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U ovoj doktorskoj disertaciji ispitivan je uticaj inhibicije intracelularnog energetskog senzora protein kinaze aktivirane adenozin-monofosfatom (AMPK) na indukciju apoptoze i autofagije u tumorskim ćelija. Farmakološki inhibitor AMPK dorzomorfin indukovao je G2/M blokadu ćelijskog ciklusa, praćen apoptozom koju karakteriše aktivacija kaspaza, eksternalizacija fosfatidilserina i fragmentacija DNK u U251 humanim i C6 pacovskim ćelijama glioma, dok na vijabilitet primarnih pacovskih astrocita i ćelija mišjeg melanoma B16 nije imao uticaja. Mehanizam indukcije apoptoze dorzomorfinom bio je posredovan stimulacijom produkcije reaktivnih vrsta kiseonika i inhibicijom ekspresije antiapoptotskog Bcl-2 proteina. Dorzomorfin je inhibirao fosforilaciju i enzimatsku aktivnost AMPK, što je za posledicu imalo smanjenje fosforilacije njenog supstrata acetil-CoA karboksilaze. Aktivatori AMPK metformin i AICAR delimično su neutralisali blokadu ćelijskog ciklusa, oksidativni stres i apoptozu indukovanu dorzomorfinom. Mala interferirajuća RNK (siRNK) koja sprečava ekspresiju humanog AMPK enzima je poput dorzomorfina zaustavila proliferaciju ćelija u G2/M fazi ćelijskog ciklusa, ali nije izazvala oksidativni stres i apoptozu u U251 ćelijama. Dakle, inhibicija AMPK je neophodna, ali ne i dovoljna za indukciju apotpoze dorzomorfinom u ćelijama glioma. U ovoj studiji takođe je pokazano da dorzomorfin indukuje autofagiju u ćelijama kancera. Indukcija autofagije u U251 ćelijama detektovana je fluorescentnim bojenjem unutarćelijskih kiselih vezikula akridin oranžom, indukcijom beklina-1, degradacijom p62 proteina i konverzijom LC3-I u formu asociranu sa autofagozomima LC3-II u odsustvu i prisustvu proteolitičkih inhibitora. Prisustvo autofagozomima sličnih vezikula potvrđeno je transmisionom elektronskom mikroskopijom. Inhibicija AMPK i Raptora indukovana dorzomorfinom u U251 ćelijama bila je paradoksalno asocirana sa smanjenjem fosforilacije AMPK/Raptorom inhibiranog glavnog represora autofagije mTOR i njegovog supstrata p70S6K. Fosforilacija mTOR aktivatora Akt i PI3K-aktivirane Src kinaze bile su takođe inhibirane u ćelijama tretiranim dorzomorfinom. Poništavanje ekspresije AMPK sa siRNA nije redukovalo aktivnost Akt/mTOR/p70S6K signalnog puta, a AMPK aktivatori metformin i AICAR nisu uspeli da blokiraju autofagiju indukovanu dorzomorfinom. Inhibitori autofagije bafilomicin i hlorokin značajno su povećali citotoksičnost dorzomorfina prema U251 ćelijama, što je pokazano povećanjem oslobađanja laktat dehidrogenaze, fragmentacije DNK i aktivacije kaspaze-3. Sličan efekat dorzomorfin je imao i prema ćelijama pacovskog glioma C6, mišjeg fibrosarkoma L929 i mišjeg melanoma B16. Pošto je ranije pokazano da dorzomorfin suprimira AMPK-zavisnu autofagiju u različitim ćelijskim tipovima, rezultati ove studije sugerišu da efekat dorzomorfina na autofagiju zavisi od doze, konteksta i/ili vrste ćelija. Imajući u vidu da dorzomorfin indukuje autofagiju u ćelijama kancera nezavisno od inhibicije AMPK, inhibicijom Akt/mTOR signalnog puta, rezultati ove studije ukazuju na neophodnost opreza pri interpretaciji rezultata eksperimenata u kojima se dorzomorfin koristi kao inhibitor AMPK, ali takođe sugerišu da bi dorzomorfin, sam ili u kombinaciji sa inhibitorima autofagije, mogao biti potencijalni