Carboxamide Ribonucleoside Research Articles

The inhibitory effect of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) on chemokine and prostaglandin production in human endometrial stromal cells

BackgroundTo investigate the role of adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) on the production of interleukin (IL)-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, prostaglandin E2 and F2α induced by IL-1β in endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) following treatment with 5-aminoimidazole-4- carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR).MethodsEndometrial specimens were obtained and cultured. We examined the effects of IL-1β, IL-1 ra and AICAR on the production of IL-8, MCP-1, PGE2 and PGF2α in human ESCs. The phosphorylations of AMPK, IκB, 4EBP-1, p70S6K and S6 ribosomal protein were analyzed by Western immunoblotting.ResultsFollowing stimulation by IL-1β, the production of IL-8, MCP-1, PGE2 and PGF2α showed significant increases, and these increases were suppressed by AICAR. The expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) induced by IL-1β and suppressed by AICAR. The phosphorylation of IκB, 4EBP-1, p70S6K and S6 ribosomal protein were inhibited via an AMPK-dependent signal transduction.ConclusionsThe production of IL-8, MCP-1, PGE2 and PGF2α induced by IL-1β in ESCs were involved in the negative regulatory mechanisms of AMPK. The substances that activate AMPK may be promising agents for the treatment of pathological problems such as dysmenorrhea.

Metabolomics and proteomics identify the toxic form and the associated cellular binding targets of the anti-proliferative drug AICAR

5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide 1-β-d-ribofuranoside (AICAR, or acadesine) is a precursor of the monophosphate derivative 5-amino-4-imidazole carboxamide ribonucleoside 5'-phosphate (ZMP), an intermediate in de novo purine biosynthesis. AICAR proved to have promising anti-proliferative properties, although the molecular basis of its toxicity is poorly understood. To exert cytotoxicity, AICAR needs to be metabolized, but the AICAR-derived toxic metabolite was not identified. Here, we show that ZMP is the major toxic derivative of AICAR in yeast and establish that its metabolization to succinyl-ZMP, ZDP, or ZTP (di- and triphosphate derivatives of AICAR) strongly reduced its toxicity. Affinity chromatography identified 74 ZMP-binding proteins, including 41 that were found neither as AMP nor as AICAR or succinyl-ZMP binders. Overexpression of karyopherin-β Kap123, one of the ZMP-specific binders, partially rescued AICAR toxicity. Quantitative proteomic analyses revealed 57 proteins significantly less abundant on nuclei-enriched fractions from AICAR-fed cells, this effect being compensated by overexpression of KAP123 for 15 of them. These results reveal nuclear protein trafficking as a function affected by AICAR.

Chemo-Genetic Interactions Between Histone Modification and the Antiproliferation Drug AICAR Are Conserved in Yeast and Humans.

Identifying synthetic lethal interactions has emerged as a promising new therapeutic approach aimed at targeting cancer cells directly. Here, we used the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a simple eukaryotic model to screen for mutations resulting in a synthetic lethality with 5-amino-4-imidazole carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR) treatment. Indeed, AICAR has been reported to inhibit the proliferation of multiple cancer cell lines. Here, we found that loss of several histone-modifying enzymes, including Bre1 (histone H2B ubiquitination) and Set1 (histone H3 lysine 4 methylation), greatly enhanced AICAR inhibition on growth via the combined effects of both the drug and mutations on G1 cyclins. Our results point to AICAR impacting on Cln3 subcellular localization and at the Cln1 protein level, while the bre1 or set1 deletion affected CLN1 and CLN2 expression. As a consequence, AICAR and bre1/set1 deletions jointly affected all three G1 cyclins (Cln1, Cln2, and Cln3), leading to a condition known to result in synthetic lethality. Significantly, these chemo-genetic synthetic interactions were conserved in human HCT116 cells. Indeed, knock-down of RNF40, ASH2L, and KMT2D/MLL2 induced a highly significant increase in AICAR sensitivity. Given that KMT2D/MLL2 is mutated at high frequency in a variety of cancers, this synthetic lethal interaction has an interesting therapeutic potential.

AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Activation Leads to Lysome-Mediated NA+/Iˉ-Symporter Protein Degradation in Rat Thyroid Cells

Iodide uptake by thyroid cells is mediated by a transmembrane glycoprotein known as the Na+/I--symporter (NIS). NIS-mediated iodide uptake plays important physiological role in thyroid gland function, as well as in diagnostic and treatment of Graves' disease and thyroid cancer. Although different studies investigated the transcriptional mechanisms of NIS expression, there is no report on the NIS post-translational regulation related to NIS protein degradation in thyroid cells. Recently, our group showed that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a pivotal role in the rat thyroid gland, downregulating iodide uptake, NIS protein, and mRNA content. Since several studies demonstrated that AMPK regulates post-transcriptional mechanisms, such as autophagy-mediated processes in different tissues, we hypothesized that AMPK activation could also regulate NIS protein degradation through the lysosome pathway in thyroid cells. Rat follicular thyroid PCCL3 cells cultivated in Ham's F12 supplemented with 5% calf serum and hormones were exposed to the AMPK pharmacological activator 5-aminoimidazole-4 carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR), in the presence or absence of Bafilomycin A1 or MG132 for 24 h. Treatment of PCCL3 cells with Bafilomycin A1 fully prevented the decrease of iodide uptake and NIS protein content mediated by AMPK activation. In contrast, the treatment with MG132 was unable to prevent the effects of AMPK activation on NIS. Our results show that AMPK activation significantly induces NIS protein degradation through a lysosome-mediated mechanism.

AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Upregulates Glucose Uptake in Thyroid PCCL3 Cells Independent of Thyrotropin

Glucose is transported into cells by specific glucose transporter proteins (GLUTs) that are widely expressed in a tissue-specific manner. The mechanisms that regulate glucose uptake and metabolism in thyroid cells are poorly defined. Recently, our group showed that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a pivotal role in the rat thyroid gland, downregulating iodide uptake by thyroid cells even in the presence of its main stimulator thyrotropin (TSH). Since AMPK increases glucose uptake in different tissues, and taken into consideration that in pathophysiological conditions such as thyroid cancer a negative correlation between iodide and glucose uptake occurs, we hypothesized that AMPK might modulate glucose uptake in thyroid cells. Rat follicular thyroid PCCL3 cells cultivated in Ham's F-12 supplemented with 5% calf serum and hormones were exposed to the AMPK pharmacological activator 5-aminoimidazole-4 carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR) or AMPK antagonist compound C for 24 hours either in the presence or absence of TSH. Glucose uptake was assessed in vitro using 2-deoxy-D-[(3)H]glucose. AMPK activation by AICAR induced a significant increase in glucose uptake by PCCL3 cells, an effect that was completely reversed by the AMPK inhibitor compound C. Also, the AICAR mediated increase in glucose uptake was detected either in the presence or absence of TSH. The mechanism by which AICAR increases glucose uptake is related to higher levels of GLUT 1 protein content and hexokinase (HK) activity in thyroid cells. Our results show that AMPK activation significantly upregulates GLUT 1 content and glucose uptake, and it also stimulates hexokinase activity, the first step of glycolysis.

AMPK activation enhances PPARα activity to inhibit cardiac hypertrophy via ERK1/2 MAPK signaling pathway

Activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been shown to inhibit cardiac hypertrophy through peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor-α (PPARα) signaling pathway, but the detailed mechanism remains unclear. A rat model of cardiac hypertrophy created by transaortic constriction (TAC) was used to investigate the mechanism involved in regulation of PPARα activity by AMPK. It was observed that treatment with AICAR (5-aminoimidazole 1 carboxamide ribonucleoside), an AMPK activator, significantly inhibited cardiac hypertrophy in vivo and in vitro. Phosphorylated extracellular signal regulated protein kinase (phospho-ERK1/2) and phospho-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) protein levels were significantly up-regulated, while PPARα protein level was down-regulated in TAC rats. AICAR treatment reversed the changes of PPARα and phospho-ERK1/2, but increased phospho-p38 MAPK protein level in TAC rats. Similar changes of PPARα and phospho-ERK1/2 protein levels were observed in the hypertrophied cardiomyocytes induced by phenylephrine treatment. Epidermal growth factor (EGF, ERK1/2 activator), but not SB203580 (p38 inhibitor) blocked the up-regulation of PPARα protein level induced by AICAR. Luciferase assay showed that AICAR increased PPARα transcriptional activity which was abrogated by EGF, but not by SB203580. These results demonstrate that AMPK activation enhances the activity of PPARα to inhibit cardiac hypertrophy through ERK1/2, but not p38 MAPK, signaling pathway.

Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase inhibits cardiac hypertrophy through reactivating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α signaling pathway

The activation of adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been shown to inhibit cardiac hypertrophy, however, the mechanism remains unclear. Rat models of cardiac hypertrophy were created with transaortic constriction (TAC) to investigate the mechanistic role of AMPK involved. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses indicated that hypertrophy marker genes ANP and β-MHC expression were up-regulated in the myocardium of TAC rats. We also observed that the expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) and its target genes, carnitine palmitoyl transferase-І (CPT-І) and medium-chain acyl-COA dehydrogenases (MCAD), were down-regulated, and the fatty acid oxidation was decreased in TAC rats. Treatment of TAC animals with 5-aminoimidazole 1 carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR, 0.5 mg/g body wt), a specific activator of AMPK, inhibited cardiac hypertrophy in TAC and reversed PPARα, CPT-I and MCAD expression and fatty acid oxidation. Similar observations were made in hypertrophied cardiomyocytes induced by phenylephrine in vitro. Treatment of hypertrophied cardiomyocytes with Compound C, a specific AMPK inhibitor, showed an effect opposite to that of AICAR. The effect of AICAR on cardiac hypertrophy was blocked after PPARα was silenced by transfection of cardiomyocytes with PPARα-siRNA. Luciferase activity assay suggested that AICAR elevates PPARα transcriptional activity. These results indicate that AMPK plays an important role in the inhibition of cardiac hypertrophy by activating the PPARα signaling pathway.

Long‐term activation of adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase attenuates pressure‐overload‐induced cardiac hypertrophy

Recent in vitro studies suggest that adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) exerts inhibitory effects on cardiac hypertrophy. However, it is unclear whether long-term activation of AMPK will affect cardiac hypertrophy in vivo. In these reports, we investigate the in vivo effects of long-term AMPK activation on cardiac hypertrophy and the related molecular mechanisms. To examine the effects of AMPK activation in the development of pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy, we administered 5-aminoimidazole 1 carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR, 0.5 mg/g body wt), a specific activator of AMPK, to rats with transaortic constriction (TAC) for 7 weeks. We found that long-term AMPK activation attenuated cardiac hypertrophy, and improved cardiac function in rats subjected to TAC. Furthermore, long-term AMPK activation attenuated protein synthesis, diminished calcineurin-nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) and nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) signaling in pressure overload-induced hypertrophic hearts. Our in vitro experiments further proved that activation of AMPK by infection of AdAMPK blocked cardiac hypertrophy and NFAT, NF-kappaB, and MAPK signal pathways. The present study demonstrates for the first time that pharmacological activation of AMPK inhibits cardiac hypertrophy in through blocking signaling transduction pathways that are involved in cardiac growth. It presents a potential therapy strategy to inhibit pathological cardiac hypertrophy by increasing the activity of AMPK.

Repression of protein synthesis and mTOR signaling in rat liver mediated by the AMPK activator aminoimidazole carboxamide ribonucleoside

The studies described herein were designed to investigate the effects of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-beta-D-ribonucleoside (AICAR), an activator of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), on the translational control of protein synthesis and signaling through the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in rat liver. Effects of AICAR observed in vivo were compared with those obtained in an in situ perfused liver preparation to investigate activation of AMPK in the absence of accompanying changes in hormones and nutrients. AMPK became hyperphosphorylated, as assessed by a gel-shift analysis, in response to AICAR both in vivo and in situ; however, increased relative phosphorylation at the Thr172 site on the kinase was observed only in perfused liver. Phosphorylation of AMPK either in vivo or in situ was associated with a repression of protein synthesis as well as decreased phosphorylation of a number of targets of mTOR signaling including ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1, eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)4G, and eIF4E-binding protein (4E-BP)1. The phosphorylation changes in eIF4G and 4E-BP1 were accompanied by a reduction in the amount of eIF4E present in the active eIF4E.eIF4G complex and an increase in the amount present in the inactive eIF4E.4E-BP1 complex. Reduced insulin signaling as well as differences in nutrient availability may have contributed to the effects observed in vivo as AICAR caused a fall in the serum insulin concentration. Overall, however, the results from both experimental models support a scenario in which AICAR directly represses protein synthesis and mTOR signaling in the liver through an AMPK-dependent mechanism.

