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Jiri Neuzil,
Cecilia Widén,
Nina Gellert,
Emma Swettenham,
Renata Zobalova,
Lan-Feng Dong,
Xiu-Fang Wang,
Caroline Lidebjer, Helge Dalen,
John P Headrick,
Paul K Witting
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ABSTRACT: Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is a condition leading to serious complications due to death of cardiac myocytes. We used the cardiomyocyte-like cell line H9c2 to study the mechanism underlying cell damage. Exposure of the cells to simulated I/R lead to their apoptosis. Over-expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-x(L) protected the cells from apoptosis while over-expression of Bax sensitized them to programmed cell death induction. Mitochondria-targeted coenzyme Q (mitoQ) and superoxide dismutase both inhibited accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis induction. Notably, mtDNA-deficient cells responded to I/R by decreased ROS generation and apoptosis. Using both in situ and in vivo approaches, it was found that apoptosis occurred during reperfusion following ischemia, and recovery was enhanced when hearts from mice were supplemented with mitoQ. In conclusion, I/R results in apoptosis in cultured cardiac myocytes and heart tissue largely via generation of mitochondria-derived superoxide, with ensuing apoptosis during the reperfusion phase.
Redox report: communications in free radical research 02/2007; 12(3):148-62. · 1.51 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Imperfect autophagic degradation of oxidatively damaged macromolecules and organelles (so-called biological "garbage") is considered an important contributor to ageing and consequent death of postmitotic (non-dividing) cells, such as neurons and cardiac myocytes. In contrast, proliferating cells apparently escape senescence by a continuous dilution and repair of damaged structures during division. Postmitotic ageing can be mimicked and studied in cultures of potentially dividing cells if their mitotic activity is inhibited. To test the "garbage accumulation" theory of ageing, we compared survival of density-dependent growth-arrested (confluent) and proliferating human fibroblasts and astrocytes following inhibition of autophagic sequestration with 3-methyladenine (3MA). Exposure of confluent fibroblast cultures to 3MA for two weeks resulted in a significantly increased proportion of dying cells compared to both untreated confluent cultures and dividing cells with 3MA-inhibited autophagy. Similar results were obtained when autophagic degradation was suppressed by the protease inhibitor leupeptin. In 3MA- or leupeptin-exposed cultures, dying cells were overloaded with undegraded autofluorescent material. The results support a key role of biological lysosomal "garbage" accumulation in the triggering of ageing and death of postmitotic cells, as well as the anti-ageing role of cell division.
Biogerontology 02/2005; 6(1):39-47. · 3.34 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Autophagy (which includes macro-, micro-, and chaperone-mediated autophagy) is an important biological mechanism for degradation of damaged/obsolete macromolecules and organelles. Ageing non-dividing cells, however, progressively accumulate oxidised proteins, defective organelles and intralysosomal lipofuscin inclusions, suggesting inherent insufficiency of autophagy. To learn more about the role of macroautophagy in the turnover of organelles and lipofuscin formation, we inhibited autophagic sequestration with 3-methyladenine (3 MA) in growth-arrested human fibroblasts, a classical model of cellular ageing. Such treatment resulted in a dramatic accumulation of altered lysosomes, displaying lipofuscin-like autofluorescence, as well as in a moderate increase of mitochondria with lowered membrane potential. The size of the late endosomal compartment appeared not to be significantly altered following 3 MA exposure. The accumulation of lipofuscin-like material was enhanced when 3 MA administration was combined with hyperoxia. The findings suggest that macroautophagy is essential for normal turnover of lysosomes. This notion is supported by reports in the literature of lysosomal membrane proteins inside lysosomes and/or late endosomes, as well as lysosomes with active hydrolases within autophagosomes following vinblastine-induced block of fusion between lysosomes and autophagosomes. The data also suggest that specific components of lysosomes, such as membranes and proteins, may be direct sources of lipofuscin.
