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Xu X, Jhun BS, Ha CH, Jin ZGMolecular mechanisms of ghrelin-mediated endothelial nitric oxide synthase activation. Endocrinology 149:4183-4192
Abstract
Metabolic syndrome accelerates the atherosclerotic process, and the earliest event of which is endothelial dysfunction. Ghrelin, a newly discovered gastric peptide, improves endothelial function and inhibits proatherogenic changes. In particular, low ghrelin concentration has been associated with several features of metabolic syndrome, including obesity, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying ghrelin vascular actions remain largely unclear. Here, we showed that ghrelin activated endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) in cultured endothelial cells (ECs) and in intact vessels. Specifically, ghrelin rapidly induced phosphorylation of eNOS on an activation site and production of NO in human umbilical vein ECs and bovine aortic ECs. The eNOS phosphorylation was also observed in mouse aortas ex vivo perfused with ghrelin and in aortic tissues isolated from mice injected with ghrelin. Mechanistically, ghrelin stimulated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and Akt activation in cultured ECs and intact vessels. Inhibiting AMPK and Akt with their pharmacological inhibitors, small interference RNA and adenoviruses carried dominant-negative mutants, markedly attenuated ghrelin-induced eNOS activation, and NO production. Furthermore, ghrelin receptor/Gq protein/calcium-dependent pathway mediates activation of AMPK, Akt, and eNOS, and calmodulin-dependent kinase kinase is a potential convergent point to regulate Akt and AMPK activation in ghrelin signaling. Importantly, eNOS activation is critical for ghrelin inhibition of vascular inflammation. Together, both in vitro and in vivo data demonstrate a new role of ghrelin signaling for eNOS activation, and highlight the therapeutic potential for ghrelin to correct endothelial dysfunction associated with atherosclerotic vascular diseases and metabolic syndrome.
... At the level of blood vessels, ghrelin has a significant impact on vascular function. In endothelial cells and in intact vessels, ghrelin stimulates the phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser-1177, and not Thr-495 which would inactivate the activity in vitro (Iantorno et al., 2007;Xu et al., 2008;Dudzinski et al., 2006). This action of ghrelin involves signaling through GHSR1a, PI 3-kinase, Akt, and eNOS (Iantorno et al., 2007). ...
... This action of ghrelin involves signaling through GHSR1a, PI 3-kinase, Akt, and eNOS (Iantorno et al., 2007). In addition, there is evidence that the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is also a mediator for ghrelin activation of eNOS (Xu et al., 2008). Using a GHSR1a knockdown model abolishes the ghrelin influence on endothelial cells . ...
... Using a GHSR1a knockdown model abolishes the ghrelin influence on endothelial cells . The activation of eNOS by ghrelin potentiates the NOmediated relaxation of vascular smooth muscle and diminishes the production of reactive oxygen species in reaction to endothelial injury (Iantorno et al., 2007;Xu et al., 2008;Hedayati et al., 2009) (Figure 8). In patients with metabolic syndrome, administration of ghrelin leads to an increase in NO bioactivity and improved endothelial function (Tesauro et al., 2005;Tesauro et al., 2009). ...
Although gasotransmitters nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) receive a bad connotation; in low concentrations these play a major governing role in local and systemic blood flow, stomach acid release, smooth muscles relaxations, anti-inflammatory behavior, protective effect and more. Many of these physiological processes are upstream regulated by gut peptides, for instance gastrin, cholecystokinin, secretin, motilin, ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide 1 and 2. The relationship between gasotransmitters and gut hormones is poorly understood. In this review, we discuss the role of NO, CO and H2S on gut peptide release and functioning, and whether manipulation by gasotransmitter substrates or specific blockers leads to physiological alterations.
... Our results demonstrate that the LPS-induced abrogation of cNOS control over NF-κB activation results in the induction of iNOS expression and leads to COX-2 activation through S-nitrosylation. Moreover, our results show that peptide hormone, ghrelin, recognized for its modulatory control over NOS and COX enzyme systems [16,[22][23][24][25], suppresses these untoward consequences of the LPS through up-regulation in cNOS activation that interferes with NF-κB nuclear translocation, thus causing the repression of iNOS gene induction and the inhibition of COX-2 activation through iNOS-dependent S-nitrosylation. ...
... Furthermore, assessment of the effect of peptide hormone, ghrelin, revealed that the induced increase in cNOS phosphorylation at Ser 1179 was associated with a significant up-regulation in cNOS activity, inhibition of iNOS expression, and the suppression in COX-2 activity without affecting its protein expression. These findings are thus in concordance with the rapidly accumulating literature data attesting to a central role of ghrelin in modulation of gastric mucosal inflammatory responses to H. pylori colonization [14][15][16][22][23][24][25], as well as point to cNOS activation through phosphorylation as a pivotal element of ghrelin signaling cascade. ...
... The mechanism that underlies the regulation of NOS system by ghrelin involves the receptor (GHSR1a)-mediated activation of heterotrimeric G protein-dependent pathway that results in signal propagation through a multiple network of protein kinases, including that of Src/ Akt cascade that controls the process of cNOS activation [14,15,24,37,38]. Indeed, we found that in keeping with the documented involvement of Src/Akt in posttranslational cNOS activation through phosphorylation at Ser 1179 [37,38], the countering effect of ghrelin on the LPS-induced up-regulation in COX-2 and iNOS activation was susceptible to suppression by Akt inhibitor, SH-5, as well as Src inhibitor, PP2. ...
Disturbances in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX) isozyme systems, manifested by the excessive NO and prostaglandin (PGE2) generation, are well-recognized features of gastric mucosal inflammatory responses to H. pylori infection. In this study, we report that H. pylori LPS-induced enhancement in gastric mucosal inducible (i) iNOS expression and COX-2 activation was accompanied by the impairment in constitutive (c) cNOS phosphorylation, up-regulation in the inhibitory κB kinase-β (IKKβ) activation and the increase in the transcriptional factor, NF-κB, nuclear translocation. Further, we show that abrogation of cNOS control over NF-κB activation has lead to induction of iNOS expression and COX-2 activation through S-nitrosylation. Moreover, we demonstrate that the modulatory effect of peptide hormone, ghrelin, on the LPS-induced changes was reflected in the increase in Src/Akt-dependent cNOS activation through phosphorylation and the suppression of IKK-β activity through cNOS-mediated IKK-β protein S-nitrosylation. As a result, ghrelin exerted the inhibitory effect on NF-κB nuclear translocation, thus causing the repression of iNOS gene induction and the inhibition in COX-2 activation through iNOS-dependent S-nitrosylation. Our findings point to cNOS activation as a pivotal element in the signaling cascade by which ghrelin exerts modulatory control over proinflammatory events triggered in gastric mucosa by H. pylori infection.
... As gastric ghrelin is recognized as an important regulator of NOS and COX enzyme systems, and implicated in the control of local inflammations, gastroprotection, and modulation of the mucosal inflammatory responses to bacterial infection [18,[27][28][29][30][31], in this study we investigated the nature of inflammatory changes induced in gastric mucosal cells by H. pylori LPS and the mechanism of ghrelin modulatory influence on the cross-talk between the NOS and COX systems. Our data revealed that the LPS-elicited induction in iNOS leads to COX-2 activation through S-nitrosylation and up-regulation in PGE 2 generation, and that ghrelin counters these untoward consequences of the LPS through up-regulation in cNOS phosphorylation and the suppression of iNOS gene induction. ...
... As cNOS is known to undergo a rapid posttranslational activation through phosphorylation at Ser 1179 [18,29,30], we have also examined the effect of the LPS and ghrelin on gastric mucosal cell cNOS phosphorylation. For this, the cells prior to incubation with ghrelin were pretreated with Akt kinase inhibitor, SH-5, and the lysates were probed with antibodies directed against cNOS and phosphorylated cNOS at Ser 1179 (Figure 7). ...
... Further, we found that preincubation of the mucosal cells with gastric hormone, ghrelin, recognized for its modulatory influence on the inflammatory responses to bacterial infection [18,27,[29][30][31]35], exerted countering effect on the LPS-induced suppression in Akt activity and lead to the increase in cNOS activation through phosphorylation at Ser 1179 . We also observed that these effects of ghrelin were accompanied by the suppression in iNOS protein expression and the reduction in COX-2 activity. ...
Gastric mucosal inflammatory responses to H. pylori lipopolysaccharide (LPS), are characterized by the excessive NO and prostaglandin (PGE2) generation due to the disturbances in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX) systems. Here, we report that the LPS-induced enhancement in gastric mucosal inducible (i) iNOS) activity and up-regulation in PGE2 production was associated with the suppression in Akt kinase activity and the impairment in constitutive (c) cNOS activation. The stimulatory effect of the LPS on PGE2 production, furthermore, was susceptible to suppression by COX-2 inhibitor, NS-398, and iNOS inhibitor, 1400 W. Further, we show that the countering effect of peptide hormone, ghrelin, on the LPS-induced changes was reflected in up-regu- lation in Akt activity and the increase in cNOS activation through phosphorylation, and accompanied by the suppression in iNOS expression and the reduction in COX-2 activity associated with the loss in COX-2 protein S-nitrosylation. Moreover, the effect of ghre-lin on the LPS-induced COX-2 S-nitrosylation was subject to repression by Akt inhibition. Our findings demonstrate that induction in iNOS with H. pylori in- fection leads to COX-2 activation through S-nitro- sylation and up-regulation in PGE2 generation, and that ghrelin counters these untoward consequences of the LPS through Akt-mediated up-regulation in cNO- S activation required for the iNOS gene repression.
... As peptide hormone, ghrelin, is recognized as an important modulator of gastric mucosal inflammatory responses to H. pylori through the regulation of NOS system [4,9,[23][24][25][26], in this study we investigated the effect of H. pylori LPS on the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway in gastric mucosal cells, and the mechanism of ghrelin modulatory action. Our results demonstrate that the LPS elicit induction in iNOS expression via upregulation in IKK-β activation through phosphorylation. ...
... As a result the LPSinduced activity of IKK-β, in the presence 0.5 µg/ml of ghrelin, showed an 83% decrease. Moreover, as the suppression of the LPS-induced iNOS protein expression by ghrelin is associated with rapid cNOS activation through phosphorylation [24,25], we have also examined the treated with the inhibitors of Src/Akt pathway in the absence or presence of ghrelin, and assayed for IKK-β activity. We found that the countering effect of ghrelin on H. pylori LPS-induced up-regulation in the mucosal cell IKK-β activity was subject to suppression by both, the inhibitor of Src, PP2, as well as Akt inhibitor, SH-5 ( Figure 5). ...
... These events define the extent of gastric mucosal inflammatory involvement, and are carefully regulated at the early response stage by a family of transcriptional factors, known as NF-κB, which transduce the inflammatory stimulus into the activation of a variety genes involved in ant-microbial responses, including those accountable for NO generation [6, 10-12, 31,32]. As gastric mucosal inflammatory responses to H. pylori as well as its LPS are reflected in continual induction of iNOS and the suppression of cNOS activation, and a peptide hormone, ghrelin, is recognized as an important regulator of NOS system [4,5,7,9,[23][24][25][26], the objective of this study was to ascertain the influence of ghrelin on the processes associated with NF-κB activation by H. pylori LPS. ...
Excessive nitric oxide generation, caused by the disturbances in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isozyme system, plays a key role in defining the extent of gastric mucosal inflammatory response to H. pylori infection. Here, we report that H. pylori LPS-induced enhancement in gastric mucosal inducible (i) iNOS expression and the impairment in constitutive (c) cNOS activity was associated with up-regulation in the inhibitory kB kinase-β (IKK?β) activation through phosphorylation, rise in IκB-α degradation, and the increase in the transcriptional factor, NF-κB, nuclear translocation. Further, we show that the countering effect of peptide hormone, ghrelin, on the LPS-induced disturbances in NOS isozyme system was reflected in the increase in Src/Akt-dependent cNOS activation through phosphorylation and the suppression of IKK-β activity through cNOSmediated IKK-β protein S-nitrosylation. As a consequence, ghrelin exerted the inhibitory effect on the LPS-induced rise in IκB-α degradation and NF-κB nuclear translocation, thus leading to iNOS gene suppression and the repression of iNOS induction. These results point to a central role of cNOS activation in controlling the signaling pathways of the LPS-triggered iNOS gene induction. Moreover, our findings suggest a molecular mechanism by which ghrelin suppresses the gastric mucosal proinflammatory consequences of H. pylori infection.
... As oral mucosal inflammatory responses to periodontopathic bacterium, P. gingivalis, are characterized by the disturbances in NO production, and since cSrc kinase plays a central role in transduction of signals that regulate the activity of NOS isozyme system [4,5,13,14], in this study we investigated the impact of P. gingivalis key virulence factor, LPS, on the cSrc kinase activity in sublingual salivary gland acinar cells. Moreover, considering the demonstrated role of ghrelin in the regulation of NOS system [4,5,17], we examined the influence of this peptide hormone on processes of cSrc activation through S-nitrosylation. ...
... Investigations into the endogenous factors capable of influencing the extent of mucosal inflammatory responses along the alimentary tract, including that of oral cavity, have brought to focus the importance of a peptide hormone, ghrelin [1][2][3][4]28]. A growing body of evidence, furthermore, points to ghrelin as a principal modulator of the mucosal NOS [4][5][6]17]. The mechanism that underlies the regulation of NO signaling by ghrelin relies on the receptor (GHS-R1a)-mediated activation of G protein-dependent network of protein kinases, including that of membrane-associated non-receptor tyrosine kinase, cSrc [7][8][9][10]. ...
... Our assertion is further supported by the literature evidence indicating that ascorbate treatment both increases cNOS activity and reduces the enzyme protein Snitrosylation, and that the countering effect of ghrelin on the LPS-induced impairment in cNOS activity is associated with the loss of the enzyme protein S-nitrosylation and the increase in its phosphorylation at Ser 1179 [5,13,32]. Indeed, the accumulating evidence demonstrates that protein modification through targeted S-nitrosylation at the critical cysteine, with the participation of both constitutive and inducible forms of NOS system, is a post-translational event of significance to the regulation of signal transduction pathways by NO [4][5][6][13][14][15]17,32,33]. Moreover, NO-induced Src S-nitrosylation at the critical cysteine residues located within the C-terminal region of its catalytic domain has been reported to promote cSrc activation through autophosphorylation at Tyr 416 [13][14][15]. ...
A peptide hormone, ghrelin, recognized for its role in the regulation of nitric oxide production has emerged as an important modulator of oral mucosal inflam-matory responses to periodontopathic bacterium, P. gingivalis. As cSrc kinase plays a major role in con-trolling the activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) system, in this study we investigated the influence of P. gingivalis LPS on the processes of Src activation in rat sublingual gland acinar cells. The LPS-induced enhancement in the activity of inducible (i) iNOS and the impairment in constitutive (c) cNOS were re-flected in the suppression in cSrc activity and the ex-tent of its phosphorylation at Tyr 416 . Further, we show that the countering effect of ghrelin on the LPS-induced changes in cSrc activity and the extent of its phosphorylation was accompanied by a marked re-duction in iNOS and the increase in cNOS activation through phosphorylation at Ser 1179 . Moreover, the effect of ghrelin on cSrc activation was associated with the kinase S-nitrosylation that was susceptible to the blockage by cNOS inhibition. Our findings sug-gest that P. gingivalis-induced up-regulation in iNOS leads to disturbances in cNOS phosphorylation that exerts the detrimental effect on the processes of cSrc activation through cNOS mediated S-nitrosylation. We also show that the effect of ghrelin on P. gin-givalis-induced inflammatory changes are manifested in the enhancement in cSrc activation through S-nitro-sylation and the increase in its phosphoryla-tion at Tyr 416 .
... In experiments on mouse cells from wild type and eNOS knockouts, it was shown that the actions of UAG were dependent on rescue of eNOS activity (Togliatto et al., 2010). Several other studies have also shown that ghrelin activates eNOS, including in endothelial cells from human umbilical vein (Xu et al., 2008) and bovine, human (Iantorno et al., 2007), rat (Shimizu et al., 2003), and mouse (Xu et al., 2008) aortic endothelial cells. However, effects of UAG were not tested in these studies. ...
... In experiments on mouse cells from wild type and eNOS knockouts, it was shown that the actions of UAG were dependent on rescue of eNOS activity (Togliatto et al., 2010). Several other studies have also shown that ghrelin activates eNOS, including in endothelial cells from human umbilical vein (Xu et al., 2008) and bovine, human (Iantorno et al., 2007), rat (Shimizu et al., 2003), and mouse (Xu et al., 2008) aortic endothelial cells. However, effects of UAG were not tested in these studies. ...
... In contrast, Shimada et al. (2014) confirmed that UAG protects human vascular endothelial cells, but comparison with ghrelin was not made. The activation of eNOS is caused through Akt and AMP kinase-mediated phosphorylation (Xu et al., 2008). The effects in bovine aortic endothelial cells were inhibited by knockdown of Ghsr1a by treatment with siRNA (Iantorno et al., 2007), suggesting that GHSR1a is involved in this species. ...
