Dmitry Namgaladze

Redox Control of Inflammation in Macrophages

Macrophages are present throughout the human body, constitute important immune effector cells, and have variable roles in a great number of pathological, but also physiological, settings. It is apparent that macrophages need to adjust their activation profile toward a steadily changing environment that requires altering their phenotype, a process known as macrophage polarization. Formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), derived from NADPH-oxidases, mitochondria, or NO-producing enzymes, are not necessarily toxic, but rather compose a network signaling system, known as redox regulation. Formation of redox signals in classically versus alternatively activated macrophages, their action and interaction at the level of key targets, and the resulting physiology still are insufficiently understood. We review the identity, source, and biological activities of ROS produced during macrophage activation, and discuss how they shape the key transcriptional responses evoked by hypoxia-inducible transcription factors, nuclear-erythroid 2-p45-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ. We summarize the mechanisms how redox signals add to the process of macrophage polarization and reprogramming, how this is controlled by the interaction of macrophages with their environment, and addresses the outcome of the polarization process in health and disease. Future studies need to tackle the option whether we can use the knowledge of redox biology in macrophages to shape their mediator profile in pathophysiology, to accelerate healing in injured tissue, to fight the invading pathogens, or to eliminate settings of altered self in tumors.

Oxidation and Nitrosation in the Nitrogen Monoxide/Superoxide System

Based on the previous report of McCord and co-workers (Crow, J. P., Beckman, J. S., and McCord, J. M. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 3544–3552), the zinc dithiolate active site of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) has been studied as a target for cellular oxidants. In the nitrogen monoxide (⋅NO)/superoxide (O 2 ⨪ ) system, an equimolar generation of both radicals under peroxynitrite (PN) formation led to rapid inactivation of ADH activity, whereas hydrogen peroxide and ⋅NO alone reacted too slowly to be of physiological significance. 3-Morpholino sydnonimine inactivated the enzyme with an IC50 value of 250 nm; the corresponding values for PN, hydrogen peroxide, and⋅NO were 500 nm, 50 μm, and 200 μm. When superoxide was generated at low fluxes by xanthine oxidase, it was quite effective in ADH inactivation (IC50 (XO) ≈ 1 milliunit/ml). All inactivations were accompanied by zinc release and disulfide formation, although no strict correlation was observed. From the two zinc thiolate centers, only the zinc Cys2His center released the metal by oxidants. The zinc Cys4 center was also oxidized, but no second zinc atom could be found with 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR) as a chelating agent except under denaturing conditions. Surprisingly, the oxidative actions of PN were abolished by a 2–3-fold excess of ⋅NO under generation of a nitrosating species, probably dinitrogen trioxide. We conclude that in cellular systems, low fluxes of ⋅NO and O 2 ⨪ generate peroxynitrite at levels effective for zinc thiolate oxidations, facilitated by the nucleophilic nature of the complexed thiolate group. With an excess of ⋅NO, the PN actions are blocked, which may explain the antioxidant properties of⋅NO and the mechanism of cellularS-nitrosations.

Antioxidant signaling via Nrf2 counteracts lipopolysaccharide-mediated inflammatory responses in foam cell macrophages.

Inflammatory conditions and oxidative stress contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a redox-sensitive transcription factor known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and, thus, cell-protective properties. Its role in effecting a deactivated state of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-generated foam cell macrophages (FCMs), a prevailing cellular phenotype of atherosclerotic lesions, has not been investigated yet. In this study RAW264.7- or mouse peritoneal macrophage-derived FCMs showed reduced mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and IL-6 and an attenuated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as analyzed by hydroethidine in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and compared to LPS-treated control macrophages. In peritoneal FCMs from Nrf2-/- mice (C57BL/6J), the LPS-induced proinflammatory response was restored. OxLDL induced heme oxygenase (HO)-1, which was Nrf2-dependent, and inhibition of HO-1 activity in FCMs using zinc protoporphyrin-IX allowed the cells to regain a proinflammatory phenotype. Mechanistically, oxLDL attenuated ROS-dependent activation of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) family members in FCMs, thereby reducing cytokine expression. Thus, in FCMs the Nrf2/HO-1 axis intervenes in LPS signaling. ROS production is impaired, C/EBP transactivation is reduced, and consequently the expression of proinflammatory mediators is attenuated, thereby shaping a desensitized FCM phenotype. This macrophage phenotype may be important for the progression of atherosclerosis.

Oxidized LDL attenuates apoptosis in monocytic cells by activating ERK signaling.