European Journal of Cell Biology 11/2004; 83(10):583-90. · 2.81 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Oxidative stress is believed to be an important contributor to aging, mainly affecting long-lived postmitotic cells such as cardiac myocytes and neurons. Aging cells accumulate functionally effete, often mutant and enlarged mitochondria, as well as an intralysosomal undegradable pigment, lipofuscin. To provide better insight into the role of oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, and lipofuscinogenesis in postmitotic aging, we studied the relationship between these parameters in cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes. It was found that the content of lipofuscin, which varied drastically between cells, positively correlated with mitochondrial damage (evaluated by decreased innermembrane potential), as well as with the production of reactive oxygen species. These results suggest that both lipofuscin accumulation and mitochondrial damage have common underlying mechanisms, likely including imperfect autophagy and ensuing lysosomal degradation of oxidatively damaged mitochondria and other organelles. Increased size of mitochondria (possibly resulting from impaired fission due to oxidative damage to mitochondrial DNA, membranes, and proteins) also may interfere with mitochondrial turnover, leading to the appearance of so-called "giant" mitochondria. This assumption is based on our observation that pharmacological inhibition of autophagy with 3-methyladenine induced only moderate accumulation of large (senescent-like) mitochondria but drastically increased numbers of small, apparently normal mitochondria, reflecting their rapid turnover and suggesting that enlarged mitochondria are poorly autophagocytosed. Overall, our findings emphasize the importance of mitochondrial turnover in postmitotic aging and provide further support for the mitochondrial-lysosomal axis theory of aging.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 07/2004; 1019:70-7. · 3.15 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The mechanisms of mitochondrial alterations in aged post-mitotic cells, including formation of so-called 'giant' mitochondria, are poorly understood. To test whether these large mitochondria might appear due to imperfect autophagic mitochondrial turnover, we inhibited autophagocytosis in cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes with 3-methyladenine. This resulted in abnormal accumulation of mitochondria within myocytes, loss of contractility, and reduced survival time in culture. Unlike normal aging, which is associated with slow accumulation of predominantly large defective mitochondria, pharmacological inhibition of autophagy caused only moderate accumulation of large (senescent-like) mitochondria but dramatically enhanced the numbers of small mitochondria, probably reflecting their normally more rapid turnover. Furthermore, the 3-methyladenine-induced accumulation of large mitochondria was irreversible, while small mitochondria gradually decreased in number after withdrawal of the drug. We, therefore, tentatively conclude that large mitochondria selectively accumulate in aging post-mitotic cells because they are poorly autophagocytosed. Mitochondrial enlargement may result from impaired fission, a possibility supported by depressed DNA synthesis in large mitochondria. Nevertheless, enlarged mitochondria retained immunoreactivity for cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1, implying that mitochondrial genes remain active in defective mitochondria. Our findings suggest that imperfect autophagic recycling of these critical organelles may underlie the progressive mitochondrial damage, which characterizes aging post-mitotic cells.
Experimental Gerontology 09/2003; 38(8):863-76. · 3.74 Impact Factor
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Tobias Weber, Helge Dalen,
Ladislav Andera,
Anne Nègre-Salvayre,
Nathalie Augé,
Martin Sticha,
Ana Lloret,
Alexei Terman,
Paul K Witting,
Masahiro Higuchi,
Magdalena Plasilova,
Jan Zivny,
Nina Gellert,
Christian Weber,
Jiri Neuzil
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ABSTRACT: alpha-Tocopheryl succinate (alpha-TOS) is a semisynthetic vitamin E analogue with high pro-apoptotic and anti-neoplastic activity [Weber, T et al. (2002) Clin. Cancer Res. 8, 863-869]. Previous studies suggested that it acts through destabilization of subcellular organelles, including mitochondria, but compelling evidence is missing. Cells treated with alpha-TOS showed altered mitochondrial structure, generation of free radicals, activation of the sphingomyelin cycle, relocalization of cytochrome c and Smac/Diablo, and activation of multiple caspases. A pan-caspase inhibitor suppressed caspase-3 and -6 activation and phosphatidyl serine externalization, but not decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential or generation of radicals. For alpha-TOS, but not Fas or TRAIL, apoptosis was suppressed by caspase-9 inhibition, while TRAIL- and Fas-resistant cells overexpressing cFLIP or CrmA were susceptible to alpha-TOS. The central role of mitochondria was confirmed by resistance of mtDNA-deficient cells to alpha-TOS, by regulation of alpha-TOS apoptosis by Bcl-2 family members, and by anti-apoptotic activity of mitochondrially targeted radical scavengers. Co-treatment with alpha-TOS and anti-Fas IgM showed their cooperative effect, probably by signaling via different, convergent pathways. These data provide an insight into the molecular mechanism, by which alpha-TOS kills malignant cells, and advocate its testing as a potential anticancer agent or adjuvant.
