epidermal-growth-factor and Amyloidosis

3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG) is accumulated not only in uremic serum but also in uremic erythrocytes. 3-DG rapidly reacts with protein amino groups to form advanced glycation end products (AGEs) such as imidazolone, pyrraline, and N(epsilon)-(carboxymethyl)lysine, among which imidazolone is the AGE that is most specific for 3-DG. In diabetes, hyperglycemia enhances the synthesis of 3-DG via the Maillard reaction and the polyol pathway and thereby leads to its high plasma and erythrocyte levels. In uremia, however, the decreased catabolism of 3-DG that may be due to the loss of 3-DG reductase activity in the end-stage kidneys may lead to a high plasma 3-DG level. The elevated 3-DG levels in uremic patients may promote the formation of AGEs such as imidazolone in erythrocytes, aortas, and dialysis-related amyloid deposits. Treatment with an aldose reductase inhibitor reduced the erythrocyte levels of 3-DG and AGEs such as imidazolone in diabetic uremic patients. This finding demonstrates an important role of the polyol pathway in the formation of erythrocyte 3-DG and AGEs. The erythrocyte levels of 3-DG are elevated in not only diabetic uremic but also nondiabetic uremic patients. 3-DG showed some cytotoxicities by inducing intracellular oxidative stress. In contrast, oxidative stress was demonstrated to cause accumulation of intracellular 3-DG. Recently, we have demonstrated that 3-DG inactivates intracellular enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase, a key enzyme in the detoxification of hydrogen peroxide. Thus, intracellular accumulation of 3-DG may enhance oxidative stress by inactivating the antioxidant enzymes. In conclusion, 3-DG may play a principal role in the development of uremic complications, such as dialysis-related amyloidosis, atherosclerosis, and enhanced oxidative stress.

Topics: Amyloidosis; Animals; Apoptosis; Arteriosclerosis; Cell Division; Deoxyglucose; Epidermal Growth Factor; Erythrocytes; Glucose; Glutathione Peroxidase; Glutathione Reductase; Glycation End Products, Advanced; Heparin-binding EGF-like Growth Factor; Humans; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; Oxidative Stress; Uremia

Topics: Amyloidosis; Autopsy; Calcium-Binding Proteins; Elastic Tissue; Epidermal Growth Factor; Extracellular Matrix; Extracellular Matrix Proteins; Humans

Most intractable tissue-degenerative disorders share a common pathogenic condition, so-called proteinopathy. Amyloid-related disorders are the most common proteinopathies and are characterized by amyloid fibril deposits in the brain or other organs. Aging is generally associated with the development of these amyloid-related disorders, but we still do not fully understand how functional proteins become pathogenic amyloid deposits during the human aging process. We identified a novel amyloidogenic protein, named epidermal growth factor-containing fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein 1 (EFEMP1), in massive venous amyloid deposits in specimens that we obtained from an autopsied patient who died of gastrointestinal bleeding. Our postmortem analyses of additional patients indicate that EFEMP1 amyloid deposits frequently developed in systemic venous walls of elderly people. EFEMP1 was highly expressed in veins, and aging enhanced venous EFEMP1 expression. In addition, biochemical analyses indicated that these venous amyloid deposits consisted of C-terminal regions of EFEMP1. In vitro studies showed that C-terminal regions formed amyloid fibrils, which inhibited venous tube formation and cell viability. EFEMP1 thus caused a novel age-related venous amyloid-related disorder frequently found in the elderly population. Understanding EFEMP1 amyloid formation provides new insights into amyloid-related disorders occurring during the aging process. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Topics: Aged, 80 and over; Amyloidosis; Biomarkers; Calcium-Binding Proteins; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Epidermal Growth Factor; Extracellular Matrix Proteins; Female; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; Humans; Intestine, Large; Vascular Diseases; Veins

Expression of a familial Alzheimer's disease (AD)-linked mutant of amyloid β precursor protein (APP) or the binding of transforming growth factor β2 to wild-type (wt)-APP causes neuronal death by activating an intracellular death signal (a APP-mediated intracellular death signal) in the absence of the involvement of amyloid β (Aβ) toxicity in vitro. These neuronal death models may therefore be regarded as Aβ-independent neuronal death models related to AD. A recent study has shown that the A673T mutation in the APP isoform APP770 , corresponding to the A598T mutation in the most prevalent neuronal APP isoform APP695 (an AD-protective mutant of APP), is linked to a reduction in the incidence rate of AD. Consistent with this, cells expressing the AD-protective mutant of APP produce less Aβ than cells expressing wt-APP. In this study, transforming growth factor β2 caused death in cultured neuronal cells expressing wt-APP, but not in those expressing the AD-protective mutant of APP. This result suggests that the AD-protective mutation of APP reduces the incidence rate of AD by attenuating the APP-mediated intracellular death signal. In addition, a mutation that causes hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis-Dutch type also attenuated the APP-mediated intracellular death signal. The A598T mutation of amyloid precursor protein APP is linked to a reduction in the incidence rate of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study shows that TGFβ2 causes death in neuronal cells expressing wild-type APP, but not in those expressing the AD-protective mutant of APP, suggesting that the AD-protective mutation of APP reduces the incidence rate of AD by attenuating the APP-mediated intracellular death signal.

Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Amyloid beta-Peptides; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; Amyloidosis; Animals; Blotting, Western; Cell Death; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Survival; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Epidermal Growth Factor; ErbB Receptors; Genes, erbB-1; Humans; MAP Kinase Kinase 4; Mice; Mutation; Neurons; Neurotoxicity Syndromes; Peptide Fragments; Phosphorylation

Beta 2-microglobulin amyloidosis (A beta 2m) is a serious complication for patients undergoing long-term dialysis. beta 2-microglobulin modified with advanced glycation end products (beta 2m-AGE) is a major component of the amyloid in A beta 2m. It is not completely understood whether beta 2m-AGE plays an active role in the pathogenesis of A beta 2m, or if its presence is a secondary event of the disease. beta 2-microglobulin amyloid is mainly located in tendon and osteo-articular structures that are rich in collagen, and local fibroblasts constitute the principal cell population in the synthesis and metabolism of collagen. Recent identification of AGE binding proteins on human fibroblasts lead to the hypothesis that the fibroblast may be a target for the biological action of beta 2m-AGE. The present study demonstrated that two human fibroblast cell lines exhibited a decrease in procollagen type I mRNA and type I collagen synthesis after exposure to beta 2m-AGE for 72 hours. Similar results were observed using AGE-modified albumin. Antibody against the RAGE, the receptor for AGE, attenuated this decrease in synthesis, indicating that the response was partially mediated by RAGE. In addition, antibody against epidermal growth factor (EGF) attenuated the decrease in type I procollagen mRNA and type I collagen induced by beta 2m-AGE, suggesting that EGF acts as an intermediate factor. These findings support the hypothesis that beta 2m-AGE actively participates in connective tissue and bone remodeling via a pathway involving fibroblast RAGE, and at least one interposed mediator, the growth factor EGF.

Topics: Amyloidosis; Antibodies; beta 2-Microglobulin; Cell Line; Collagen; Epidermal Growth Factor; Fibroblasts; Glycation End Products, Advanced; Humans; Interleukin-1; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Procollagen; Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products; Receptors, Immunologic; RNA, Messenger