Low concentrations of oxidized low density lipoprotein (OxLDL) are cytoprotective for phagocytes, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated signaling pathways used by OxLDL to attenuate apoptosis in monocytic cells. OxLDL at 25–50 μg/ml inhibited staurosporine-induced apoptosis in THP-1 cells and mouse peritoneal macrophages, and it was cytoprotective in human primary monocytes upon serum withdrawal. Attenuated cell demise was reversed by blocking extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling. Translocation of cytochrome c to the cytosol was attenuated by OxLDL, which again demanded ERK signaling. Analysis of Bcl-2 family proteins revealed phosphorylation of Bad at serine 112 as well as ERK-dependent inhibition of Mcl-1 degradation. Although the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is an established signal generated by OxLDL, ROS scavengers did not interfere with cell protection by OxLDL. Thus, activation of the ERK signaling pathway by OxLDL is important to protect phagocytes from apoptosis.

Inhibition of macrophage fatty acid β-oxidation exacerbates palmitate-induced inflammatory and endoplasmic reticulum stress responses

Aims/hypothesisSaturated fatty acids (SFAs) such as palmitate activate inflammatory pathways and elicit an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response in macrophages, thereby contributing to the development of insulin resistance linked to the metabolic syndrome. This study addressed the question of whether or not mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) affects macrophage responses to SFA.MethodsWe modulated the activity of carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1A (CPT1A) in macrophage-differentiated THP-1 monocytic cells using genetic or pharmacological approaches, treated the cells with palmitate and analysed the proinflammatory and ER stress signatures.ResultsTo inhibit FAO, we created THP-1 cells with a stable knockdown (KD) of CPT1A and differentiated them to macrophages. Consequently, in CPT1A-silenced cells FAO was reduced. CPT1A KD in THP-1 macrophages increased proinflammatory signalling, cytokine expression and ER stress responses after palmitate treatment. In addition, in human primary macrophages CPT1A KD elevated palmitate-induced inflammatory gene expression. Pharmacological inhibition of FAO with etomoxir recapitulated the CPT1A KD phenotype. Conversely, overexpression of a malonyl-CoA-insensitive CPT1A M593S mutant reduced inflammatory and ER stress responses to palmitate in THP-1 macrophages. Macrophages with a CPT1A KD accumulated diacylglycerols and triacylglycerols after palmitate treatment, while ceramide accumulation remained unaltered. Moreover, lipidomic analysis of ER phospholipids revealed increased palmitate incorporation into phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine classes associated with the CPT1A KD.Conclusions/interpretationOur data indicate that FAO attenuates inflammatory and ER stress responses in SFA-exposed macrophages, suggesting an anti-inflammatory impact of drugs that activate FAO.

Superoxide as inhibitor of calcineurin and mediator of redox regulation

The concept of NO as a redoxactive messenger has to be broadened by including superoxide as an antagonistic messenger. Superoxide alone was found to inhibit calcineurin by interacting with the FeII-ZnII binuclear site. This links oxidative stress conditions with a Ca-dependent phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cascade. When NO and superoxide are generated at equal fluxes the resulting peroxynitrite can cause tyrosine nitrations (e.g. prostacyclin synthase inhibition) or oxidations of zinc-fingers in proteins, indicating a new messenger function. Finally, if generated in excess, NO can convert peroxynitrite to N(2)O(3) as a nitrosating agent. Thus, the NO/superoxide system provides four different messengers affecting important regulatory pathways.

Fatty acid oxidation is dispensable for human macrophage IL-4-induced polarization.

Macrophage polarization elicits various metabolic alterations which in turn influence the polarized phenotype. Activation of glycolytic metabolism accompanies and supports macrophage pro-inflammatory M1 polarization. In contrast, M2 polarization of murine macrophages in response to the Th2 cytokine interleukin-4 (IL-4) was linked to the up-regulation of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and fatty acid oxidation (FAO), which was necessary for coining an IL-4-polarized phenotype. Here we investigated whether similar mechanisms operate in human macrophages stimulated with IL-4. IL-4 causes only moderate changes of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and FAO, correlating with an unaltered expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1 α/β (PGC-1α/β), the master transcriptional regulators of mitochondrial biogenesis. Furthermore, attenuating FAO had no effect on IL-4-induced polarization-associated gene expression. Apparently, FAO is dispensable for IL-4-induced polarization of human macrophages, pointing to fundamental differences in the metabolic requirements of macrophage phenotype alterations between mice and humans.