Biochemistry 05/2003; 42(14):4277-91. · 3.42 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The tumor suppressor wild-type p53 can induce apoptosis. M1-t-p53 myeloid leukemic cells have a temperature-sensitive p53 protein that changes its conformation to wild-type p53 after transfer from 37 degrees C to 32 degrees C. We have now found that these cells showed an early lysosomal rupture after transfer to 32 degrees C. Mitochondrial damage, including decreased membrane potential and release of cytochrome c, and the appearance of apoptotic cells occurred later. Lysosomal rupture, mitochondrial damage, and apoptosis were all inhibited by the cytokine IL-6. Some other compounds can also inhibit apoptosis induced by p53. The protease inhibitor N-tosyl-l-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone inhibited the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and cytochrome c release, the Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitor thapsigargin inhibited only cytochrome c release, and the antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole inhibited only the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. In contrast to IL-6, these other compounds that inhibited some of the later occurring mitochondrial damage did not inhibit the earlier p53-induced lysosomal damage. The results indicate that apoptosis is induced by p53 through a lysosomal-mitochondrial pathway that is initiated by lysosomal destabilization, and that this pathway can be dissected by using different apoptosis inhibitors. These findings on the induction of p53-induced lysosomal destabilization can also help to formulate new therapies for diseases with apoptotic disorders.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 05/2002; 99(9):6286-91. · 9.68 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To test whether heavy accumulation of ceroid/lipofuscin can disturb important functions of the lysosomal system, AG-1518 human fibroblasts, ceroid/lipofuscin-loaded (following prolonged culture at normobaric hyperoxia) or not, were exposed to amino acid starvation. Ceroid/lipofuscin-loading resulted in decreased cellular survival. Also, there was an inverse relationship between amounts of ceroid/lipofuscin and the survival time of individual cells within the same cultures. Ceroid/lipofuscin-loaded fibroblasts displayed diminished autophagocytotic capacity, as demonstrated by electron microscopy and by treatment of cell cultures with NH4Cl (which inhibits autophagocytotic degradation by increasing intralysosomal pH) for 1 week before ensuing starvation. The latter treatment increased survival of control cells (due to deposition of nondegraded autophagocytosed material before start of starvation), but not that of ceroid/lipofuscin-loaded cells. Moreover, when NH4Cl treatment was combined with starvation, both groups of cells showed approximately the same shortened survival times, testifying to the causal relationship between diminished autophagocytosis and decreased survival of starving ceroid/lipofuscin-loaded cells. We hypothesize that large amounts of undegradable ceroid/lipofuscin within the acidic vacuolar compartment may interfere with lysosomal function, resulting in poor renewal of long-lived proteins and worn-out/damaged organelles, decreased adaptability, and cell death.
Experimental Gerontology.
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Tobias Weber, Helge Dalen,
Ladislav Andera,
Anne Negre-Salvayre,
Nathalie Auge,
Martin Sticha,
Ana Lloret,
Alexei Terman,
Paul K Witting,
Masahiro Higuchi,
Magdalena Plasilova,
Jan Zivny,
Nina Gellert,
Christian Weber,
Jiri Neuzil
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: α-Tocopheryl succinate (α-TOS) is a semisynthetic vitamin E analogue with high pro-apoptotic and anti-neoplastic activity [Weber, T et al. (2002) Clin. Cancer Res. 8, 863−869]. Previous studies suggested that it acts through destabilization of subcellular organelles, including mitochondria, but compelling evidence is missing. Cells treated with α-TOS showed altered mitochondrial structure, generation of free radicals, activation of the sphingomyelin cycle, relocalization of cytochrome c and Smac/Diablo, and activation of multiple caspases. A pan-caspase inhibitor suppressed caspase-3 and -6 activation and phosphatidyl serine externalization, but not decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential or generation of radicals. For α-TOS, but not Fas or TRAIL, apoptosis was suppressed by caspase-9 inhibition, while TRAIL- and Fas-resistant cells overexpressing cFLIP or CrmA were susceptible to α-TOS. The central role of mitochondria was confirmed by resistance of mtDNA-deficient cells to α-TOS, by regulation of α-TOS apoptosis by Bcl-2 family members, and by anti-apoptotic activity of mitochondrially targeted radical scavengers. Co-treatment with α-TOS and anti-Fas IgM showed their cooperative effect, probably by signaling via different, convergent pathways. These data provide an insight into the molecular mechanism, by which α-TOS kills malignant cells, and advocate its testing as a potential anticancer agent or adjuvant. Yes Yes
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ABSTRACT: We have previously shown that oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) induces damage to the macrophage lysosomal membranes, with ensuing leakage of lysosomal contents and macrophage cell death. Cholesterol oxidation products (ChOx) have been reported to be the major cytotoxic components of oxidized LDL/LDL− and also to stimulate cholesterol accumulation in vascular cells. In the present study, we characterized the initial events during macrophage damage induced by cholesterol oxidation products (ChOx). Within 24 h of exposure, ChOx caused lysosomal destabilization, release to the cytosol of the lysosomal marker-enzyme cathepsin D, apoptosis, and postapoptotic necrosis. Enhanced autophagocytosis and chromatin margination was found 12 h after the exposure to ChOx, whereas apoptosis and postapoptotic necrosis was pronounced 24 and 48 h after the exposure. Some lysosomal vacuoles were then filled with degraded cellular organelles, indicating phagocytosis of apoptotic bodies by surviving cells. Because caspase-3 activation was detected in the ChOx-exposed cells, lysosomal destabilization may associate with the leakage of lysosomal enzymes, and activation of the caspase cascade. MnSOD mRNA levels were markedly increased after 24 h of exposure to ChOx, suggesting associated induction of mitochondrial protection repair or turnover. We conclude that ChOx-induced damage to lysosomes and mitochondria are sequelae to the cascade of oxysterol cytotoxic events. The early disruption of lysosomes induced by ChOx, with resultant autophagocytosis may be a critical event in apoptosis and/or necrosis of macrophages/foam cells during the development of atherosclerotic lesions.
Free Radical Biology and Medicine.
