Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0036690 (sepsis)
 59,461 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Electrical coupling along the endothelium is central in the arteriolar conducted response and in control of vascular resistance. It has been shown that exposure of endothelium to lipopolysaccharide (LPS, an initiating factor in sepsis) reduces intercellular communication in vitro and in vivo. The molecular basis for this reduction is not known. We examined the effect of LPS on electrical coupling in monolayers of cultured mouse microvascular endothelial cells (MMEC) derived from the mouse hindlimb skeletal muscle. To assess coupling, we measured the spread of electrical current injected into the monolayer and computed the monolayer intercellular resistance (inverse measure of coupling). LPS (10 microg/ml, 1 h) reduced coupling (i.e., increased resistance) in MMEC isolated from wild-type, connexin37 (Cx37) null and Cx43(G60S) (nonfunctional mutant) mice, but not in MMEC derived from Cx40 null mice. LPS also activated JNK1/2, p38 and ERK1/2 MAP kinases. Pretreatment of WT monolayers with ERK1/2 inhibitor U0126 (20 microM, 1 h) prevented the LPS-induced decrease in coupling, while inhibition of JNK1/2 with SP600125 (20 microM, 1 h) and p38 with a p38 inhibitor (10 nM, 1 h) had no effect. Furthermore, inhibition of tyrosine kinases with PP-2 (10 nM, 1 h), activation of PKA by 8-bromo-cAMP (1 mM, 5 min), and activation of PKC by bryostatin-2 (10 nM, 1 h) also prevented the reduction in coupling. We propose that LPS reduces inter-endothelial electrical coupling via tyrosine-, ERK1/2-, PKA-, and PKC-dependent signaling that targets Cx40. We suggest that this mechanism contributes to compromised arteriolar function following LPS exposure.
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PMID:Lipopolysaccharide reduces electrical coupling in microvascular endothelial cells by targeting connexin40 in a tyrosine-, ERK1/2-, PKA-, and PKC-dependent manner. 1714 6

Adrenomedullin (ADM) is a vasodilator peptide that has a variety of effects, including antithrombotic activities and resistant roles to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced septic shock. During sepsis, LPS triggers the development of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) via the tissue factor-dependent pathway of coagulation. It is unknown whether the antithrombotic activities of ADM contribute to its resistance to sepsis. In the present study, we investigated the effects of ADM on tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) (primary anticoagulant factor) expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) exposed to LPS, and the possible underlying mechanism for these effects. Exposure of HUVECs to LPS for 12 hours caused significant decrease of TFPI protein activities and mRNA expression. These effects were abolished by treatment with ADM (10(-10) to 10(-6) M), cAMP analogue and calcium antagonist. Accordingly, cAMP antagonist inhibited the counteraction effect of ADM on LPS in TFPI expression. Electrophoresis mobility shift assay (EMSA) and Western blot analysis showed that the protein level of GATA-2 and SP1 transcriptional factors and their binding to the corresponding regulatory sequences decreased by LPS treatment. And these effects of LPS were antagonized by ADM. Promoter-reporter assays and mutational analysis also confirmed the roles of GATA-2 and SP1 motifs from -1247 to -381 bp promoter sequence in TFPI inducible expression. Taken together, these results indicate that ADM antagonizes the effect of LPS on TFPI expression, which is mediated by affecting transcriptional factor GATA-2 and SP1 through cAMP and calcium signaling pathway.
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PMID:Crucial roles of GATA-2 and SP1 in adrenomedullin-affected expression of tissue factor pathway inhibitor in human umbilical vein endothelial cells exposed to lipopolysaccharide. 1747 96

Sepsis-related acute kidney injury (AKI) is the leading cause of AKI in intensive care units. Endotoxin is a primary initiator of inflammatory and hemodynamic consequences of sepsis and is associated with experimental AKI. The present study was undertaken to further examine the role of the endothelium, specifically prostacyclin (PGI(2)), in the pathogenesis of endotoxemia-related AKI. A low dose of endotoxin (LPS, 1 mg/kg) in wild-type (WT) mice was associated with stable glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (164.0 +/- 16.7 vs. 173.3 +/- 6.7 microl/min, P = not significant) as urinary excretion of 6-keto-PGF(1alpha), the major metabolite of PGI(2), increased. When cyclooxygenase inhibition with indomethacin abolished this rise in 6-keto-PGF(1alpha), the same low dose of LPS significantly decreased GFR (110.7 +/- 12.1 vs. 173.3 +/- 6.7 microl/min, P < 0.05). The same dose of indomethacin did not alter GFR in WT mice. To further study the role of PGI(2) in endotoxemia, renal-specific PGI synthase (PGIs) transgenic (Tg) mice were developed that had increased PGIs expression only in the kidney and increased urinary 6-keto-PGF(1alpha). These Tg mice, however, demonstrated endotoxemia-related AKI with low-dose LPS (1 mg/kg) (GFR: 12.6 +/- 3.9 vs. 196.5 +/- 21.0 microl/min P < 0.01), which did not alter GFR in WT mice (164.0 +/- 16.7 vs. 173.3 +/- 6.7 microl/min, P = not significant). An elevation in renal cAMP, however, suggested an activation of the PGI(2)-cAMP-renin system in these Tg mice. Moreover, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition afforded protection against endotoxin-related AKI in these Tg mice. Thus endothelial PGIs-mediated PGI(2), as previously shown with endothelial nitric oxide synthase-mediated nitric oxide, contributes to renal protection against endotoxemia-related AKI. This effect may be overridden by excessive activation of the renin-angiotensin system in renal-specific PGIs Tg mice.
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PMID:Prostacyclin in endotoxemia-induced acute kidney injury: cyclooxygenase inhibition and renal prostacyclin synthase transgenic mice. 1765 70