The only molecularly identified ghrelin receptor is the growth hormone secretagogue receptor GHSR1a. Its natural ligand, ghrelin, is an acylated peptide whose unacylated counterpart (UAG) is almost inactive at GHSR1a. A truncated, nonfunctional receptor, GHSR1b, derives from the same gene. We have critically evaluated evidence for effects of ghrelin receptor ligands that are not consistent with actions at GHSR1a. Effects of ghrelin are observed in cells or tissues where the expression of GHSR1a is not detectable or after the Ghsr gene has been inactivated. In several, effects of ghrelin are mimicked by UAG, and ghrelin binding is competitively reduced by UAG. Effects in the absence of GHSR1a and sites at which ghrelin and UAG have similar potency suggest the presence of novel nonspecific ghrelin receptors (ghrelin receptor-like receptors [GRLRs]). A third class of receptor, the UAG receptors, at which UAG, but not ghrelin, is an agonist has been proposed. None of the novel receptors, with the exception of the glycoprotein CD36, which accounts for ghrelin action at a limited number of sites, have been identified. GHSR1a and GHSR1b combine with other G protein-coupled receptors to form heterodimers, whose pharmacologies differ from their components. Thus, it is feasible some GRLRs and some UAG receptors are heterodimers. Effects mediated through GRLRs or UAG receptors include adipocyte lipid accumulation, myoblast differentiation, osteoblast proliferation, insulin release, cardioprotection, coronary artery constriction, vascular endothelial cell proliferation, and tumor cell proliferation. The molecular identification and pharmacologic characterization of novel ghrelin receptors are thus important objectives.
... Ghrelin, a 28-amino acid peptide hormone produced mainly in the stomach, is recognized as an important factor in the control of local inflammations, gastroprotection, and the modulation of gastric mucosal inflammatory responses to H. pylori (Osawa et al. 2005;Peeters 2005;Sibilia et al. 2008;Chen et al. 2010;Slomiany and Slomiany 2010a). The mechanism of ghrelin action involves the stimulation of growth-hormone secretagogue receptor type 1a (GHS-R1a), a seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), that leads to activation of heterotrimeric G-protein-dependent network of protein kinases, including phospholipase C (PLC)/ protein kinase C (PKC) implicated in phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) PI3K/Src and Akt signaling as well as those implicated in the regulation of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin (PGE2) production (Xu et al. 2008a: Lodeiro et al. 2009). ...
... While signaling through Src/Akt pathway is recognized to occupy a central stage in the receptor (GHS-R1a)-mediated responses to ghrelin stimulation (Xu et al. 2008a;Lodeiro et al. 2009;Slomiany and Slomiany 2011b, c;Wu et al. 2012), it is becoming increasingly apparent that the hormone is also capable of exerting its modulatory influence through the process of protein S-nitrosylation. Indeed, the induction IKK-b S-nitrosylation by ghrelin exerts the inhibitory effect on the extent of IjB-a degradation, causing suppression in NF-jB nuclear translocation and resulting in the repression of iNOS gene induction Slomiany 2011c, 2012). ...
Infection with Helicobacter pylori is a primary culprit in the etiology of gastric disease, and its cell-wall lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is recognized as a potent endotoxin responsible for triggering a pattern of the mucosal inflammatory responses. The engagement by the LPS of gastric mucosal Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) leads to initiation of signal transduction events characterized by the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, induction of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC)/protein kinase C (PKC)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, and up-regulation in Src/Akt. These signaling events in turn exert their influence over H. pylori-elicited excessive generation of NO and PGE2 caused by the disturbances in nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase isozyme systems, increase in epidermal growth factor receptor transactivation, and the induction in matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) release. Interestingly, the extent of gastric mucosal inflammatory response to H. pylori is influenced by a peptide hormone, ghrelin, the action of which relays on the growth hormone secretagogue receptor type 1a (GHS-R1a)-mediated mobilization of G-protein dependent transduction pathways. Yet, the signals triggered by TLR-4 activation as well as those arising through GHS-R1a stimulation converge at MAPK and PLC/PKC/PI3K pathways that form a key integration node for proinflammatory signals generated by H. pylori LPS as well as for those involved in modulation of inflammation by ghrelin. Hence, therapeutic targeting these signals' convergence and integration node could provide a novel and attractive opportunities for developing more effective treatments of H. pylori-related gastric disease.
... These findings, thus, support the role of iNOS in the regulation of COX-2 activation and PGE 2 generation [10,18,19]. Further, preincubation with a peptide hormone, ghrelin, recognized for its modulatory influence on the inflammatory responses to bacterial infection [6,14,22,30,31], elicited countering effect on the LPS-induced suppression in cSrc activity and lead to the increase in cNOS activation through phosphorylation, and the reduction in iNOS protein expression accompanied by the loss in COX-2 activity. Moreover, ghrelininduced up-regulation in cNOS phosphorylation was susceptible to suppression by Src inhibitor, PP2, which also caused the abrogation in ghrelin-induced reduction in COX-2 activity. ...
... Indeed, the mechanism that underlies the regulation of NO signaling by ghrelin relies on the growth-hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R)-mediated activation of G protein-dependent network of protein kinases, including that of membrane-associated non-receptor tyrosine kinase, cSrc [32,33]. Moreover, in concordance with the documented involvement of cSrc in post-translational cNOS activation through phosphorylation [14,16,30,34], we found that the induced up-regulation in cNOS activity by ghrelin was reflected in the increase of enzyme protein phosphorylation at Ser 1179 . ...
Disturbances in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) system and the excessive prostaglandin (PGE 2) generation are well-recognized features of oral mucosal inflam-matory responses to periodontopathic bacterium, P. gingivalis. Employing rat sublingual gland acinar cells, we show that P. gingivalis LPS-induced up-regulation in PGE 2 generation and the enhancement in inducible (i) iNOS activity was associated with COX-2 activa-tion through S-nitrosylation, and accompanied by the suppression in cSrc activity and the impairment in constitutive (c) cNOS phosphorylation. Further, we demonstrate that the countering effect of peptide hor-mone, ghrelin, on the LPS-induced changes was re-flected in the increased cNOS activation through pho-sphorylation, repression in iNOS induction, and the reduction in PGE 2 generation associated with the loss of COX-2 protein S-nitrosylation. Moreover, the ef-fect of ghrelin on cNOS phosphorylation and the LPS-induced COX-2 S-nitrosylation was susceptible to the blockage by cSrc inhibition. Our findings sug-gest that P. gingivalis-induced up-regulation in iNOS leads to COX-2 S-nitrosylation and up-regulation in PGE 2 generation, and that the countering effect of ghrelin is mediated through Src-dependent cNOS ac-tivation that is obligatory for the maintenance of iNOS gene suppression.
... These results are in agreement with previously reported evidence from non-reproductive experimental models showing that Ghrl stimulates NOS activity (18)(19)(20). Furthermore, cultured endothelial cells exposed to Ghrl showed increased eNOS activity in a dose-dependent manner (47). Nevertheless, up to our knowledge, there is no reported data from the assessment of the effects of Ghrl blockade on NOS expression. ...
Introduction
In a previous study we found that ghrelin (Ghrl) misbalance during the peri-implantation period significantly impaired fetus development. In this study we aimed to evaluate the putative mechanisms underlying these effects, including embryo implantation success, uterine nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, nitric oxide synthesis and the inflammatory/immune uterine profile.
Methods
Ghrelin misbalance was induced by injecting 4nmol/animal/day of Ghrl (hyperghrelinemia) or 6nmol/animal/day of a Ghrl antagonist (Ant: (D-Lys3)GHRP-6) from day 3 to 8 of pregnancy. Control animals (C) were injected with de vehicle. Females were euthanized at pregnancy day 8 and their uteri excised in order to evaluate: the percentage of reabsorbed embryos (microscopically), eNOS, iNOS and nytrotirosine expression (by immunohistochemistry), nitrite synthesis (by Griess technique), VEGF, IL-10, IL-17, IL-6, MMP9 and GM-CSF expression (by qPCR) and leukocyte infiltration by flow cytometry (evaluating T cells, NK cells, granulocytes, dendritic cells and macrophages).
Results
Ant-treatment significantly increased the percentage of reabsorbed embryos and the uterine expression of eNOS, iNOS and nytrotirosine. (D-Lys3)GHRP-6-treatment increased also the expression of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-17 and MMP9, and decreased that of IL-10 (anti-inflammatory). Moreover, Ant-treatment increased also the NK cells population and that of CD11b ⁺ dendritic cells; and decreased T cells percentages. Similarly, hyperghrelinemia showed a significant increase vs. C on eNOS, iNOS and nytrotirosineuterine expression and a decrease in T cells percentages.
Conclusion
Ghrl misbalance during the peri-implantation period induces pro-inflammatory changes and nitrosative stress in the gravid uterus, impairing significantly embryo implantation and/or development.
... Ghrelin can also inhibit proinflammatory cytokines by activating calmodulin-dependent kinase (CaMKK) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). By boosting ghrelin levels and decreasing fatty acid synthase activity in the hypothalamus, ghrelin has been demonstrated to promote fasting food intake (Xu et al., 2008). ...
Ghrelin is a peptide released by the endocrine cells of the stomach and the neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. It modulates both peripheral and central functions. Although ghrelin has emerged as a potent stimulator of growth hormone release and as an orexigenic neuropeptide, the wealth of literature suggests its involvement in the pathophysiology of affective disorders including depression. Ghrelin exhibits a dual role through the advancement and reduction of depressive behavior with nervousness in the experimental animals. It modulates depression-related signals by forming neuronal networks with various neuropeptides and classical neurotransmitter systems. The present review emphasizes the integration and signaling of ghrelin with other neuromodulatory systems concerning depressive disorders. The role of ghrelin in the regulation of neurosynaptic transmission and depressive illnesses implies that the ghrelin system modulation can yield promising antidepressive therapies.
... Furthermore, ghrelin, was shown to have a neuroprotective effect via stimulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway according to Wang et al. (20). Also, Xu et al. demonstrated the beneficial outcomes of using ghrelin, mainly regarding the eNOS Ser-1177 phosphorylation within cultured ECs with subsequent eNOS activation, which was distinguished by the elevated production of NO (21). The intended purpose of our study is to evaluate whether or not acylated ghrelin could resolve ISO-induced oxidative damage in rat cardiac muscle through direct modulation of the eNOS/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. ...
Although there is accumulating evidence which suggests that the administration of ghrelin could be used to preserve cardiac function, delay the progression of heart failure post-myocardial infarction, and attenuate ventricular remodeling, there is still no definitive data that clearly highlights the mechanisms by which ghrelin exerts cardioprotective effects. The present study aimed to investigate whether ghrelin could affect nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression and exert anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidant-like actions through this signaling pathway. Rats were assorted into four groups with 10 in each: Group I (Control), Group II (received ghrelin only), Group III (MI was induced by isoproterenol (ISO)), Group IV (MI was induced by isoproterenol and within 30 min of each ISO dose, rats received ghrelin; 100 μg /kg subcutaneously two times per day). We assessed the effects of acylated ghrelin on the biochemical changes, ECG parameters, heart rate, histopathological scoring and the mRNA expression of eNOS, Nrf2 (confirmed immunohistochemically) as well as HO-1 genes in the cardiac tissues. Nuclear factor-κB, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and inducible nitric oxide synthase were assessed as inflammatory markers. Ghrelin markedly improved the oxidative stress injury and inflammation, showed histological preservation of the cardiac muscle fibers morphology, ameliorated the ISO-induced ECG changes and caused a significant elevation in eNOS, HO-1, and Nrf2 expression. In conclusion, ghrelin exerts cardioprotective effect in ISO-induced myocardial infarction by promoting the eNOS/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.
... Differing from GHSR1a, whose expression in tumors has not been demonstrated [103], GHSR1b has been detected in BC cell lines, and at high amounts in malignant breast tissue, but not in normal mammary tissue [104]. The ghrelin-GHSR axis has been associated with metastasis, as it stimulates the production of nitric oxide (NO) and enhances the phosphorylation of NO synthase (NOS) [105]. In pancreatic adenocarcinoma, blockage of the GHSR/PI3K/Akt pathway has demonstrated the role played by ghrelin in promoting cell migration and invasion [101]. ...
Physically active behavior has been associated with a reduced risk of developing certain types of cancer and improved psychological conditions for patients by reducing anxiety and depression, in turn improving the quality of life of cancer patients. On the other hand, the correlations between inactivity, sedentary behavior, and overweight and obesity with the risk of development and progression of various cancers are well studied, mainly in middle-aged and elderly subjects. In this article, we have revised the evidence on the effects of physical activity on the expression and release of the adipose-tissue-derived mediators of low-grade chronic inflammation, i.e., adipokines, as well as the adipokine-mediated impacts of physical activity on tumor development, growth, and metastasis. Importantly, exercise training may be effective in mitigating the side effects related to anti-cancer treatment, thereby underlining the importance of encouraging cancer patients to engage in moderate-intensity activities. However, the strong need to customize and adapt exercises to a patient’s abilities is apparent. Besides the preventive effects of physically active behavior against the adipokine-stimulated cancer risk, it remains poorly understood how physical activity, through its actions as an adipokine, can actually influence the onset and development of metastases.
... e actin-myosin cross-bridge is broken and smooth muscle relaxation ensues to cause vasodilation [197]. erefore, the identification of ghrelin regulatory pathways on eNOS activation may give insights about the therapeutic potential of ghrelin to correct endothelial dysfunction in patients with cardiovascular disease and diabetes [198]. ...
Ghrelin is a relatively novel multifaceted hormone that has been found to exert a plethora of physiological effects. In this review, we found/confirmed that ghrelin has effect on all body systems. It induces appetite; promotes the use of carbohydrates as a source of fuel while sparing fat; inhibits lipid oxidation and promotes lipogenesis; stimulates the gastric acid secretion and motility; improves cardiac performance; decreases blood pressure; and protects the kidneys, heart, and brain. Ghrelin is important for learning, memory, cognition, reward, sleep, taste sensation, olfaction, and sniffing. It has sympatholytic, analgesic, antimicrobial, antifibrotic, and osteogenic effects. Moreover, ghrelin makes the skeletal muscle more excitable and stimulates its regeneration following injury; delays puberty; promotes fetal lung development; decreases thyroid hormone and testosterone; stimulates release of growth hormone, prolactin, glucagon, adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, vasopressin, and oxytocin; inhibits insulin release; and promotes wound healing. Ghrelin protects the body by different mechanisms including inhibition of unwanted inflammation and induction of autophagy. Having a clear understanding of the ghrelin effect in each system has therapeutic
implications. Future studies are necessary to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of ghrelin actions as well as its application as a GHSR agonist to treat most common diseases in each system without any paradoxical outcomes on the other systems.
... e actin-myosin cross-bridge is broken and smooth muscle relaxation ensues to cause vasodilation [197]. erefore, the identification of ghrelin regulatory pathways on eNOS activation may give insights about the therapeutic potential of ghrelin to correct endothelial dysfunction in patients with cardiovascular disease and diabetes [198]. ...
Ghrelin is a relatively novel multifaceted hormone that has been found to exert a plethora of physiological effects. In this review, we found/confirmed that ghrelin has effect on all body systems. It induces appetite; promotes the use of carbohydrates as a source of fuel while sparing fat; inhibits lipid oxidation and promotes lipogenesis; stimulates the gastric acid secretion and motility; improves cardiac performance; decreases blood pressure; and protects the kidneys, heart, and brain. Ghrelin is important for learning, memory, cognition, reward, sleep, taste sensation, olfaction, and sniffing. It has sympatholytic, analgesic, antimicrobial, antifibrotic, and osteogenic effects. Moreover, ghrelin makes the skeletal muscle more excitable and stimulates its regeneration following injury; delays puberty; promotes fetal lung development; decreases thyroid hormone and testosterone; stimulates release of growth hormone, prolactin, glucagon, adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, vasopressin, and oxytocin; inhibits insulin release; and promotes wound healing. Ghrelin protects the body by different mechanisms including inhibition of unwanted inflammation and induction of autophagy. Having a clear understanding of the ghrelin effect in each system has therapeutic implications. Future studies are necessary to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of ghrelin actions as well as its application as a GHSR agonist to treat most common diseases in each system without any paradoxical outcomes on the other systems.
... Ghrelin potently stimulates growth hormone from the anterior pituitary gland [29], and it also activates the endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in a pathway [32] that depends on the PI3K/Akt/eNOS/NO signaling pathway [33,34]. Ghrelin binds on growth hormone secretagogue receptors that are coupled to G-proteins [29]. ...
Background:
Compared to radiation injury alone (RI), radiation injury combined wound (CI) further enhances acute radiation syndrome and subsequently mortality. We previously reported that therapy with Ghrelin, the 28-amino-acid-peptide secreted from the stomach, significantly increased 30-day survival and mitigated hematopoietic death by enhancing and sustaining granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC) in the blood and bone marrow; increasing circulating white blood cell depletion; inhibiting splenocytopenia; and accelerating skin-wound healing on day 30 after CI. Herein, we aimed to study the efficacy of Ghrelin on intestinal injury at early time points after CI.
Methods:
B6D2F1/J female mice were exposed to 60Co-γ-photon radiation (9.5 Gy, 0.4 Gy/min, bilateral), followed by 15% total-body-surface-area skin wounds. Several endpoints were measured: at 4-5 h and on days 1, 3, 7, and 15.
