benzyloxycarbonylleucyl-leucyl-leucine-aldehyde and Body-Weight

To establish the therapeutic potential of proteasome inhibition, we examined the therapeutic effects of MG132 (Z-Leu-Leu-Leu-aldehyde) in an experimental model of acute pancreatitis.. Pancreatitis was induced in rats by two hourly intraperitoneal (ip) injections of cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK; 2 x 100 microg/kg) and the proteasome inhibitor MG132 (10 mg/kg ip) was administered 30 min after the second CCK injection. Animals were sacrificed 4 h after the first injection of CCK.. Administering the proteasome inhibitor MG132 (at a dose of 10 mg/kg, ip) 90 min after the onset of pancreatic inflammation induced the expression of cell-protective 72 kDa heat shock protein (HSP72) and decreased DNA-binding of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB). Furthermore MG132 treatment resulted in milder inflammatory response and cellular damage, as revealed by improved laboratory and histological parameters of pancreatitis and associated oxidative stress.. Our findings suggest that proteasome inhibition might be beneficial not only for the prevention, but also for the therapy of acute pancreatitis.

Topics: Acute Disease; Animals; Body Weight; Cholecystokinin; Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; Cytokines; HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins; Leupeptins; Male; NF-kappa B; Organ Size; Oxidative Stress; Pancreas; Pancreatitis; Peroxidase; Proteasome Inhibitors; Rats; Rats, Wistar

The mechanisms of the increased serum leptin in response to feeding are poorly understood. Therefore, we used metabolic labeling to directly assess leptin biosynthesis, secretion, and turnover in adipose tissue from 14 h-starved compared with fed 12-14 week old rats. Starvation decreased serum leptin (-47 +/- 7%), adipose tissue leptin content (-32 +/- 5%), and leptin secretion during 3 h of incubation (-65 +/- 12%). Starvation did not affect leptin mRNA levels but decreased rates of leptin biosynthesis by tissue fragments, as determined by [(35)S]methionine/cysteine incorporation into immunoprecipitable leptin. Insulin in vitro did not acutely increase leptin biosynthesis or rates of (125)I-leptin degradation. Pulse-chase studies showed that in adipose tissue from fed but not starved rats, insulin accelerated the secretion of [(35)S]leptin by approximately 2-fold after 30 and 60 min of chase. Degradation of newly synthesized leptin was slower in adipose tissue of starved than fed rats (half-lives of 50 and 150 min, respectively). Inhibitor experiments showed that both lysosomes and proteosomes contributed to leptin degradation. In conclusion, feeding compared with starvation influences leptin production at multiple posttranscriptional levels: synthesis, tissue storage, turnover, and secretion. The insulin-stimulated release of leptin from a preformed intracellular leptin pool may contribute to increases in serum leptin levels after meals.

Topics: Adipocytes; Adipose Tissue; Animals; Blotting, Northern; Body Weight; Chloroquine; Cycloheximide; Insulin; Iodine Isotopes; Leptin; Leupeptins; Lysosomes; Male; Rats; Rats, Wistar; RNA, Messenger; Starvation; Sulfur Isotopes

Non-small cell lung cancer frequently presents as a locally advanced disease. In this setting, radiation has a prominent role in cancer therapy. However, tumor adaptation to oxidative stress may lessen the efficacy of radiation therapy. Recent studies demonstrate that proteasome inhibitors increase the efficacy of radiation against a range of tumors. Although proteasome inhibition impacts on NF-kappaB translocation, the precise mechanism through which proteasome inhibitors induce tumor cell death and promote radiation efficacy remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential of the proteasome inhibitor, MG-132, to improve the efficacy of radiation therapy and to determine whether its effect is linked to the suppression of the antioxidant enzyme, manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD). Human NSCLC (A549) cells were utilized both in vivo and in vitro to evaluate proteasome inhibition on radiation response. In vivo, mice that received combined treatments of 2.5 microg/g body weight MG-132 and 30 Gy demonstrated a delay in tumor regrowth in comparison to the 30 Gy control group. In vitro, clonegenic survival assays confirmed a dose-dependent enhancement of radiation sensitivity in combination with MG-132 and a significant interaction between the two. The levels of IkappaB-alpha, a NF-kappaB target gene and also an inhibitor of NF-kappaB nuclear translocation, decreased in a time-dependent manner following administration of MG-132 confirming the inhibition of the 26S proteasome. The MnSOD protein level was increased consistent with lower levels of IkappaB-alpha, confirming a NF-kappaB-mediated effect. Cells treated with radiation demonstrated an induction of MnSOD; however, the administration of MG-132 suppressed this induction These results support the hypothesis that proteasome inhibitors such as MG-132 can increase the efficacy of radiation therapy, in part, by suppression of cytoprotective NF-kappaB-mediated MnSOD expression.

Topics: Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; Animals; Antioxidants; Blotting, Western; Body Weight; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Cell Line, Tumor; Combined Modality Therapy; Dose Fractionation, Radiation; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Humans; I-kappa B Proteins; Leupeptins; Lung Neoplasms; Mice; Mice, Nude; Neoplasm Transplantation; Neoplasms; NF-kappa B; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; Oxidative Stress; Protease Inhibitors; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; Proteasome Inhibitors; Protein Transport; Radiation Tolerance; Reactive Oxygen Species; Superoxide Dismutase; Time Factors

The cell-permeant MG132 tripeptide (Z-Leu-Leu-Leu-aldehyde) is a peptide aldehyde proteasome inhibitor that also inhibits other proteases, including calpains and cathepsins. By blocking the proteasome, this tripeptide has been shown to induce the expression of cell-protective heat shock proteins (HSPs) in vitro. Effects of MG132 were studied in an in vivo model of acute pancreatitis. Pancreatitis was induced in male Wistar rats by injecting 2 x 100 microug/kg cholecystokinin octapeptide intraperitoneally (ip) at an interval of 1 h. Pretreating the animals with 10 mg/kg MG132 ip before the induction of pancreatitis significantly inhibited IkappaB degradation and subsequent activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB). MG132 also increased HSP72 expression. Induction of HSP72 and inhibition of NF-kappaB improved parameters of acute pancreatitis. Thus MG132 significantly decreased serum amylase, pancreatic weight/body weight ratio, pancreatic myeloperoxidase activity, proinflammatory cytokine concentrations, and the expression of pancreatitis-associated protein. Parameters of oxidative stress (GSH, MDA, SOD, etc.) were improved in both the serum and the pancreas. Histopathological examinations revealed that pancreatic specimens of animals pretreated with the peptide demonstrated milder edema, cellular damage, and inflammatory activity. Our findings show that simultaneous inhibition of calpains, cathepsins, and the proteasome with MG132 prevents the onset of acute pancreatitis.

Topics: Acute Disease; Amylases; Animals; Body Weight; Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; Cytokines; HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins; Leupeptins; Lung; Male; NF-kappa B; Oxidative Stress; Pancreas; Pancreatitis; Pancreatitis-Associated Proteins; Proteasome Inhibitors; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Sincalide