Jason S. Koh

Lysophosphatidic acid is a major serum noncytokine survival factor for murine macrophages which acts via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling pathway.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is the smallest and structurally simplest of all the glycerophospholipids. It occurs normally in serum and binds with high affinity to albumin, while retaining its biological activity. The effects of LPA are pleiotropic and range from mitogenesis to stress fiber formation. We show a novel role for LPA: as a macrophage survival factor with potency equivalent to serum. Administration of LPA protects macrophages from apoptosis induced by serum deprivation, and protection is equivalent to that with conventional survival factors such as macrophage colony stimulating factor. The ability of LPA to act as a survival factor is mediated by the lipid kinase phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), since LPA activated both the p85-p110 and p110gamma isoforms of PI3K and macrophage survival was blocked completely by wortmannin or LY294002, two mechanistically dissimilar inhibitors of PI3K. pp70(s6k), a downstream kinase activated by PI3K, also contributes to survival, because inhibitors of pp70(s6k), such as rapamycin, blocked macrophage survival in the presence of LPA. Modified forms of LPA and phospholipids, such as phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, had no survival effect, thereby showing the specificity of LPA. These results show that LPA acts as a potent macrophage survival factor. Based on striking similarities between our LPA and serum data, we suggest that LPA is a major noncytokine survival factor in serum.

Albumin is a major serum survival factor for renal tubular cells and macrophages through scavenging of ROS

We have previously shown that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), an abundant serum lipid that binds with high affinity to albumin, is a potent survival factor for mouse proximal tubular cells and peritoneal macrophages. We show here that BSA also has potent survival activity independent of bound lipids. Delipidated BSA (dBSA) protected cells from apoptosis induced by FCS withdrawal at concentrations as low as 1% of that in FCS. dBSA did not activate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, implying that its survival activity occurs via a mechanism distinct from that for most cytokines. On the basis of the following evidence, we propose that dBSA inhibits apoptosis by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS): 1) FCS withdrawal leads to ROS accumulation that is inhibitable by dBSA; 2) during protection from apoptosis, sulfhydryl and hydroxyl groups of dBSA are oxidized; and 3) chemical blockage of free sulfhydryl groups or preoxidation of dBSA with H(2)O(2) removes its survival activity. Moreover, dBSA confers almost complete protection from cell death in a well-established model of oxidative injury (xanthine/xanthine oxidase). These results implicate albumin as a major serum survival factor. Inhibition of apoptosis by albumin occurs through at least two distinct mechanisms: carriage of LPA and scavenging of ROS.We have previously shown that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), an abundant serum lipid that binds with high affinity to albumin, is a potent survival factor for mouse proximal tubular cells and peritoneal macrophages. We show here that BSA also has potent survival activity independent of bound lipids. Delipidated BSA (dBSA) protected cells from apoptosis induced by FCS withdrawal at concentrations as low as 1% of that in FCS. dBSA did not activate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, implying that its survival activity occurs via a mechanism distinct from that for most cytokines. On the basis of the following evidence, we propose that dBSA inhibits apoptosis by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS): 1) FCS withdrawal leads to ROS accumulation that is inhibitable by dBSA; 2) during protection from apoptosis, sulfhydryl and hydroxyl groups of dBSA are oxidized; and 3) chemical blockage of free sulfhydryl groups or preoxidation of dBSA with H2O2removes its survival activity. Moreover, dBSA confers almost complete protection from cell death in a well-established model of oxidative injury (xanthine/xanthine oxidase). These results implicate albumin as a major serum survival factor. Inhibition of apoptosis by albumin occurs through at least two distinct mechanisms: carriage of LPA and scavenging of ROS.

Lysophosphatidic acid: a novel growth and survival factor for renal proximal tubular cells

