9-10-epoxy-12-octadecenoate and leukotoxin

We have identified two genes in the genomic database for Caenorhabditis elegans that code for proteins with significant sequence similarity to the mammalian soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH). The respective transcripts were cloned from a mixed stage cDNA library from C. elegans. The corresponding proteins obtained after recombinant expression in insect cells hydrolyzed standard epoxide hydrolase substrates, including epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) and leukotoxins (EpOMEs). The enzyme activity was inhibited by urea-based compounds originally designed to inhibit the mammalian sEH. In vivo inhibition of the enzymes using the most potent of these compounds resulted in elevated levels of the EpOMEs in the nematode. These results suggest that the hydrolases are involved in the metabolism of possible lipid signaling molecules in C. elegans.

Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Base Sequence; Caenorhabditis elegans; Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; Cell Line; Cloning, Molecular; Epoxide Hydrolases; Exotoxins; Fluorescent Dyes; Gene Library; Linoleic Acids; Molecular Sequence Data; Oleic Acids; Recombinant Proteins; Substrate Specificity

We have previously reported that leukotoxin, 9,10-epoxy-12-octadecenoate (Lx) dilates rat pulmonary arteries by means of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activation. In this study, we investigated if Lx stimulates constitutive and/or inducible NOS. We studied the effect of the NOS inhibitors, N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine and aminoguanidine, as well as endothelium denudation on Lx-induced rat pulmonary arterial dilation and that of aminoguanidine on Lx-induced endothelium denuded lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated rat pulmonary arterial dilation and tissue cGMP content. Furthermore, we assessed the effect of aminoguanidine, an inducible NOS (iNOS) inhibitor, on the cGMP content increase induced by Lx in LPS-treated human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (HPASMC). The NOS inhibitors and endothelium denudation significantly attenuated Lx-induced vasodilation. Aminoguanidine also significantly attenuated Lx-induced vasodilation in LPS-treated rat denuded pulmonary arteries, and attenuated Lx-induced cGMP content increase in denuded pulmonary arterial rings from LPS-treated rats and in LPS-treated HPASMC. These results suggest that Lx causes pulmonary vasodilation by stimulation of vascular endothelial NOS (eNOS) and iNOS.

Topics: Animals; Cells, Cultured; Cyclic GMP; Endothelium, Vascular; Enzyme Inhibitors; Exotoxins; Guanidines; Humans; Linoleic Acids; Lipopolysaccharides; Male; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; omega-N-Methylarginine; Pulmonary Artery; Pulmonary Circulation; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Vasodilation

We examined the mechanism of leukotoxin, 9,10-epoxy-12-octadecenoate (Lx)-induced lung injury in blood-free, physiological salt solution-perfused rat lungs under constant flow conditions. Mean pulmonary arterial (Ppa) and pulmonary capillary pressure (Pcap, estimated by the double-occlusion method), wet lung weight (WLW), pulmonary capillary filtration coefficient (Kfc), lung perfusate lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, and nitrite levels were assessed. Bolus injection of Lx (200 microM) caused insidious and significant lung weight gain, which was not associated with remarkable elevation of Ppa or Pcap but was associated with an increase of perfusate LDH activity and nitrite levels. Lx (20 microM) elevated Kfc, indicating that Lx had affected pulmonary vascular permeability. Because Lx causes endothelium dependent pulmonary vasodilation, we studied the effect of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), NG-monomethyl-D-arginine (D-NMMA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), human oxyhemoglobin (oxyHb), and methylene blue (MB) on Lx-induced lung injury. L-NMMA, SOD, and oxyHb, but not MB or D-NMMA, protected the lungs against Lx (200 microM)-induced injury. Lx increased pulmonary vascular permeability and caused lung injury. Because both nitric oxide synthase inhibitors and SOD inhibited the Lx-induced lung injury, it is possible that peroxynitrite is involved in the mechanism whereby Lx causes lung injury.

Topics: Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; Animals; Arginine; Blood Vessels; Enzyme Activation; Exotoxins; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; Linoleic Acids; Lung; Male; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Nitrites; omega-N-Methylarginine; Oxyhemoglobins; Perfusion; Pulmonary Edema; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Superoxide Dismutase

To investigate how mitochondrial function was affected in leukotoxin (Lx)-,9,10-epoxy-12-octadecenoate-induced lung injury, lung mitochondria were extracted from isolated perfused rat lung with or without Lx-induced edematous injury. In the lung treated with 30 mumol of Lx, the mitochondrial respiration rate in states 3 and 4 significantly decreased (without mitochondrial uncoupling) concomitantly with increased release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), a parameter for cellular damage, into the perfusate and decreased ATP content in the lung tissue compared with those of untreated lung. Moreover, 30 mumol of Lx resulted in significant inhibition of cytochrome-c oxidase activity (vs. vehicle control). In contrast, lower doses of Lx (10 mumol) caused lung edema and cellular damage without evidence for mitochondrial dysfunction. We also examined cellular and mitochondrial damage in hydrostatic lung edema. Such edema showed neither suppressed mitochondrial respiration nor elevated LDH activity in perfusate, although lung wet weight increased as much as it did after 30 mumol Lx treatment. Our results suggest that the ex vivo mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the secondary (vs. initial augmented permeability) but specific manifestations of toxicity of Lx, and together with the previous reports, the ex vivo damaging effect of Lx against mitochondria may be ascribed not to its direct action on mitochondria but to Lx-derived cellular mechanism(s).

