Differential regulation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAP kinases in VacA-induced apoptosis of gastric epithelial cells

2008 ◽  
Vol 294 (3) ◽  
pp. G635-G647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mi-Ran Ki ◽  
Hye-Rim Lee ◽  
Moon-Jung Goo ◽  
Il-Hwa Hong ◽  
Sun-Hee Do ◽  
...  

Helicobacter pylori vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA) has been considered as an apoptosis-inducing factor. Here, we investigated the mechanism of VacA-induced apoptosis in relation to the defense mechanism and MAP kinases pathway in gastric epithelial cells. AGS cells exposed to enriched VacA extracts affected the level of SOD-1 and villin. We further investigated the role of VacA in those inductions using a functional recombinant VacA (rVacA). Activation of p38 MAPK and Bax dimerization by rVacA were increased in a dose-dependent manner. rVacA-induced ERK1/2 MAPK activation was maximal at 30 min and 4 h and 1–4 μg/ml of rVacA. rVacA-induced SOD-1 expression was considerably diminished by inhibiting ERK1/2 MAPK and it was slightly increased by inhibiting p38 MAPK. rVacA increased or decreased villin expression depending on dose and exposure time and its expression was mainly appeared in the contractile actin ring of the dividing cells. Despite its cytoprotective effect, SB-203580, a p38 inhibitor, was unlikely to reduce VacA-induced Bax dimerization and rather inhibited villin and Bcl2 expression, indicating that p38 may also play a role in cell proliferation or differentiation for survival after VacA intoxication. Furthermore, p38 inhibitor accelerated rVacA-induced cell death after exposure of AGS cells to H2O2but ERK1/2 inhibitor protected cells from H2O2insult. These results suggest that SOD-1 and villin are expressed differentially upon VacA insult depending on dose and exposure time via ERK and p38 MAP kinases; decrease in SOD-1 and villin expression coupled with Bax dimerization leads to apoptosis of gastric epithelial cells.

2005 ◽  
Vol 289 (4) ◽  
pp. G731-G738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria J. Redlak ◽  
Jacinda J. Power ◽  
Thomas A. Miller

This study was undertaken to determine whether the Bcl-2 family proteins and Smac are regulators of aspirin-mediated apoptosis in a gastric mucosal cell line known as AGS cells. Cells were incubated with varying concentrations of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA; 2–40 mM), with or without preincubation of caspase inhibitors. Apoptosis was characterized by Hoechst staining and DNA-histone-associated complex formation. Antiapoptotic Bcl-2, proapoptotic Bax and Bid, Smac, and cytochrome- c oxidase (COX IV) were analyzed by Western blot analyses from cytosol and mitochondrial fractions. ASA downregulated Bcl-2 protein expression and induced Bax translocation into the mitochondria and cleavage of Bid. In contrast, expression of Smac was significantly decreased in mitochondrial fractions of ASA-treated cells. Bax and Bid involvement in apoptosis regulation was dependent on caspase activation, because caspase-8 inhibition suppressed Bax translocation and Bid processing. Caspase-9 inhibition prevented Smac release from mitochondria. Additionally, increased expression of the oxidative phosphorylation enzyme COX IV was observed in mitochondrial fractions exposed to ASA at concentrations >5 mM. Although caspase-8 inhibition had no effect on aspirin-induced apoptosis and DNA-histone complex formation, caspase-9 inhibition significantly decreased both of these events. We conclude that Bcl-2 protein family members and Smac regulate the apoptotic pathway in a caspase-dependent manner. Our results indicate also that mitochondrial integration and oxidative phosphorylation play a critical role in the pathogenesis of apoptosis in human gastric epithelial cells.


2011 ◽  
Vol 438 (2) ◽  
pp. 315-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Lian ◽  
Xiangbin Xing ◽  
Gang Yuan ◽  
Claus Schäfer ◽  
Sandra Rauser ◽  
...  

