Christine Deffert

Decreased blood pressure in NOX1-deficient mice

To understand the role of the superoxide‐generating NADPH oxidase NOX1 in the vascular system, we have generated NOX1‐deficient mice. NOX1‐deficient mice had a moderately decreased basal blood pressure. In response to angiotensin II they showed an almost complete loss of the sustained blood pressure response, while the initial increase was conserved. NOX1‐deficient mice showed a marked reduction in aortic media hypertrophy. Angiotensin II‐induced smooth muscle cell proliferation was conserved, but there was a marked decrease in extracellular matrix accumulation. Our results establish a role for NOX1 in blood pressure regulation and vascular angiotensin II response.

A key role for NOX4 in epithelial cell death during development of lung fibrosis.

UNLABELLED The pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis is linked to oxidative stress, possibly generated by the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generating NADPH oxidase NOX4. Epithelial cell death is a crucial early step in the development of the disease, followed only later by the fibrotic stage. We demonstrate that in lungs of patients with idiopathic lung fibrosis, there is strong expression of NOX4 in hyperplastic alveolar type II cells. AIM To study a possible causative role of NOX4 in the death of alveolar cells, we have generated NOX4-deficient mice. RESULTS Three weeks after administration of bleomycin, wild-type (WT) mice developed massive fibrosis, whereas NOX4-deficient mice displayed almost normal lung histology, and only little Smad2 phosphorylation and accumulation of myofibroblasts. However, the protective effects of NOX4 deficiency preceded the fibrotic stage. Indeed, at day 7 after bleomycin, lungs of WT mice showed massive increase in epithelial cell apoptosis and inflammation. In NOX4-deficient mice, no increase in apoptosis was observed, whereas inflammation was comparable to WT. In vitro, NOX4-deficient primary alveolar epithelial cells exposed to transforming growth factor-β(1) did not generate ROS and were protected from apoptosis. Acute treatment with the NOX inhibitors also blunted transforming growth factor-β(1)-induced apoptosis. CONCLUSION ROS generation by NOX4 is a key player in epithelial cell death leading to pulmonary fibrosis.

NADPH oxidase 1 modulates WNT and NOTCH1 signaling to control the fate of proliferative progenitor cells in the colon.

ABSTRACT The homeostatic self-renewal of the colonic epithelium requires coordinated regulation of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin and Notch signaling pathways to control proliferation and lineage commitment of multipotent stem cells. However, the molecular mechanisms by which the Wnt/β-catenin and Notch1 pathways interplay in controlling cell proliferation and fate in the colon are poorly understood. Here we show that NADPH oxidase 1 (NOX1), a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-producing oxidase that is highly expressed in colonic epithelial cells, is a pivotal determinant of cell proliferation and fate that integrates Wnt/β-catenin and Notch1 signals. NOX1-deficient mice reveal a massive conversion of progenitor cells into postmitotic goblet cells at the cost of colonocytes due to the concerted repression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/Wnt/β-catenin and Notch1 signaling. This conversion correlates with the following: (i) the redox-dependent activation of the dual phosphatase PTEN, causing the inactivation of the Wnt pathway effector β-catenin, and (ii) the downregulation of Notch1 signaling that provokes derepression of mouse atonal homolog 1 (Math1) expression. We conclude that NOX1 controls the balance between goblet and absorptive cell types in the colon by coordinately modulating PI3K/AKT/Wnt/β-catenin and Notch1 signaling. This finding provides the molecular basis for the role of NOX1 in cell proliferation and postmitotic differentiation.

Targeting Vascular NADPH Oxidase 1 Blocks Tumor Angiogenesis through a PPARα Mediated Mechanism

Reactive oxygen species, ROS, are regulators of endothelial cell migration, proliferation and survival, events critically involved in angiogenesis. Different isoforms of ROS-generating NOX enzymes are expressed in the vasculature and provide distinct signaling cues through differential localization and activation. We show that mice deficient in NOX1, but not NOX2 or NOX4, have impaired angiogenesis. NOX1 expression and activity is increased in primary mouse and human endothelial cells upon angiogenic stimulation. NOX1 silencing decreases endothelial cell migration and tube-like structure formation, through the inhibition of PPARα, a regulator of NF-κB. Administration of a novel NOX-specific inhibitor reduced angiogenesis and tumor growth in vivo in a PPARα dependent manner. In conclusion, vascular NOX1 is a critical mediator of angiogenesis and an attractive target for anti-angiogenic therapies.

NOX1 Deficiency Protects From Aortic Dissection in Response to Angiotensin II

Oxidative stress leads to vascular damage and participates in the pathomechanisms of aortic dissection and aneurysm formation. Here we study aortic dissection in mice deficient in the superoxide-generating reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase NOX1. Seven days of treatment with the hypertensive agent angiotensin II (3 mg/kg per day) led to aortic dissection in 23% of wild-type C57BL/6J mice but in only 4% of NOX1-deficient mice (P=0.05). In contrast, treatment of wild-type C57BL/6J mice with the hypertensive agent norepinephrine (12 mg/kg per day), did not lead to aortic dissection or sudden death, suggesting that hypertension is not sufficient to cause aortic dissection. Interestingly, norepinephrine-dependent blood pressure elevations were conserved in NOX1-deficient mice, demonstrating that, different from angiotensin II, it acts through NOX1-independent hypertensive mechanisms. The resistance of NOX1-deficient mice to angiotensin II–induced aortic dissection suggests a role for NOX1-dependent alterations of the vascular wall. We, therefore, studied gene expression and protease/inhibitor equilibrium. cDNA array analysis demonstrated differential effects of angiotensin II on gene expression in wild-type and NOX1-deficient mice. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 was increased both on the mRNA and the protein level in aortas from NOX1-deficient mice. Thus, our results demonstrate that NOX1 is involved in the mechanisms of angiotensin II–dependent aortic dissection. As one underlying mechanism, we have identified NOX1-dependent suppression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 expression, which could lead to tissue damage through an altered protease/inhibitor balance.