Results:
Ghrelin therapy mitigated CI-induced increases in IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17A, IL-18, KC, and TNF-α in serum but sustained G-CSF, KC and MIP-1α increases in ileum. Histological analysis of ileum on day 15 showed that Ghrelin treatment mitigated ileum injury by increasing villus height, crypt depth and counts, as well as decreasing villus width and mucosal injury score. Ghrelin therapy increased AKT activation and ERK activation; suppressed JNK activation and caspase-3 activation in ileum; and reduced NF-κB, iNOS, BAX and Bcl-2 in ileum. This therapy recovered the tight junction protein and mitigated bacterial translocation and lipopolysaccharides levels. The results suggest that the capacity of Ghrelin therapy to reduce CI-induced ileum injury is mediated by a balanced NF-κB-AKT-MAPK network that leads to homeostasis of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines.
Conclusions:
Our novel results are the first to suggest that Ghrelin therapy effectively decreases intestinal injury after CI.
... The orexigenic and metabolic actions (shifting fat oxidation into carbohydrate oxidation) of ghrelin, specifically in the ARC and PVN, are NO dependent [88]; ICV injection of L-NAME dose dependently attenuates ghrelin-induced increases in food intake and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) in both the ARC and the PVN [88]. It has been proposed that ghrelin activates its receptors (GHS-R 1a and b), and the AMPK-NO (probably eNOS-derived NO [90])-cGMP pathway mediates the actions of ghrelin in the hypothalamic regulation of energy balance [91,92]. ...
Nitric oxide (NO) contributes to carbohydrate metabolism and decreased NO bioavailability is involved in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). NO donors may improve insulin signaling and glucose homeostasis in T2DM and insulin resistance (IR), suggesting the potential clinical importance of NO-based interventions. In this review, site-specific roles of the NO synthase (NOS)-NO pathway in carbohydrate metabolism are discussed. In addition, the metabolic effects of physiological low levels of NO produced by constitutive NOS (cNOS) versus pathological high levels of NO produced by inducible NOS (iNOS) in pancreatic β-cells, adipocytes, hepatocytes, and skeletal muscle cells are summarized. A better understanding of the NOS-NO system in the regulation of glucose homeostasis can hopefully facilitate the development of new treatments for T2DM.
... The serine residue 1177 of eNOS is a substrate for AMPK [42]. eNOS Ser1177 phosphorylation leads to the activation of eNOS and production of nitric oxide [43,44]. AMPK/eNOS-mediated signaling has been confirmed to accelerate angiogenesis, particularly under the condition of ischemic stress [45,46]. ...
Autophagy is involved in the development of numerous illnesses, including ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) participates in the protective effects of ischemic postconditioning (IPostC). However, it remains unclear whether eNOS-mediated autophagy serves as a critical role in IPostC in the hearts of mice, in protecting against I/R injury. In the present study, the hearts of mice with left anterior descending coronary artery ligation were studied as I/R models. H9c2 cells underwent exposure to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) and were examined as in vitro model. IPostC reduced mice myocardial infarct size and improved the structure of the heart. IPostC increased the formation of autophagosomes and increased the phosphorylation of eNOS and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Autophagy and eNOS inhibition suppressed the cardioprotective effects of IPostC. AMPK or eNOS inhibition abolished the improvement effect of IPostC on autophagy. AMPK inhibition decreased eNOS phosphorylation in the heart. Additionally, H9c2 cells suffering hypoxia were used as in vitro model. Autophagy or eNOS inhibition abolished the protective effects of hypoxic postconditioning (HPostC) against H/R injury. AMPK and eNOS inhibition/knockout decreased autophagic activity in the HPostC group. These results indicated that IPostC protects the heart against I/R injury, partially via promoting AMPK/eNOS-mediated autophagy.
... looxygenase synthase (COX) enzymes. The signaling mechanism that underlies this regulatory of mode of ghrelin action involves the stimulation of growth-hormone secretagogue receptor type 1a (GHS-R1a), a seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), that leads to activation of heterotrimeric G-protein-dependent network of protein kinases, including phospholipase C (PLC)/protein kinase C (PKC) implicated in phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Src and Akt signaling, as well as those involved in the regulation of NO and PGE2 production[54] [55] [56][57]. ...
... Ghrelin potently stimulates growth hormone from the anterior pituitary gland [25]. Ghrelin activates the endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in a pathway [28] that depends on PI3K/Akt/eNOS/NO signal pathway [29,30]. Ghrelin binds on growth hormone secretagogue receptors that is coupled to G-protein [25]. ...
Background
Radiation injury combined wound (CI) enhances acute radiation syndrome and subsequently mortality as compared to radiation injury alone (RI). We previously reported that ghrelin (a 28-amino-acid-peptide secreted from the stomach) treatment significantly increased a 30-day survival, mitigated hematopoietic death, circulating white blood cell (WBC) depletion and splenocytopenia and accelerated skin-wound healing on day 30 after CI. Herein, we aimed to study the ghrelin efficacy at early time points after CI.
Methods
B6D2F1/J female mice were exposed to ⁶⁰Co-γ-photon radiation at 9.5 Gy (LD50/30) followed by a 15% total-body-surface-area skin wound. Several endpoints were measured at 4–5 h, days 1, 3, 7 and 15.
Results
Histological analysis of sternums on day 15 showed that CI induced more adipocytes and less megakaryocytes than RI. Bone marrow cell counts from femurs also indicated CI resulted in lower bone marrow cell counts on days 1, 7 and 15 than RI. Ghrelin treatment mitigated these CI-induced adverse effects. RI and CI decreased WBCs within 4–5 h and continued to decrease to day 15. Ghrelin treatment mitigated decreases in CI mice, mainly from all types of WBCs, but not RBCs, hemoglobin levels and hematocrit values. Ghrelin mitigated the CI-induced thrombocytopenia and splenocytopenia. CI increased granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC) in blood and bone marrow. Ghrelin therapy was able to enhance and sustain the increases in serum on day 15, probably contributed by spleen and ileum, suggesting the correlation between G-CSF and KC increases and the neutropenia mitigation. Activated caspase-3 levels in bone marrow cells were significantly mitigated by ghrelin therapy on days 3 and 15.
Conclusions
Our novel results are the first to suggest that ghrelin therapy effectively decreases hematopoietic death and splenocytopenia by sustaining circulating G-CSF and KC increases after CI. These results demonstrate efficacy of ghrelin as a radio-mitigator/therapy agent for CI.
... También se refiere que por cada kg de peso que logre disminuir un obeso o sobrepeso se alcanza un descenso de 0,5 a 1 mmHg de la tensión arterial (12)(13)(14)(15). Desde algunos años se conoce que el adiposito secreta una serie de proteínas con función autocrina, paracrina y endocrina, las cuales desempeñan un papel protector o perjudicial en el sistema cardiovascular (16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21). ...
Introducción: La Hipertensión Arterial (HTA) está considerada uno de los problemas de salud más significativos en la actualidad, por considerarse el principal factor de riesgo de las enfermedades cardiovasculares y cerebrovasculares. Objetivo: Describir el comportamiento de las crisis hipertensivas en el grupo de pacientes estudiados. Materiales y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio longitudinal prospectivo en 130 pacientes adultos hipertensos, pertenecientes a la población de un consultorio médico de un área de salud de un municipio capitalino, en un período de dos años. La información se recogió a través de la historia clínica del área de salud, interrogatorio, examen físico, exámenes complementarios de laboratorio clínico y el seguimiento en consultas médicas. Resultados: Los factores de riesgo que prevalecieron fueron el sedentarismo y el consumo de sal. Asimismo, las comorbilidades más frecuentes fueron la Diabetes Mellitus, la obesidad y las Hiperlipidemias. Conclusión: Los pacientes hipertensos con malos estilos de vida y enfermedades concomitantes son más propensos a padecer crisis hipertensivas como complicación de la HTA, que el resto de la población no hipertensa.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The Arterial Hypertension (HTA) it is at the present time one of the most important problems of health to be the main risk factor of the cardiovascular and cerebrovasculares illnesses. Objective: To describe the behavior of the crisis in the Group of studied patients. Materials and Methods: It was carried out a prospective longitudinal study in 130 adulth hypertensions patients, belonging to the population of a medical clinic of an area of health of a municipality of the capital, in a two year-old period, the information was picked up through the clinical history, interrogation, physical exam, complementary exams of clinical laboratory and pursuit in consultations doctors. Results: The risk factors that prevailed were sedentarism and ingestion of sal. Diabetes Mellitus, Obesity and Hiperlipidemia were the most comorbility. Conclusion: The hypertensive patients with bad lifestyle and concomitant illnesses are prone to suffer hypertensive crises as complication of the HTA.
... Stimulation of GHS-R with ghrelin leads to activation of G protein, calcium mobilisation and multiple downstream signalling. 37 Ghrelin receptors have been isolated in various tissues, such as the endocrine glands and cardiovascular tissue. In addition, receptor density changes have been demonstrated to be an important part of the cardiovascular effects of ghrelin. ...
Background:
We aimed to compare ghrelin, obestatin, homocysteine (Hcy), vitamin B12 and folate levels in the serum and saliva of ischaemic heart disease patients.
Methods:
Serum and saliva were collected from 33 ischaemic heart disease (IHD) patients and 28 age- and body mass index-matched healthy individuals. Levels of acylated and desacylated ghrelin, obestatin and Hcy were determined using the ELISA method.
Results:
Acylated ghrelin, desacylated ghrelin and obestatin levels in the saliva were found to be higher than those in the serum of the control group, while acylated and desacylated ghrelin levels in the saliva were significantly lower than those in the serum. Obestatin levels were higher in IHD patients (p = 0.001). Saliva and serum vitamin B12 and folate levels in IHD patients were significantly lower than in the control group (p = 0.001).
Conclusions:
It was determined that serum ghrelin levels increased in ischaemic heart disease patients, while serum levels of obestatin decreased.
... Inflammatory events may be altered via the regulation toward IL1B, TNF and IL6 [42]. In particular, the axis also increases nitric oxide and NOS3 phosphorylation in cultured HUVECs [43]. Ghrelin is also critical in promoting cancer metastasis via cell motility and invasion in several types of cancer (Fig. 3). ...
Ghrelin is a small peptide with 28 amino acids, and has been characterized as the ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR). In addition to its original function in stimulating pituitary growth hormone release, ghrelin is multifunctional which plays role in the regulation of energy balance, gastric acid release, appetite, insulin secretion, gastric motility and the turnover of gastric and intestinal mucosa. The discovery of ghrelin and GHSR expression beyond normal tissues suggests its role other than physiological function. Emerging evidences has reveal ghrelin's function in regulating several processes related to cancer progression, especially in metastasis and proliferation. We further show the relative GHRL and GHSR expression in pan-cancers from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), suggesting the potential pathological role of the axis in cancers. This review focuses on ghrelin's biological function in cancer progression, and reveals its clinical significance especially the impact on cancer patient outcome.
... In addition, ghrelin is produced in small amounts locally in areas of the central nervous system. 13 A statistically significant decrease in ghrelin in the aqueous humor in patients with POAG as compared to the control group is in agreement with a study conducted by Katsanos et al. 14 Our study found that plasma ghrelin levels in patients with POAG were lower (586.51 T 134.45 pg/mL) than in those in the control group (621.36 ...
... Indeed, the majority of studies (15)(16)(17)(18) have shown that all three peptides evoke endothelium-dependent dilatations of systemic arteries such as the thoracic aorta and mesenteric arteries. Furthermore, acylated ghrelin stimulates NO production by cultured endothelial cells (19) and suppresses NADPH oxidasederived superoxide levels in the thoracic aorta (20). Consistent with these findings, a recent study has reported that exogenous acylated ghrelin administration attenuates endothelial dysfunction in hypertensive patients by improving NO bioavailability through the inhibition of the NADPH oxidases (21). ...
The ghrelin gene is expressed in the stomach where it ultimately encodes up to three peptides, namely acylated ghrelin, des-acylated ghrelin and obestatin, which all have neuroendocrine roles. Recently, we reported that these peptides have important physiological roles in positively regulating vasodilator nitric oxide (NO) production in the cerebral circulation, and may normally suppress superoxide production by the pro-oxidant enzyme, Nox2-NADPH oxidase. To date, the majority of studies using exogenous peptides infer that they may have similar roles in the systemic circulation. Therefore, in this study we examined whether exogenous and endogenous ghrelin-related peptides modulate NO production and superoxide levels in mouse mesenteric arteries and/or thoracic aorta. Using wire myography, we found that application of exogenous acylated ghrelin, des-acylated ghrelin or obestatin to mouse thoracic aorta or mesenteric arteries failed to elicit a vasorelaxation response, whereas all three peptides elicited vasorelaxation responses of rat thoracic aorta. Also, none of the peptides modulated mouse aortic superoxide levels as measured by L-012-enhanced chemiluminescence. We next found that NO bioactivity and superoxide levels were unaffected in the thoracic aorta from ghrelin-deficient mice when compared with wild-type mice. Lastly, using novel GHSR-eGFP reporter mice in combination with double-labelled immunofluorescence, we found no evidence for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR1a) in the throracic aorta, which is the only functional ghrelin receptor identified to date. Collectively these findings demonstrate that, in contrast to systemic vessels of other species (e.g. rat and human) and mouse cerebral vessels, ghrelin-related peptides do not modulate vasodilator NO production or superoxide levels in mouse systemic arteries. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
... Previous studies showed that ghrelin increases NO production in a number of ways. Xu et al., showed that ghrelin activated eNOS in cultured endothelial cells and intact vessels (Xu et al., 2008). ...
Antioxidant properties of ghrelin have been recently reported in animal models and cell culture experiments. This study was set to examine the possible in vitro and in vivo anti-oxidative effects of ghrelin in rat and HepG2 cell culture. In this study, thirty six male Wistar Rats were randomly allocated into six experimental groups of six; Intraperitoneally, group 1 (Control) received 1 ml PBS, group 2 received 0.1 mM/kg tert-Butylhydroperoxide (t- BOOH), groups 3 and 4 received 0.1 mM/kg t-BOOH and then received 10 and 50 μg/kg ghrelin, respectively. Groups 5 and 6 received 10 and 50 μg/kg ghrelin, respectively. Rats were anesthetized 24 h after last injection and blood samples were taken by cardiac puncture. Carbonylated proteins, nitric oxide (NO) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels were measured in sera. HepG2 cells were plateaued at a density of 1.5 x 105 per well in eight plates. After treatment with ghrelin (0, 10, 25 and 50 nM) for 30 min, cells were treated with TBOOH (100 or 200 μM) for 24 h to analyze cell proliferation by MTT assay at 570 nm. Evidence of oxidative stress including increased carbonylated proteins and NO levels and decreased TAC level were observed after t- BOOH injection. In rats with oxidative stress, subsequent treatment with ghrelin decreased NO and carbonylated proteins level and increased TAC level. The cell viability was decreased after t-BOOH treatment in dose dependent manner; in contrast, ghrelin in all used concentrations caused an elevation in cell viability after 24 h incubation time. These data taken together indicate that ghrelin reduces oxidative stress, but its exact mechanism is yet to be investigated.
... Moreover, PLC activation not only plays a major role in defining the extent of inflammatory response to LPS, but is also considered as a primary target in modulatory influence of the hormone ghrelin on the mucosal responses to bacterial invasion [6] [9] [13]- [15]. This 28-amino acid peptide, initially isolated from the stomach [16] and subsequently identified in oral mucosa, saliva and the acinar cells of salivary glands [17], is commonly recognized as an important modulator of the processes of mucosal repair and the control of local inflammatory responses to bacterial infection. ...
Phospholipase Cγ2 (PLCγ2) plays a pivotal role in mediation of inflammatory reaction to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as well as serves as a key target in modulatory influence of the hormone ghrelin. Here we explore the involvement of Rac1 and its activator, guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF), Dock180, in mediation of PLCγ2 activation in salivary gland acinar cells in response to P. gingivalis LPS and ghrelin. We show that stimulation of the acinar cells with the LPS leads to up-regulation in Dock and PLCγ2 activation, and is reflected in the membrane translocation of Rac1 and PLCγ2, while the effect of ghrelin is manifested by the suppression in Rac1 translocation. Further, we reveal that stimulation with the LPS leads to Dock180 phosphorylation on Tyr and Ser, while the modulatory influence of ghrelin, manifested by a drop in membrane Rac1-GTP, is asso-ciated with a distinct decrease in Dock180 phosphorylation on Ser. Moreover, we demonstrate that phosphorylation on Tyr remains under the control of Src kinase and is accompanied by Dock180 membrane translocation, while protein kinase Cδ(PKCδ) is involved in the LPS-induced phosphorylation of the membrane-recruited Dock180 on Ser. Thus, our findings underscore the role of Src/PKCδ-mediated GEF Dock180 phosphorylation on Tyr/Ser in modulation of salivary gland acinar cell PLCγ2 activation in response to P. gingivalis as well as ghrelin.
... Changes in cNOS activation through phosphorylation are considered of major consequences in defining the extent of gastric mucosal inflammatory involvement in response to H. pylori colonization [6] [7]. Hence, considering the central role of ghrelin in the regulation of NOS system activation [28] [35], we employed rat gastric mucosal cells and examined the influence of H. pylori LPS and ghrelin on the activity of cNOS and the extent of its phosphorylation on Thr 497 and Ser 1179 . As shown in Figure 1, incubation of gastric mucosal cells with the LPS caused a time-dependent reduction in cNOS activity reaching a 59% decrease after 2 h, while preincubation with ghrelin led to the reversal in the LPS-induced suppression of cNOS activity. ...