Topics: Adenine Nucleotides; Animals; Cytotoxins; Exotoxins; In Vitro Techniques; Linoleic Acids; Lung; Male; Mitochondria; Organ Size; Oxygen Consumption; Perfusion; Pressure; Pulmonary Artery; Pulmonary Ventilation; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Leukotoxin (Lx), a cytochrome P-450-dependent metabolite of linoleate synthesized by neutrophils or synthesized by OH- and linoleate in neutrophil cell membranes, has been recovered in lung lavages of patients with the adult respiratory distress syndrome. We studied the direct vasoactive effects of Lx and linoleate, its parent compound, in the rat pulmonary circulation. In isolated rat lungs perfused at constant flow with a physiological salt solution, Lx (but not linoleate) caused a biphasic response, an initial transient vasoconstriction followed by a more prolonged vasodilation. The latter response was only evident when the pulmonary vascular tone was increased with either alveolar hypoxia (0% O2) or KCl (20 mM). The pressor response to angiotensin II was also attenuated in the presence of Lx. The vasodilatory response in perfused lungs was attenuated by methylene blue (2 x 10(-5) M), a putative inhibitor of the soluble guanylate cyclase but not by pretreatment with meclofenamate (10(-5) M), a cyclooxygenase inhibitor. In isolated pulmonary arterial (PA) rings preconstricted either with phenylephrine (5 x 10(-9) M), endothelin-1 (10(-8) M), or KCl (30 mM), Lx (but not linoleate) caused dose-dependent relaxation. The relaxing effect of Lx on endothelium-intact rings was attenuated by NG-monomethyl-L-arginine or methylene blue. The magnitude of the hypoxic contraction of PA rings was attenuated in the presence of Lx. Whereas the mechanism of Lx-induced vasoconstriction is not clear, we conclude that Lx causes vasodilation in rat lungs and that the vasodilatory component is to a large degree endothelium-derived relaxing factor-dependent.

Topics: Animals; Arginine; Endothelins; Exotoxins; In Vitro Techniques; Linoleic Acids; Male; Methylene Blue; omega-N-Methylarginine; Perfusion; Potassium Chloride; Pulmonary Artery; Pulmonary Circulation; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Vasodilation

Topics: Animals; Burns; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation; Exotoxins; Free Radicals; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Linoleic Acids; Lipid Peroxidation; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn

Pulmonary influxed neutrophils have been suggested to be involved in the development of hyperoxia-induced lung injury. We recently revealed that a highly toxic substance, 9,10-epoxy-12-octadecenoate, is biosynthesized by human neutrophils, thus it was named leukotoxin. Because hyperoxia-induced lung injury is a model of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), this study was designed to investigate whether or not leukotoxin is involved in the genesis of pulmonary oxygen toxicity and ARDS. After exposure to hyperoxia for 60 h, rats showed acute pulmonary edema, which was evidenced by increased lung weight, albumin concentrations, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activities in lung lavages. These changes were correlated with an increased number of neutrophils. We detected leukotoxin in lung lavages of rats after exposure to hyperoxia for 60 h by high performance liquid chromatography and gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry. After intravenous injection of leukotoxin (100 mumol/kg) to rats, acute edematous lung injury occurred showing increases in lung weight, lung lavage albumin concentrations, and lung lavage ACE activities. In the lung lavages obtained from 5 patients with ARDS, significant increases in albumin concentrations and ACE activities were observed compared with those from subjects without pulmonary disease. Moreover, considerable amounts of leukotoxin, 38.5 +/- 21.9 nmol/lung lavage, were observed in the lavages from patients with ARDS. These findings suggest that leukotoxin plays an important role in the genesis of acute edematous lung damage in pulmonary oxygen toxicity, and that leukotoxin also links with the development of lung injury observed in patients with ARDS.

Topics: Animals; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; Disease Models, Animal; Exotoxins; Female; Humans; Leukocyte Count; Linoleic Acids; Neutrophils; Oxygen; Pulmonary Edema; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Respiratory Distress Syndrome

An epoxy derivative of linoleate, 9, 10-epoxy-12-octadecenoate, was demonstrated to be biosynthesized by leukocytes, thus nominated as leukotoxin. Its chemical structure was determined by gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. When it was injected intravenously, 15 mg/kg, canine heart showed signs of a typical cardiac failure; viz. Aortic flow started to drop immediately after the injection, and fell to 22% of the original at 40 min after the injection. At that point, systolic aortic pressure dropped to 35%, diastolic aortic pressure to 23%, and electronically differentiated maximal rate of left ventricular pressure rise (LV dp/dt) to 29%. All of experimental dogs died 40 to 50 min after the injection. On the contrary, administration of linoleic acid (15 mg/kg) did not affect these hemodynamical parameters. Therefore, leukotoxin seems to be an important factor to the genesis of heart failure.

Topics: Animals; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Dogs; Exotoxins; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Guinea Pigs; Heart; Hemodynamics; Humans; Leukocytes; Linoleic Acids; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Rats