iNOS In Microglial Cells Research Articles

Fisetin ameliorates cognitive impairment by activating mitophagy and suppressing neuroinflammation in rats with sepsis-associated encephalopathy.

BackgroundFisetin, the effective ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicine named Cotinus coggygria, is recommended to be active therapeutic in many disorders. However, its role in sepsis‐associated encephalopathy (SAE) remains unclarified.MethodsCecal ligation and puncture (CLP) operation was performed to establish a rat model of SAE. Rats were grouped according to the surgery operation and fisetin administration. Cognitive impairment was assessed by Morris water maze test. Disruption of blood‐brain barrier (BBB) integrity was detected by Evan's blue staining. The mitophagy, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and pro‐inflammatory cytokines levels were measured through western blot and double immunofluorescence labeling. A transmission electron microscope was applied for the observation of mitochondrial autophagosomes.ResultsRats in the CLP group presented increased expression of IL‐1R1, pNF‐κB, TNF‐α, and iNOS in microglial cells, indicating severe inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). Nevertheless, there was no increase in BBB permeability. Meanwhile, NLRP3 inflammasome was activated in cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs), presented with an elevation of caspase‐1 expression and IL‐1β secretion into CNS. In addition, we found fisetin significantly improved cognitive dysfunction in rats with SAE. Neuroprotective effects of fisetin might be associated with inhibition of neuroinflammation, represented with decreased expression of IL‐1R1, pNF‐κB, TNF‐α, and iNOS in microglia. Furthermore, fisetin induced mitophagy, scavenged ROS, blocked NLRP3 inflammasome activation of CMECs, as evidenced by decreased expression of caspase‐1 and reduced release of IL‐1β into CNS.ConclusionCollectively, fisetin‐blocked NLRP3 inflammasome activation via promoting mitophagy in CMECs may suppress the secretion of IL‐1β into CNS, reduce neuroinflammation, and contribute to the amelioration of cognitive impairment.

Inhibitory effects of three bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids on lipopolysaccharide-induced microglial activation

Three bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids (liensinine, neferine, and isoliensinine) inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced microglial activation.

Inhibitory effects and molecular mechanism of dieckol isolated from marine brown alga on COX-2 and iNOS in microglial cells.

To identify the neuroprotective effect of dieckol, a hexameric compound of phloroglucinol isolated from marine brown alga, Ecklonia cava , this study investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of dieckol on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine BV2 microglia and elucidated the molecular mechanism. The results showed that dieckol suppresses LPS-induced production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in a dose-dependent manner, without causing cytotoxicity. It also significantly reduced the generation of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Moreover, dieckol significantly reduced LPS-induced nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) activation, as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Taken together, the inhibition of LPS-induced NO and PGE(2) production might be due to the suppression of NF-κB and p38 MAPK signal pathway and, at least in part, by inhibiting the generation of ROS. Hence, these effects of dieckol might assist therapeutic treatment for neurodegenerative diseases that are accompanied by microglial activation.

Manganese induces inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression via activation of both MAP kinase and PI3K/Akt pathways in BV2 microglial cells

It is well documented that manganese neurotoxicity induces clinical symptoms similar to those of idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Although microglial cytotoxic mediator-induced neurotoxicity is suggested, the mechanism by which manganese up-regulates cytotoxic mediator, such as nitric oxide (NO), remains poorly understood. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the mechanism of manganese on induction of iNOS in microglial cells. iNOS promoter/luciferase assay revealed that manganese (500 (M) regulated the iNOS expression at the transcriptional level. Immunoblot analysis also revealed that phosphorylation levels of ERK, JNK MAPKs and Akt (PKB, PI 3-kinase downstream effector), were increased. Both protein and mRNA levels of iNOS expression were abrogated by specific inhibitors, SP600125 (JNK inhibitor, 20 μM), PD98059 (ERKs inhibitor, 50 μM), or LY294002 (PI 3-kinase inhibitor, 20 μM), but not by SB203580 (20 μM), a p38 specific inhibitor. These data lead to the conclusion that manganese regulates the iNOS expression at the transcriptional level in BV2 microglial cells and the increased iNOS protein expression is mediated via both JNK-ERK MAPK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways, but not via p38 MAPK pathway. Increased iNOS protein level was also found in RAW264.7 murine macrophage cells.

TAK1-mediated induction of nitric oxide synthase gene expression in glial cells.

