Harry B Hines

United States Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, USA

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Publications (6)28.28 Total impact

  • Article: Nitric oxide-mediated regulation of β-amyloid clearance via alterations of MMP-9/TIMP-1.
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    ABSTRACT: Fibrillar amyloid plaques are largely composed of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides that are metabolized into products, including Aβ1-16, by proteases including matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9). The balance between production and degradation of Aβ proteins is critical to amyloid accumulation and resulting disease. Regulation of MMP-9 and its endogenous inhibitor tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 by nitric oxide (NO) has been shown. We hypothesize that nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) protects against Alzheimer's disease pathology by increasing amyloid clearance through NO regulation of MMP-9/TIMP-1 balance. We show NO-mediated increased MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratios enhanced the degradation of fibrillar Aβ in vitro, which was abolished when silenced for MMP-9 protein translation. The in vivo relationship between MMP-9, NO and Aβ degradation was examined by comparing an Alzheimer's disease mouse model that expresses NOS2 with a model lacking NOS2. To quantitate MMP-9 mediated changes, we generated an antibody recognizing the Aβ1-16 fragment, and used mass spectrometry multi-reaction monitoring assay for detection of immunoprecipitated Aβ1-16 peptides. Aβ1-16 levels decreased in brain lysates lacking NOS2 when compared with strains that express human amyloid precursor protein on the NOS2 background. TIMP-1 increased in the APPSwDI/NOS2(-/-) mice with decreased MMP activity and increased amyloid burden, thereby supporting roles for NO in the regulation of MMP/TIMP balance and plaque clearance.
    Journal of Neurochemistry 09/2012; · 4.06 Impact Factor
  • Article: Dithiolethiones inhibit NF-κB activity via covalent modification in human estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer.
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    ABSTRACT: The NF-κB transcription factor family influences breast cancer outcomes by regulating genes involved in tumor progression, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Dithiolethiones, a class of naturally occurring compounds with cancer chemoprevention effects that have become clinically available, have been found to inhibit NF-κB activity. However, the mechanism of this inhibition has not been identified, and the influence of dithiolethines on NF-κB pathway in breast cancer cells has not been examined. Here, we investigated the chemical and biochemical effects of dithiolethione on NF-κB and downstream effector molecules in estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer cells and murine tumor xenografts. The dithiolethiones ACS-1 and ACS-2 inhibited NF-κB transcriptional activity. Interestingly, this inhibition was not due to H(2)S release or protein phosphatase 2A activation, which are key properties of dithiolethiones, but occurred via a covalent reaction with the NF-κB p50 and p65 subunits to inhibit DNA binding. Dithiolethione-mediated inhibition of NF-κB-regulated genes resulted in the inhibition of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, urokinase-type plasminogen activator, and VEGF production. ACS-1 also inhibited matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity, cellular migration, and invasion, and ACS-2 reduced tumor burden and resulted in increased tumor host interactions. Together, our findings suggest that dithiolethiones show potential clinical use for estrogen negative breast cancer as a chemotherapeutic or adjuvant therapy.
    Cancer Research 03/2012; 72(9):2394-404. · 7.86 Impact Factor
  • Article: Nitric Oxide Synthase and Breast Cancer: Role of TIMP-1 in NO-mediated Akt Activation.
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    ABSTRACT: Prediction of therapeutic response and cancer patient survival can be improved by the identification of molecular markers including tumor Akt status. A direct correlation between NOS2 expression and elevated Akt phosphorylation status has been observed in breast tumors. Tissue inhibitor matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) has been proposed to exert oncogenic properties through CD63 cell surface receptor pathway initiation of pro-survival PI3k/Akt signaling. We employed immunohistochemistry to examine the influence of TIMP-1 on the functional relationship between NOS2 and phosphorylated Akt in breast tumors and found that NOS2-associated Akt phosphorylation was significantly increased in tumors expressing high TIMP-1, indicating that TIMP-1 may further enhance NO-induced Akt pathway activation. Moreover, TIMP-1 silencing by antisense technology blocked NO-induced PI3k/Akt/BAD phosphorylation in cultured MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. TIMP-1 protein nitration and TIMP-1/CD63 co-immunoprecipitation was observed at NO concentrations that induced PI3k/Akt/BAD pro-survival signaling. In the survival analysis, elevated tumor TIMP-1 predicted poor patient survival. This association appears to be mainly restricted to tumors with high NOS2 protein. In contrast, TIMP-1 did not predict poor survival in patient tumors with low NOS2 expression. In summary, our findings suggest that tumors with high TIMP-1 and NOS2 behave more aggressively by mechanisms that favor Akt pathway activation.