NADPH Oxidase-1 Plays a Crucial Role in Hyperoxia-induced Acute Lung Injury in Mice

RATIONALE Hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury has been used for many years as a model of oxidative stress mimicking clinical acute lung injury and the acute respiratory distress syndrome. Excess quantities of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are responsible for oxidative stress-induced lung injury. ROS are produced by mitochondrial chain transport, but also by NADPH oxidase (NOX) family members. Although NOX1 and NOX2 are expressed in the lungs, their precise function has not been determined until now. OBJECTIVES To determine whether NOX1 and NOX2 contribute in vivo to hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury. METHODS Wild-type and NOX1- and NOX2-deficient mice, as well as primary lung epithelial and endothelial cells, were exposed to room air or 100% O(2) for 72 hours. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Lung injury was significantly prevented in NOX1-deficient mice, but not in NOX2-deficient mice. Hyperoxia-dependent ROS production was strongly reduced in lung sections, in isolated epithelial type II cells, and lung endothelial cells from NOX1-deficient mice. Concomitantly, lung cell death in situ and in primary cells was markedly decreased in NOX1-deficient mice. In wild-type mice, hyperoxia led to phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), two mitogen-activated protein kinases involved in cell death signaling, and to caspase-3 activation. In NOX1-deficient mice, JNK phosphorylation was blunted, and ERK phosphorylation and caspase-3 activation were decreased. CONCLUSIONS NOX1 is an important contributor to ROS production and cell death of the alveolocapillary barrier during hyperoxia and is an upstream actor in oxidative stress-induced acute lung injury involving JNK and ERK pathways in mice.

Phagocyte NADPH oxidase, chronic granulomatous disease and mycobacterial infections

Infection of humans with Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains frequent and may still lead to death. After primary infection, the immune system is often able to control M. tuberculosis infection over a prolonged latency period, but a decrease in immune function (from HIV to immunosenescence) leads to active disease. Available vaccines against tuberculosis are restricted to BCG, a live vaccine with an attenuated strain of M. bovis. Immunodeficiency may not only be associated with an increased risk of tuberculosis, but also with local or disseminated BCG infection. Genetic deficiency in the reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐producing phagocyte NADPH oxidase NOX2 is called chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). CGD is among the most common primary immune deficiencies. Here we review our knowledge on the importance of NOX2‐derived ROS in mycobacterial infection. A literature review suggests that human CGD patient frequently have an increased susceptibility to BCG and to M. tuberculosis. In vitro studies and experiments with CGD mice are incomplete and yielded – at least in part – contradictory results. Thus, although observations in human CGD patients leave little doubt about the role of NOX2 in the control of mycobacteria, further studies will be necessary to unequivocally define and understand the role of ROS.

Branched fungal β‐glucan causes hyperinflammation and necrosis in phagocyte NADPH oxidase‐deficient mice

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), a genetic disorder characterized by the absence of a functional phagocyte NADPH oxidase, is a severe immune deficiency. However, non‐infectious hyperinflammation is a second hallmark of the disease. In CGD mouse models, sterile hyperinflammation can be induced by A. fumigatus cell wall preparations. In this study, we used subcutaneous injection of microbial cell walls and cell wall components to identify causes of CGD hyperinflammation and to characterize its histological features. Sterile cell wall preparations from fungi (A. fumigatus, C. albicans, S. cerevisiae), but not from bacteria (S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, E. coli), caused prolonged and severe skin inflammation in CGD mice. To identify fungal cell wall elements responsible for this process, we investigated microbial cell wall‐derived monosubstances. Injection of β(1–3)(1–6)‐glucan induced severe hyperinflammation in CGD mice, while other fungal cell components [mannan, (1–3) β‐glucan] or bacterial cell wall components (lipopolysaccharide, lipoteichoic acid) caused no or only moderate inflammation. β‐glucan‐induced hyperinflammation was predominantly due to a defect in termination of inflammation, as in the initial stage (2 days), the severity of inflammation and the extent of cell death were comparable in wild‐type and CGD mice. At later stages (7 days), β(1–3)(1–6)‐glucan‐induced inflammation had subsided in wild‐type mice. In contrast, CGD mice showed persistent severe inflammation with central necrosis, containing abundant apoptotic and necrotic cells. In summary, branched fungal β‐glucan induces a severe inflammatory reaction in the absence of phagocyte NADPH oxidase. As opposed to the commonly perceived notion that reactive oxygen species are the cause of cell death, our results demonstrate that tissue necrosis can be caused by the absence of a superoxide‐producing enzyme. Copyright

Hyperinflammation of chronic granulomatous disease is abolished by NOX2 reconstitution in macrophages and dendritic cells

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), caused by a lack of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by the phagocyte NADPH oxidase NOX2, leads to massively increased inflammatory responses. In order to identify the type of phagocyte which requires NOX2 activity to limit inflammation, we investigated mice with a loss of function mutation in the Ncf1 gene coding for the p

Macrophage‐specific NOX2 contributes to the development of lung emphysema through modulation of SIRT1/MMP‐9 pathways

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