Endothelial barrier dysfunction leading to increased permeability and vascular leakage is an underlying cause of several pathological conditions, including edema and sepsis. Whereas cAMP has been shown to decrease endothelial permeability, the role of cGMP is controversial. Endothelial cells express cGMP-inhibited phosphodiesterase (PDE)3A and cGMP-stimulated PDE2A. Thus we hypothesized that the effect of cGMP on endothelial permeability is dependent on the concentration of cGMP present and on the relative expression levels of PDE2A and PDE3A. When cAMP synthesis was slightly elevated with a submaximal concentration of 7-deacetyl-7-(O-[N-methylpiperazino]-gamma-butyryl)-dihydrochloride-forskolin (MPB-forskolin), we found that low doses of either atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) or NO donors potentiated the inhibitory effects of MPB-forskolin on thrombin-induced permeability. However, this inhibitory effect of forskolin was reversed at higher doses of ANP or NO. These data suggest that cGMP at lower concentrations inhibits PDE3A and thereby increases a local pool of cAMP, whereas higher concentrations cGMP activates PDE2A, reversing the effect. Inhibitors of PDE3A mimicked the effect of low-dose ANP on thrombin-induced permeability, and inhibition of PDE2A reversed the stimulation of permeability seen with higher doses of ANP. Finally, increasing PDE2A expression with tumor necrosis factor-alpha reversed the inhibition of permeability caused by low doses of ANP. As predicted, the effect of tumor necrosis factor-alpha on permeability was reversed by a PDE2A inhibitor. These findings suggest that the effect of increasing concentrations of cGMP on endothelial permeability is biphasic, which, in large part, is attributable to the relative amounts of PDE2A and PDE3A in endothelial cells.
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PMID:Differential regulation of endothelial cell permeability by cGMP via phosphodiesterases 2 and 3. 1770 6

The Gram-positive pathogen Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis in human newborns. GBS elaborates a pore-forming toxin known as CAMP factor that synergizes with Staphylococcus aureus beta-toxin, generating a co-hemolytic reaction useful in identification of GBS in the clinical laboratory. To evaluate the indirect evidence implicating CAMP factor in GBS pathogenesis, the cfb gene encoding the pore-forming cytotoxin was deleted by precise allelic replacement. The virulence properties of the CAMP factor mutant were then explored by a series of in vitro and in vivo assays. Compared to wild-type, the isogenic GBS Deltacfb mutant demonstrated equivalent phagocyte resistance and endothelial cell invasiveness and also retained full virulence in a mouse model of infection. Our data suggest that CAMP factor expressed in its native context is not essential for systemic virulence of GBS.
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PMID:CAMP factor is not essential for systemic virulence of Group B Streptococcus. 1787 Feb 97

Although loss of endothelial barrier function is a hallmark of every acute inflammation and contributes to fatal loss of organ function during severe infections, there is no sufficient therapy for stabilization of endothelial barrier function. Endogenous peptide adrenomedullin (AM) serum levels were shown to be increased during severe infection including sepsis and septic shock. In different in-vitro and in-vivo models AM acted as a potent therapeutic endothelial barrier function-stabilizing agent. Activation of specific receptors by AM results in elevation of second messenger cAMP. AM inhibits actin-myosin based endothelial cell contraction and junctional disassembly, thereby preventing paracellular permeability and oedema formation. The peptide furthermore possesses several protective cardiovascular qualities, including protection of the microcirculation during inflammation, and was proven as an efficient counter-regulatory molecule in various models of sepsis and septic shock. Overall, AM may be an attractive molecule to combat against cardiovascular malfunction during severe infection.
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PMID:Adrenomedullin and endothelial barrier function. 1800 May 97