Disturbances in constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) activation associated with H. pylori colonization of gastric mucosa are considered of major consequences in defining the extent of inflammatory involvement. As rapid changes in cNOS activation are linked to the enzyme phosphorylation at the specific Ser/Thr residues, we investigated the influence of H. pylori LPS and gastric hormone, ghrelin, on the processes of phosphorylation of these two critical sites in gastric mucosal cells. We show that the LPS-induced reduction in cNOS activity is reflected in the phosphorylation on Thr497, while the countering effect of ghrelin is associated with a rapid increase in cNOS phosphorylation on Ser1179. Further, we demonstrate that cNOS phosphorylation on Thr497 as well as Ser1179 displays dependence on PKCδ. However, while the LPS-induced suppression in cNOS activation shows reliance on the phosphorylation of PKCδ and PI3K on Ser, the effect of ghrelin is manifested by the increase in phosphorylation of PKCδ and PI3K on Tyr, as well as membrane translocation and phosphorylation of Akt on Ser493. Thus, our findings suggest that the LPS-induced suppression in cNOS activation is mediated by PKCδ-controlled phosphorylation of PI3K on Ser that interferes with the membrane recruitment of Akt and promotes cNOS phosphorylation on Thr497, and that ghrelin-elicited up-regulation in cNOS activation relies on the PKCδ-directed phosphorylation of PI3K on Tyr that stimulates the membrane localization of Akt and enhances cNOS phosphorylation on Ser1179.
... Ghrelin was reported to have anti-inflammatory effects, specifically via suppression of chemotactic factors such as IL-8 and MCP-1 that are normally induced by TNFmediated NF-B activation [8]. Ghrelin also inhibited the adherence of U937 monocytes to HUVECs (human umbilical vein endothelial cells), another mechanism by which ghrelin may suppress the development of early atherosclerosis [19]. Moreover, ghrelin could also inhibit high glucose-induced (33.3 mM, 72 h) apoptosis of HUVECs, possibly by decreasing the concentration of ROS reactive oxygen species [20]. ...
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been proposed as a promising cell population for cell therapy and regenerative medicine applications. However, the low retention and poor survival of engrafted cells hampered the therapeutic efficacy of engrafted MSCs. Ghrelin is a 28-amino-acid peptide hormone and is proved to exert a protective effect on the cardiovascular system. This study is designed to investigate the protective effects of ghrelin on engrafted adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) and its beneficial effects with cellular therapy in mice myocardial infarction (MI). Results showed that intramyocardial injection of ADMSCs combining with ghrelin administration inhibited host cardiomyocyte apoptosis, reduced fibrosis, and improved cardiac function. To reveal possible mechanisms, ADMSCs were subjected to hypoxia/serum deprivation (H/SD) injury to simulate ischemic conditions in vivo. Ghrelin (10−8 M, 33712 pg/ml) improved ADMSCs survival under H/SD condition. Western blot assay revealed that ghrelin increased
AKT phosphorylation both in vivo and in vitro, decreased the proapoptotic protein Bax, and increased the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 in vitro, while these effects were abolished by PI3K inhibitor LY294002. These revealed that ghrelin may serve as a promising candidate for hormone-driven approaches to improve the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell-based therapy for cardiac ischemic disease via PI3K/AKT pathway.
... While as an upstream kinase, cSrc phosphorylates a wide varie kt pathway is known to occupy a central stage in the receptor (GHS-R)-mediated responses to ghrelin stimulation [6,11,[37][38][39], it is becoming increasingly apparent that the hormone is also capable of exerting its modulatory influence through the process of protein S-nitrosylation. Indeed, the induction IKK-β S-nitrosylation by ghrelin exerts the inhibitory effect on the extent of IκBα degradation, causing suppression in NF-κB nuclear translocation and resulting in the repression of iNOS gene induction [11,31]. ...
Among the key factors defining the extent of gastric mucosal inflammatory involvement in response to H. pylori is the excessive generation of prostaglandin (PGE2) and nitric oxide (NO), caused by the overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and triggered by the activation of MAPK/JNK, p38 and ERK, and nuclear translocation of the cognate transcription factors. In this study, we report on the role of MAPK/ERK in the regulation of H. pylori LPS-induced gastric mucosal expression of COX-2 and iNOS. We show that ERK activation by the LPS leads to phosphorylation of the inhibitory κB kinase-β (IKK-β) and cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), and is reflected in the upsurge in NF-κB nuclear translocation, induction in COX-2 and iNOS expression, and up-regulation in cPLA2 activity. The modulatory effect of peptide hormone, ghrelin, on the LPS-induced changes, although associated with further enhancement in ERK, IKK-β and cPLA2 phosphorylation, was reflected in the suppression of IKK-β and cPLA2 activity through S-nitrosylation. While the effect of ghrelin on S-nitrosylation was susceptible to suppression by the inhibitors of Src/Akt pathway, the inhibition of ERK activation caused the blockage in IKK-β and cPLA2 phosphorylation as well as S-nitrosylation. Taken together, our data show that H. pylori-induced ERK activation plays a critical role in up-regulation of gastric mucosal PGE2 and NO generation at the level of IKK-β and cPLA2 activation, and that ghrelin counters these proinflammatory consequences of the LPS through Src/Akt-dependent S-nitrosylation.
... [18], [40] Subcutaneous administration or preincubation of cardiomyocytes with ghrelin has been shown to stimulate the AMPK. [18], [40], [46] The AMPK on activation is known to inhibit cell proliferation and is involved in autophagy. [47] Preincubation of ghrelin also upregulates ERS markers and cytosine-cytosine-adenosine-adenosine-thymidine/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) homologous protein (CHOP). ...
Background: Ghrelin was initially recognized as an endogenous ligand of growth hormone secretagogue receptor and was implicated in the regulation of food intake, and promoting weight gain. Ghrelin has been shown to improve cardiac function in patients suffering from heart failure (HF) though various mechanisms. The aim of the review is to summarize the main findings in this field, with the purpose of promoting further studies on the role of ghrelin on the cardiovascular system. Materials and Methods: All publications describing trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses and review papers published within 1999-2014 of ghrelin in animal models of HF were sought through electronic and manual searches. Results: The literature searches identified 126 references and ten trials meeting the inclusion criteria were included in this review. All studies were carried out on male rats and experimental model of HF. Ghrelin has been shown to reduce mortality, increase appetite and body weight, and was found to improve the cardiac function parameters. Review found deficient information about adverse effects of ghrelin. Ghrelin exerts cardioprotective effects through modulation of sympathetic nervous system, inhibiting autophagy, antiinflammatory effects and protection against ischemia/reperfusion injury. Conclusion: Ghrelin seems to have a beneficial effect in rat models of HF and can offer an effective therapeutic target for improving outcome in HF.
Keywords: Ghrelin, growth hormone secretagogue receptor, heart failure, isoprenaline, doxorubicin
... The ghrelin receptor is a G protein-coupled receptor, known as the growth hormone secretagogue receptor that is coupled to G-protein. Ghrelin was shown to activate the endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in a pathway [27] that depended on various kinases including PI3K/Akt/eNOS/NO signal pathway [28,29]. ...
Exposure to ionizing radiation alone (RI) or combined with traumatic tissue injury (CI) is a crucial life-threatening factor in nuclear and radiological events. In our laboratory, mice exposed to 60 Co-íµí»¾-photon radiation (9.5 Gy, 0.4 Gy/min, bilateral) followed by 15% total-body-surface-area skin wounds (R-W CI) or burns (R-B CI) experienced an increment of ≥18% higher mortality over a 30-day observation period compared to RI alone. CI was accompanied by severe leukocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, erythropenia, and anemia. At the 30th day after injury, numbers of WBC and platelets still remained very low in surviving RI and CI mice. In contrast, their RBC, hemoglobin, and hematocrit were recovered towards preirradiation levels. Only RI induced splenomegaly. RI and CI resulted in bone-marrow cell depletion. In R-W CI mice, ghrelin (a hunger-stimulating peptide) therapy increased survival, mitigated body-weight loss, accelerated wound healing, and increased hematocrit. In R-B CI mice, ghrelin therapy increased survival and numbers of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and platelets and ameliorated bone-marrow cell depletion. In RI mice, this treatment increased survival, hemoglobin, and hematocrit and inhibited splenomegaly. Our novel results are the first to suggest that ghrelin therapy effectively improved survival by mitigating CI-induced leukocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, and bone-marrow injury or the RI-induced decreased hemoglobin and hematocrit.
... In human aortic endothelial cells, ghrelin promotes nitric oxide (NO) synthesis by the GHSR-1a, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) pathways (25). Activation of eNOS and NO production induced by ghrelin depend on a ghrelin receptor/Gq protein/calcium-dependent pathway, leading to stimulation of AMPK and Akt activation (26). In addition, the stimulatory action of ghrelin can be blocked by knockdown of GHSR-1a (27). ...
The gastrointestinal hormone ghrelin has important cardiovascular protective effects, however, its specific mechanisms are not yet completely understood. Recent studies have shown that the ghrelin receptor, growth hormone secretagogue receptor type 1a (GHSR-1a), regulates cell proliferation, apoptosis and inflammation-related signaling pathways. In human aortic endothelial cells, ghrelin activates NO production through AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and Akt activation, and these effects can be blocked by knockdown of GHSR-1a. Obese mice have been found to exhibit an increased GHSR-1a content and expression in the heart, associated with an increase in phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) content and an increase AKT content and phosphorylation. Furthermore, GHSR-1a expression was observed to be increased in heart failure after myocardial infarction (MI) in rats. Given such complexity in GHSR-1a signaling and crosstalk with the AMPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways, both of which are well-known factors involved in cardiac remodeling after MI, we speculate that GHSR-1a signaling may play a regulatory role in cardiac protection and hope to identify new drugs targets. However, to date, no direct association between GHSR-1a and cardiac remodeling has been found. Therefore, further studies are required.
Microvascular function is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events, but the causes of microvascular dysfunction remain poorly understood. The role of perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) in the regulation of vascular function is now a well-established concept supported by ample evidence from animal and translational studies. Importantly, contrary to the traditional notion of PVAT as the cause of vascular dysfunction, recent translational studies have demonstrated that there is a bidirectional communication between the vascular wall and PVAT, the latter playing a key role in diverse aspects of microvascular function and vascular disease, from endothelial dysfunction and microvascular angina to atherosclerosis development and plaque rupture. Although the associations between visceral or subcutaneous adipose tissue with cardiovascular disease risk have been largely explored in clinical studies, the role of PVAT in human atherosclerosis has remained elusive, mainly because of the lack of appropriate tools to study it. However, thanks to recent advances in the field of cardiovascular imaging, noninvasive phenotyping of human coronary PVAT is now feasible. Coronary computed tomography angiography and the use of perivascular Fat Attenuation Index has emerged as a valuable noninvasive biomarker to characterize PVAT and to risk stratify patients for cardiovascular disease risk. In this review we provide an overview of the role of PVAT in microvascular function, the findings of the recent clinical studies in the field, and the role of PVAT as a biomarker in cardiovascular disease.
Ghrelin, a novel gut hormone, has been shown to exert protective effects on cardiac dysfunction and remodeling. However, the underlying mechanisms of its protective effects remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of ghrelin on cardiac hypertrophy and explored the mechanisms involved. Ghrelin (30 μg.kg⁻¹. day⁻¹) was systemically administered to rats with cardiac hypertrophy induced by abdominal aortic constriction (AAC) by a mini-osmotic pump the next day after surgery continuously for 4 weeks. The AAC treated rats without ghrelin infusion showed decreased ghrelin content and expression of its receptors in the hearts. Exogenous ghrelin greatly attenuated cardiac hypertrophy as shown by heart weight to tibial length (HW/TL), hemodynamics, echocardiography, histological analyses, and expression of hypertrophic markers induced by AAC. This corresponded with decreased cardiac fibrosis and inflammation in the hearts of AAC rats treated with ghrelin. Moreover, ghrelin significantly increased the myocardial expression of autophagy markers, which was further confirmed in cultured cardiomyocytes. Concurrently, cardiomyocyte apoptosis in vivo and in vitro was ameliorated by ghrelin, which was reversed by inhibition of autophagy. The enhancement of autophagy and inhibition of apoptosis by ghrelin were eliminated on pretreatment with compound C, an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibitor. Furthermore, inhibition of Ca²⁺/Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase (CaMKK), an upstream kinase of AMPK, made ghrelin fail to activate AMPK and simultaneously reversed ghrelin’s promotion of autophagy. In conclusion, ghrelin could exert its cardioprotective effects on cardiac hypertrophy by promoting autophagy, possibly via CaMKK/AMPK signaling pathway.
Neuroprotective efficacy of ghrelin in ameliorating ICV-STZ induced Alzheimer in rats
The effects of gut-derived hormones on the cardiovascular system have aroused the interest of numerous experimental and clinical investigators for decades. Among these hormones, ghrelin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) are certainly the most promising for their therapeutic potential. Ghrelin is a potent growth hormone secretogogue mainly produced by the stomach. It regulates feeding and metabolism and exerts also a number of beneficial actions on the cardiovascular system, such as cardiomyocyte cytoprotection, mitigation of inflammatory processes, and improvement of cardiac function. GLP-1 is an incretin hormone secreted by endocrine L-cells. It enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion after food ingestion and, similar to ghrelin, exerts a number of actions on different organs, including the heart. GLP-1 administration to type 2 diabetic patients improves body weight and glycemic control, reduces inflammation, and protects the heart. In this chapter we will review the existing evidence supporting important cardiovascular effects of these two hormones and their potential therapeutic use.
The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key regulator of cellular and whole-body energy homeostasis, which acts to restore energy homoeostasis whenever cellular energy charge is depleted. Over the last 2 decades, it has become apparent that AMPK regulates several other cellular functions and has specific roles in cardiovascular tissues, acting to regulate cardiac metabolism and contractile function, as well as promoting anticontractile, anti-inflammatory, and antiatherogenic actions in blood vessels. In this review, we discuss the role of AMPK in the cardiovascular system, including the molecular basis of mutations in AMPK that alter cardiac physiology and the proposed mechanisms by which AMPK regulates vascular function under physiological and pathophysiological conditions.
A peptide hormone, ghrelin, is recognized as an important modulator of gastric mucosal inflammatory responses to Helicobacter pylori through the regulation of Src/Akt-dependent activation of constitutive nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) by phosphorylation. In this study, we report on the role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) in the processes of Src/Akt activation in gastric mucosal cells exposed to H. pylori LPS. We demonstrate that cNOS activation through phosphorylation induced by ghrelin is associated with PI3K activation which occurs upstream of cSrc, and that PI3K is required for cSrc activation of Akt. We show further that ghrelin-induced activation of PI3K, as well as that of Src and Akt, was susceptible to suppression by the inhibitors of phospholipase C (U73122) and protein kinase C (BIM). Both these inhibitors also blocked the ghrelin-induced membrane translocation of PI3K and cSrc, whereas the inhibitor of PI3K (LY294002) blocked only the membrane translocation of cSrc. Collectively, our findings suggest that the modulatory influence of ghrelin in countering gastric mucosal responses to H. pylori LPS relies on PI3K activation that depends on PLC/PKC signaling pathway, and that PI3K activity is required for the induction of cSrc/Akt activation.
Objectives:
Ghrelin, an endogenous ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), has been found to stimulate angiogenesis in vivo and in vitro. However, the effect and the corresponding mechanisms of ghrelin on impaired myocardial angiogenesis in diabetic and myocardial infarction (MI) rat model are still unknown.
Methods:
In the present study, adult SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control, DM, DM+ghrelin, DM+ghrelin+[D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 groups. DM was induced by streptozotocin (STZ) 60mg/kg body weight. 12 weeks post STZ injection all groups were subjected to MI, which was induced by ligation left anterior descending artery (LAD). Ghrelin and [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 were administered via intraperitoneal injection at the doses 200μg/kg and 50mg/kg for 4 weeks, respectively. Left ventricular function, microvascular density (MVD), myocardial infarct size, the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fetal liver kinase-1 (Flk-1) and fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (Flt-1), AMPK and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation were examined.
Results:
Compared with the DM group, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), fractional shortening (FS), and MVD were increased, whereas myocardial infarct size decreased remarkably in DM+ghrelin group. For the mechanism study, we found that ghrelin promoted the HIF1α, VEGF, Flk-1 and Flt-1 expression, AMPK and eNOS phosphorylation in diabetic rats. However, the above biochemical events in ghrelin treated diabetic rats were completely inhibited by GHSR-1a blocker [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that administration of ghrelin ameliorates impaired angiogenesis in diabetic MI rats. And these beneficial effects derive from regulating GHSR1a-mediated AMPK/eNOS signal pathway by upregulating of HIF1α, VEGF and its receptors Flk-1, Flt-1 expressions.
Low concentrations of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) promote the in vitro angiogenesis of endothelial cells and play an important role in plaque angiogenesis, which may cause plaque vulnerability and enhance the risk of intravascular thrombosis. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of octanoylated ghrelin on oxLDL-induced angiogenesis and the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in this process.