Inflammatory cell signaling leading to transcriptional activation is primarily mediated by signal transduction via mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and NFkappaB pathways. A common upstream kinase that signals the activation of these pathways is TGFbeta-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), which itself becomes activated in response to cytokines and upon engagement of a class of cell surface receptors involved in innate immunity, that is Toll-like receptors (TLRs) by bacterial and viral pathogens. This study directly tests the role of TAK1 in the induction of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS) in glial cells, which represent immune-regulatory cells of the CNS, by transient transfection assays. Transfection of C-6 glia, primary astrocytes and a rat microglial cell line with TAK1 (but not its inactive form) along with its activator protein, TAK1-binding protein 1 (TAB1) resulted in a marked stimulation of a co-transfected rat iNOS promoter-reporter construct (iNOS-Luc). TAK1-induced iNOS-Luc activity was substantially inhibited by pharmacological inhibitors of the known downstream kinases, p38 MAPK and JNK (SB203580 and SP620125), and was almost completely blocked by co-expression of a phosphorylation mutant of IkappaB. TAK1/TAB1 also induced the production of NO and the expression of iNOS in microglial cells in a p38 MAPK-, JNK- and NFkappaB-dependent manner. The results of these studies provide evidence for an important role for TAK1-mediated intracellular signaling, via p38 MAPK, JNK and NFkappaB, in the transcriptional activation of iNOS in glial cells.

Sodium phenylacetate inhibits adoptive transfer of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in SJL/J mice at multiple steps.

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is the animal model for multiple sclerosis. The present study underlines the importance of sodium phenylacetate (NaPA), a drug approved for urea cycle disorders, in inhibiting the disease process of adoptively transferred EAE in female SJL/J mice at multiple steps. Myelin basic protein (MBP)-primed T cells alone induced the expression of NO synthase (iNOS) and the activation of NF-kappaB in mouse microglial cells through cell-cell contact. However, pretreatment of MBP-primed T cells with NaPA markedly inhibited its ability to induce microglial expression of iNOS and activation of NF-kappaB. Consistently, adoptive transfer of MBP-primed T cells, but not that of NaPA-pretreated MBP-primed T cells, induced the clinical symptoms of EAE in female SJL/J mice. Furthermore, MBP-primed T cells isolated from NaPA-treated donor mice were also less efficient than MBP-primed T cells isolated from normal donor mice in inducing iNOS in microglial cells and transferring EAE to recipient mice. Interestingly, clinical symptoms of EAE were much less in mice receiving NaPA through drinking water than those without NaPA. Similar to NaPA, sodium phenylbutyrate, a chemically synthesized precursor of NaPA, also inhibited the disease process of EAE. Histological and immunocytochemical analysis showed that NaPA inhibited EAE-induced spinal cord mononuclear cell invasion and normalized iNOS, nitrotyrosine, and p65 (the RelA subunit of NF-kappaB) expression within the spinal cord. Taken together, our results raise the possibility that NaPA or sodium phenylbutyrate taken through drinking water or milk may reduce the observed neuroinflammation and disease process in multiple sclerosis patients.

Myelin Basic Protein-primed T Cells Induce Nitric Oxide Synthase in Microglial Cells: IMPLICATIONS FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

The presence of autoreactive T cells recognizing self myelin antigens is necessary for the development of central nervous system autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of myelin basic protein (MBP)-primed T cells in the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in microglial cells. MBP-primed T cells alone markedly induced the production of NO and the expression of iNOS protein and mRNA in mouse BV-2 microglial cells. Similarly, MBP-primed T cells also induced the production of NO in mouse primary microglia. This induction of NO production was primarily dependent on the contact between MBP-primed T cells and microglia. The expression of very late antigen-4 (VLA-4) on the surface of MBP-primed T cells and inhibition of MBP-primed T cell-induced microglial NO production by functional blocking of antibodies to the alpha(4) chain of VLA-4 (CD49d) suggest that VLA-4 integrin on MBP-primed T cells plays an important role in contact-mediated induction of iNOS. Since IFN-beta has been used to treat MS patients, we examined the effect of IFN-beta on MBP-primed T cell-induced the production of NO. Surprisingly, IFN-beta alone induced the production of NO in microglial cells. However, the pretreatment of MBP-primed T cells with IFN-beta inhibited the expression of VLA-4 integrin on the surface of MBP-primed T cells and thereby inhibited the ability of those T cells to induce the production of NO in microglial cells. This study illustrates a novel role of neuroantigen-primed T cells in inducing contact-mediated expression of iNOS in microglial cells that may participate in the pathogenesis of MS.

