title: Trophoblast apoptosis is inhibited by hepatocyte growth factor through the Akt and beta-catenin mediated up-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase.
abstract: Excessive apoptosis of trophoblast cells is thought to be a contributing factor in complications of pregnancy such as pre-eclampsia. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) inhibits apoptosis in trophoblasts and we have investigated the signalling pathways through which this anti-apoptotic effect is mediated. Treatment of cells with HGF led to rapid phosphorylation of Akt while an Akt inhibitor blocked the protective effect of HGF. Glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) was found to be one of the downstream targets of Akt. HGF treatment inactivated GSK-3beta which in turn led to the activation of the transcription factor beta-catenin. Pharmacological inhibition of GSK-3beta, independently of HGF treatment, strongly increased both beta-catenin activity and cell survival, suggesting that beta-catenin alone has a pronounced anti-apoptotic effect. We also found that both HGF treatment and pharmacological activation of beta-catenin leads to increased expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). We suggest that the Akt mediated activation of beta-catenin leads to inhibition of trophoblast apoptosis following increased expression of iNOS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Biochemistry and Immunology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 ORE, UK. p.dash@sghms.ac.uk
authors.forename: Philip R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Dash
authors.forename: Guy St J
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Whitley
authors.forename: Laura-Jo
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Ayling
authors.forename: Alan P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Johnstone
authors.forename: Judith E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cartwright
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism*; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; C000606204:NFKBIA protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; C496319:NOS2 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C494918:AKT1 protein, human; C000605506:GSK3B protein, human; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D020169:Caspases