Abstract
c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) mediates hepatotoxicity through interaction of its phospho-activated form with a mitochondrial outer membrane protein, Sh3bp5 or Sab, leading to dephosphorylation of intermembrane Src and consequent impaired mitochondrial respiration and enhanced ROS release. ROS production from mitochondria activates MAP3 kinases, such as MLK3 and ASK1, which continue to activate a pathway to sustain JNK activation, and amplifies the toxic effect of acetaminophen (APAP) and TNF/galactosamine (TNF/GalN). Downstream of MAP3K, in various contexts MKK4 activates both JNK and p38 kinases and MKK7 activates only JNK. The relative role of MKK4 versus 7 in liver injury is largely unexplored, as is the potential role of p38 kinase, which might be a key mediator of toxicity in addition to JNK. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) to MKK4, MKK7 and p38 (versus scrambled control) were used for in vivo knockdown, and in some experiments PMH were used after in vivo knockdown. Mice were treated with APAP or TNF/GalN and injury assessed. MKK4 and MKK7 were expressed in liver and each was efficiently knocked down with two different ASOs. Massive liver injury and ALT elevation were abrogated by MKK4 but not MKK7 ASO pretreatment in both injury models. The protection was confirmed in PMH. Knockdown of MKK4 completely inhibited basal P-p38 in both cytoplasm and mitochondria. However, ALT levels and histologic injury in APAP-treated mice were not altered with p38 knockdown versus scrambled control. p38 knockdown significantly increased P-JNK levels in cytoplasm but not mitochondria after APAP treatment. In conclusion, MKK4 is the major MAP2K, which activates JNK in acute liver injury. p38, the other downstream target of MKK4, does not contribute to liver injury from APAP or TNF/galactosamine.
Highlights
Downstream of ROS-responsive MAP3K, two dualspecificity MAP kinase kinases (MAP2K) are known to activate Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)
amplifies the toxic effect of acetaminophen (APAP) toxicity involves its biotransformation to NAPQI, which directly impairs mitochondrial function, initiating a self-amplifying mitochondrial ROS → MAP3K → MAP2K → JNK → mitochondrial ROS cycle which leads to mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) and necrosis.[2,3,4,5,6,7,15,16]
In the APAP model, both ASK1 and MLK3 have been shown to participate in activating downstream JNK.[3,4,23,24,25]
Summary
Downstream of ROS-responsive MAP3K, two dualspecificity MAP kinase kinases (MAP2K) are known to activate JNK. MKK4 activates both JNK and p38 kinases and MKK7 activates only JNK.[10,11] We have previously found that MKK4 is activated in APAP toxicity and translocates with JNK to mitochondria.[2] the relative role of MKK4 versus 7 in liver injury is largely unexplored, as is the potential role of p38 kinase. In the APAP model, many approaches to modulating MAP3K and JNK using small molecule inhibitors and genetic approaches have supported the role of JNK activation in liver injury. As we found that the MAP2K involved (MKK4) activates both JNK and p38, we explored its possible role in liver injury
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