Acute lung injury, sepsis, lung inflammation, and ventilator-induced lung injury are life-threatening conditions associated with lung vascular barrier dysfunction, which may lead to pulmonary edema. Increased levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in lung circulation reported in these pathologies suggest its potential role in the modulation of lung injury. Besides well recognized physiological effects on vascular tone, plasma volume, and renal function, ANP may exhibit protective effects in models of lung vascular endothelial cell (EC) barrier dysfunction. However, the molecular mechanisms of ANP protective effects are not well understood. The recently described cAMP-dependent guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) Epac activates small GTPase Rap1, which results in activation of small GTPase Rac-specific GEFs Tiam1 and Vav2 and Rac-mediated EC barrier protective responses. Our results show that ANP stimulated protein kinase A and the Epac/Rap1/Tiam/Vav/Rac cascade dramatically attenuated thrombin-induced pulmonary EC permeability and the disruption of EC monolayer integrity. Using pharmacological and molecular activation and inhibition of cAMP-and cGMP-dependent protein kinases (PKA and PKG), Epac, Rap1, Tiam1, Vav2, and Rac we linked ANP-mediated protective effects to the activation of Epac/Rap and PKA signaling cascades, which dramatically inhibited the Rho pathway of thrombin-induced EC hyper-permeability. These results suggest a novel mechanism of ANP protective effects against agonist-induced pulmonary EC barrier dysfunction via inhibition of Rho signaling by Epac/Rap1-Rac and PKA signaling cascades.
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PMID:Epac/Rap and PKA are novel mechanisms of ANP-induced Rac-mediated pulmonary endothelial barrier protection. 1806 50

Inflammatory responses represent a hallmark of numerous pathologies including sepsis, bacterial infection, insulin resistance, and malign obesity. Here we describe an unexpected coactivator function for the nuclear receptor interacting protein 140 (RIP140) for nuclear factor kappaB (NFkappaB), a master transcriptional regulator of inflammation in multiple tissues. Previous work has shown that RIP140 suppresses the expression of metabolic gene networks, but we have found that genetic as well as acute deficiency of RIP140 leads to the inhibition of the proinflammatory program in macrophages. The ability of RIP140 to function as a coactivator for cytokine gene promoter activity relies on direct protein-protein interactions with the NFkappaB subunit RelA and histone acetylase cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB)-binding protein (CBP). RIP140-dependent control of proinflammatory gene expression via RelA/CBP may, therefore, represent a molecular rational for the cellular integration of metabolic and inflammatory pathways.
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PMID:Coactivator function of RIP140 for NFkappaB/RelA-dependent cytokine gene expression. 1846

Endothelial cells control the passage of plasma constituents and circulating cells from blood to the underlying tissues. This specialized function is lost or impaired in several pathological conditions - including inflammation, sepsis, ischemia and diabetes - which leads to severe, and sometimes fatal, organ dysfunction. Endothelial permeability is regulated in part by the dynamic opening and closure of cell-cell adherens junctions (AJs). In endothelial cells, AJs are largely composed of vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin), an endothelium-specific member of the cadherin family of adhesion proteins that binds, via its cytoplasmic domain, to several protein partners, including p120, beta-catenin and plakoglobin. Endogenous pathways that increase vascular permeability affect the function and organization of VE-cadherin and other proteins at AJs in diverse ways. For instance, several factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), induce the tyrosine phosphorylation of VE-cadherin, which accompanies an increase in vascular permeability and leukocyte diapedesis; in addition, the internalization and cleavage of VE-cadherin can cause AJs to be dismantled. From the knowledge of how AJ organization can be modulated, it is possible to formulate several pharmacological strategies to control the barrier function of the endothelium. We discuss the possible use of inhibitors of SRC and other kinases, of agents that increase cAMP levels, and of inhibitors of lytic enzymes as pharmacological tools for decreasing endothelial permeability.
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PMID:The role of adherens junctions and VE-cadherin in the control of vascular permeability. 1856 24

Septic shock was formerly recognized as a consequence of Gram-negative bacteraemia, but at present the incidence of Gram-positive sepsis seems to be more relevant, contributing for more than 50% of cases. Staphylococcal aureus can induce toxic shock in humans through the production of potent toxins termed Staphylococcal enterotoxins, from which Staphylococcal enterotoxin type B (SEB) is one of most studied. Platelets are reported to participate in pathogenesis of severe sepsis, but the exact role of platelets in this event is poorly investigated, particularly that caused by Gram-positive bacteria. Therefore, we have used the model of platelet adhesion to fibrinogen-coated plates to investigate the actions of SEB on human platelets. Ninety-six-well microtiter plates were coated with human fibrinogen (50 microg/mL), and human washed platelet suspension (6 x 10(6) platelets) was added to each well. Adherent platelets were quantified through measurement of acid phosphatase activity. Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (0.0001-30 microg/mL, incubated for 5 to 60 min) time- and dose-dependently inhibited platelet adhesion. This response was modified neither by the protein synthesis inhibitor puromycin (0.01 and 0.1 mM) nor by the superoxide scavengers superoxide dismutase (SOD, 100 units/mL) and polyethylene glycol-SOD (30 U/mL). The peroxide hydrogen (H(2)O(2)) scavenger catalase polyethylene glycol (1000 U/mL) significantly attenuated the platelet adhesion inhibition by SEB. The cAMP and cGMP levels were not changed by SEB (0.0001-30 microg/mL, 60 min). Our findings suggest that H(2)O(2) at least partly contributes to the inhibitory responses of human platelet adhesion by SEB.
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PMID:Inhibitory effects of staphylococcal enterotoxin type B on human platelet adhesion in vitro. 1892 11


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