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is the smallest and structurally simplest of all glycerophospholipids. LPA is a normal constituent of serum and binds with high affinity to albumin while retaining its biological activity. The effects of LPA are pleiotropic and range from mitogenesis to stress fiber formation. In this report, we demonstrate two novel functions for LPA. LPA acts as a survival factor to inhibit apoptosis of primary cultures of mouse renal proximal tubular (MPT) cells. LPA also acts as a potent mitogen for MPT cells. The ability of LPA to act as both a survival factor and a mitogen is mediated by the lipid kinase phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), since these activities were completely blocked by wortmannin or LY-294002, two structurally dissimilar inhibitors of PI3K. The identification of LPA as a proliferative and anti-apoptotic factor suggests a potential role for this lipid mediator during the injury and/or recovery phases following tubular damage.Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is the smallest and structurally simplest of all glycerophospholipids. LPA is a normal constituent of serum and binds with high affinity to albumin while retaining its biological activity. The effects of LPA are pleiotropic and range from mitogenesis to stress fiber formation. In this report, we demonstrate two novel functions for LPA. LPA acts as a survival factor to inhibit apoptosis of primary cultures of mouse renal proximal tubular (MPT) cells. LPA also acts as a potent mitogen for MPT cells. The ability of LPA to act as both a survival factor and a mitogen is mediated by the lipid kinase phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), since these activities were completely blocked by wortmannin or LY-294002, two structurally dissimilar inhibitors of PI3K. The identification of LPA as a proliferative and anti-apoptotic factor suggests a potential role for this lipid mediator during the injury and/or recovery phases following tubular damage.

Role of superoxide in apoptosis induced by growth factor withdrawal

We have examined the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in apoptosis induced by growth factor deprivation in primary cultures of mouse proximal tubular (MPT) cells. When confluent monolayers of MPT cells are deprived of all growth factors, the cells die by apoptosis over a 10- and 14-day period. Both epidermal growth factor (EGF) and high-dose insulin directly inhibit apoptosis of MPT cells deprived of growth factors. Growth factor deprivation results in an increase in the cellular levels of superoxide anion while apoptosis of MPT cells induced by growth factor withdrawal is inhibited by a number of antioxidants and scavengers of ROS. Growth factor deprivation also results in activation of caspase activity, which is inhibited by EGF and high-dose insulin as well as by the ROS scavengers and antioxidants that inhibit apoptosis. The cell-permeant caspase inhibitor, z-Val-Ala-Asp-CH2F (zVAD-fmk), prevents the increase in caspase activity and markedly inhibits apoptosis induced by growth factor deprivation. However, zVAD-fmk had no effect on the increased levels of superoxide associated with growth factor deprivation. Thus we provide novel evidence that ROS play an important role in mediating apoptosis associated with growth factor deprivation. ROS appear to act upstream of caspases in the apoptotic pathway. We hypothesize that oxidant stress, induced by growth factor withdrawal, represents a signaling mechanism for the default pathway of apoptosis.

Apoptosis and autoimmunity.

Apoptotic cell antigens have been identified increasingly as the targets of autoantibodies in autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus. This review examines evidence supporting the hypothesis that apoptotic cells are a primary source of immunogen in lupus, as well as potential mechanisms by which tolerance to apoptotic cells may break down.

Macrophages from lupus-prone MRL mice are characterized by abnormalities in Rho activity, cytoskeletal organization, and adhesiveness to extracellular matrix proteins

Macrophages (mφ) from prediseased mice of the major murine models of lupus have an identical defect in cytokine expression that is triggered by serum and/or apoptotic cells. It is striking that cytokine expression in the absence of serum and apoptotic cells is equivalent to that of nonautoimmune mice. Here, we show that mφ from prediseased lupus‐prone MRL/MpJ (MRL/+) or MRL/MpJ‐Tnfrsf6lpr (MRL/lpr) mice also have reversible abnormalities in morphology, cytoskeletal organization, and adhesive properties. In the presence of serum, MRL mφ adhered in increased numbers to a variety of extracellular matrix proteins compared with mφ from two nonautoimmune strains. However, in the absence of serum, adhesion by MRL mφ was similar to that of nonautoimmune mφ. Increased adhesion by MRL mφ was also observed in the presence of apoptotic, but not necrotic, cells. The morphology and actin‐staining pattern of adherent MRL mφ were consistent with reduced activity of Rho, a cytoskeletal regulator. Indeed, MRL mφ cultured in the presence of serum had markedly decreased levels of active Rho compared with nonautoimmune mφ. It is remarkable that when cultured in the absence of serum, MRL mφ displayed normal Rho activity and cytoskeletal morphology. Addition of a Rho inhibitor to normal mφ reproduced the morphologic and cytoskeletal abnormalities observed in MRL mφ. Taken together, our findings support the hypothesis that mφ from MRL and other systemic lupus erythematosus‐prone mice have an apoptotic, cell‐dependent, autoimmune phenotype that affects a broad range of mφ functions, including cytokine gene expression and Rho‐dependent cytoskeletal regulation.