Bile acids from duodenogastric reflux promote inflammation and increase the risk for gastro-oesophageal cancers. FXR (farnesoid X receptor/NR1H4) is a transcription factor regulated by bile acids such as CDCA (chenodeoxycholic acid). FXR protects the liver and the intestinal tract against bile acid overload; however, a functional role for FXR in the stomach has not been described. We detected FXR expression in the normal human stomach and in GC (gastric cancer). FXR mRNA and protein were also present in the human GC cell lines MKN45 and SNU5, but not in the AGS cell line. Transfection of FXR into AGS cells protected against TNFα (tumour necrosis factor α)-induced cell damage. We identified K13 (keratin 13), an anti-apoptotic protein of desmosomes, as a novel CDCA-regulated FXR-target gene. FXR bound to a conserved regulatory element in the proximal human K13 promoter. Gastric expression of K13 mRNA was increased in an FXR-dependent manner by a chow diet enriched with 1% (w/w) CDCA and by indomethacin (35 mg/kg of body weight intraperitoneal) in C57BL/6 mice. FXR-deficient mice were more susceptible to indomethacin-induced gastric ulceration than their WT (wild-type) littermates. These results suggest that FXR increases the resistance of human and murine gastric epithelial cells to inflammation-mediated damage and may thus participate in the development of GC.


2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 2323-2338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weimin Li ◽  
Mengdi Fan ◽  
Yina Chen ◽  
Qian Zhao ◽  
Caiyun Song ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Melatonin, synthesized by the pineal gland and released into the blood, appears to have antitumour properties; however, the mechanisms of its anti-cancer effects are largely unknown, especially in stomach cancer. Here, we explore the antitumour activity of melatonin in a gastric cancer cell line (AGS) and analyse its molecular mechanisms. Methods: AGS cells were treated with melatonin, and cell viability was assessed using a CCK-8 assay. Flow cytometry was performed to evaluate apoptosis, and protein expression was examined by Western blotting. Results: Melatonin significantly inhibited cell viability, clone formation, and cell migration and invasion and induced apoptosis in AGS cells. Moreover, MAPK pathways (p38, JNK and ERK) were activated by melatonin treatment, which also significantly increased caspase-3 cleavage and Bax protein expression and decreased Bcl-2 protein expression in a time-dependent manner. Our results demonstrate that p38 and JNK inhibitors (SB203580 and SP600125, respectively) prevented melatonin-induced apoptosis; thus, the propensity of p38 MAPK and JNK to promote apoptosis could be at least partly due to the inhibition of NF-κB p65 activation by p38 and JNK. Finally, melatonin was able to strengthen cisplatin-mediated antitumour effects in human gastric carcinoma cells by up-regulating the expression of Bax, down-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 and activating the caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway. Conclusion: Melatonin induced apoptosis in AGS cells by activating the caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway and by inhibiting the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65, two processes that are regulated by p38 and JNK. Furthermore, melatonin significantly enhanced the anti-tumour effects of cisplatin, with low systemic toxicity. These new findings suggest that melatonin may act as a potent anti-tumour agent and may have great potential as an adjuvant therapy in the future.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liping Tao ◽  
Hai Zou ◽  
Zhimin Huang