Human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) were incubated with 5μg/ml oxLDL and treated with various concentrations of octanoylated ghrelin (10(-9)-10(-6)M) with or without inhibitors for 24h. Cell proliferation, migration, and in vitro angiogenesis were analyzed by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) staining and BrdU enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), transwell assay, and tube formation on Matrigel, respectively. NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) expression was determined by Western-blot analysis.
Treatment with oxLDL at 5μg/ml enhanced the proliferation, migration and tube formation of HCAECs. In contrast, pretreatment with octanoylated ghrelin significantly attenuated in vitro angiogenesis in oxLDL-induced HCAECs. In addition, Western blot analysis indicated that NF-κB expression was increased after oxLDL treatment, and that this effect was significantly reversed by pretreatment with octanoylated ghrelin. However, the NF-κB inhibitor PDTC or the GHSR1a inhibitor [D-Lys3]-GHRP-6 abolished the effects of octanoylated ghrelin on the inhibition of angiogenesis and NF-κB p65 expression induced by oxLDL.
These findings suggest that octanoylated ghrelin attenuates angiogenesis induced by oxLDL in HCAECs via the inhibition of GHSR1a-mediated NF-κB pathway. Furthermore, octanoylated ghrelin may promote the stability of vulnerable plaques by inhibiting plaque angiogenesis.
Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.
With increasing demands on productivity in modern society, lack of sleep is increasingly prevalent. People are now sleeping on average only 6.8 h a day, which is 1.5 h less than a century ago. There is emerging evidence that lack of sleep may contribute importantly to cardiac and vascular dysfunction and disease.
This study aims to estimate plasma levels of acylated ghrelin in children with pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with congenital heart disease (CHD) and to correlate the levels of acylated ghrelin with endothelin-1 (ET-1), nitric oxide (NO), and clinical hemodynamic parameters. We investigated the plasma concentration of acylated ghrelin, ET-1, NO, and the hemodynamic parameters in 20 children with CHD, 20 children with PH-CHD, and 20 normal children. Plasma-acylated ghrelin and NO levels were significantly higher in CHD group than in control subjects (P < 0.001). Moreover, plasma-acylated ghrelin, ET-1, and NO levels were significantly elevated in PH-CHD group compared with the CHD group (P < 0.05). In PH-CHD children, plasma-acylated ghrelin levels correlated positively with pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP; r = 0.740, P < 0.001), pulmonary artery diastolic pressure (PADP; r = 0.613, P = 0.004), right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP; r = 0.642, P = 0.002), mean pulmonary arterial hypertension (mPAP; r = 0.685, P = 0.001), right ventricle diameter (RVD; r = 0.473, P = 0.035), pulmonary artery trunk diameter (PAD; r = 0.613, P = 0.004), NO (r = 0.463, P = 0.04), and ET-1 (r = 0.524, P = 0.018). Plasma-acylated ghrelin levels were elevated both in CHD and in PH-CHD. Increased acylated ghrelin levels correlated positively with ET-1, NO, PASP, PADP, RVSP, mPAP, RVD, and PAD. Acylated ghrelin may be a new biomarker of PH-CHD.
A small GTPase, Rac1, is recognized as an important modulator of the inflammatory responses to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by affecting the processes of phospholipase C activation. The activation of Rac1 involves the exchange of GDP for GTP and is catalyzed by the guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). Here, we report on the gastric mucosal GEF, Dock180, activation in response to H. pylori PS, and the hormone, ghrelin. We show that stimulation of gastric mucosal cells with the LPS leads to up-regulation in Dock180 phosphorylation on Tyr and Ser that is accompanied by a massive rise in Rac1-GTP level, while the effect of ghrelin, manifested by a drop in Dock180 phosphorylation on Ser, is associated with a decrease in Rac1-GTP formation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that phosphorylation on Tyr remains under the control of the Src family protein tyrosine kinases (SFK-PTKs), and is accompanied by Dock180 membrane translocation, while phosphorylation of the membrane-localized Dock180 on Ser represents the stimulatory contribution of protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ) to Dock180 activation. Moreover, we reveal that the interaction between Dock180 and PKCδ is dependent on Dock180 Tyr phosphorylation as well as the activity of PKCδ. Thus, our findings point to the involvement of PKCδ in the LPS-induced up-regulation of Dock180 activation, and suggest the modulatory mechanism of ghrelin influence on the gastric mucosal inflammatory responses to H. pylori.
Membrane recruitment followed by targeted phosphorylation of specific Tyr and Ser residues and the interaction with Rac GTPases are the crucial parts of an elaborate mechanism of PLCγ2 activation essential for its role in linking the specific receptor responses to a variety of hormones and bacterial endotoxins with the intended intracellular targets. Here, we explored the involvement of Rac in mediation of PLCγ2 activation associated with gastric mucosal inflammatory responses to H. pylori LPS and the hormone, ghrelin. We show that stimulation of gastric mucosal cells with the LPS leads to the membrane translocation of Rac1 as well as PLCγ2, while the effect of ghrelin is manifested by elevation in the membrane PLCγ2 activation and suppression in Rac1 translocation. However, blocking the LPS-induced Rac1 translocation, while detrimental to the PLCγ2 activation, has no effect on its membrane translocation. We reveal further that PLCγ2, localized in the membrane in association with Rac1 following the LPS stimulation, exhibits a marked increase in phosphorylation on Ser, while the modulatory effect of ghrelin, manifested by a drop in Rac1 translocation, is associated with a distinct decrease in PLCγ2 phosphorylation on Ser. Thus, the results suggest that H. pylori-elicited increase in gastric mucosal PLCγ2 phosphorylation on Ser serves as an essential platform for Rac1 colocalization and amplification in PLCγ2 activation.
Molecular hydrogen (H2) can scavenge hydroxyl radical and diminish the toxicity of peroxynitrite; hence, it has interesting potential for antioxidant protection. Recently, a number of studies have explored the utility of inhaled hydrogen gas, or of hydrogen-saturated water, administered parenterally or orally, in rodent models of pathology and in clinical trials, oftentimes with very positive outcomes. The efficacy of orally ingested hydrogen-rich water (HW) has been particularly surprising, given that only transient and rather small increments in plasma hydrogen can be achieved by this method. A recent study in mice has discovered that orally administered HW provokes increased gastric production of the orexic hormone ghrelin, and that this ghrelin mediates the favorable impact of HW on a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. The possibility that most of the benefits observed with HW in experimental studies are mediated by ghrelin merits consideration. Ghrelin is well known to function as an appetite stimulant and secretagogue for growth hormone, but it influences physiological function throughout the body via interaction with the widely express GHS-R1a receptor. Rodent and, to a more limited extent, clinical studies establish that ghrelin has versatile neuroprotective and cognitive enhancing activity, favorably impacts vascular health, exerts anti-inflammatory activity useful in autoimmune disorders, and is markedly hepatoprotective. The stimulatory impact of ghrelin on GH-IGF-I activity, while potentially beneficial in sarcopenia or cachectic disorders, does raise concerns regarding the long-term impact of ghrelin up-regulation on cancer risk. The impact of ingesting HW water on ghrelin production in humans needs to be evaluated; if HW does up-regulate ghrelin in humans, it may have versatile potential for prevention and control of a number of health disorders.
Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Research investigations on adipose tissue were focused for several decades on its "storage" function. Emerging evidence unveiled adipose tissue as an endocrine organ releasing a several mediators termed as adipokines. Adipokine-mediated functions include both physiological and pathophysiological roles such as regulation of energy metabolism, immune response and vascular homeostasis, as well as inflammatory and metabolic diseases (i.e. atherogenesis, diabetes and obesity clustered in the concept of metabolic syndrome). A dysregulation of adipokine levels has been also suggested as a potential common mechanism underlying these disorders. For instance, an unbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory adipokines was positively associated with traditional risk factors (dyslipidaemia, hypertension, insulin resistance) in obesity, diabetes and atherogenesis. Adipokine-mediated activities particularly affected endothelial dysfunction/activation and intraplaque inflammation/vulnerability. The purpose of this narrative review is to provide an overview on the role of adipokines in atherogenesis. Evidence from basic research studies about adipokine-induced regulation of vascular and immune cell subsets will be discussed. Finally, conflicting results from clinical trials we be reported, with an attempt to better understand the reason why promising basic research results did not allow a speedy "into human" translation for clinical management of atherogenesis.
Purpose:
Ghrelin is a unique gastric hormone, which has pleiotropic biological functions, including anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of administering ghrelin on reducing postoperative systemic inflammation in patients undergoing esophagectomy.
Methods:
The safety and effectiveness of postoperative ghrelin administration were investigated among twenty esophageal cancer patients who underwent esophagectomy between May 2010 and August 2011. Two different regimens of ghrelin administration, twice daily rapid drip infusion (3 μg/kg, twice a day) or continuous infusion (0.5 μg/kg/h), were employed. The duration of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and the hematological parameters were compared between groups.
Results:
Patients treated with ghrelin showed shorter SIRS durations than controls (1.6 ± 2.7 vs. 4.1 ± 3.7 days, respectively; p = 0.0065) and also showed lower C-reactive protein concentrations than controls (11.0 ± 4.6 mg/dL vs. 15.3 ± 7.3 mg/mL, respectively, on postoperative day 3, p = 0.030). Ghrelin administration was not associated with any adverse events. The incidence of operative morbidity was equivalent between groups. The two ghrelin administration regimens showed similar durations of systemic inflammatory response (rapid drip: 2.2 ± 3.3 vs. continuous: 1.1 ± 1.9 days, p = 0.17).
Conclusions:
Postoperative ghrelin administration is safe and may suppress protracted postoperative inflammation in patients who undergo esophagectomies.
Phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) enzymes are crucial elements of signal transduction pathways that provide a common link of communication integrating specific receptor responses to a variety of hormones, growth factors, and bacterial endotoxins with the intended intracellular targets. Here, we examined the involvement of PLC in modulation of gastric mucosal inflammatory responses to Helicobacter pylori LPS by peptide hormone, ghrelin. We show that stimulation of gastric mucosal cells with the LPS leads to the activation and membrane translocation of the γ2 isoform of PLC, phosphorylated on Tyr as well as Ser, while the effect of ghrelin is reflected in the translocation and phosphorylation of membrane-associated PLCγ2 on Tyr mainly. Moreover, we demonstrate that PLCγ2 phosphorylation on Tyr remains under the control of the Src family protein tyrosine kinases (SFK-PTKs), and is intimately linked to PLCγ2 membrane localization, while the LPS-induced phosphorylation of membrane-recruited PLCγ2 on Ser displays dependence on protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ) and leads to the amplification in PLCγ2 activation. Thus, our findings link the extent of H. pylori-elicited gastric mucosal inflammatory involvement to the PKCδ-mediated amplification in PLCγ2 activation through phosphorylation on Ser.
Objective:
A prospective randomized phase II trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of ghrelin administration in reducing systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) duration after esophagectomy.
Background:
Esophagectomy for esophageal cancer is highly invasive and leads to prolonged SIRS duration and postoperative complications. Ghrelin has multiple effects, including anti-inflammatory effects.
Methods:
Forty patients undergoing esophagectomy were randomly assigned to either the ghrelin group (n = 20), which received continuous infusion of ghrelin (0.5 μg/kg/h) for 5 days, or the placebo group (n = 20), which received pure saline for 5 days. The primary endpoint was SIRS duration. The secondary endpoints were the incidence of postoperative complications, time of a negative nitrogen balance, changes in body weight and composition, and levels of inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6).
Results:
The ghrelin group had a shorter SIRS duration and lower CRP and IL-6 levels than did the placebo group. The incidence of pulmonary complications was lower in the ghrelin group than in the placebo group, whereas other complications did not differ between the groups. Although time of the negative nitrogen balance was shorter in the ghrelin group than in the placebo group, changes in total body weight and lean body weight did not differ significantly.
Conclusions:
Postoperative ghrelin administration was effective for inhibiting inflammatory mediators and improving the postoperative clinical course of patients with esophageal cancer.
The ghrelin-related peptides, acylated ghrelin, des-acylated ghrelin, and obestatin, are novel gastrointestinal hormones. We firstly investigated whether the ghrelin gene, GOAT, and the ghrelin receptor (growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a [GHSR1a]) are expressed in mouse cerebral arteries. Secondly, we assessed the cerebrovascular actions of ghrelin-related peptides by examining their effects on vasodilator nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide production. Using RT-PCR, we found the ghrelin gene and GOAT to be expressed at negligible levels in cerebral arteries from male wild-type mice. mRNA expression of GHSR1a was also found to be low in cerebral arteries, and GHSR protein was undetectable in GHSR-eGFP mice. We next found that exogenous acylated ghrelin had no effect on the tone of perfused cerebral arteries, or superoxide production. By contrast, exogenous des-acylated ghrelin or obestatin elicited powerful vasodilator responses (EC50 values <10 pmol/L) that were abolished by the NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME. Furthermore, exogenous des-acylated ghrelin suppressed superoxide production in cerebral arteries. Consistent with our GHSR expression data, vasodilator effects of des-acylated ghrelin or obestatin were sustained in the presence of YIL-781 (GHSR1a antagonist) and in arteries from Ghsr-deficient mice. Using ghrelin-deficient (Ghrl(-/-)) mice, we also found that endogenous production of ghrelin-related peptides regulates NO bioactivity and superoxide levels in the cerebral circulation. Specifically, we show that NO bioactivity was markedly reduced in Ghrl(-/-) versus WT mice, and superoxide levels were elevated. These findings reveal protective actions of exogenous and endogenous ghrelin-related peptides in the cerebral circulation, and show the existence of a novel ghrelin receptor(s) in the cerebral endothelium.
In healthy individuals, the vascular endothelium regulates an intricate balance of factors that maintain vascular homeostasis and normal arterial function. Functional disruption of the endothelium is known to be an early event that underlies the development of subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD) including atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. In addition, the rising global epidemic of type 2 diabetes is a significant problem conferring a significantly higher risk of CVD to individuals in whom endothelial dysfunction is also notable. This review first summarises the role of endothelium in health and explores and evaluates the impact of diabetes on endothelial function. The characteristic features of insulin resistance and other metabolic disturbances that may underlie long-term changes in vascular endothelial function (metabolic memory) are described along with proposed cellular, molecular and epigenetic mechanisms. Through understanding the underlying mechanisms, novel targets for future therapies to restore endothelial homeostasis and 'drive' a reparative cellular phenotype are explored.
The protection against apoptosis provided by growth factors in several cell lines is due to stimulation of the phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI(3)K) pathway, which results in activation of protein kinase B (PKB; also known as c-Akt and Rac) and phosphorylation and sequestration to protein 14-3-3 of the proapoptotic Bcl-2-family member BAD. A modest increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration also promotes survival of some cultured neurons through a pathway that requires calmodulin but is independent of PI(3)K and the MAP kinases. Here we report that Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase (CaM-KK) activates PKB directly, resulting in phosphorylation of BAD on serine residue 136 and the interaction of BAD with protein 14-3-3. Serum withdrawal induced a three- to fourfold increase in cell death of NG108 neuroblastoma cells, and this apoptosis was largely blocked by increasing the intracellular Ca2+ concentration with NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) or KCl or by transfection with constitutively active CaM-KK. The effect of NMDA on cell survival was blocked by transfection with dominant-negative forms of CaM-KK or PKB. These results identify a Ca2+-triggered signalling cascade in which CaM-KK activates PKB, which in turn phosphorylates BAD and protects cells from apoptosis.
Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is the nitric oxide synthase isoform responsible for maintaining systemic blood pressure, vascular remodelling and angiogenesis. eNOS is phosphorylated in response to various forms of cellular stimulation, but the role of phosphorylation in the regulation of nitric oxide (NO) production and the kinase(s) responsible are not known. Here we show that the serine/threonine protein kinase Akt (protein kinase B) can directly phosphorylate eNOS on serine 1179 and activate the enzyme, leading to NO production, whereas mutant eNOS (S1179A) is resistant to phosphorylation and activation by Akt. Moreover, using adenovirus-mediated gene transfer, activated Akt increases basal NO release from endothelial cells, and activation-deficient Akt attenuates NO production stimulated by vascular endothelial growth factor. Thus, eNOS is a newly described Akt substrate linking signal transduction by Akt to the release of the gaseous second messenger NO.
The serine/threonine protein kinase Akt (protein kinase B) phosphorylates endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and enhances its ability to generate nitric oxide (NO). Because NO is an important regulator of vasomotor tone, we investigated whether Akt can regulate endothelium-dependent vasomotion in vivo using a rabbit femoral artery model of gene transfer. The endothelium of isolated femoral arteries was infected with replication-defective adenoviral constructs expressing beta-galactosidase, constitutively-active Akt (myr-Akt), or dominant-negative Akt (dn-Akt). Femoral arteries transduced with myr-Akt showed a significant increase in resting diameter and blood flow, as assessed by angiography and Doppler flow measurements, respectively. L-NAME, an eNOS inhibitor, blocked myr-Akt-mediated vasodilatation. In contrast, endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in response to acetylcholine was attenuated in vessels transduced with dn-Akt, although these vessels showed normal responses to nitroglycerin, an endothelium-independent vasodilator. Similarly, relaxation of murine aorta ex vivo in response to acetylcholine, but not nitroglycerin, was inhibited by transduction of dn-Akt to the endothelium. These data provide evidence that Akt functions as key regulator of vasomotor tone in vivo.
