Histone deacetylase inhibitors suppress rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocyte and macrophage IL-6 production by accelerating mRNA decay

Background Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) display potent therapeutic efficacy in animal models of arthritis and suppress inflammatory cytokine production in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial macrophages and tissue. Objectives To determine the molecular mechanisms contributing to the suppressive effects of HDACi on RA synovial cell activation, using interleukin 6 (IL-6) regulation as a model. Methods RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) and healthy donor macrophages were treated with IL-1 beta, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)alpha, lipopolysaccharide or polyinosinic: polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) in the absence or presence of the HDACi trichostatin A (TSA) or ITF2357 (givinostat). IL-6 production and mRNA expression was measured by ELISA and quantitative PCR (qPCR), respectively. Protein acetylation and the activation of intracellular signalling pathways were assessed by immunoblotting. The DNA-binding activity of nuclear factor kappa B (NF kappa B) and activator protein 1 (AP-1) components was measured by ELISA-based assays. Results HDACi (0.25-1.0 mu M) suppressed RA FLS IL-6 production induced by IL-1 beta, TNF alpha and Toll-like receptor ligands. Phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases and inhibitor of kappa B alpha (I kappa B alpha) following IL-1 beta stimulation were unaffected by HDACi, as were AP-1 composition and binding activity, and c-Jun induction. TSA induced a significant reduction in nuclear retention of NF kappa B in FLS 24 h after IL-1 beta stimulation, but this did not reduce NF kappa B transcriptional activity or correlate temporally with reductions in IL-6 mRNA accumulation. HDACi significantly reduced the stability of IL-6 mRNA in FLS and macrophages. Conclusions Our study identifies a novel, shared molecular mechanism by which HDACi can disrupt inflammatory cytokine production in RA synovial cells, namely the promotion of mRNA decay, and suggests that targeting HDAC activity may be clinically useful in suppressing inflammation in R

Biological effects of rinsing morsellised bone grafts before and after impaction

Rinsing bone grafts before or both before and after impaction might have different effects on the incorporation of the graft. Rinsing again after impaction might negatively influence bone induction if growth factors released by impaction are washed away. We studied if transforming growth factor-βs (TGF-βs) and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are released from the mineralised matrix by impaction and if these released growth factors induce osteogenic differentiation in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Rinsed morsellised bone allografts were impacted in a cylinder and the escaping fluid was collected. The fluid was analysed for the presence of TGF-βs and BMPs, and the osteoinductive capacity was tested on hMSCs. Abundant TGF-β was present in the fluid. No BMPs could be detected. Osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs was inhibited by the fluid. Results from our study leave us only able to speculate whether rinsing grafts again after impaction has a beneficial effect on the incorporation process or not

Dynamic regulation of canonical TGF beta signalling by endothelial transcription factor ERG protects from liver fibrogenesis

The role of the endothelium in protecting from chronic liver disease and TGFβ-mediated fibrosis remains unclear. Here we describe how the endothelial transcription factor ETS-related gene (ERG) promotes liver homoeostasis by controlling canonical TGFβ-SMAD signalling, driving the SMAD1 pathway while repressing SMAD3 activity. Molecular analysis shows that ERG binds to SMAD3, restricting its access to DNA. Ablation of ERG expression results in endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) and spontaneous liver fibrogenesis in EC-specific constitutive hemi-deficient (ErgcEC-Het) and inducible homozygous deficient mice (ErgiEC-KO), in a SMAD3-dependent manner. Acute administration of the TNF-α inhibitor etanercept inhibits carbon tetrachloride (CCL4)-induced fibrogenesis in an ERG-dependent manner in mice. Decreased ERG expression also correlates with EndMT in tissues from patients with end-stage liver fibrosis. These studies identify a pathogenic mechanism where loss of ERG causes endothelial-dependent liver fibrogenesis via regulation of SMAD2/3. Moreover, ERG represents a promising candidate biomarker for assessing EndMT in liver disease

Identifying chondroprotective diet-derived bioactives and investigating their synergism

