Lysosome-membrane fusion mediated superoxide production in hyperglycaemia-induced endothelial dysfunction

PLoS One. 2012;7(1):e30387. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030387. Epub 2012 Jan 12.

Abstract

Lysosomal exocytosis and fusion to cellular membrane is critical in the oxidative stress formation of endothelium under apoptotic stimulus. We investigated the role therein of it in hyperglycaemia-induced endothelial dysfunction. The lysosome-membrane fusion was shown by the expression of lamp1, the lysosomal membrane marker, on cellular membrane and the transportation of lysosomal symbolic enzymes into cultural medium. We also examined the ceramide production, lipid rafts (LRs) clustering, colocalization of gp91(phox), a NADPH oxidase subunit (NOX) to LRs clusters, superoxide (O₂·⁻) formation and nitric oxide (NO) content in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and the endothelium-dependent NO-mediated vasodilation in isolated rat aorta. As compared to normal glucose (5.6 mmol/l, Ctrl) incubation, high glucose (22 mmol/l, HG) exposure facilitated the lysosome-membrane fusion in HUVEC shown by significantly increased quantity of lamp1 protein on cellular membrane and enhanced activity of lysosomal symbolized enzymes in cultural medium. HG incubation also elicited ceramide generation, LRs clustering and gp91(phox) colocalization to LRs clusters which were proved to mediate the HG induced O₂·⁻ formation and NO depletion in HUVEC. Functionally, the endothelium-dependent NO-mediated vasodilation in aorta was blunted substantially after HG incubation. Moreover, the HG-induced effect including ceramide production, LRs clustering, gp91(phox) colocalization to LRs clusters, O₂·⁻ formation and endothelial dysfunction could be blocked significantly by the inhibition of lysosome-membrane fusion. We propose that hyperglycaemia-induced endothelial impairment is closely related to the lysosome-membrane fusion and the following LRs clustering, LRs-NOX platforms formation and O₂·⁻ production.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Cathepsin C / metabolism
  • Ceramides / pharmacology
  • Culture Media
  • Endothelium / drug effects
  • Endothelium / physiopathology
  • Fluorescence
  • Gene Silencing / drug effects
  • Glucose / pharmacology
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / drug effects
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / enzymology
  • Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Hyperglycemia / metabolism
  • Hyperglycemia / pathology
  • Hyperglycemia / physiopathology*
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Lysosomes / drug effects
  • Lysosomes / metabolism*
  • Membrane Fusion* / drug effects
  • Membrane Microdomains / drug effects
  • Membrane Microdomains / enzymology
  • NADPH Oxidases / metabolism
  • Nitric Oxide / metabolism
  • Protein Transport / drug effects
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase / genetics
  • Superoxides / metabolism*
  • Transfection
  • Vasodilation / drug effects
  • beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases / metabolism

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Ceramides
  • Culture Media
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Superoxides
  • Nitric Oxide
  • NADPH Oxidases
  • Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase
  • beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases
  • Cathepsin C
  • Glucose