The discovery of the peptide hormone ghrelin, an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) receptor, yielded the surprising result that the principal site of ghrelin synthesis is the stomach and not the hypothalamus. Although ghrelin is likely to regulate pituitary growth hormone (GH) secretion along with GH-releasing hormone and somatostatin, GHS receptors have also been identified on hypothalamic neurons and in the brainstem. Apart from potential paracrine effects, ghrelin may thus offer an endocrine link between stomach, hypothalamus and pituitary, suggesting an involvement in regulation of energy balance. Here we show that peripheral daily administration of ghrelin caused weight gain by reducing fat utilization in mice and rats. Intracerebroventricular administration of ghrelin generated a dose-dependent increase in food intake and body weight. Rat serum ghrelin concentrations were increased by fasting and were reduced by re-feeding or oral glucose administration, but not by water ingestion. We propose that ghrelin, in addition to its role in regulating GH secretion, signals the hypothalamus when an increase in metabolic efficiency is necessary.
Cardiovascular aging is associated with decreased endothelial vasoreactivity and prolonged diastolic relaxation. As diminished NO signaling contributes to age-associated endothelial dysfunction, we tested the hypothesis that impaired NO signaling or bioactivity also contributes to slowed ventricular relaxation with age. Accordingly, we measured myocardial NO synthase (NOS) enzyme activity, protein abundance, and cGMP production in old (22 to 25 months) and young adult (4 to 7 months) male Wistar rats. Both NOS3 protein abundance and calcium-dependent NOS activity were elevated in old compared with young adult hearts (7.2+/-1.1 versus 4.2+/-0.6 pmol/mg protein, respectively, P=0.03). However, NOS activity and protein abundance were similar in isolated myocytes, indicating that endothelial NOS likely explains the age difference. Cardiac effluent cGMP (enzyme immunoassay) was 4.8-fold higher (1794+/-373 fmol/min per mg heart tissue) in older versus younger hearts (P=0.003). To assess NO pathway responsiveness, we administered the NOS substrate l-arginine (100 micrometer) to isolated perfused rat hearts. Baseline isovolumic relaxation (tau) was prolonged in old (42.9+/-2.5 ms, n=16) versus young hearts (36.0+/-1.9 ms, n=11, P=0.03). l-Arginine decreased tau (P<0.001) and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in both old and young hearts. Supporting an NO/cGMP-mediating mechanism, the NO donor sodium nitroprusside reduced tau (maximal effect, -14+/-2%, n=5, P<0.001), and this lusitropic effect was attenuated by the soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H:-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo-[4,3,-a]quinoxalin-1-one (n=7, P<0.001). Thus, the NO-cGMP pathway is upregulated in the endothelial cells of aged hearts. l-Arginine, the NOS precursor, enhances ventricular relaxation in old and young hearts, indicating that the NOS pathway may be exploited to modulate diastolic function in aged myocardium.
Ghrelin is a novel endogenous natural ligand for the growth hormone (GH) secretagogue receptor that has recently been isolated from the rat stomach. Ghrelin administration stimulates GH secretion but also causes weight gain by increasing food intake and reducing fat utilization in rodents. To investigate the possible involvement of ghrelin in the pathogenesis of human obesity, we measured body composition (by dual X-ray absorption) as well as fasting plasma ghrelin concentrations (radioimmunoassay) in 15 Caucasians (8 men and 7 women, 31+/-9 years of age, 92+/-24 kg body wt, and 29+/-10% body fat, mean +/- SD) and 15 Pima Indians (8 men and 7 women, 33+/-5 years of age, 97+/-29 kg body wt, and 30+/-8% body fat). Fasting plasma ghrelin was negatively correlated with percent body fat (r = -0.45; P = 0.01), fasting insulin (r = -0.45; P = 0.01) and leptin (r = -0.38; P = 0.03) concentrations. Plasma ghrelin concentration was decreased in obese Caucasians as compared with lean Caucasians (P < 0.01). Also, fasting plasma ghrelin was lower in Pima Indians, a population with a very high prevalence of obesity, compared with Caucasians (87+/-28 vs. 129+/-34 fmol/ml; P < 0.01). This result did not change after adjustment for fasting plasma insulin concentration. There was no correlation between fasting plasma ghrelin and height. Prospective clinical studies are now needed to establish the role of ghrelin in the pathogenesis of human obesity.
Peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)), a nitric oxide-derived oxidant, uncouples endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and increases enzymatic production of superoxide anions (O(2)()) (Zou, M. H., Shi, C., and Cohen, R. A. (2002) J. Clin. Invest. 109, 817-826). Here we studied how ONOO(-) influences eNOS activity. In cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC), ONOO(-) increased basal and agonist-stimulated Ser(1179) phosphorylation of eNOS, whereas it decreased nitric oxide production and bioactivity. However, ONOO(-) strongly inhibited the phosphorylation and activity of Akt, which is known to phosphorylate eNOS-Ser(1179). Moreover, expression of an Akt dominant-negative mutant did not prevent ONOO(-)-enhanced eNOS-Ser(1179) phosphorylation. In contrast to Akt, ONOO(-) significantly activated 5'-AMP-activated kinase (AMPK), as evidenced by its increased Thr(172) phosphorylation as well as increased Ser(92) phosphorylation of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase, a downstream target of AMPK. Associated with the increased release of O(2)(), ONOO(-) significantly increased the co-immunoprecipitation of eNOS with AMPK. Further, overexpression of the AMPK-constitutive active adenovirus significantly enhanced ONOO(-) up-regulated eNOS-Ser(P)(1179). In contrast, overexpression of a dominant-negative AMPK mutant attenuated the ONOO(-)-enhanced eNOS-Ser(1179) phosphorylation as well as O(2)() release. We conclude that ONOO(-) inhibits Akt and increases AMPK-dependent Ser(1179) phosphorylation of eNOS resulting in enhanced O(2)() release.
The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a metabolic-stress-sensing protein kinase that regulates metabolism in response to energy demand and supply by directly phosphorylating rate-limiting enzymes in metabolic pathways as well as controlling gene expression.
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a phylogenetically conserved intracellular energy sensor that has been implicated as
a major regulator of glucose and lipid metabolism in mammals. However, its possible role in mediating or influencing the adrenergic
control of lipolysis in adipocytes remains uncertain. In this study, we utilized the murine cultured preadipocyte line 3T3-L1
to examine this question. Treatment of adipocytes with isoproterenol or forskolin promoted the phosphorylation of AMPK at
a critical activating Thr-172 residue in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This correlated well with a stimulation of the
activity of AMPK, as measured in the immune complex. Analogs of cAMP mimicked the effect of isoproterenol and forskolin on
AMPK phosphorylation. Treatment of adipocytes with insulin reduced both basal and forskolin-induced AMPK phosphorylation via
a pathway dependent on phosphatidylinositol 3′-kinase. Overexpression of a dominant-inhibitory mutant of AMPK blocked isoproterenol-induced
lipolysis by ∼50%. These data indicate that there exists a novel pathway by which cAMP can lead to the activation of AMPK,
and in adipocytes, this is required for maximal activation of lipolysis.
Experimental studies have suggested that ghrelin plays a role in glucose homeostasis and in the regulation of blood pressure (BP). We therefore assessed the hypothesis that a low ghrelin concentration may be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and hypertension. We also characterized the effect of the ghrelin Arg51Gln and Leu72Met mutations on ghrelin concentrations in the population-based hypertensive (n = 519) and control (n = 526) cohorts of our OPERA (Oulu Project Elucidating Risk of Atherosclerosis) study. The fasting plasma ghrelin concentrations of 1,040 subjects were analyzed using the radioimmunoassay method. Insulin sensitivity was assessed using the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI). Ghrelin concentrations were negatively associated with fasting insulin (P < 0.001), systolic (P = 0.026) and diastolic BP (P = 0.018), and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (P = 0.015) and insulin resistance (P < 0.001) in the multivariate models. In the control cohort, low ghrelin was associated with hypertension (BP >140/90 mmHg) (P = 0.031). The subjects with the ghrelin 51Gln allele had lower ghrelin concentrations than the Arg51Arg homozygotes (P = 0.001). We conclude that low ghrelin is independently associated with type 2 diabetes, insulin concentration, insulin resistance, and elevated BP. Therefore, it might have some role in the etiology of type 2 diabetes and the regulation of BP. The ghrelin Arg51Gln mutation is associated with low plasma ghrelin concentrations.
Adiponectin is an adipocyte-specific adipocytokine with anti-atherogenic and anti-diabetic properties. Here, we investigated
whether adiponectin regulates angiogenic processes in vitro and in vivo. Adiponectin stimulated the differentiation of human umbilical vein endothelium cells (HUVECs) into capillary-like structures
in vitro and functioned as a chemoattractant in migration assays. Adiponectin promoted the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein
kinase (AMPK), protein kinase Akt/protein kinase B, and endothelial nitric oxide synthesis (eNOS) in HUVECs. Transduction
with either dominant-negative AMPK or dominant-negative Akt abolished adiponectin-induced eNOS phosphorylation as well as
adiponectin-stimulated HUVEC migration and differentiation. Dominant-negative AMPK also inhibited adiponectin-induced Akt
phosphorylation, suggesting that AMPK is upstream of Akt. Dominant-negative Akt or the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor
LY294002 blocked adiponectin-stimulated Akt and eNOS phosphorylation, migration, and differentiation without altering AMPK
phosphorylation. Finally, adiponectin stimulated blood vessel growth in vivo in mouse Matrigel plug implantation and rabbit corneal models of angiogenesis. These data indicate that adiponectin can function
to stimulate the new blood vessel growth by promoting cross-talk between AMP-activated protein kinase and Akt signaling within
endothelial cells.
Loss of cardiomyocytes by apoptosis is proposed to cause heart failure. Angiotensin II (ANG II), an important neurohormonal factor during heart failure, can induce cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Inasmuch as hexarelin has been reported to have protective effects in this process, we examined whether hexarelin can prevent cardiomyocytes from ANG II-induced cell death. Cultured cardiomyocytes from neonatal rats were stimulated with ANG II. Apoptosis was evaluated using fluorescence microscopy, TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) method, flow cytometry, DNA laddering, and analysis of cell viability by (3,4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT). It was found that incubation with 0.1 micromol/l ANG II for 48 h increased cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Administration of 0.1 micromol/l hexarelin significantly decreased this ANG II-induced apoptosis and DNA fragmentation and increased myocyte viability. To further investigate the underlying mechanisms, caspase-3 activity assay and mRNA expression of Bax, Bcl-2, and growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R; the supposed hexarelin binding site) were examined. GHS-R mRNA was abundantly expressed in cardiomyocytes and was upregulated after administration of hexarelin. These results suggest that hexarelin abates cardiomyocytes from ANG II-induced apoptosis possibly via inhibiting the increased caspase-3 activity and Bax expression induced by ANG II and by increasing the expression of Bcl-2, which is depressed by ANG II. Whether the upregulated expression of GHS-R induced by hexarelin is associated with this antiapoptotic effect deserves further investigation.
HDL is a major atheroprotective factor, but the mechanisms underlying this effect are still obscure. HDL binding to scavenger receptor-BI has been shown to activate eNOS, although the responsible HDL entities and signaling pathways have remained enigmatic. Here we show that HDL stimulates NO release in human endothelial cells and induces vasodilation in isolated aortae via intracellular Ca2+ mobilization and Akt-mediated eNOS phosphorylation. The vasoactive effects of HDL could be mimicked by three lysophospholipids present in HDL: sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC), sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), and lysosulfatide (LSF). All three elevated intracellular Ca2+ concentration and activated Akt and eNOS, which resulted in NO release and vasodilation. Deficiency of the lysophospholipid receptor S1P3 (also known as LPB3 and EDG3) abolished the vasodilatory effects of SPC, S1P, and LSF and reduced the effect of HDL by approximately 60%. In endothelial cells from S1P3-deficient mice, Akt phosphorylation and Ca2+ increase in response to HDL and lysophospholipids were severely reduced. In vivo, intra-arterial administration of HDL or lysophospholipids lowered mean arterial blood pressure in rats. In conclusion, we identify HDL as a carrier of bioactive lysophospholipids that regulate vascular tone via S1P3-mediated NO release. This mechanism may contribute to the vasoactive effect of HDL and represent a novel aspect of its antiatherogenic function.
NO propagates a number of antiatherogenic effects in the endothelium, and diminished availability has been associated with vascular disease. Recently it has been reported that phosphorylation of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) at Ser-1179 is required to increase activity in response to stimuli, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL). The current study was undertaken to further examine the mechanism by which HDL activates eNOS and to specifically determine the role of the major apolipoprotein of HDL, apolipoprotein AI (ApoAI). Phosphorylation of eNOS residues Ser-116, Ser-617, Ser-635, Ser-1179, and Thr-497 after incubation with ApoAI and HDL was examined. There were significant increases in phosphorylation at Ser-116 in response to both HDL and ApoAI and similar magnitudes of dephosphorylation at Thr-497. Ser-1179 phosphorylation increased transiently but returned to basal level after 2.5 min. Data demonstrating activation of AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK) during HDL and ApoAI incubation suggests that AMPK may play a role in activation of eNOS. NO release in response to HDL and ApoAI stimulation in endothelial cells paralleled the time frames of phosphorylation, suggesting a causal relationship. Furthermore, ApoAI was found to associate with eNOS in endothelial cells and bind transfected eNOS in Chinese hamster ovary cells, whereas confocal data demonstrates colocalization of ApoAI and eNOS in the perinuclear region, suggesting a protein-protein interaction. Collectively, the results indicate that HDL and ApoAI increase eNOS activity by multisite phosphorylation changes, involving AMPK activation after protein association between ApoAI and eNOS.
Ghrelin plays a key role in the regulation of growth hormone secretion and energy homeostasis. Adiponectin is exclusively secreted by adipose tissue and is abundantly present in the circulation, with important effects on metabolism. We studied five lean and five obese young men [ages: 24.2 +/- 1.0 (lean) and 21.8 +/- 1.6 (obese) years (difference not significant); body mass indexes: 35.0 +/- 1.3 and 23.0 +/- 0.3 kg/m2 (P = 0.01)], sampled blood every 7 min over 24 h, and measured ghrelin, adiponectin, and leptin in 2,070 samples for a total of 6,210 data points. Circulating 24-h ghrelin showed significant ultradian fluctuations and an orderly pattern of release in lean and obese subjects with similar pulsatility characteristics. Plasma adiponectin concentrations were significantly lower in the obese group, with lower pulse height. In contrast to leptin, which is secreted in an orderly manner, the 24-h patterns of adiponectin were not significantly different from random in both the lean and obese groups. We show here that adipocytes can simultaneously secrete certain hormones, such as leptin, in patterns that are orderly, whereas other hormones, such as adiponectin, are secreted in patterns that appear to be random. The cross-approximate entropy statistic revealed pattern synchrony among ghrelin-leptin, ghrelin-adiponectin, and leptin-adiponectin hormone time series in the lean and obese subjects. Plasma ghrelin concentrations showed a nocturnal rise that exceeded the meal-associated increases in lean subjects, and this newly identified nocturnal rise was blunted in the obese. We suggest that the blunting of the nocturnal rise of ghrelin is a biological feature of human obesity.
Fluid shear stress generated by blood flow modulates endothelial cell function via specific intracellular signaling events. We showed previously that flow activated the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, and endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) via Src kinase-dependent transactivation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2). The scaffold protein Gab1 plays an important role in receptor tyrosine kinase-mediated signal transduction. We found here that laminar flow (shear stress = 12 dynes/cm2) rapidly stimulated Gab1 tyrosine phosphorylation in both bovine aortic endothelial cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells, which correlated with activation of Akt and eNOS. Gab1 phosphorylation as well as activation of Akt and eNOS by flow was inhibited by the Src kinase inhibitor PP2 (4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-7-(t-butyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine) and VEGFR2 kinase inhibitors SU1498 and VTI, suggesting that flow-mediated Gab1 phosphorylation is Src kinase-dependent and VEGFR2-dependent. Tyrosine phosphorylation of Gab1 by flow was functionally important, because flow stimulated the association of Gab1 with the PI3K subunit p85 in a time-dependent manner. Furthermore, transfection of a Gab1 mutant lacking p85 binding sites inhibited flow-induced activation of Akt and eNOS. Finally, knockdown of endogenous Gab1 by small interference RNA abrogated flow activation of Akt and eNOS. These data demonstrate a critical role of Gab1 in flow-stimulated PI3K/Akt/eNOS signal pathway in endothelial cells.
Growth hormone (GH)-releasing peptides (GHRP), a class of synthetic peptidyl GH secretagogues, have been reported to exert a cardioprotective effect on cardiac ischemia. However, whether GHRP have a beneficial effect on chronic heart failure (CHF) is unclear, and the present work aims to clarify this issue. At 9 wk after pressure-overload CHF was created by abdominal aortic banding in rats, one of four variants of GHRP (GHRP-1, -2, and -6 and hexarelin, 100 mug/kg) or saline was injected subcutaneously twice a day for 3 wk. Echocardiography and cardiac catheterization were performed to monitor cardiac function and obtain blood samples for hormone assay. GHRP treatment significantly improved left ventricular (LV) function and remodeling in CHF rats, as indicated by increased LV ejection fraction, LV end-systolic pressure, and diastolic posterior wall thickness and decreased LV end-diastolic pressure and LV end-diastolic dimension. GHRP also significantly alleviated development of cardiac cachexia, as shown by increases in body weight and tibial length in CHF rats. Plasma CA, renin, ANG II, aldosterone, endothelin-1, and atrial natriuretic peptide were significantly elevated in CHF rats but were significantly decreased in GHRP-treated CHF rats. GHRP suppressed cardiomyocyte apoptosis and increased cardiac GH secretagogue receptor mRNA expression in CHF rats. GHRP also decreased myocardial creatine kinase release in hypophysectomized rats subjected to acute myocardial ischemia. We conclude that chronic administration of GHRP alleviates LV dysfunction, pathological remodeling, and cardiac cachexia in CHF rats, at least in part by suppressing stress-induced neurohormonal activations and cardiomyocyte apoptosis.
Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is the primary physiological source of nitric oxide (NO) that regulates cardiovascular homeostasis. Historically eNOS has been thought to be a constitutively expressed enzyme regulated by calcium and calmodulin. However, in the last five years it is clear that eNOS activity and NO release can be regulated by post-translational control mechanisms (fatty acid modification and phosphorylation) and protein-protein interactions (with caveolin-1 and heat shock protein 90) that direct impinge upon the duration and magnitude of NO release. This review will summarize this information and apply the post-translational control mechanisms to disease states.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is essential for many angiogenic processes both in normal conditions and in pathological conditions. However, the signaling pathways involved in VEGF-induced angiogenesis are not well defined. Protein kinase D (PKD), a newly described serine/threonine protein kinase, has been implicated in many signal transduction pathways and in cell proliferation. We hypothesized that PKD would mediate VEGF signaling and function in endothelial cells. Here we found that VEGF rapidly and strongly stimulated PKD phosphorylation and activation in endothelial cells via VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2). The pharmacological inhibitors for phospholipase Cgamma (PLCgamma) and protein kinase C (PKC) significantly inhibited VEGF-induced PKD activation, suggesting the involvement of the PLCgamma/PKC pathway. In particular, PKCalpha was critical for VEGF-induced PKD activation since both overexpression of adenovirus PKCalpha dominant negative mutant and reduction of PKCalpha expression by small interfering RNA markedly inhibited VEGF-induced PKD activation. Importantly, we found that small interfering RNA knockdown of PKD and PKCalpha expression significantly attenuated ERK activation and DNA synthesis in endothelial cells by VEGF. Taken together, our results demonstrated for the first time that VEGF activates PKD via the VEGFR2/PLCgamma/PKCalpha pathway and revealed a critical role of PKD in VEGF-induced ERK signaling and endothelial cell proliferation.
Nitric oxide (NO) is a small, diffusible, lipophilic free radical gas that mediates significant and diverse signaling functions in nearly every organ system in the body. The endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is a key source of NO found in the cardiovascular system. This review summarizes the pharmacology of NO and the cellular regulation of endothelial NOS (eNOS). The molecular intricacies of the chemistry of NO and the enzymology of NOSs are discussed, followed by a review of the biological activities of NO. This information is then used to develop a more global picture of the pharmacological control of NO synthesis by NOSs in both physiologic conditions and pathophysiologic states.
Ghrelin is an orexigenic peptide hormone secreted by the stomach. In patients with metabolic syndrome and low ghrelin levels, intra-arterial ghrelin administration acutely improves their endothelial dysfunction. Therefore, we hypothesized that ghrelin activates endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in vascular endothelium, resulting in increased production of nitric oxide (NO) using signaling pathways shared in common with the insulin receptor. Similar to insulin, ghrelin acutely stimulated increased production of NO in bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) in primary culture (assessed using NO-specific fluorescent dye 4,5-diaminofluorescein) in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Production of NO in response to ghrelin (100 nM, 10 min) in human aortic endothelial cells was blocked by pretreatment of cells with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), wortmannin [phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase inhibitor], or (D-Lys3)-GHRP-6 (selective antagonist of ghrelin receptor GHSR-1a), as well as by knockdown of GHSR-1a using small-interfering (si) RNA (but not by mitogen/extracellular signal-regulated kinase inhibitor PD-98059). Moreover, ghrelin stimulated increased phosphorylation of Akt (Ser473) and eNOS (Akt phosphorylation site Ser1179) that was inhibitable by knockdown of GHSR-1a using siRNA or by pretreatment of cells with wortmannin but not with PD-98059. Ghrelin also stimulated phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in BAEC. However, unlike insulin, ghrelin did not stimulate MAP kinase-dependent secretion of the vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 from BAEC. We conclude that ghrelin has novel vascular actions to acutely stimulate production of NO in endothelium using a signaling pathway that involves GHSR-1a, PI 3-kinase, Akt, and eNOS. Our findings may be relevant to developing novel therapeutic strategies to treat diabetes and related diseases characterized by reciprocal relationships between endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance.
NO plays critical roles in vascular function. We show that modulation of the eNOS serine 1179 (S1179) phosphorylation site affects vascular reactivity and determines stroke size in vivo. Transgenic mice expressing only a phosphomimetic (S1179D) form of eNOS show greater vascular reactivity, develop less severe strokes, and have improved cerebral blood flow in a middle cerebral artery occlusion model than mice expressing an unphosphorylatable (S1179A) form. These results provide a molecular mechanism by which multiple diverse cardiovascular risks, such as diabetes and obesity, may be centrally integrated by eNOS phosphorylation in vivo to influence blood flow and cardiovascular disease. They also demonstrate the in vivo relevance of posttranslational modification of eNOS in vascular function.
We previously reported that induction of selective GH deficiency in the rat exacerbates cardiac dysfunction induced by experimental ischemia and reperfusion performed on the explanted heart. In the same model, short-term treatment with hexarelin, a GH-releasing peptide, reverted this effect, as did GH. To ascertain whether hexarelin had non-GH-mediated protective effects on the heart, we compared hexarelin and GH treatment in hypophysectomized rats. Hexarelin (80 μg/kg sc), given for 7 days, prevented exacerbation of the ischemia-reperfusion damage induced by hypophysectomy. We also demonstrate that hexarelin prevents increases in left ventricular end diastolic pressure, coronary perfusion pressure, reactivity of the coronary vasculature to angiotensin II, and release of creatine kinase in the heart perfusate. Moreover, hexarelin prevents the fall in prostacyclin release and enhances recovery of contractility. Treatment with GH (400 μg/kg sc) produced similar results, whereas administration of EP 51389 (8...
Nitric oxide (NO) is an important bio-regulatory molecule in the nervous, immune and cardiovascular systems. The physiological
involvement of NO in neuronal transmission, control of vascular tone, and immune response-induced cytostasis as well as the
deleterious effects associated with altered levels of NO synthesis (1,2) culminated in the selection of the free-radical gas as “1992 Molecule of the Year” (3).
The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in rat skeletal and cardiac muscle is activated by vigorous exercise and ischaemic stress. Under these conditions AMPK phosphorylates and inhibits acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase causing increased oxidation of fatty acids. Here we show that AMPK co-immunoprecipitates with cardiac endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and phosphorylates Ser-1177 in the presence of Ca2+-calmodulin (CaM) to activate eNOS both in vitro and during ischaemia in rat hearts. In the absence of Ca2+-calmodulin, AMPK also phosphorylates eNOS at Thr-495 in the CaM-binding sequence, resulting in inhibition of eNOS activity but Thr-495 phosphorylation is unchanged during ischaemia. Phosphorylation of eNOS by the AMPK in endothelial cells and myocytes provides a further regulatory link between metabolic stress and cardiovascular function.
Nitric oxide (NO) produced by the endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) is a fundamental determinant of cardiovascular homesotasis: it regulates systemic blood pressure, vascular remodelling and angiogenesis. Physiologically, the most important stimulus for the continuous formation of NO is the viscous drag (shear stress) generated by the streaming blood on the endothelial layer. Although shear-stress-mediated phosphorylation of eNOS is thought to regulate enzyme activity, the mechanism of activation of eNOS is not yet known. Here we demonstrate that the serine/threonine protein kinase Akt/PKB mediates the activation of eNOS, leading to increased NO production. Inhibition of the phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase/Akt pathway or mutation of the Akt site on eNOS protein (at serine 1177) attenuates the serine phosphorylation and prevents the activation of eNOS. Mimicking the phosphorylation of Ser 1177 directly enhances enzyme activity and alters the sensitivity of the enzyme to Ca2+, rendering its activity maximal at sub-physiological concentrations of Ca2+. Thus, phosphorylation of eNOS by Akt represents a novel Ca2+-independent regulatory mechanism for activation of eNOS.
We previously reported that induction of selective GH deficiency in the rat exacerbates cardiac dysfunction induced by experimental ischemia and reperfusion performed on the explanted heart. In the same model, short-term treatment with hexarelin, a GH-releasing peptide, reverted this effect, as did GH. To ascertain whether hexarelin had non-GH-mediated protective effects on the heart, we compared hexarelin and GH treatment in hypophysectomized rats. Hexarelin (80 microg/kg sc), given for 7 days, prevented exacerbation of the ischemia-reperfusion damage induced by hypophysectomy. We also demonstrate that hexarelin prevents increases in left ventricular end diastolic pressure, coronary perfusion pressure, reactivity of the coronary vasculature to angiotensin II, and release of creatine kinase in the heart perfusate. Moreover, hexarelin prevents the fall in prostacyclin release and enhances recovery of contractility. Treatment with GH (400 microg/kg sc) produced similar results, whereas administration of EP 51389 (80 microg/kg sc), another GH-releasing peptide that does not bind to the heart, was ineffective. In conclusion, we demonstrate that hexarelin prevents cardiac damage after ischemia-reperfusion, and that its action is not mediated by GH but likely occurs through activation of specific cardiac receptors.
Small synthetic molecules called growth-hormone secretagogues (GHSs) stimulate the release of growth hormone (GH) from the pituitary. They act through GHS-R, a G-protein-coupled receptor for which the ligand is unknown. Recent cloning of GHS-R strongly suggests that an endogenous ligand for the receptor does exist and that there is a mechanism for regulating GH release that is distinct from its regulation by hypothalamic growth-hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). We now report the purification and identification in rat stomach of an endogenous ligand specific for GHS-R. The purified ligand is a peptide of 28 amino acids, in which the serine 3 residue is n-octanoylated. The acylated peptide specifically releases GH both in vivo and in vitro, and O-n-octanoylation at serine 3 is essential for the activity. We designate the GH-releasing peptide 'ghrelin' (ghre is the Proto-Indo-European root of the word 'grow'). Human ghrelin is homologous to rat ghrelin apart from two amino acids. The occurrence of ghrelin in both rat and human indicates that GH release from the pituitary may be regulated not only by hypothalamic GHRH, but also by ghrelin.
It has recently been shown that insulin induces vasodilation in human arteries and veins in vivo. This effect of insulin has been shown to be a direct one on the human vein. In view of these observations and the fact that insulin-induced vasodilation is impaired in insulin-resistant states like type 2 diabetes and obesity, we have investigated the hypothesis that insulin may induce the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (e-NOS) in endothelial cells grown from human aortae (HAECs), human lower-limb veins, and human umbilical veins (HUVECs), and microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs) from human adipose tissue. The expression of e-NOS was maximal in HAECs, and therefore, further experiments were performed on these cells. When cells reached 90% confluence, they were induced with different concentrations of insulin (0, 25, 100, and 1,000 microU/mL) for 6 days. The cells were homogenized and e-NOS expression was examined by Western blotting. A dose-dependent induction by insulin of e-NOS in the endothelial cells was clearly demonstrated. There was no detectable level of the inducible NOS isoform (i-NOS), and this effect of insulin was independent of cell proliferation. We conclude that insulin induces a dose-dependent induction of e-NOS in human aortic cells (and possibly arterial/endothelial cells), and this effect may contribute to the overall vasodilatory effect of insulin.
Ghrelin is an acylated peptide that stimulates the release of growth hormone from the pituitary. Ghrelin-producing neurons are located in the hypothalamus, whereas ghrelin receptors are expressed in various regions of the brain, which is indicative of central-and as yet undefined-physiological functions. Here we show that ghrelin is involved in the hypothalamic regulation of energy homeostasis. Intracerebroventricular injections of ghrelin strongly stimulated feeding in rats and increased body weight gain. Ghrelin also increased feeding in rats that are genetically deficient in growth hormone. Anti-ghrelin immunoglobulin G robustly suppressed feeding. After intracerebroventricular ghrelin administration, Fos protein, a marker of neuronal activation, was found in regions of primary importance in the regulation of feeding, including neuropeptide Y6 (NPY) neurons and agouti-related protein (AGRP) neurons. Antibodies and antagonists of NPY and AGRP abolished ghrelin-induced feeding. Ghrelin augmented NPY gene expression and blocked leptin-induced feeding reduction, implying that there is a competitive interaction between ghrelin and leptin in feeding regulation. We conclude that ghrelin is a physiological mediator of feeding, and probably has a function in growth regulation by stimulating feeding and release of growth hormone.
Ghrelin, a novel GH-releasing peptide isolated from human and rat stomach, stimulates food intake and GH secretion. We determined plasma ghrelin concentrations in patients with simple obesity, anorexia nervosa, and type 2 diabetes mellitus by RIA. We also studied plasma ghrelin responses to glucose load and meal intake and obtained a 24-h profile of circulating ghrelin in humans.
Plasma ghrelin concentrations in patients with simple obesity and anorexia nervosa were lower and higher, respectively, than those of healthy subjects with normal body weight. Among those with type 2 diabetes mellitus, obese patients had lower and lean patients higher fasting plasma ghrelin concentrations than normal-weight patients. Fasting plasma ghrelin concentration was negatively correlated with body mass index in both nondiabetic and diabetic patients. Plasma ghrelin concentrations of normal subjects decreased significantly after oral and iv glucose administration; a similar response was also observed in diabetic patients after a meal tolerance test, reaching a nadir of 69% of the basal level after the meal. Circulating plasma ghrelin showed a diurnal pattern with preprandial increases, postprandial decreases, and a maximum peak at 0200 h. This study demonstrates that nutritional state is a determinant of plasma ghrelin in humans. Ghrelin secretion is up-regulated under conditions of negative energy balance and down-regulated in the setting of positive energy balance. These findings suggest the involvement of ghrelin in the regulation of feeding behavior and energy homeostasis.
Diabetes is associated with increased atherosclerosis and other causes of myocardial dysfunction. The pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in diabetes is multifactorial and can be affected by metabolic and other factors.
Under physiological conditions, the endothelial cell (EC) layer acts as a barrier to separate circulating factors and cells from the arterial intima and media. It also serves as an anticoagulant and fibrinolytic surface producing tissue plasminogen activator, which counters the effects of procoagulant factors such as fibrinogen and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). Endothelial cells produce nitric oxide (NO), which is a vasodilator and restrains smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration and proliferation.
Circulating factors (hyperglycemia, increased free fatty acids, altered lipoproteins, and derivatives of glycation and oxidation) and hypertension, all of which are common in diabetes, can damage ECs, leading to their dysfunction. Plasma proteins, among them lipoproteins, cross the endothelial barrier, where they can be retained by subendothelial matrix molecules such as collagen and proteoglycans.1 These and other matrix molecules are produced by ECs and SMCs. Blood components can be modified, eg, by oxidation and glycation.2 Modified proteins and lipids can alter EC and SMC gene expression, leading to increased production of procoagulants, adhesion molecules, chemotactic factors, and cytokines. The net effect is the adhesion and penetration of circulating monocytes into the arterial intima, where they undergo differentiation and activation to macrophages. Lipids can accumulate intracellularly after uptake of modified lipoproteins (glycation, oxidation, and glycoxidation) by different scavenger receptors on macrophages and SMCs, as well as extracellularly by attaching to matrix molecules.3 The resulting lesion is termed the fatty streak.
Both ECs and macrophages produce cytokines and growth factors that permit SMCs to migrate from the media to the intima. In the intima, SMCs proliferate in response to several growth factors. These SMCs and the matrix …
Ghrelin is a novel growth hormone (GH)-releasing peptide which was isolated from the stomach. We have reported that ghrelin causes vasorelaxation in rats through GH-independent mechanisms. We investigated whether ghrelin improves endothelial dysfunction. Ghrelin was subcutaneously administered to GH-deficient rats for three weeks. After isolation of the thoracic aorta, aortic ring tension was measured to evaluate vasorelaxation. Acetylcholine-induced vasorelaxation was impaired in GH-deficient rats given placebo compared to that in normal rats given placebo. GH-deficient rats treated with ghrelin, however, showed a significant increase in the maximal relaxation as compared with those given placebo. This improvement by ghrelin was inhibited by N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, a nonselective nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor. Western blot analysis demonstrated that treatment with ghrelin increased endothelial NOS (eNOS) expression in the aorta of GH-deficient rats. These results suggest that administration of ghrelin improves endothelial dysfunction and increases eNOS expression in rats through GH-independent mechanisms.
