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ABSTRACT: Cigarette smoke (CS) exposure is associated with increased mucus production and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). MUC5AC is the major inducible mucus gene in the airway. The purpose of this investigation was to elucidate the mechanisms of CS-induced activation of MUC5AC gene transcription. We observed that the region -3724/-3224 of the MUC5AC promoter is critical for CS-induced gene transcriptional activity and that this region contains two Sp1 binding sites. Using a lung-relevant model, we observed that CS increased nuclear Sp1 protein expression. Consequently, CS exposure resulted in enhanced Sp1-DNA binding activity and Sp1 trans-activation. Co-transfection of the MUC5AC-luc reporter with Sp1 expression plasmids resulted in significantly increased MUC5AC-luc activity, whereas co-treatment with mithramycin A, a Sp1 inhibitor, abolished CS-induced MUC5AC promoter activity. Using mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation, we demonstrated that two Sp1 binding sites in the MUC5AC promoter are functional and responsive to CS exposure. A mutation of either Sp1 binding site in the MUC5AC promoter significantly decreased CS-induced promoter activity. Together, these data indicate that CS induces MUC5AC gene transcription predominantly through increased Sp1 nuclear protein levels and increased Sp1 binding to its promoter region.
Journal of Biological Chemistry 06/2012; 287(33):27948-58. · 4.77 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Epithelial 15-lipoxygenase 1 (15LO1) and activated ERK are increased in asthma despite modest elevations in IL-13. MAPK kinase (MEK)/ERK activation is regulated by interactions of Raf-1 with phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein 1 (PEBP1). Epithelial 15LO1 generates intracellular 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15HETE) conjugated to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) (15HETE-PE). We hypothesized that (i) 15LO1 and its product 15HETE-PE serve as signaling molecules interacting with PEBP1 to activate Raf-1/MEK/ERK and that (ii) this 15LO1-15HETE-PE-regulated ERK activation amplifies IL-4Rα downstream pathways. Our results demonstrate that high epithelial 15LO1 levels correlate with ERK phosphorylation ex vivo. In vitro, IL-13 induces 15LO1, which preferentially binds to PEBP1, causing PEBP1 to dissociate from Raf-1 and activate ERK. Exogenous 15HETE-PE similarly induces dissociation of PEBP1 from Raf-1 independently of IL-13/15LO1. siRNA knockdown of 15LO1 decreases the dissociation of Raf-1 from PEBP1, and the resulting lower ERK activation leads to lower downstream IL-4Rα-related gene expression. Identical protein-protein interactions are observed in endobronchial biopsies and fresh epithelial cells from asthmatics ex vivo. Colocalization of Raf-1 to PEBP1 is low in asthmatic tissue and cells compared with normals, whereas there is striking colocalization of 15LO1 with PEBP1 in asthma. Low 15LO1 levels in normals limit its colocalization with PEBP1. The results confirm a previously unknown signaling role for 15LO1 and its PE-conjugated eicosanoid product in human airway epithelial cells. This pathway enhances critical inflammatory pathways integral to asthma pathogenesis.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 08/2011; 108(34):14246-51. · 9.68 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: 15-Lipoxygenase-1 (15LO1) and MUC5AC are highly expressed in asthmatic epithelial cells. IL-13 is known to induce 15LO1 and MUC5AC in human airway epithelial cells in vitro. Whether 15LO1 and/or its product 15-HETE modulate MUC5AC expression is unknown.
To determine the expression of 15LO1 in freshly harvested epithelial cells from subjects with asthma and normal control subjects and to determine whether IL-13-induced 15LO1 expression and activation regulate MUC5AC expression in human bronchial epithelial cells in vitro. Methods: Human airway epithelial cells from subjects with asthma and normal subjects were evaluated ex vivo for 15LO1 and MUC5AC expression. The impact of 15LO1 on MUC5AC expression in vitro was analyzed by inhibiting 15LO1 through pharmacologic (PD146176) and siRNA approaches in human bronchial epithelial cells cultured under air-liquid interface. We analyzed 15 hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) by liquid chromatography/UV/mass spectrometry. MUC5AC and 15LO1 were analyzed by real-time RT-PCR, immunofluoresence, and Western blot.