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multifactorial disease and nutrition is a modifiable factor that may contribute to disease onset or progression. A detailed understanding of mechanisms through which diet-derived bioactive molecules function and interact in OA is needed. We profiled 96 diet-derived, mainly plant-based bioactives using an in vitro model in chondrocytes, selecting four candidates for further study. We aimed to determine synergistic interactions between bioactives that affected the expression of key genes in OA. Selected bioactives, sulforaphane, apigenin, isoliquiritigenin and luteolin, inhibited one or more interleukin-1-induced metalloproteinases implicated in OA (MMP1, MMP13, ADAMTS4, ADAMTS5). Isoliquiritigenin and luteolin showed reactive oxygen species scavenging activity in chondrocytes whereas sulforaphane had no effect and apigenin showed only a weak trend. Sulforaphane inhibited the IL-1/NFκB and Wnt3a/TCF/Lef pathways and increased TGFβ/Smad2/3 and BMP6/Smad1/5/8 signalling. Apigenin showed potent inhibition of the IL-1/NFκB and TGFβ/Smad2/3 pathways, whereas luteolin showed only weak inhibition of the IL-1/NFκB pathway. All four bioactives inhibited cytokine-induced aggrecan loss from cartilage tissue explants. The combination of sulforaphane and isoliquiritigenin was synergistic for inhibiting MMP13 gene expression in chondrocytes. We conclude that dietary-derived bioactives may be important modulators of cartilage homeostasis and synergistic relationships between bioactives may have an anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective role

Structural and Functional Insights into Endoglin Ligand Recognition and Binding

Endoglin, a type I membrane glycoprotein expressed as a disulfide-linked homodimer on human vascular endothelial cells, is a component of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β receptor complex and is implicated in a dominant vascular dysplasia known as hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia as well as in preeclampsia. It interacts with the type I TGF-β signaling receptor activin receptor-like kinase (ALK)1 and modulates cellular responses to Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP)-9 and BMP-10. Structurally, besides carrying a zona pellucida (ZP) domain, endoglin contains at its N-terminal extracellular region a domain of unknown function and without homology to any other known protein, therefore called the orphan domain (OD). In this study, we have determined the recognition and binding ability of full length ALK1, endoglin and constructs encompassing the OD to BMP-9 using combined methods, consisting of surface plasmon resonance and cellular assays. ALK1 and endoglin ectodomains bind, independently of their glycosylation state and without cooperativity, to different sites of BMP-9. The OD comprising residues 22 to 337 was identified among the present constructs as the minimal active endoglin domain needed for partner recognition. These studies also pinpointed to Cys350 as being responsible for the dimerization of endoglin. In contrast to the complete endoglin ectodomain, the OD is a monomer and its small angle X-ray scattering characterization revealed a compact conformation in solution into which a de novo model was fitted

Spatial Segregation of BMP/Smad Signaling Affects Osteoblast Differentiation in C2C12 Cells

BACKGROUND: Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are involved in a plethora of cellular processes in embryonic development and adult tissue homeostasis. Signaling specificity is achieved by dynamic processes involving BMP receptor oligomerization and endocytosis. This allows for spatiotemporal control of Smad dependent and non-Smad pathways. In this study, we investigate the spatiotemporal regulation within the BMP-induced Smad transcriptional pathway. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we discriminate between Smad signaling events that are dynamin-dependent (i.e., require an intact endocytic pathway) and dynamin-independent. Inhibition of dynamin-dependent endocytosis in fluorescence microscopy and fractionation studies revealed a delay in Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation after BMP-2 stimulation of C2C12 cells. Using whole genome microarray and qPCR analysis, we identified two classes of BMP-2 induced genes that are differentially affected by inhibition of endocytosis. Thus, BMP-2 induced gene expression of Id1, Id3, Dlx2 and Hey1 is endocytosis-dependent, whereas BMP-2 induced expression of Id2, Dlx3, Zbtb2 and Krt16 is endocytosis-independent. Furthermore, we demonstrate that short term inhibition of endocytosis interferes with osteoblast differentiation as measured by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) production and qPCR analysis of osteoblast marker gene expression. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our study demonstrates that dynamin-dependent endocytosis is crucial for the concise spatial activation of the BMP-2 induced signaling cascade. Inhibition of endocytic processes during BMP-2 stimulation leads to altered Smad1/5/8 signaling kinetics and results in differential target gene expression. We show that interfering with the BMP-2 induced transcriptional network by endocytosis inhibition results in an attenuation of osteoblast differentiation. This implies that selective sensitivity of gene expression to endocytosis provides an additional mechanism for the cell to respond to BMP in a context specific manner. Moreover, we suggest a novel Smad dependent signal cascade induced by BMP-2, which does not require endocytosis

SNW1 Is a Critical Regulator of Spatial BMP Activity, Neural Plate Border Formation, and Neural Crest Specification in Vertebrate Embryos

In frog and fish embryos, SNW1 is a protein required for the spatio-temporal activity of BMP signaling necessary for neural plate border formation and specification of neural crest tissue