The supernatant of apoptotic cells causes transcriptional activation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha in macrophages via sphingosine-1-phosphate and transforming growth factor-beta.

Macrophages infiltrating solid tumors exhibit a tumor-supporting phenotype and are critical for tumor development. Little is known which tumor-derived signal provokes this phenotype shift and how these signals are interpreted in macrophages to support tumor growth. We used the supernatant of apoptotic cells and noticed transcriptional, nuclear factor of activated T cells-dependent up-regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha mRNA, subsequent protein expression, and HIF-1 activity. Blocking calcineurin with cyclosporine A attenuated nuclear factor of activated T cells binding during electrophoretic mobility shift assay analysis and circumvented the HIF-1alpha mRNA increase. Knockdown experiments, receptor analysis, and antibody neutralization pointed to sphingosine-1-phosphate and transforming growth factor-beta as the initiators of the HIF-1 response. The use of macrophages from conditional HIF-1alpha knockout mice revealed that macrophages, under the impact of apoptotic cell supernatants, use HIF-1 to produce factors that induce CD31 expression in murine embryonic stem cells. Our study supports the notion that soluble factors produced from apoptotic tumor cells activate the HIF-1 system under normoxia in macrophages to enhance their tumor-promoting capacity by, for example, releasing vascular endothelial growth factor. This shows the importance of HIF-1-elicited responses in regulatory macrophages under normoxia.

Hypoxia Potentiates Palmitate-induced Pro-inflammatory Activation of Primary Human Macrophages.

Pro-inflammatory cytokines secreted by adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) contribute to chronic low-grade inflammation and obesity-induced insulin resistance. Recent studies have shown that adipose tissue hypoxia promotes an inflammatory phenotype in ATMs. However, our understanding of how hypoxia modulates the response of ATMs to free fatty acids within obese adipose tissue is limited. We examined the effects of hypoxia (1% O2) on the pro-inflammatory responses of human monocyte-derived macrophages to the saturated fatty acid palmitate. Compared with normoxia, hypoxia significantly increased palmitate-induced mRNA expression and protein secretion of IL-6 and IL-1β. Although palmitate-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and nuclear factor κB pathway activation were not enhanced by hypoxia, hypoxia increased the activation of JNK and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling in palmitate-treated cells. Inhibition of JNK blocked the hypoxic induction of pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, whereas knockdown of hypoxia-induced transcription factors HIF-1α and HIF-2α alone or in combination failed to reduce IL-6 and only modestly reduced IL-1β gene expression in palmitate-treated hypoxic macrophages. Enhanced pro-inflammatory cytokine production and JNK activity under hypoxia were prevented by inhibiting reactive oxygen species generation. In addition, silencing of dual-specificity phosphatase 16 increased normoxic levels of IL-6 and IL-1β and reduced the hypoxic potentiation in palmitate-treated macrophages. The secretome of hypoxic palmitate-treated macrophages promoted IL-6 and macrophage chemoattractant protein 1 expression in primary human adipocytes, which was sensitive to macrophage JNK inhibition. Our results reveal that the coexistence of hypoxia along with free fatty acids exacerbates macrophage-mediated inflammation.

The supernatant of apoptotic cells causes transcriptional activation of hypoxia-inducible factor–1α in macrophages via sphingosine-1-phosphate and transforming growth factor-β

Macrophages infiltrating solid tumors exhibit a tumor-supporting phenotype and are critical for tumor development. Little is known which tumor-derived signal provokes this phenotype shift and how these signals are interpreted in macrophages to support tumor growth. We used the supernatant of apoptotic cells and noticed transcriptional, nuclear factor of activated T cells-dependent up-regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha mRNA, subsequent protein expression, and HIF-1 activity. Blocking calcineurin with cyclosporine A attenuated nuclear factor of activated T cells binding during electrophoretic mobility shift assay analysis and circumvented the HIF-1alpha mRNA increase. Knockdown experiments, receptor analysis, and antibody neutralization pointed to sphingosine-1-phosphate and transforming growth factor-beta as the initiators of the HIF-1 response. The use of macrophages from conditional HIF-1alpha knockout mice revealed that macrophages, under the impact of apoptotic cell supernatants, use HIF-1 to produce factors that induce CD31 expression in murine embryonic stem cells. Our study supports the notion that soluble factors produced from apoptotic tumor cells activate the HIF-1 system under normoxia in macrophages to enhance their tumor-promoting capacity by, for example, releasing vascular endothelial growth factor. This shows the importance of HIF-1-elicited responses in regulatory macrophages under normoxia.