Induction of nitric oxide synthase in microglial cells by MBP‐primed T cells

The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of MBP‐primed T cells in the expression of iNOS in microglial cells. MBP‐primed T cells alone markedly induced the production of NO and the expression of iNOS protein and mRNA in mouse BV‐2 microglial cells. This induction of NO production was primarily dependent on the contact between MBP‐primed T cells and microglia. Similarly, MBP‐primed T cells also induced the contact‐mediated production of NO in mouse primary microglia. To understand the mechanism of induction of iNOS, we investigated the role of NF‐κB, transcription factor responsible for the induction of iNOS. MBP‐primed T cells alone were able to induce the activation of NF‐κB. Consistently, Dp65, a dominant‐negative mutant of p65, and SN50, a specific inhibitor of p50 NF‐κB, but not SN50M, a nonfunctional peptide mutant, inhibited MBP‐primed T cell‐induced production of NO in BV‐2 microglial cells suggesting that MBP‐primed T cell‐microglia contact induces the expression of iNOS through the activation of NF‐κB. Since IFN‐β has been used to treat MS patients, we examined the effect of IFN‐β on T cell‐mediated production of NO and activation of NF‐κB. Surprisingly, IFN‐β alone induced the production of NO and the activation NF‐κB in microglial cells. However, the pretreatment of MBP‐primed T cells with IFN‐β markedly inhibited the ability of MBP‐primed T cells to induce the production of NO and the activation NF‐κB in microglial cells, mechanisms which can help account for its efficacy in MS.Acknowledgements: This study was supported by NIH grants (NS39940 and AG19487).

Ligation of CD40 Stimulates the Induction of Nitric-oxide Synthase in Microglial Cells

The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of CD40 ligation in the expression of inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS) in mouse BV-2 microglial cells and primary microglia. Ligation of CD40 alone by either cross-linking antibodies against CD40 or a recombinant CD40 ligand (CD154) was unable to induce the production of NO in BV-2 microglial cells. The absence of induction of NO production by CD40 ligation alone even in CD40-overexpressed BV-2 microglial cells suggests that a signal transduced by the ligation of CD40 alone is not sufficient to induce NO production. However, CD40 ligation markedly stimulated interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-mediated NO production. Ligation of CD40 in CD40-overexpressed cells further stimulated IFN-gamma-induced production of NO. This stimulation of NO production was accompanied by stimulation of the iNOS protein and mRNA. In addition to BV-2 glial cells, CD40 ligation also stimulated IFN-gamma-mediated NO production in mouse primary microglia and peritoneal macrophages. To understand the mechanism of induction/stimulation of iNOS, we investigated the roles of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (C/EBPbeta), transcription factors responsible for the induction of iNOS. IFN-gamma alone was able to induce the activation of NF-kappaB as well as C/EBPbeta. However, CD40 ligation alone induced the activation of only NF-kappaB but not of C/EBPbeta, suggesting that the activation of NF-kappaB alone by CD40 ligation is not sufficient to induce the expression of iNOS and that the activation of C/EBPbeta is also necessary for the expression of iNOS. Consistently, dominant-negative mutants of p65 (Deltap65) and C/EBPbeta (DeltaC/EBPbeta) inhibited the expression of iNOS in BV-2 microglial cells that were stimulated with the combination of IFN-gamma and CD40 ligand. Stimulation of IFN-gamma-mediated activation of NF-kappaB but not of C/EBPbeta by CD40 ligation suggests that CD40 ligation stimulates the expression of iNOS in IFN-gamma-treated BV-2 microglial cells through the stimulation of NF-kappaB activation. This study illustrates a novel role for CD40 ligation in stimulating the expression of iNOS in microglial cells, which may participate in the pathogenesis of neuroinflammatory diseases.

Induction of Nitric-oxide Synthase and Activation of NF-κB by Interleukin-12 p40 in Microglial Cells

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is composed of two different subunits, p40 and p35. Expression of p40 mRNA but not that of p35 mRNA in excessive amount in the central nervous system of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) suggests that IL-12 p40 may have a role in the pathogenesis of the disease. However, the mode of action of p40 is completely unknown. Because nitric oxide produced from the induction of nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS) also plays a vital role in the pathophysiology of MS, the present study was undertaken to explore the role of p40 in the induction of NO production and the expression of iNOS in microglia. Both IL-12 and p40(2), the p40 homodimer, dose-dependently induced the production of NO in BV-2 microglial cells. This induction of NO production was accompanied by an induction of iNOS protein and mRNA. Induction of NO production by the expression of mouse p40 cDNA but not that of the mouse p35 cDNA suggests that the p40 but not the p35 subunit of IL-12 is involved in the expression of iNOS. In addition to BV-2 glial cells, p40(2) also induced the production of NO in mouse primary microglia and peritoneal macrophages. However, both IL-12 and p40(2) were unable to induce the production of NO in mouse primary astrocytes. Because activation of NF-kappaB is important for the expression of iNOS, we investigated the effect of p40(2) on the activation of NF-kappaB. Induction of the DNA binding as well as the transcriptional activity of NF-kappaB by p40(2) and inhibition of p40(2)-induced expression of iNOS by SN50, a cell-permeable peptide carrying the nuclear localization sequence of p50 NF-kappaB, but not by SN50M, a nonfunctional peptide mutant, suggests that p40(2) induces the expression of iNOS through the activation of NF-kappaB. This study delineates a novel role of IL-12 p40 in inducing the expression of iNOS in microglial cells, which may participate in the pathogenesis of neuroinflammatory diseases.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat protein stimulates inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and nitric oxide production in microglial cultures.

