Jeetendra Eswaraka

Estrogen Receptor-β-selective Ligands Alleviate High-fat Diet- and Ovariectomy-induced Obesity in Mice

Obesity is an epidemic problem affecting millions of people in the Western hemisphere and costs the United States economy more than

17-β Estradiol Protects ARPE-19 Cells from Oxidative Stress through Estrogen Receptor-β

200 billion annually. Currently, there are no effective treatments to combat obesity. Recent studies have implicated the constitutive activity of estrogen receptor (ER) β as an important regulator of metabolic diseases. However, the potential of ER-β-selective ligands to offset obesity is not clear. We evaluated the pharmacological effect of ER-β-selective ligands (β-LGNDs) in animal models of high-fat diet- and ovariectomy-induced obesity. Ligand binding, transactivation, and uterotrophic studies with β-LGNDs demonstrated selectivity for ER-β over ER-α. Animals fed a high-fat diet showed a significant increase in body weight, and this weight gain was attenuated by β-LGNDs. High-fat diet-mediated increases in serum cholesterol, leptin, glucose, and fat accumulation in organs were also reduced by β-LGNDs. In addition, MRI scanning indicated that β-LGNDs altered body composition by reducing fat mass and increasing lean body mass. Organ weights and gene expression analyses demonstrated that adipose tissue is the center of action for β-LGNDs, and the reduction in body weight is likely due to increased energy expenditure. In vitro and in vivo mechanistic studies indicated that the anti-obesity effects of β-LGNDs were due to indirect peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ antagonistic actions requiring the ligand binding domain of ER-β and through abrogation of the ability of PGC-1 to coactivate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ. In conclusion, these studies indicate that ligand-activated ER-β is a potential therapeutic target to combat obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases.

β-LGND2, an ERβ selective agonist, inhibits pathologic retinal neovascularization

PURPOSE To elucidate the mechanism of 17-β estradiol (17β-E(2))-mediated protection of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) from oxidative stress. METHODS Cultured ARPE-19 cells were subjected to oxidative stress with t-butyl hydroxide or hydrogen peroxide in the presence or absence of 17β-E(2). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured using H(2)DCFDA fluorescence. Apoptosis was evaluated by cell-death ELISA kit and Hoechst-3486 staining. Mitochondrial membrane potential was measured using the JC-1 assay. Cellular localization of estrogen receptor (ER) was evaluated by confocal microscopy. Gene expression and protein expression was quantified using qRT-PCR and western blotting. Superoxide dismutase and ATP levels were measured using commercial kits. RESULTS ARPE-19 cells expressed significant amounts of ERα and ERβ. Pretreatment with 17β-E2 protected ARPE-19 cells from oxidative stress and apoptosis. 17β-E(2) reduced the ROS levels and mitochondrial depolarization. The 17β-E(2)-mediated cytoprotection was inhibited by ER antagonists ICI (ERα and ERβ) and THC (ERβ) but not by tamoxifen (ERα). Knockdown of ERβ expression by siRNA abolished the protective effects of 17β-E(2). Further, qRT-PCR analysis revealed that 17β-E(2) pretreatment upregulated the expression of ERβ and phase II cellular antioxidant genes. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that 17β-E(2) protects ARPE-19 cells from oxidative stress through an ERβ-dependent mechanism. 17β-E(2)-mediated cytoprotection occurred through the preservation of mitochondrial function, reduction of ROS production, and induction of cellular antioxidant genes.

GTx-822, an ERβ-Selective Agonist, Protects Retinal Pigment Epithelium (ARPE-19) from Oxidative Stress by Activating MAPK and PI3-K Pathways

PURPOSE The goal of our study was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo anti-angiogenic effects of ERβ selective agonist, β-LGND2, using human retinal microvascular endothelial cell (HRMVEC) cultures and a mouse model for oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). METHODS The selectivity of β-LGND2 was determined using binding and transactivation assays. The effects of β-LGND2 on pathologic neovascularization were evaluated in OIR mice by histology and retinal mounts stained with isolectin B4 to quantify aberrant angiogenesis. Gene expression and protein levels were evaluated using Q-PCR, angiogenesis protein array, and Western blotting. A cell death detection ELISA kit was used to evaluate HRMVECs following hypoxic and hyperoxic conditions. In vitro angiogenesis was evaluated by growth factor-induced proliferation, tube formation, and cell migration assays. RESULTS β-LGND2-treated OIR mice had a reduced number of neovascular tufts compared to vehicle-treated animals and a significant amount of normal blood vessel maturation similar to normoxia controls. β-LGND2 inhibited in vitro hypoxia- or hyperoxia-induced cell death and the formation of endothelial tubular structures in an ERβ-specific mechanism. However, β-LGND2 did not inhibit significantly growth factor-induced HRMVEC proliferation and migration. Gene and protein studies revealed that OIR mice treated with β-LGND2 had lower levels of pro-angiogenic factors, like VEGF and HIF1α. CONCLUSIONS β-LGND2 inhibited in vitro and in vivo pathologic neovascularization in the retina in an ERβ-specific mechanism. These results show that β-LGND2, a non-steroidal ERβ selective agonist, could be a useful therapeutic for ocular diseases involving aberrant angiogenesis, like ROP, wet-AMD, and diabetic retinopathy.

Methods of treating meibomian gland dysfunction

PURPOSE The goal of this study was to determine whether an estrogen receptor-β (ERβ)-selective agonist (GTx-822; GTx, Inc., Memphis, TN) could prevent hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced oxidative stress in ARPE-19 cells and to elucidate the molecular pathways involved in this protection. METHODS The selectivity of GTx-822 for ERβ was determined by receptor-binding assay (RBA) and transactivation assay. Cultured ARPE-19 cells were subjected to oxidative stress with t-butyl hydroxide (t-BH) or hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in the presence and absence of GTx-822. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured by using H(2)DCFDA fluorescence. Apoptosis was evaluated by cell death ELISA. Mitochondrial membrane potential was measured with the JC-1 assay. Gene expression and protein expression and activation were quantitated with qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Phospho-protein arrays elucidated the activation of protein kinases. RESULTS The RBA and transactivation assay revealed that GTx-822 is an ERβ-selective agonist (K(i) = 0.53 nM). GTx-822 prevented oxidative stress in ARPE-19 cells. It preserved mitochondrial function and prevented cellular apoptosis. Pretreatment with GTx-822 increased ERβ gene and protein expression during oxidative stress. Upregulation of the phase II antioxidant genes GPx-2 and HO-1 was also seen in an ERβ-dependent mechanism. GTx-822 pretreatment induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2, PI3-K, and Bad. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report to show that GTx-822, an ERβ agonist, can protect ARPE-19 cells from the cellular apoptosis induced by oxidative stress. GTx-822 mediated cytoprotection was mediated through induction of both genomic and nongenomic pathways. The results of this study open new avenues for the use of a selective ERβ agonist in treatment of ocular diseases like AMD where oxidative stress plays a major role in disease pathogenesis.