title: EGF blocks NADPH oxidase activation by TGF-beta in fetal rat hepatocytes, impairing oxidative stress, and cell death.
abstract: Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a survival signal for transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta)-induced apoptosis in hepatocytes, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-K) being involved in this effect. Here, we analyze the possible cross talks between EGF and TGF-beta signals to understand how EGF impairs the early pro-apoptotic events induced by TGF-beta. Data have indicated that neither SMAD nor c-Jun NH2 Terminal Kinase (JNK) activations are altered by EGF, which clearly interferes with events directly related to the radical oxygen species (ROS) production, impairing oxidative stress, p38 MAP kinase activation, and cell death. Activation of a NADPH-oxidase-like system, which is responsible for the early ROS production by TGF-beta, is completely inhibited by EGF, through a PI 3-K-dependent mechanism. Activity of RAC1 increases by TGF-beta, but also by EGF, and both act synergistically to get maximum effects. Fetal rat hepatocytes express nox4, in addition to nox1 and nox2, and TGF-beta clearly upregulates nox4. EGF blocks up-regulation of nox4 by TGF-beta. Interestingly, in the presence of PI 3-K inhibitors, EGF is not able to counteract the nox4 upregulation by TGF-beta. Taking together these results indicate that impairment of TGF-beta-induced NADPH oxidase activation by EGF is a RAC1-independent process and correlates with an inhibition of the mechanisms that address the increase of nox4 mRNA levels by TGF-beta.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Carmona-Cuenca
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Herrera
authors.forename: Juan-José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roncero
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fabregat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002867:Chromones / Q000494:pharmacology; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005333:Fetus; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D019255:NADPH Oxidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D051899:Smad2 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D020830:rac1 GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D002867:Chromones; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D009025:Morpholines; D019255:NADPH Oxidases; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D051899:Smad2 Protein; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020830:rac1 GTP-Binding Protein; C497784:Smad2 protein, rat; C085911:2-(4-morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; C499134:Rac1 protein, rat