Chemoenzymatic Preparation of Nucleoside Triphosphates

The design and synthesis of alternative nucleoside triphosphate substrates for DNA and RNA polymerases holds continued promise to create biochemical probes and precursors for synthesis of nucleic acid mimics. The azole carboxamide nucleotides are of particular interest, as they display multiple conformations in the context of DNA replication. An efficient chemoenzymatic preparation of azole carboxamide deoxyribo- and ribonucleoside triphosphates is presented. Nucleoside diphosphate is prepared from nucleoside 5'-O-tosylate by displacement with tris(tetra-n-butylammonium) pyrophosphate. Enzymatic phosphorylation of the azole carboxamide deoxyribonucleoside diphosphate to its triphosphate is based on ATP as the phosphate donor and nucleoside diphosphate kinase as the catalyst, coupled with phospho(enol)pyruvate (PEP) and pyruvate kinase as an ATP regeneration system. Enzymatic phosphorylation of the azole carboxamide ribonucleoside diphosphate requires PEP as the phosphate donor and pyruvate kinase as the catalyst. The optimized purification uses boronate affinity gel to yield highly purified nucleoside triphosphate.

Reversal of 6-mercaptopurine and 6-methylmercaptopurine ribonucleoside cytotoxicity by amidoimidazole carboxamide ribonucleoside in Molt F4 human malignant T-lymphoblasts

Cytotoxicity of 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) and 6-methylmercaptopurine ribonucleoside (Me-MPR) was studied in Molt F4 human malignant lymphoblasts. Both drugs are converted into methylthioIMP (Me-tIMP), which inhibits purine de novo synthesis. Addition of amidoimidazole carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR) circumvented inhibition of purine de novo synthesis, and thus partly prevented 6MP and Me-MPR cytotoxicity. Purine nucleotides, and especially adenine nucleotides, were recovered by addition of AICAR. Under these conditions, Me-tIMP formation decreased. The results of this study indicate that formation of Me-tIMP may be important for 6MP cytotoxicity in Molt F4 cells. These data suggest that depletion of adenine nucleotides is the main cause for Me-tIMP cytotoxicity.

AICA‐Riboside: Safety, Tolerance, and Pharmacokinetics of a Novel Adenosine‐Regulating Agent

AICA-riboside (5-amino-4-imidazole carboxamide ribonucleoside) is a novel adenosine-regulating agent that is currently being investigated for the treatment of ischemic heart disease. In a placebo-controlled, double-blind study in healthy men, we evaluated the safety and kinetics of the drug after oral and IV administration of 10, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg doses. At each dose level, four subjects received active drug and two subjects received placebo with a 1-week wash-out period between the IV and oral doses. The drug was well tolerated at all dose levels with only mild and transient side effects reported in some instances by the subjects who received placebo and those patients who received the drug. The post-infusion plasma concentrations of AICA-riboside declined rapidly in a biphasic fashion, and the terminal elimination phase had a harmonic mean t1/2 beta of 1.4 hours. Total plasma clearance (CL), mean residence time (MRTIV), and volume of distribution at steady-state (VSS) were 2.5 L/hr/kg, 0.7 hr, and 1.6 L/kg, respectively. The drug was not protein bound, and there was rapid uptake and phosphorylation in RBCs to its 5'-monophosphate nucleotide. Renal clearance (CLR) was 0.2 L/hr/kg with only 8% of the IV dose excreted in the urine as intact AICA-riboside. Although there was a trend towards a decrease in CL with increasing dose, there were no significant differences (P greater than .05) in the mean estimates of t1/2 beta, CL, CLR, MRTIV and VSS associated with dose. The drug was poorly bioavailable (less than 5%) when administered orally in solution.

Purine nucleotide production in normal and HPRT- cells

1. 1. Both normal cells and cells deficient in hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) are able to produce adenine and guanine nucleotides from aminoimidazole carboxamide (AICA) or its ribonucleoside (AICAR), but not from formaminoimidazole carboxamide ribonucleoside (FAICAR). 2. 2. The level of purine nucleotide production from AICA in HPRT cells is at least equal to the production of purine nucleotides from hypoxanthine in normal cells, 3. 3. The concentration of AICA or AICAR at which nucleotide production was half-maximal was between 30 and 100μM in various cell lines. 4. 4. Adenosine kinase is required to convert AICAR to its nucleotide; adenine phosphoribosyltransferase is required to convert AICA to its nucleotide. Cells lacking either of these enzymes are unable to produce purine nucleotides from the respective precursor. 5. 5. Purine production from AICAR in HPRT- cells is not greatly increased by the addition of formate, folate or leucovorin.