Infection ofHelicobacter pylori (H. pylori)changed the proliferation of gastric epithelial cells and decreased the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). However, the effects ofH. pylorion the proliferation of gastric epithelial cells and the roles of HSP70 during the progress need further investigation.Objective.To investigate the effects ofHelicobacter pylori (H. pylori)and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) on the proliferation of human gastric epithelial cells.Methods. H. pyloriand a human gastric epithelial cell line (AGS) were cocultured. The proliferation of AGS cells was quantitated by an MTT assay, and the expression of HSP70 in AGS cells was detected by Western blotting. HSP70 expression in AGS cells was silenced by small interfering RNA (siRNA) to investigate the role of HSP70. ThesiRNA-treated AGS cells were cocultured withH. pyloriand cell proliferation was measured by an MTT assay.Results.The proliferation of AGS cells was accelerated by coculturing withH. pylorifor 4 and 8 h, but was suppressed at 24 and 48 h. HSP70 expression was decreased in AGS cells infected byH. pylorifor 48 h. The proliferation in HSP70-silenced AGS cells was inhibited after coculturing withH. pylorifor 24 and 48 h compared with the control group.Conclusions.Coculture ofH. pylorialtered the proliferation of gastric epithelial cells and decreased HSP70 expression. HSP70 knockdown supplemented the inhibitory effect ofH. pylorion proliferation of epithelial cells. These results indicate that the effects ofH. pylorion the proliferation of gastric epithelial cells at least partially depend on the decreased expression of HSP70 induced by the bacterium.


2012 ◽  
Vol 303 (6) ◽  
pp. G765-G774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Sung Park ◽  
Wei Guang ◽  
Thomas G. Blanchard ◽  
K. Chul Kim ◽  
Erik P. Lillehoj

MUC1 is a membrane-tethered mucin expressed on the apical surface of epithelial cells. Our previous report (Guang W, Ding H, Czinn SJ, Kim KC, Blanchard TG, Lillehoj EP. J Biol Chem 285: 20547–20557, 2010) demonstrated that expression of MUC1 in AGS gastric epithelial cells limits Helicobacter pylori infection and reduces bacterial-driven IL-8 production. In this study, we identified the peroxisome proliferator-associated receptor-γ (PPARγ) upstream of MUC1 in the anti-inflammatory pathway suppressing H. pylori- and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-stimulated IL-8 production. Treatment of AGS cells with H. pylori or PMA increased IL-8 levels in cell culture supernatants compared with cells treated with the respective vehicle controls. Prior small interfering (si)RNA-induced MUC1 silencing further increased H. pylori - and PMA-stimulated IL-8 levels compared with a negative control siRNA. MUC1-expressing AGS cells pretreated with the PPARγ agonist troglitazone (TGN) had reduced H. pylori - and PMA-stimulated IL-8 levels compared with cells treated with H. pylori or PMA alone. However, following MUC1 siRNA knockdown, no differences in IL-8 levels were seen between TGN/ H. pylori and H. pylori -only cells or between TGN/PMA and PMA-only cells. Finally, TGN-treated AGS cells had increased Muc1 promoter activity, as measured using a Muc1-luciferase reporter gene, and greater MUC1 protein levels by Western blot analysis, compared with vehicle controls. These results support the hypothesis that PPARγ stimulates MUC1 expression by AGS cells, thereby attenuating H. pylori - and PMA-induced IL-8 production.


2000 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. A532
Author(s):  
Osamu Handa ◽  
Yuji Naito ◽  
Tomohisa Takagi ◽  
Takeshi Ishikawa ◽  
Naohisa Matsumoto ◽  
...  

1999 ◽  
Vol 67 (8) ◽  
pp. 4237-4242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola L. Jones ◽  
Andrew S. Day ◽  
Hilary A. Jennings ◽  
Philip M. Sherman