Epithelial 15LO1 expression increased with asthma severity (P < 0.0001). 15LO1 significantly correlated with MUC5AC ex vivo and in vitro. IL-13 increased 15LO1 expression and stimulated formation of two molecular species of 15-HETE esterified to phosphotidylethanolamine (15-HETE-PE). Inhibition of 15LO1 suppressed 15-HETE-PE and decreased MUC5AC expression in the presence of IL-13 stimulation. The addition of exogenous 15-HETE partially restored MUC5AC expression.
Epithelial 15LO1 expression increases with increasing asthma severity. IL-13 induction of 15-HETE-PE enhances MUC5AC expression in human airway epithelial cells. High levels of 15LO1 activity could contribute to the increases of MUC5AC observed in asthma.
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 02/2009; 179(9):782-90. · 11.08 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Activation and regulation of transcription factors (TFs) are the major mechanisms regulating changes in gene expression upon environmental exposure. Tobacco smoke (TS) is a complex mixture of chemicals, each of which could act through different signal cascades, leading to the regulation of distinct TFs and alterations in subsequent gene expression. We proposed that TS exposure affects inflammatory gene expression at the transcriptional level by modulating the DNA binding activities of TFs. To investigate transcriptional regulation upon TS exposure, a protein/DNA array was applied to screen TFs that are affected by TS exposure. This array-based screening allowed us to simultaneously detect 244 different TFs. Our results indicated that multiple TFs were rapidly activated upon TS exposure. DNA-binding activity of differentially expressed TFs was confirmed by EMSA. Our results showed that at least 20 TFs displayed more than twofold expressional changes after smoke treatment. Ten smoke-induced TFs, including NF-kappaB, VDR, ISRE, and RSRFC4, were involved in MAPK signaling pathways. The NF-kappaB family, which is involved in inflammation-induced gene activation, was selected for further study to characterize TS exposure-induced transcriptional activation. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence microscopy indicated that TS exposure induced phosphorylation of IkappaB and translocation of NF-kappaB p65/p50 heterodimers into the nucleus. This activity was abrogated by the MAPK inhibitors PD98059 and U0126. Our results confirmed that activation of MAPK signaling pathways by TS exposure increased transcriptional activity of NF-kappaB. These data provide a potential mechanism for TS-induced inflammatory gene expression.
AJP Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology 09/2007; 293(2):L480-90. · 3.66 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Six different sampling locations in Dianshan Lake were selected to study the distributions of algaes and algae toxins and their influencing factors in summer and autumn. Total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP), Fe, chlorophyla(Chla) and COD in water samples were determined. At the same time, water temperature (TEM), pH value, illumination, turbidity degree (TUR) of water body were recorded. In addition, the total number and attribute of algae cell and the content of microcystin-LR(MC-LR) and anatoxin-A(ANTX-A) were checked. The results showed that the pollution of both toxins was most serious in July. The MC-LR were mostly distributed in Wangxiang, but the ANTX-A were mostly distributed in Jishuigang. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) regression analysis showed that total number of algae cell was significantly correlated with TN, TP and Chla (P < 0.05). The distribution of MC-LR was significantly affected by total number of algae cells and TEM (P < 0.01), but TUR mainly affected the distributions of ANTX-A(P < 0.01). There was weak correlation between both toxins (P < 0.05). In short, there was a serious pollution of MC-LR, but ANTX-A pollution was light. The factors influencing the distributions of both algae toxins were not completely consistent.
Wei sheng yan jiu = Journal of hygiene research 07/2003; 32(4):316-9.
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ABSTRACT: The potential carcinogenicity of cooking oil fume condensate (COFC) to human was studied. Human embryo lung diploid fibroblast cell strain KMB-17 cell was applied to establish a human diploid cell transformation system in vitro. Different concentrations of COFC were added into the media and co-incubated with cells. The malignant degree of transformation was assessed by the biological characteristics of the cells. The concentrations of COFC within the dose range of the experiment could induce the malignant transformation of KMB-17 cell, and with a obvious dose-response relationship (r = 0.9811). Transformed cells have exhibited many characteristics associating with malignant transformation, such as loss of density and contact-dependent inhibition, growth at low serum concentration, agglutination by low concentration of Con A, alteration of karyotype from diploid to aneuploid, and lose of anchorage dependence. It suggested that the malignant transformation of human embryo lung diploid fibroblast cell strain KMB-17 cell could be induced by COFC, which might have potential carcinogenicity to human.
Wei sheng yan jiu = Journal of hygiene research 03/2002; 31(1):21-3.