kandidat za terapiju tumora. In this doctoral dissertation the effect of intracellular energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibition on induction of apoptosis and autophagy in tumor cells was investigated. Pharmacological AMPK inhibitor dorsomorphin caused G2/M cell cycle block, accompanied by apoptotic cell death characterized by caspase activation, phosphatidylserine exposure and DNA fragmentation in U251 human and C6 rat glioma cells, while it had no effect on viability of primary rat astrocytes and B16 mouse melanoma cells. The mechanisms underlying the pro-apoptotic action of dorsomorphin involved induction of oxidative stress and down-regulation of antiapoptotic molecule Bcl-2. Dorsomorphin diminished AMPK phosphorylation and enzymatic activity, resulting in reduced phosphorylation of its target acetyl CoA carboxylase. AMPK activators metformin and AICAR partly prevented the cell cycle block, oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by dorsomorphin. The small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting of human AMPK mimicked dorsomorphin-induced G2/M cell cycle arrest, but failed to induce oxidative stress and apoptosis in U251 glioma cells. Therefore, AMPK inhibition is required, but not sufficient for dorsomorphin-mediated apoptotic death of glioma cells. In this study, it was also reported that dorsomorphin can induce autophagy in cancer cells. The induction of autophagy in U251 human glioma cell line was demonstrated by acridine orange staining of intracellular acidic vesicles, Beclin 1 induction, p62 decrease and conversion of LC3-I to autophagosome-associated LC3-II in the absence and presence of proteolysis inhibitors. The presence of autophagosome like vesicles was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Dorsomorphin-mediated inhibition of AMPK and Raptor in U251 cells was associated with paradoxical decrease in phosphorylation of AMPK/Raptor-repressed mTOR, a major negative regulator of autophagy, and its downstream target p70S6K. The phosphorylation of mTOR activator Akt and PI3K-activating kinase Src was also impaired in dorsomorphin-treated cells. The siRNA-mediated AMPK silencing did not reduce the activity of the Akt/mTOR/p70S6K pathway and AMPK activators metformin and AICAR failed to block dorsomorphin-induced autophagy. Autophagy inhibitors bafilomycin and chloroquine significantly increased the cytotoxicity of dorsomorphin towards U251 cells, as confirmed by the increase in lactate dehydrogenase release, DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activation. Similar effects of dorsomorphin were also observed in C6 rat glioma, L929 mouse fibrosarcoma and B16 mouse melanoma cell lines. Since dorsomorphin has previously been reported to suppress AMPK dependent autophagy in different cell types, results in this study suggest that the effects of dorsomorphin on autophagy might be dose-, cell type- and/or context-dependent. By demonstrating the ability of dorsomorphin to induce autophagic response in cancer cells via AMPK inhibition-independent downregulation of Akt/mTOR pathway, results warrant caution when using dorsomorphin to inhibit AMPK-dependent cellular responses, but also suggest that dorsomorphin, alone or in combination with autophagy inhibitors, could be potential candidate for anticancer therapy.