ABSTRACT The mechanisms involved in mediating the enhanced gastric epithelial cell apoptosis observed during infection withHelicobacter pylori in vivo are unknown. To determine whether H. pylori directly induces apoptosis of gastric epithelial cells in vitro and to define the role of the Fas-Fas ligand signal transduction cascade, human gastric epithelial cells were infected with H. pylori for up to 72 h under microaerophilic conditions. As assessed by both transmission electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy, incubation with acagA-positive, cagE-positive, VacA-positive clinical H. pylori isolate stimulated an increase in apoptosis compared to the apoptosis of untreated AGS cells (16.0% ± 2.8% versus 5.9% ± 1.4%, P < 0.05) after 72 h. In contrast, apoptosis was not detected following infection withcagA-negative, cagE-negative, VacA-negative clinical isolates or a Campylobacter jejuni strain. In addition to stimulating apoptosis, infection with H. pylorienhanced Fas receptor expression in AGS cells to a degree comparable to that of treatment with a positive control, gamma interferon (12.5 ng/ml) (148% ± 24% and 167% ± 24% of control, respectively). The enhanced Fas receptor expression was associated with increased sensitivity to Fas-mediated cell death. Ligation of the Fas receptor with an agonistic monoclonal antibody resulted in an increase in apoptosis compared to the apoptosis of cells infected with the bacterium alone (38.5% ± 7.1% versus 16.0% ± 2.8%,P < 0.05). Incubation with neutralizing anti-Fas antibody did not prevent apoptosis of H. pylori-infected cells. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the gastric pathogen H. pylori stimulates apoptosis of gastric epithelial cells in vitro in association with the enhanced expression of the Fas receptor. These data indicate a role for Fas-mediated signaling in the programmed cell death that occurs in response toH. pylori infection.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 829-841 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Garcia-Castillo ◽  
H. Zelaya ◽  
A. Ilabaca ◽  
M. Espinoza-Monje ◽  
R. Komatsu ◽  
...  

Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with important gastric pathologies. An aggressive proinflammatory immune response is generated in the gastric tissue infected with H. pylori, resulting in gastritis and a series of morphological changes that increase the susceptibility to cancer development. Probiotics could present an alternative solution to prevent or decrease H. pylori infection. Among them, the use of immunomodulatory lactic acid bacteria represents a promising option to reduce the severity of chronic inflammatory-mediated tissue damage and to improve protective immunity against H. pylori. We previously isolated Lactobacillus fermentum UCO-979C from human gastric tissue and demonstrated its capacity to reduce adhesion of H. pylori to human gastric epithelial cells (AGS cells). In this work, the ability of L. fermentum UCO-979C to modulate immune response in AGS cells and PMA phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-differentiated THP-1 (human monocytic leukaemia) macrophages in response to H. pylori infection was evaluated. We demonstrated that the UCO-979C strain is able to differentially modulate the cytokine response of gastric epithelial cells and macrophages after H. pylori infection. Of note, L. fermentum UCO-979C was able to significantly reduce the production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in AGS and THP-1 cells as well as increase the levels of immunoregulatory cytokines, indicating a remarkable anti-inflammatory effect. These findings strongly support the probiotic potential of L. fermentum UCO-979C and provide evidence of its beneficial effects against the inflammatory damage induced by H. pylori infection. Although our findings should be proven in appropriate experiments in vivo, in both H. pylori infection animal models and human trials, the results of the present work provide a scientific rationale for the use of L. fermentum UCO-979C to prevent or reduce H. pylori-induced gastric inflammation in humans.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiao Peng ◽  
Ting-ting Zheng ◽  
Yue Liang ◽  
Li-fang Duan ◽  
Yao-dong Zhang ◽  
...  

To protect against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in lens epithelial cells is a potential strategy in preventing cataract formation. The present study aimed at studying the protective effect and underlying mechanisms of p-coumaric acid (p-CA) on hydrogen peroxide- (H2O2-) induced apoptosis in human lens epithelial (HLE) cells (SRA 01–04). Cells were pretreated with p-CA at a concentration of 3, 10, and 30 μM before the treatment of H2O2 (275 μM). Results showed that pretreatment with p-CA significantly protected against H2O2-induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner, as well as downregulating the expressions of both cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9 in HLE cells. Moreover, p-CA also greatly suppressed H2O2-induced intracellular ROS production and mitochondrial membrane potential loss and elevated the activities of T-SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px of H2O2-treated cells. As well, in vitro study showed that p-CA also suppressed H2O2-induced phosphorylation of p-38, ERK, and JNK in HLE cells. These findings demonstrate that p-CA suppresses H2O2-induced HLE cell apoptosis through modulating MAPK signaling pathways and suggest that p-CA has a potential therapeutic role in the prevention of cataract.


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