In order to establish whether the neurotoxicity of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) regulatory protein Tat could be related to the production of potentially toxic substances by microglial cells, we examined the ability of recombinant HIV-1 Tat protein to stimulate the release of NO in purified rat microglial cultures. We found that the exposure of microglia to Tat led to a dose dependent expression of the inducible isoform of nitric oxide (iNOS) and NO production. The effect was remarkably enhanced by pretreatment or cotreatment with the proinflammatory cytokine interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), but not with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The high concentrations of Tat required (>100 ng/ml) suggested the viral protein induced transactivation of the iNOS gene, rather than acting through a receptor-mediated mechanism, that generally requires lower concentrations. Indeed, the induction of the iNOS gene by Tat was largely prevented by a specific inhibitor of the nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB), a transcription factor known to be involved in the induction of iNOS by LPS. The activation of NF-kB could largely account for the ability of Tat to induce iNOS expression and to act in synergism with IFN-gamma, which utilizes a different transduction system. On the other hand, the convergence of Tat and LPS on the same target (NF-kB) could explain the lack of synergism between these substances. We propose that the induction of iNOS in microglial cells and the consequent release of high and sustained levels of NO during HIV-1 cerebral infection may be an important step in the cascade of pathological events triggered by Tat. Furthermore, the NO-dependent damage may be exacerbated by the presence of IFN-gamma, which is likely to occur in pathological conditions characterized by glial activation and inflammatory cell infiltration.

Inhibition of the induction of the inducible nitric oxide synthase in murine brain microglial cells by sodium salicylate.

The induction of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) has been proposed to play a role in a variety of inflammatory diseases. Sodium salicylate (NaSal) is the most commonly used anti-inflammatory agent. We investigated whether NaSal can diminish the induction of iNOS in murine brain microglial cells. In primary cultures, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) separately did not stimulate nitric oxide (NO) production, whereas IFN-gamma combined with LPS synergistically induced iNOS. NaSal inhibited both the production of NO and expression of iNOS in microglial cells. Synergy between IFN-gamma and LPS was mainly dependent on tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) secretion as the increase of the induction of the iNOS by IFN-gamma plus LPS was associated with the increase of TNF-alpha secretion and IFN-gamma plus LPS-induced TNF-alpha secretion by microglial cells was decreased by the treatment with NaSal. These results suggest a possible use of NaSal in managing inflammation of the central nervous system through inhibition of the iNOS induction.

Inhibition of endotoxin-induced nitric oxide synthase production in microglial cells by the presence of astroglial cells: a role for transforming growth factor beta.

In mixed glial cell cultures from cerebral cortices of newborn rats, endotoxin induces inducible nitric oxide (iNOS), nitric oxide (NO), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) production in microglial cells. Earlier we demonstrated that endotoxin induced iNOS but not IL-1 beta expression in microglial cells is inhibited by the presence of astroglial cells. In the present paper we describe studies on the mechanism by which astroglial cells exert selective suppressive action on iNOS expression by microglial cells. Expression of iNOS and IL-1 beta was studied by single or double label immunocytochemical techniques and cell identification was performed with GSA-I-B4-isolectin and an antibody against GFAP. Production of IL-1 beta and NO was determined by measurement of IL-1 beta and nitrite concentrations in cell lysates and the culture medium, respectively. TGF beta, a cytokine known to inhibit NO production by endotoxin challenged macrophages, was measured in culture medium of mixed glial cell cultures using a bioassay. Microglial, astroglial, and mixed glial cell cultures produced similar concentrations of TGF beta. The potential effect of TGF beta was studied by using immunoneutralizing antibodies against TGF beta 1 and TGF beta 2 on the induction of iNOS in microglial cells in the presence of astroglial cells. Incubation of the mixed glial cell culture with these TGF beta antibodies (3 micrograms/ml) markedly increased endotoxin-induced NO production and iNOS expression in microglial cells, whereas the production of IL-1 beta was not affected. The antibodies against TGF beta 1 and TGF beta 2 marginally increased NO production in pure microglial cell cultures, nonetheless in cultures of purified microglial cells recombinant TGF beta 1 and TGF beta 2 together with endotoxin inhibited NO production. We conclude that the presence of astroglial cells is essential for the inhibitory effect of TGF beta on NO production by microglial cells (possibly) by activation of TGF beta or by increasing the sensitivity of microglial cells for TGF beta.