Aminoimidazole carboxamide ribonucleoside toxicity: a model for study of pyrimidine starvation.

Aminoimidazole carboxamide ribonucleoside (AIC-R), a purine precursor, has biphasic effects on the growth of Chinese hamster fibroblasts. At 200 microM AIC-R cell growth is almost completely arrested, while at 50 and 700 microM AIC-R cell growth is comparable to that observed in the absence of nucleoside. The growth inhibition produced by AIC-R is the consequence of inhibition of the orotate phosphoribosyltransferase-orotidylic decarboxylase (OPRT-ODC) reactions, as evidenced by a 87% reduction in the intracellular concentrations of UTP and CTP, accumulation of orotate in the medium, and restoration of normal growth by inclusion of 100 microM uridine in the medium. Inhibition of pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis at 200 microM AIC-R is associated with an 82% reduction in the intracellular concentration of PP-ribose-P and a 150% increase in the concentration of purine nucleotides. Restoration of cell growth to a normal rate at 700 microM AIC-R--a condition under which PP-ribose-P remains depressed and purine nucleotide concentrations are also depressed (40% of control)--and absence of toxicity at 50 microM AIC-R--a condition under which purine nucleotide concentrations are increased by 150% and PP-ribose-P concentration is normal--suggest that the inhibition of OPRT-ODC observed at 200 microM AIC-R is caused by the combination of the reduction in PP-ribose-P and increase in purine nucleotides. These studies provide a better understanding of the control of the OPRT-ODC reactions in the cell and provide additional insight into the basis of pyrimidine starvation induced by purine nucleosides.

Microbiology of saturated salt solutions and other harsh environments. IV. New observations on ribonucleotide-induced recovery of KCl-habituated Penicillium notatum.

Salt-tolerant mutant Penicillium notatum sub-cultured in a glucose-peptone broth saturated with KCl shows continued attenuated growth when transferred to salt-free broth. Additional tests have shown E. coli S-RNA to be inferior to yeast RNA preparations, that base-free phosphate sources are inactive, but that nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and flavine adenine dinucleotide are moderately active. All phosphate derivatives of adenine, cytosine and guanosine and inosine were active including 5'-polyphosphates, 3'(2')-monophosphates 5'-monophosphates, and adenine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate. Uracil derivatives were of low activity at best. Among base precursors, orotic acid was moderately active whereas imidazoles were not. The high activity of inosine 5'-phosphate a precursor of other purine nucleotides suggested that one mode of KCl action might involve a block in conversion of 4-amino-5-imidazole carboxamide ribonucleoside to the hypoxanthine nucleotide.

Correlation between Location and Time of Expression for Genes in a Single Operon

When the histidine Operon in Salmonella typhimurium becomes derepressed in the presence of 4-amino-5-imidazole carboxamide ribonucleoside, derepression of the enzymes for histidine biosynthesis Occurs in a temporal sequence which corresponds with the positional sequence of the genes in the histidine Operon, approximately 20 minutes intervening between the derepression of the first and that of the last enzyme studied. In the case of the deletion mutant, hisH,B22, the interval between the derepression of the first and that of the last enzyme was reduced from 20 minutes to 10 minutes. This reduction was due exclusively to the fact that the interval between the derepressions of the two enzymes, the structural genes for which are located on either side of the deletion, was almost completely eliminated. The results support the genetic evidence for the physical absence of genetic material situated between these two genes.

Nucleic acid synthesis in the thyroid

Significant RNA synthesis can be demonstrated in surviving pig-, sheep-, and calf-thyroid slices in vitro using [ 14C]formate as a precursor. DNA formation is much less active. In the calf thyroid purine synthesis is very rapid in vitro, and 44% of the 14C label is incorporated into the C-8 position of RNA adenine indicating that there is significant purine formation by way of the full de novo pathway. 5-Amino-4-imidazole carboxamide caused marked stimulation of purine formation and 5-amino-4-imidazole carboxamide ribonucleoside is even more effective. Glucose alone causes a small increment in purine synthesis, but in the presence of 5-amino-4-imidazole carboxamide, glucose causes a similar increase to that produced by 5-amino-4-imidazole carboxamide ribonucleoside.