We investigated the effects of centrally administered orexigenic hormone ghrelin on energy imbalance-induced inflammation. Rats were subjected for four weeks to three different dietary regimes: normal (standard food), high-fat (standard food with 30% lard) or food-restricted (70%, 50%, 40% and 40% of the expected food intake in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th week, respectively). Compared to normal-weight controls, starved, but not obese rats had significantly higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF, IL-1 beta, IFN-gamma) in the blood. When compared to normally fed animals, the hearts of starved and obese animals expressed higher levels of mRNAs encoding proinflammatory mediators (TNF, IL-1 beta, IL-6, IFN-gamma, IL-17, IL-12, iNOS), while mRNA levels of the anti-inflammatory TGF-beta remained unchanged. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of ghrelin (1 mu g/day) for five consecutive days significantly reduced TNF, IL-1 beta and IFN-gamma levels in the blood of starved rats, as well as TNF, IL-17 and IL-12p40 mRNA expression in the hearts of obese rats. Conversely, ICV ghrelin increased the levels of 1FN-gamma, IL-17,1L-12p35 and IL-12p40 mRNA in the heart tissue of food-restricted animals. This was associated with an increase of immunosuppressive ACTH/corticosterone production in starved animals and a decrease of the immunostimulatory adipokine leptin both in food-restricted and high-fat groups. Ghrelin activated the energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the hypothalamus and inhibited extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in the hearts of obese, but not starved rats. Therefore, central ghrelin may play a complex role in energy imbalance-induced inflammation by modulating HPA axis, leptin and AMPK/ERK signaling pathways. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Ministry of Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia [41025, 175067]

The role of autophagy, a process in which the cell self-digests its own components, was investigated in glioma cell death induced by the hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase-inhibiting drug simvastatin. Induction of autophagy and activation of autophagy-regulating signalling pathways were analyzed by immunoblotting. Flow cytometry/fluorescent microscopy was used to assess autophagy-associated intracellular acidification and apoptotic markers (phosphatidylserine exposure, DNA fragmentation and caspase activation). Cell viability was determined by crystal violet, MTT or LDH release assay. Simvastatin treatment of U251 and C6 glioma cell lines caused the appearance of autophagolysosome-like intracytoplasmic acidic vesicles. The induction of autophagy in U251 cells was confirmed by the upregulation of autophagosome-associated LC3-II and pro-autophagic beclin-1, as well as by the downregulation of the selective autophagic target p62. Simvastatin induced the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its target Raptor, while simultaneously downregulating activation of Akt. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). a major AMPK/Akt downstream target and a major negative autophagy regulator, and its substrate p70 S6 kinase 1 were also inhibited by simvastatin. Mevalonate, the product of HMG-CoA reductase enzymatic activity, AMPK siRNA or pharmacological inactivation of AMPK with compound C suppressed, while the inhibitors of Akt (10-DEBC hydrochloride) and mTOR (rapamycin) mimicked autophagy induction by simvastatin. Inhibition of autophagy with bafilomycin A1, 3-methyladenine and LC3 beta shRNA, as well as AMPK inhibition with compound C or AMPK siRNA, markedly increased apoptotic death of simvastatin-treated U251 cells. These data suggest that inhibition of AMPK-depenclent autophagic response might sensitize glioma cells to statin-induced apoptotic death. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Ministry of Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia [41025, 173053]

Background/Aims: The antihyperglycaemic drug metformin reduces food consumption through mechanisms that are not fully elucidated. The present study investigated the effects of intracerebroventricular administration of metformin on food intake and hypothalamic appetite-regulating signalling pathways induced by the orexigenic peptide ghrelin. Methods: Rats were injected intracerebroventricularly with ghrelin (5 mu g), metformin (50, 100 or 200 mu g), 5-amino-imidazole-4-carboxamide 1-beta-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR, 25 mu g) and L-Ieucine (1 mu g) in different combinations. Food intake was monitored during the next 4 h. Hypothalamic activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), regulatory-associated protein of mTOR (Raptor), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and p70 S6 kinase 1 (S6K) after 1 h of treatment was analysed by immunoblotting. Results: Metformin suppressed the increase in food consumption induced by intracerebroventricular ghrelin in a dose-dependent manner. Ghrelin increased phosphorylation of hypothalamic AMPK and its targets ACC and Raptor, which was associated with the reduced phosphorylation of mTOR. The mTOR substrate, 56K, was activated by intracerebroventricular ghrelin despite the inhibition of mTOR. Metformin treatment blocked ghrelin-induced activation of hypothalamic AMPK/ACC/Raptor and restored mTOR activity without affecting 56K phosphorylation. Metformin also reduced food consumption induced by the AMPK activator AICAR while the ghrelin-triggered food intake was inhibited by the mTOR activator L-leucine. Conclusion: Metformin could reduce food intake by preventing ghrelin-induced AMPK signalling and mTOR inhibition in the hypotalamus. Copyright (c) 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel Ministry of Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia [41025, 175067]