    PLoS ONE 01/2012; 7(9):e44081. · 4.09 Impact Factor
  • Article: Nitric oxide and redox mechanisms in the immune response.
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    ABSTRACT: The role of redox molecules, such as NO and ROS, as key mediators of immunity has recently garnered renewed interest and appreciation. To regulate immune responses, these species trigger the eradication of pathogens on the one hand and modulate immunosuppression during tissue-restoration and wound-healing processes on the other. In the acidic environment of the phagosome, a variety of RNS and ROS is produced, thereby providing a cauldron of redox chemistry, which is the first line in fighting infection. Interestingly, fluctuations in the levels of these same reactive intermediates orchestrate other phases of the immune response. NO activates specific signal transduction pathways in tumor cells, endothelial cells, and monocytes in a concentration-dependent manner. As ROS can react directly with NO-forming RNS, NO bioavailability and therefore, NO response(s) are changed. The NO/ROS balance is also important during Th1 to Th2 transition. In this review, we discuss the chemistry of NO and ROS in the context of antipathogen activity and immune regulation and also discuss similarities and differences between murine and human production of these intermediates.
    Journal of leukocyte biology 01/2011; 89(6):873-91. · 4.99 Impact Factor
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    Article: Characterization of beta-leptinotarsin-h and the effects of calcium flux antagonists on its activity.
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    ABSTRACT: beta-Leptinotarsin-h, purified from the hemolymph of the beetle Leptinotarsa haldemani, is a potent ( approximately 1 nM) neuroactive protein that rapidly (few seconds) stimulates Ca(2+) influx and neurotransmitter release. Our goals were to further characterize beta-leptinotarsin-h and to test the hypothesis that it stimulates Ca(2+) influx through presynaptic Ca(2+) channels. Analysis of partial amino acid sequences revealed that beta-leptinotarsin-h is a unique protein with significant similarity to only one other protein, the juvenile hormone esterase of Leptinotarsa decemlineata, commonly known as the Colorado potato beetle. We have examined the effect of beta-leptinotarsin-h on Ca(2+) current, Ca(2+) uptake, Ca(2+) levels, and neurotransmitter release in synaptosomes, cell lines, and neuronal systems. We found that its preferred site of action appears to be mammalian presynaptic nerve terminals. We tested antagonists of Ca(2+) flux for their effects on beta-leptinotarsin-h-stimulated Ca(2+) uptake in rat brain synaptosomes. The non-selective Ca(2+) channel blockers flunarizine, Ni(2+), ruthenium red, high-concentration thapsigargin, and SKF 96365 inhibited beta-leptinotarsin-h's activity, but none of the tested selective blockers of voltage-operated Ca(2+) channels (omega-agatoxin IVA, omega-conotoxin GVIA, omega-conotoxin MVIIC, nicardipine, nifedipine, SNX-482) was inhibitory. Selective inhibitors of ligand-operated, store-operated, and transduction-operated channels were also not inhibitory. beta-Leptinotarsin-h did not stimulate Na(+) uptake, ruling out Na(+) channels and many non-selective cation channels as targets. We conclude that beta-leptinotarsin-h stimulated Ca(2+) uptake through presynaptic Ca(2+) channels; which channel is yet to be determined. beta-Leptinotarsin-h may prove to be a useful tool with which to investigate calcium channels and calcium flux.
    Toxicon 07/2005; 45(7):829-41. · 2.51 Impact Factor
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    Article: Novel protein-protein interactions of the Yersinia pestis type III secretion system elucidated with a matrix analysis by surface plasmon resonance and mass spectrometry.
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    ABSTRACT: Binary complexes formed by components of the Yersinia pestis type III secretion system were investigated by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Pairwise interactions between 15 recombinant Yersinia outer proteins (Yops), regulators, and chaperones were first identified by SPR. Mass spectrometry confirmed over 80% of the protein-protein interactions suggested by SPR, and new binding partners were further characterized. The Yop secretion protein (Ysc) M2 of Yersinia enterocolitica and LcrQ of Y. pestis, formerly described as ligands only for the specific Yop chaperone (Syc) H, formed stable complexes with SycE. Additional previously unreported complexes of YscE with the translocation regulator protein TyeA and the thermal regulator protein YmoA and multiple potential protein contacts by YscE, YopK, YopH, and LcrH were also identified. Because only stably folded proteins were examined, the interactions we identified are likely to occur either before or after transfer through the injectosome to mammalian host cells and may have relevance to understanding disease processes initiated by the plague bacterium.
    Journal of Biological Chemistry 10/2004; 279(37):38693-700. · 4.77 Impact Factor