title: Inhibition of cell proliferation and AP-1 activity by acrolein in human A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells due to thiol imbalance and covalent modifications.
abstract: Acrolein, a reactive alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde, is a common environmental pollutant, a metabolite of the anticancer drug cyclophosphamide, and a byproduct of lipid peroxidation. An increase in acrolein production has been proposed as a marker for Alzheimer's disease, diabetic glomerular lesions, and atherosclerosis. Acrolein is a potent inhibitor of cell proliferation at nonlethal doses and may act through effects on redox-regulated transcription factors. We previously reported that NF-kappaB activation is inhibited by acrolein in the A549 lung adenocarcinoma cell line in an IkappaB-independent manner [Horton et al. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 9200-9206]. The current data demonstrate that AP-1 activation in A549 cells is decreased by 26 and 50% at 0.5 and 1 h, respectively, after exposure to 50 fmol/cell (a nonlethal dose) of acrolein. Inhibition of AP-1 activation also occurred following treatment with buthionine sulfoximine to deplete glutathione to the same extent as seen with acrolein. c-jun antisense treatments depressed c-jun protein below detectable levels at 4 h and inhibited cell proliferation (as assessed by [(3)H]thymidine incorporation) by 80%. Immunoprecipitation of c-jun protein after treating A549 cells with acrolein revealed the presence of a lysine-acrolein adduct. There was, however, no effect of acrolein on c-jun N-terminal kinase activity or c-jun phosphorylation. These data indicate that the inhibition of cell proliferation induced by acrolein correlates with the depletion of glutathione as well as the inhibition of AP-1 activation. AP-1 activation is likely affected both through changes in cellular thiol redox balance and by covalent modification of acrolein to c-jun, but not through effects on c-jun phosphorylation.
authors.affiliation: Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Division of Toxicological Sciences, Baltimore, Maryland 21205-2179, USA. sbiswal@jhsph.edu
authors.forename: Shyam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biswal
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Acquaah-Mensah
authors.forename: Kaushik
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Datta
authors.forename: Xuli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kehrer
mesh_terms: D000171:Acrolein / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004249:DNA Damage; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000378:metabolism; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D000171:Acrolein; D005978:Glutathione