the activity of enzymes, and 2) receptor molecules and intracellular signaling molecules are reorganized on stimulation. These two principles, i.e., activation/inactivation and a spatial reorganization of the cellular signalosom, determine the response of the cell to a stimulus. Many receptor molecules aggregate or cluster on stimulation; i.e., they are concentrated in a rather small area of the cell membrane, resulting in a very high density of the receptor molecules. Aggregation/clustering of cell surface receptors on binding their cognate ligands has been observed for many receptors, including the antigenic T cell receptor (TCR)-CD3 complex (19), the antigenic B cell receptor (62), the EGF receptor (3), CD40 (57), CD95 (11, 56), DR5 (C. Dumitru and E. Gulbins, unpublished observations), TNF (122), Fc␥RII (1), L-selectin (87), and integrins or leukoocyte function-associated antigen (LFA)-1 (136), to name a few. Clustering of receptor molecules correlates with a reassembly of intracellular signaling molecules. For instance, activation of the TCR-CD3 complex or the CD95 receptor results in an intracellular reorganization of the topology of CD4, Lck, Zap70, Ras, Rac-1, F-actin, and PKC (for comprehensive reviews, see Refs. 15,96), which are key molecules in the transmission of signals via the TCR-CD3 complex, or of FADD, caspase 8, and caspase 3, central mediators of CD95-induced apoptosis (for a recent review, see Ref. 112). Although it is widely accepted that these receptors cl...

Aim: Our previous studies have shown that NOD-like receptor protein (NALP3) inflammasome activation is importantly involved in podocyte dysfunction and glomerular sclerosis induced by hyperhomocysteinemia (hHcys). The present study was designed to test whether nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase-mediated redox signaling contributes to homocysteine (Hcys)-induced activation of NALP3 inflammasomes, an intracellular inflammatory machinery in podocytes in vitro and in vivo. Results: In vitro confocal microscopy and size-exclusion chromatography revealed that upon NADPH oxidase inhibition by gp91 phox siRNA, gp91ds-tat peptide, diphenyleneiodonium, or apocynin, aggregation of inflammasome proteins NALP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), and caspase-1 was significantly attenuated in mouse podocytes. This NADPH oxidase inhibition also resulted in diminished Hcys-induced inflammasome activation, evidenced by reduced caspase-1 activity and interleukin-1b production. Similar findings were observed in vivo where gp91phox -/ -mice and mice receiving a gp91ds-tat treatment exhibited markedly reduced inflammasome formation and activation. Further, in vivo NADPH oxidase inhibition protected the glomeruli and podocytes from hHcys-induced injury as shown by attenuated proteinuria, albuminuria, and glomerular sclerotic changes. This might be attributed to the fact that gp91phox -/ -and gp91ds-tat-treated mice had abolished infiltration of macrophages and T-cells into the glomeruli during hHcys. Innovation: Our study for the first time links NADPH oxidase to the formation and activation of NALP3 inflammasomes in podocytes. Conclusion: Hcys-induced NADPH oxidase activation is importantly involved in the switching on of NALP3 inflammasomes within podocytes, which leads to the downstream recruitment of immune cells, ultimately resulting in glomerular injury and sclerosis. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 18, 1537-1548.

Background/Aims: In addition to their action of lowering blood cholesterol levels, statins modulate biological characteristics and functions of arterial myocytes such as viability, proliferation, apoptosis, survival and contraction. The present study tested whether simvastatin, as a prototype statin, enhances autophagy in coronary arterial myocytes (CAMs) to thereby exert their beneficial effects in atherosclerosis. Methods and Results: Using flow cytometry, we demonstrated that simvastatin significantly increased the autophagsome formation in CAMs. Western blot analysis confirmed that simvastatin significantly increased protein expression of typical autophagy markers LC3B and Beclin1 in these CAMs. Confocal microscopy further demonstrated that simvastatin increased fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes, which was blocked by autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine or silencing of Atg7 genes. Simvastatin reduced mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity, which was reversed by Rac1-GTPase overexpression and the mTOR agonist phosphatidic acid. Moreover, both Rac1-GTPase overexpression and activation of mTOR by phosphatidic acid drastically blocked simvastatin-induced autophagosome formation in CAMs. Interestingly, simvastatin increased protein expression of a contractile phenotype marker calponin in CAMs, which was blocked by autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine. Simvastatin markedly reduced proliferation of CAMs under both control and proatherogenic stimulation. However, this inhibitory effect of simvastatin on CAM proliferation was blocked by by autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine or silencing of Atg7 genes. Lastly, animal experiments demonstrated that simvastatin increased protein expression of LC3B and calponin in mouse coronary arteries. Conclusion: Our results indicate that simvastatin inhibits the Rac1-mTOR pathway and thereby increases autophagy in CAMs which may stabilize CAMs in the contractile phenotype to prevent proliferation and growth of these cells.