Human IAPP-induced pancreatic β cell toxicity and its regulation by autophagy.

Pancreatic islets in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are characterized by loss of β cells and formation of amyloid deposits derived from islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP). Here we demonstrated that treatment of INS-1 cells with human IAPP (hIAPP) enhances cell death, inhibits cytoproliferation, and increases autophagosome formation. Furthermore, inhibition of autophagy increased the vulnerability of β cells to the cytotoxic effects of hIAPP.

Expression of wild-type and mutant S20G hIAPP in physiologic knock-in mouse models fails to induce islet amyloid formation, but induces mild glucose intolerance.

Unlabelled: Aims/Introduction:  Human islet polypeptide S20G mutation (hIAPP(S20G)) is associated with earlier onset type 2 diabetes and increased amyloidogenicity and cytotoxicity in vitro vs wild-type hIAPP (hIAPP(WT)), suggesting that amyloidogenesis may be pathogenic for type 2 diabetes. We compared the contributions of hIAPP(S20G) and hIAPP(WT) toward intra islet amyloid formation and development of type 2 diabetes in a unique physiologic knock-in mouse model.

Materials And Methods:   We replaced the mouse IAPP gene (M allele) with hIAPP(WT) (W allele) and hIAPP(S20G) (G allele) via homologous recombination and backbred transgenic mice against C57Bl/6 strain 5 generations to minimize genetic variation.

Single dose streptozotocin-induced diabetes: considerations for study design in islet transplantation models.

Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) offers a very cost-effective and expeditious technique that can be used in most strains of rodents, opening the field of DM research to an array of genotypic and phenotypic options that would otherwise be inaccessible. Despite widespread use of STZ in small animal models, the data available concerning drug preparation, dosing and administration, time to onset and severity of DM, and any resulting moribundity and mortality are often limited and inconsistent. Because of this, investigators inexperienced with STZ-induced diabetes may find it difficult to precisely design new studies with this potentially toxic chemical and account for the severity of DM it is capable of inducing.

Opposing roles for p16Ink4a and p19Arf in senescence and ageing caused by BubR1 insufficiency.

Expression of p16(Ink4a) and p19(Arf) increases with age in both rodent and human tissues. However, whether these tumour suppressors are effectors of ageing remains unclear, mainly because knockout mice lacking p16(Ink4a) or p19(Arf) die early of tumours. Here, we show that skeletal muscle and fat, two tissues that develop early ageing-associated phenotypes in response to BubR1 insufficiency, have high levels of p16(Ink4a) and p19(Arf).

The PAX8/PPARgamma fusion oncoprotein transforms immortalized human thyrocytes through a mechanism probably involving wild-type PPARgamma inhibition.

Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) frequently harbors the PAX8/PPARgamma fusion gene (PPFP); however, its oncogenic role and mechanism(s) of action remain undefined. We investigated PPFP's effects on cell growth, apoptosis, cell-cell, and cell-matrix interactions in immortalized human thyroid cells (Nthy-ori 3-1) and NIH 3T3 cells. PPFP expression increased the growth of transient and stable Nthy-ori transfectants ( approximately threefold by 72 h).

Remnant lipoproteins induce endothelial plasminogen activator inhibitor-1.

Remnant lipoproteins (RLPs) accumulate in type III hyperlipoproteinemia, a condition associated with significant cardiovascular morbidity. The effect of RLPs on fibrinolysis is unknown. Our aim was to study the effect of RLPs on endothelial expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1).

S20G mutant amylin exhibits increased in vitro amyloidogenicity and increased intracellular cytotoxicity compared to wild-type amylin.

Human amylin, a major constituent of pancreatic amyloid deposits, may be a pathogenetic factor for noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). We demonstrated that the human amylin S20G gene mutation (S20G) was associated with a history of early onset, more severe type of NIDDM, linking the amylin gene to this disease. Also, we demonstrated that expression of human wild-type (WT) amylin in COS-1 cells leads to intracellular amyloidogenesis and induction of apoptosis, suggesting a possible mechanism for disease induction.

Intracellular amyloidogenesis by human islet amyloid polypeptide induces apoptosis in COS-1 cells.

Human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) is co-secreted with insulin from pancreatic islet beta cells. This peptide spontaneously aggregates in the form of fibrils, and amyloid deposits are associated with dead or degenerating beta cells, a hallmark of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. We demonstrated that COS-1 cells transfected with vectors expressing hIAPP exhibited intracellular amyloid deposits that were associated with cell death (O'Brien, Butler, Kreutter, Kane, Eberhardt, Am J Pathol 1995, 147:609-616).

Small heat shock proteins inhibit in vitro A beta(1-42) amyloidogenesis.

We demonstrate that small heat shock proteins (sHsp) inhibit in vitro amyloid formation by the Alzheimer's A beta(1-42) polypeptide as detected by a thioflavine T fluorescence assay and electron microscopy. Human sHsp27 (0.50-3.

Enkephalin-containing peptides processed from proenkephalin significantly enhance the antibody-forming cell responses to antigens.

Highly conserved enkephalin containing peptides (ECPs) are selectively processed from proenkephalin, which is synthesized in both the neuroendocrine and immune systems. The reported regulatory effects within the central nervous system and the biologic release patterns from both activated lymphocytes and stimulated adrenal chromaffin cells suggest the ECPs may act as regulatory factors of the immune system. We tested the effects of three of the ECPs, Peptides F, E, and B, on the in vitro Ab-forming cell (AFC) response murine splenocytes to antigenic challenge.

Secondary structure characteristics of proenkephalin peptides E, B, and F.

The conformations of three adrenal medullary enkephalin containing polypeptides (ECPs) were investigated to gain an understanding of their potential structure-activity relationships. Secondary structure characteristics of peptides E, B, and F were examined by circular dichrosim (CD) under conditions designed to mimic both the soluble state and the anisotropic environment which exists at the biological effector site. Conformational differences between the three peptides were further examined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and by empirical predictions for conformation and hydrophobic periodicity.

Tobacco mosaic virus infection stimulates the phosphorylation of a plant protein associated with double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase activity.

The influence of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection on nucleotide binding and phosphorylation of an Mr 68,000 host-encoded protein (p68) was examined. The phosphorylation of p68 in homogenates from TMV-infected tissues was 4-fold greater than in homogenates from mock inoculated tissues. Phosphorylation of p68 in extracts from mock inoculated tissues was enhanced by the addition of double-stranded (ds) RNA.

Viroid-induced phosphorylation of a host protein related to a dsRNA-dependent protein kinase.

Viroids are very small, unencapsidated RNAs that replicate and induce severe disease in plants without encoding for any proteins. The mechanisms by which the viroid RNA regulates these events and interacts with host factors are unknown. An Mr 68,000 host-encoded protein has been identified that is differentially phosphorylated in extracts from viroid-infected and mock-inoculated tissues.