The purpose of the study was to examine whether insulin sensitivity was associated with fasting plasma ghrelin concentrations in a population-based sample of 58-year-old clinically healthy Caucasian men. The methods used were dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for measurement of body composition and a conventional euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp, measuring glucose infusion rate (GIR) that was adjusted for fat-free mass. Plasma ghrelin was measured by radioimmunoassay. The results showed that ghrelin was not associated with GIR adjusted for fat-free mass or with GIR adjusted for body mass, and body fat, or waist circumference. Plasma ghrelin correlated negatively to body fat (-0.46, P<.001) and waist circumference (-0.45, P<.001). Ghrelin was also inversely related to systolic and diastolic blood pressure (r=-.29 and r=-0.34, respectively, P<.01) and positively to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (0.33, P<.01), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size (0.34, P<.001), but these associations did not remain after adjustment for body fat. Plasma ghrelin was associated with current smoking independent of waist circumference. Among current smokers, circulating plasma concentrations were higher in those who had smoked during the hour preceding the blood sample than those who had smoked 2 to 12 hours ago (P=.043). The conclusion is that whole body insulin sensitivity was not associated with plasma ghrelin concentrations. Body fatness was the strongest determinant of circulating ghrelin. It was found that acute smoking may affect ghrelin levels.
Ghrelin is a novel growth hormone-releasing peptide that has been shown to improve cachexia in heart failure and cancer and to ameliorate the hemodynamic and metabolic disturbances in septic shock. Because cytokine-induced inflammation is critical in these pathological states and because the growth hormone secretagogue receptor has been identified in blood vessels, we examined whether ghrelin inhibits proinflammatory responses in human endothelial cells in vitro and after administration of endotoxin to rats in vivo.
Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with or without tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and induction of proinflammatory cytokines and mononuclear cell adhesion were determined. Ghrelin (0.1 to 1000 ng/mL) inhibited both basal and TNF-alpha-induced cytokine release and mononuclear cell binding. Intravenous administration of ghrelin also inhibited endotoxin-induced proinflammatory cytokine production in rats in vivo. Ghrelin inhibited H2O2-induced cytokine release in HUVECs, suggesting that the peptide blocks redox-mediated cellular signaling. Moreover, ghrelin inhibited basal and TNF-alpha-induced activation of nuclear factor-kappaB. Des-acyl ghrelin had no effect on TNF-alpha-induced cytokine production in HUVECs, suggesting that the antiinflammatory effects of ghrelin require interaction with endothelial growth hormone secretagogue receptors.
Ghrelin inhibits proinflammatory cytokine production, mononuclear cell binding, and nuclear factor-kappaB activation in human endothelial cells in vitro and endotoxin-induced cytokine production in vivo. These novel antiinflammatory actions of ghrelin suggest that the peptide could play a modulatory role in atherosclerosis, especially in obese patients, in whom ghrelin levels are reduced.
Common conditions predisposing to atherosclerosis, such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, and smoking, are associated with endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial function has largely been assessed as endothelium-dependent vasomotion, at least in part based on the assumption that impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation also reflects the alteration of other important functions of the endothelium. An important rationale for this approach has been the observation that endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO), a major mediator of endothelium-dependent vasodilation, has important anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic properties, ie, inhibiting leukocyte adhesion, limiting platelet adhesion and aggregation, and the expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), a prothrombotic protein. Accumulating data suggest that the degree of impairment of endothelium-dependent vasomotion has profound and independent prognostic implications. A common mechanism underlying endothelial dysfunction relates to increased vascular production of reactive oxygen species. Recent studies also suggest that inflammation per se and C-reactive protein in particular may directly contribute to endothelial dysfunction. These findings raise the question of whether assessment of endothelial function can be used in the clinical setting to identify patients at high risk. New insights into mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction, such as a better understanding of the regulation of important vascular sources of oxygen radicals, may lead to novel therapeutic strategies with the potential to improve prognosis.
Fluid shear stress generated by blood flowing over the endothelium is a major determinant of arterial tone, vascular remodeling, and atherogenesis. Nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) plays an essential role in regulation of vascular function and structure by blood flow. Although cyclosporin A (CsA), an inhibitory ligand of cyclophilin A, is a widely used immunosuppressive drug, it causes arterial hypertension in part by impairing eNOS-dependent vasodilation. Here we show that CsA inhibits fluid shear stress-mediated eNOS activation in endothelial cells via decreasing cholesterol content in caveolae. Exposure of cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells to 1 mum CsA for 1 h significantly inhibited NO production and eNOS phosphorylation at Ser-1179 induced by flow (shear stress=dynes/cm2). The effect of CsA was not related to inhibition of two known eNOS kinases, protein kinase B (Akt) and protein kinase A, because CsA did not affect Akt or protein kinase A activation. In rabbit aorta perfused ex vivo, CsA also significantly inhibited flow-induced eNOS phosphorylation at Ser-1179 but had no effect on Akt measured by phosphorylation at Ser-473. However, CsA treatment decreased cholesterol content in caveolae and displaced eNOS from caveolae, which may be caused by CsA disrupting the association of caveolin-1 and cyclophilin A. The magnitude of the cholesterol depleting effect was similar to that of beta-cyclodextrin, a cholesterol-binding molecule, and beta-cyclodextrin had a similar inhibitory effect on flow-mediated eNOS activation. Treating bovine aortic endothelial cells for 24 h with 30 mug/ml cholesterol blocked the CsA effect and restored eNOS phosphorylation in response to flow. These data suggest that decreasing cholesterol content in caveolae by CsA is a potentially important pathogenic mechanism for CsA-induced endothelial dysfunction and hypertension.
Ghrelin is a novel growth hormone-releasing peptide that also induces vasodilation, inhibits sympathetic nerve activity, and stimulates feeding through growth hormone-independent mechanisms. We investigated the effects of ghrelin on left ventricular (LV) function, exercise capacity, and muscle wasting in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).
Human synthetic ghrelin (2 microg/kg twice a day) was intravenously administered to 10 patients with CHF for 3 weeks. Echocardiography, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, dual x-ray absorptiometry, and blood sampling were performed before and after ghrelin therapy. A single administration of ghrelin elicited a marked increase in serum GH (25-fold). Three-week administration of ghrelin resulted in a significant decrease in plasma norepinephrine (1132+/-188 to 655+/-134 pg/mL; P<0.001). Ghrelin increased LV ejection fraction (27+/-2% to 31+/-2%; P<0.05) in association with an increase in LV mass and a decrease in LV end-systolic volume. Treatment with ghrelin increased peak workload and peak oxygen consumption during exercise. Ghrelin improved muscle wasting, as indicated by increases in muscle strength and lean body mass. These parameters remained unchanged in 8 patients with CHF who did not receive ghrelin therapy.
These preliminary results suggest that repeated administration of ghrelin improves LV function, exercise capacity, and muscle wasting in patients with CHF.
To investigate the mechanism underlying the observation that infusion of the growth hormone secretagogue peptide, ghrelin, produces a decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) with no change in heart rate.
The effect of a single bolus infusion of ghrelin (12 nmol/kg intravenously) on the changes in MAP and heart rate was determined in 12-week-old male anaesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to pretreatment with either the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 0.7 mg/ml by mouth for 5 days), or vehicle (control).
Ghrelin produced a significant decrease in MAP at 20 min (P < 0.05) after infusion in the control group, without any change in heart rate. The MAP recovered partially over 1 h. The ghrelin-evoked decrease in MAP was much greater (P < 0.01) and was sustained for 1 h in rats subjected to NOS inhibition. Pretreatment with the cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, failed to affect the responses in either group. Intravenous infusion of 50 mug/kg each of apamin and charybdotoxin (ChTX), a combination that is known to block Ca-activated K channels or the endothelium-derived hyperpolarization process, attenuated the decrease in MAP evoked by ghrelin in both control and NOS-inhibited rats. A sodium nitroprusside-induced decrease in MAP was unaffected in the presence of apamin-ChTX, but acetylcholine-evoked hypotension was significantly reduced in both groups.
These data suggest that the Ca-activated, K-channel-mediated, ghrelin-evoked decrease in MAP may be significant in states of endothelial dysfunction associated with reduced nitric oxide availability.
Cardiovascular disease ( CVD) constitutes the major cause of mortality and morbidity in both type 1 ( T1D) and type 2 ( T2D) diabetes patients. Although the microvascular complications of T1D are well studied, macrovascular CVD, its treatment, and link to diabetes have been investigated primarily in T2D patients. On April 27 and 28, 2003, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute ( NHLBI) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases ( NIDDK) sponsored a meeting to identify ways to close gaps in our knowledge about CVD in T1D to improve prevention and treatment. Participants were asked to: ( 1) Evaluate opportunities for studying the pathogenesis of CVD in T1D patients. Risk factors unique to these patients were of particular interest, as well as studies of the cause of CVD in T1D with respect to existing databases or cohorts and involving partnerships between basic and clinical investigators. ( 2) Evaluate opportunities for intervention studies to treat or prevent CVD in T1D. Because of practical obstacles ( recruitment, duration, and cost of interventional studies with hard clinical end points), identification of reliable methods and markers that enable efficient intervention were a high priority. The meeting included 3 sessions: ( 1) current understanding of T1D and CVD; ( 2) opportunities to expand our understanding of the pathogenesis and clinical course of CVD in T1D; and ( 3) opportunities for intervention studies to reduce cardiovascular complications in T1D. This report summarizes the presentations made and concludes with recommendations drawn from the presentations and discussion among the participants.
The cellular mechanisms for dealing with nutritional stress are remarkably conserved, with the same signaling network used in organisms from yeast to mammals. In one sense, this is not terribly surprising since the most pressing response to such potential injury is always the same: suppress those biochemical reactions that consume energy while at the same time triggering those metabolic pathways most effective at generating ATP. But an interesting problem to contemplate is how this fundamental process has been adapted to the complexities of a multicellular organism in which recognition of the nutritional state is frequently provided by more subtle cues such as hormones or impulses generated within the central nervous system. Moreover, although the cellular responses to nutrient deprivation are conserved phylogenetically, organismal reactions in metazoans are more multifaceted in that one organ often sacrifices for the good of the whole. The major phylogenetically conserved pathway for signaling nutritional stress is now well established as centering on the protein kinase Snf1 in budding yeast, which is orthologous to AMPK-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in higher organisms. As its name suggests, mammalian AMPK is regulated by changes in the ratio of AMP to ATP, a sensitive indicator of the energy state of the cell. Now, three papers report the intriguing observation that an alternative pathway mediated by a Ca²⁺-dependent protein kinase is also capable of regulating AMPK (Hawley et al., 2005, Hurley et al., 2005 and Woods et al., 2005).
Metabolic syndrome importantly accelerates the atherosclerotic process, the earliest event of which is endothelial dysfunction. Ghrelin, a gastric peptide with cardiovascular actions, has been shown to inhibit proatherogenic changes in experimental models. This study therefore investigated whether ghrelin administration might beneficially affect endothelial function in metabolic syndrome.
Endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilator responses to intra-arterial infusion of increasing doses of acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), respectively, were assessed by strain-gauge plethysmography before and after local administration of human ghrelin (200 microg/min). During saline, the vasodilator response to acetylcholine was significantly blunted (P=0.008) in patients with metabolic syndrome (n=12, 5 female) compared with controls (n=12, 7 female), whereas the vasodilator response to SNP was not different between groups (P=0.68). In patients with metabolic syndrome, basal plasma ghrelin was significantly lower than in controls (P=0.02). In these patients, ghrelin infusion markedly increased intravascular concentrations of the peptide (P<0.001) and resulted in a potentiation of the vasodilator response to acetylcholine (P=0.001 versus saline) but not to SNP (P=0.22). This effect was likely related to enhanced nitric oxide bioavailability because, in a group of patients with metabolic syndrome (n=6, 2 female), ghrelin had no effect on the vasodilator response to acetylcholine (P=0.78 versus saline) after nitric oxide inhibition by NG-monomethyl-L-arginine.
These findings indicate that ghrelin reverses endothelial dysfunction in patients with metabolic syndrome by increasing nitric oxide bioactivity, thereby suggesting that decreased circulating levels of the peptide, such as those found in these patients, might play a role in the pathobiology of atherosclerosis.
Metformin, one of most commonly used drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, improves vascular endothelial functions and reduces cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes, although its mechanisms remain unknown. The current study aimed to elucidate how metformin improves endothelial functions. Exposure of cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) to clinically relevant concentrations of metformin (50-500 micromol/l) dose-dependently increased serine-1179 (Ser1179) phosphorylation (equal to human Ser1179) of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) as well as its association with heat shock protein (hsp)-90, resulting in increased activation of eNOS and NO bioactivity (cyclic GMP). These effects of metformin were mimicked or completely abrogated by adenoviral overexpression of a constitutively active 5'-AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) mutant or a kinase-inactive AMPK-alpha, respectively. Furthermore, administration of metformin as well as 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside, an AMPK agonist, significantly increased eNOS Ser1179 phosphorylation, NO bioactivity, and coimmunoprecipitation of eNOS with hsp90 in wild-type C57BL6 mice but not in AMPK-alpha1 knockout mice, suggesting that AMPK is required for metformin-enhanced eNOS activation in vivo. Finally, incubation of BAECs with clinically relevant concentrations of metformin dramatically attenuated high-glucose (30 mmol/l)-induced reduction in the association of hsp90 with eNOS, which resulted in increased NO bioactivity with a reduction in overexpression of adhesion molecules and endothelial apoptosis caused by high-glucose exposure. Taken together, our results indicate that metformin might improve vascular endothelial functions in diabetes by increasing AMPK-dependent, hsp90-mediated eNOS activation.
The regulation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is implicated in vascular biology because AMPK can phosphorylate endothelial NO synthase (eNOS). In this study, we investigate the regulation of the AMPK-eNOS pathway in vascular endothelial cells (ECs) by shear stress and the activation of aortic AMPK in a mouse model with a high level of voluntary running (High-Runner).
By using flow channels with cultured ECs, AMPK Thr172 phosphorylation was increased with changes of flow rate or pulsatility. The activity of LKB1, the upstream kinase of AMPK, and the phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser1179 were concomitant with AMPK activation responding to changes in flow rate or pulsatility. The blockage of AMPK by a dominant-negative mutant of AMPK inhibited shear stress-induced eNOS Ser1179 phosphorylation and NO production. Furthermore, aortic AMPK activity and level of eNOS phosphorylation were significantly elevated in the aortas of High-Runner mice.
Our results suggest that shear stress activates AMPK in ECs, which contributes to elevated eNOS activity and subsequent NO production. Hence, AMPK, in addition to serving as an energy sensor, also plays an important role in regulating vascular tone.
Vascular endothelium–derived nitric oxide (NO), originally identified as endothelium-derived relaxing factor,1–3 plays a pivotal role in regulation of vascular homeostasis.4 NO is a major regulator of vascular tone and blood pressure, and has multiple antiatherogenic roles including antiinflammatory, antithrombotic, antiproliferative, and antioxidant effects.4–6 Loss of the bioavailability of endothelium-derived NO is the hallmark of endothelial dysfunction and is implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease such as hypertension and atherosclerosis.7,8 Therefore, it is of great interest to understand the molecular mechanisms regulating NO production by endothelium, which is likely to provide new insight into endothelial function in health and disease.
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Endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) is a highly regulated, calcium (Ca2+)/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent enzyme responsible for the physiological production of NO in the vasculature.9,10 In endothelial cells (ECs), NO is formed from its precursor L-arginine via the enzymatic activation of eNOS with cofactors such as tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). eNOS activation and subsequent NO production is stimulated by a variety of physical stimuli such as fluid shear stress generated by blood flow and by many humoral factors including acetylcholine, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), bradykinin, estrogen, insulin, and angiopoietin.10–12 Increasing evidence suggest that eNOS is regulated by subcellular localization,9,13,14 posttranslational modifications such as phosphorylation at serine 1179 (S1179) by Akt,15–17 and interactions with several regulatory proteins such as heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) and caveolin-1.18,19 In particular, subcellular localization of eNOS is critical for optimal coupling of extracellular stimulation to NO production.10 In ECs, eNOS appears to localize at peripheral aspects of the Golgi complex and cholesterol-rich microdomains of the plasma membrane (PM) such as caveolae. Cotranslational N-myristoylation and posttranslational cysteine palmitoylation of eNOS determine its membrane targeting.9,13 It has been proposed that eNOS membrane localization may bring eNOS …
Fluid shear stress generated by blood flowing over the endothelium is a major determinant of arterial tone, vascular remodeling, and atherogenesis. Nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) plays an essential role in regulation of vascular function and structure by blood flow, but the molecular mechanisms that transduce mechanical force to eNOS activation are not well understood. In this study, we found that laminar flow (shear stress=12 dyne/cm2) rapidly activates vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) in a ligand-independent manner and leads to eNOS activation in cultured endothelial cells. Flow-stimulated VEGFR2 recruits phosphoinositide 3-kinase and mediates activation of Akt and eNOS. Inhibiting VEGFR2 kinase with selective inhibitors blocks flow-induced activation of Akt and eNOS and production of NO. Decreasing VEGFR2 expression with antisense VEGFR2 oligonucleotides significantly attenuates activation of Akt and eNOS. Furthermore, Src kinases are involved in flow-stimulated VEGFR2 because inhibiting Src kinases by PP2, a selective inhibitor for Src kinases, abolishes flow-induced VEGFR2 tyrosine phosphorylation and downstream signaling. Finally, we show that inhibiting VEGFR2 kinase significantly reduces flow-mediated NO-dependent arteriolar dilation in vivo. These data identify VEGFR2 as a key mechanotransducer that activates eNOS in response to blood flow.