scholarly journals Homocysteine thiolactone inhibits insulin-stimulated DNA and protein synthesis: possible role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) and p70 S6K phosphorylation

2005 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Najib ◽  
V Sánchez-Margalet

Hyperhomocysteinemia and insulin resistance are independent factors for cardiovascular disease. Most of the angiotoxic effects of homocysteine are related to the formation of homocysteine thiolactone and the consequent increase in oxidative stress. We have recently found that homocysteine thiolactone inhibits insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity, which results in decreased phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity and inhibition of glycogen synthesis. Oxidative stress seemed to be the mechanism underlying these effects, since glutathione was able to restore the insulin signaling as well as the insulin-mediated glycogen synthesis. In the present work we have further investigated insulin receptor signaling studying mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) and p70 S6K phosphorylation. Again, homocysteine thiolactone (50 μM) prevented insulin-mediated MAPK, GSK-3 and p70 S6K phosphorylation and these effects were blocked by glutathione (250 μM). Since MAPK and PI3K pathways, including GSK3 and S6K, seem to mediate insulin-mediated growth and proliferation, we measured DNA and protein synthesis. We have found that homocysteine thiolactone (50 μM) inhibits insulin-mediated growth and proliferation, as previously shown for glycogen synthesis. Again, these effects seem to be mediated by oxidative stress, since 250 μM glutathione completely abolished the effects of homocysteine thiolactone on insulin-stimulated DNA and protein synthesis. In conclusion, these data suggest that homocysteine thiolactone impairs insulin signaling by a mechanism involving oxidative stress, leading to a defect in the action of insulin on growth and proliferation.

2000 ◽  
Vol 278 (4) ◽  
pp. H1056-H1068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lijun Wang ◽  
Xuemin Wang ◽  
Christopher G. Proud

Insulin acutely activates protein synthesis in ventricular cardiomyocytes from adult rats. In this study, we have established the methodology for studying the regulation of the signaling pathways and translation factors that may be involved in this response and have examined the effects of acute insulin treatment on them. Insulin rapidly activated the 70-kDa ribosomal S6 kinase (p70 S6k), and this effect was inhibited both by rapamycin and by inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. The activation of p70 S6k is mediated by a signaling pathway involving the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which also modulates other translation factors. These include the eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4E binding proteins (4E-BPs) and eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2). Insulin caused phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 and induced its dissociation from eIF4E, and these effects were also blocked by rapamycin. Concomitant with this, insulin increased the binding of eIF4E to eIF4G. Insulin also activated protein kinase B (PKB), which may lie upstream of p70 S6k and 4E-BP1, with the activation of the different isoforms being in the order α>β>γ. Insulin also caused inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3, which lies downstream of PKB, and of eEF2 kinase. The phosphorylation of eEF2 itself was also decreased by insulin, and this effect and the inactivation of eEF2 kinase were attenuated by rapamycin. The activation of overall protein synthesis by insulin in cardiomyocytes was substantially inhibited by rapamycin (but not by inhibitors of other specific signaling pathways, e.g., mitogen-activated protein kinase), showing that signaling events linked to mTOR play a major role in the control of translation by insulin in this cell type.


1998 ◽  
Vol 336 (1) ◽  
pp. 241-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morag SHAW ◽  
Philip COHEN ◽  
Dario R. ALESSI

Protein kinase B (PKB) isoforms became activated [and glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) became inhibited] when mouse Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts were exposed to oxidative stress (H2O2) or heat shock, but not when they were exposed to osmotic shock (0.5 M sorbitol or 0.7 M NaCl), chemical stress (sodium arsenite), the protein-synthesis inhibitor anisomycin, or UV radiation. In contrast, all seven stimuli activated mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase-2 (MAPKAP-K2). The activation of MAPKAP-K2 was suppressed by the drug SB 203580, but not by inhibitors of phosphoinositide (phosphatidylinositide, PI) 3-kinase. In contrast, the activation of PKB isoforms and the inhibition of GSK3 by oxidative stress or heat shock were prevented by inhibitors of PI 3-kinase, but not by SB 203580. Thus the activation of PKB by oxidative stress or heat shock is mediated by PI 3-kinase and not by MAPKAP-K2. PKBα and PKBγ were also activated by heat shock and oxidative stress in human embryonic kidney 293 cells and PKBγ was activated by heat shock in NIH 3T3 cells; in each case activation was suppressed by inhibitors of PI 3-kinase. The activation of PKB isoforms by H2O2 may underlie some of the insulin-mimetic effects of this compound.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiajia Lin ◽  
Jie Yu ◽  
Jiaying Zhao ◽  
Ke Zhang ◽  
Jiachen Zheng ◽  
...  

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by neurofibrillary tangles, synaptic impairments, and loss of neurons. Oligomers of β-amyloid (Aβ) are widely accepted as the main neurotoxins to induce oxidative stress and neuronal loss in AD. In this study, we discovered that fucoxanthin, a marine carotenoid with antioxidative stress properties, concentration dependently prevented Aβ oligomer-induced increase of neuronal apoptosis and intracellular reactive oxygen species in SH-SY5Y cells. Aβ oligomers inhibited the prosurvival phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt cascade and activated the proapoptotic extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. Moreover, inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) synergistically prevented Aβ oligomer-induced neuronal death, suggesting that the PI3K/Akt and ERK pathways might be involved in Aβ oligomer-induced neurotoxicity. Pretreatment with fucoxanthin significantly prevented Aβ oligomer-induced alteration of the PI3K/Akt and ERK pathways. Furthermore, LY294002 and wortmannin, two PI3K inhibitors, abolished the neuroprotective effects of fucoxanthin against Aβ oligomer-induced neurotoxicity. These results suggested that fucoxanthin might prevent Aβ oligomer-induced neuronal loss and oxidative stress via the activation of the PI3K/Akt cascade as well as inhibition of the ERK pathway, indicating that further studies of fucoxanthin and related compounds might lead to a useful treatment of AD.


1998 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Z Guyton ◽  
Myriani Gorospe ◽  
Xiantao Wang ◽  
Yolanda D Mock ◽  
Gertrude C Kokkonen ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianying He ◽  
Wenwen Zhong ◽  
Ming Zhang ◽  
Rongping Zhang ◽  
Weiyan Hu

AbstractParkinson’s disease, the second major neurodegenerative disease, has created a great impact on the elder people. Although the mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease are not fully understood, considerable evidence suggests that neuro-inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis are involved in the disease. p38MAPK, an important member of the mitogen-activated protein family, controls several important functions in the cell, suggesting a potential pathogenic role in PD. This review provides a brief description of the role and mechanism of p38MAPK in Parkinson’s disease.


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