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Wolfgang Liedtke

Publications and source records attributed to Wolfgang Liedtke.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Protease-activated receptor 2 sensitizes the transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 ion channel to cause mechanical hyperalgesia in mice.

Exacerbated sensitivity to mechanical stimuli that are normally innocuous or mildly painful (mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia) occurs during inflammation and underlies painful diseases. Proteases that are generated during inflammation and disease cleave protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) on afferent nerves to cause mechanical hyperalgesia in the skin and intestine by unknown mechanisms. We hypothesized that PAR2-mediated mechanical hyperalgesia requires sensitization of the ion channel transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4). Immunoreactive TRPV4 was coexpressed by rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons with PAR2, substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), mediators of pain transmission. In PAR2-expressing cell lines that either naturally expressed TRPV4 (bronchial epithelial cells) or that were transfected to express TRPV4 (HEK cells), pretreatment with a PAR2 agonist enhanced Ca2+ and current responses to the TRPV4 agonists phorbol ester 4alpha-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (4alphaPDD) and hypotonic solutions. PAR2-agonist similarly sensitized TRPV4 Ca2+ signals and currents in DRG neurons. Antagonists of phospholipase Cbeta and protein kinases A, C and D inhibited PAR2-induced sensitization of TRPV4 Ca2+ signals and currents. 4alphaPDD and hypotonic solutions stimulated SP and CGRP release from dorsal horn of rat spinal cord, and pretreatment with PAR2 agonist sensitized TRPV4-dependent peptide release. Intraplantar injection of PAR2 agonist caused mechanical hyperalgesia in mice and sensitized pain responses to the TRPV4 agonists 4alphaPDD and hypotonic solutions. Deletion of TRPV4 prevented PAR2 agonist-induced mechanical hyperalgesia and sensitization. This novel mechanism, by which PAR2 activates a second messenger to sensitize TRPV4-dependent release of nociceptive peptides and induce mechanical hyperalgesia, may underlie inflammatory hyperalgesia in diseases where proteases are activated and released.

Animals↗

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4-mediated disruption of the alveolar septal barrier: a novel mechanism of acute lung injury.

Disruption of the alveolar septal barrier leads to acute lung injury, patchy alveolar flooding, and hypoxemia. Although calcium entry into endothelial cells is critical for loss of barrier integrity, the cation channels involved in this process have not been identified. We hypothesized that activation of the vanilloid transient receptor potential channel TRPV4 disrupts the alveolar septal barrier. Expression of TRPV4 was confirmed via immunohistochemistry in the alveolar septal wall in human, rat, and mouse lung. In isolated rat lung, the TRPV4 activators 4alpha-phorbol-12,13-didecanoate and 5,6- or 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid, as well as thapsigargin, a known activator of calcium entry via store-operated channels, all increased lung endothelial permeability as assessed by measurement of the filtration coefficient, in a dose- and calcium-entry dependent manner. The TRPV antagonist ruthenium red blocked the permeability response to the TRPV4 agonists, but not to thapsigargin. Light and electron microscopy of rat and mouse lung revealed that TRPV4 agonists preferentially produced blebs or breaks in the endothelial and epithelial layers of the alveolar septal wall, whereas thapsigargin disrupted interendothelial junctions in extraalveolar vessels. The permeability response to 4alpha-phorbol-12,13-didecanoate was absent in TRPV4(-/-) mice, whereas the response to thapsigargin remained unchanged. Collectively, these findings implicate TRPV4 in disruption of the alveolar septal barrier and suggest its participation in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury.

Acute Disease↗

A role for AQP5 in activation of TRPV4 by hypotonicity: concerted involvement of AQP5 and TRPV4 in regulation of cell volume recovery.

Regulation of cell volume in response to changes in osmolarity is critical for cell function and survival. However, the molecular basis of osmosensation and regulation of cell volume are not clearly understood. We have examined the mechanism of regulatory volume decrease (RVD) in salivary gland cells and report a novel association between osmosensing TRPV4 (transient receptor potential vanalloid 4) and AQP5 (aquaporin 5), which is required for regulating water permeability and cell volume. Exposure of salivary gland cells and acini to hypotonicity elicited an increase in cell volume and activation of RVD. Hypotonicity also activated Ca2+ entry, which was required for subsequent RVD. Ca2+ entry was associated with a distinct nonselective cation current that was activated by 4alphaPDD and inhibited by ruthenium red, suggesting involvement of TRPV4. Consistent with this, endogenous TRPV4 was detected in cells and in the apical region of acini along AQP5. Importantly, acinar cells from mice lacking either TRPV4 or AQP5 displayed greatly reduced Ca2+ entry and loss of RVD in response to hypotonicity, although the extent of cell swelling was similar. Expression of N terminus-deleted AQP5 suppressed TRPV4 activation and RVD but not cell swelling. Furthermore, hypotonicity increased the association and surface expression of AQP5 and TRPV4. Both these effects and RVD were reduced by actin depolymerization. These data demonstrate that (i) activation of TRPV4 by hypotonicity depends on AQP5, not on cell swelling per se, and (ii) TRPV4 and AQP5 concertedly control regulatory volume decrease. These data suggest a potentially important role for TRPV4 in salivary gland function.

Animals↗

Transient receptor potential vanilloid channels functioning in transduction of osmotic stimuli.

In signal transduction of metazoan cells, ion channels of the family of transient receptor potential (TRP) have been identified to respond to diverse external and internal stimuli, amongst them osmotic stimuli. This review will highlight findings on the TRPV subfamily, both vertebrate and invertebrate members. Out of the six mammalian TRP vanilloid (TRPV) channels, TRPV1, TRPV2, and TRPV4 were demonstrated to function in transduction of osmotic stimuli. TRPV channels have been found to function in cellular as well as systemic osmotic homeostasis in vertebrates. Invertebrate TRPV channels, five in Caenorhabditis elegans and two in Drosophila, have been shown to play a role in mechanosensation, such as hearing and proprioception in Drosophila and nose touch in C. elegans, and in the response to osmotic stimuli in C. elegans. In a striking example of evolutionary conservation of function, mammalian TRPV4 has been found to rescue osmo- and mechanosensory deficits of the TRPV mutant strain osm-9 in C. elegans, despite not more than 26% orthology of the respective proteins.

Animals↗

Chronic IL-1beta signaling potentiates voltage-dependent sodium currents in trigeminal nociceptive neurons.

The proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) mediates inflammation and hyperalgesia, although the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. To better understand such molecular and cellular mechanisms, we investigated how IL-1beta modulates the total voltage-dependent sodium currents (INa) and its tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R) component in capsaicin-sensitive trigeminal nociceptive neurons, both after a brief (5-min) and after a chronic exposure (24-h) of 20 ng/ml IL-1beta. A brief exposure led to a 28% specific (receptor-mediated) reduction of INa in these neurons, which were found to contain type I IL-1 receptors (IL-1RI+) on both their soma and nerve endings. In marked contrast, after a 24-h exposure, the total sodium current was specifically increased by 67%, without significantly affecting the TTX-R component. This potentiation of INa was suppressed in the presence of selective inhibitors of protein kinase C and G-protein-coupled signaling pathways, thereby suggesting that INa can be modulated through multiple pathways. In summary, the potentiation of INa through chronic IL-1beta signaling in nociceptive sensory neurons may be a critical component of inflammatory-associated hyperalgesia.

Animals↗

TRPV4 mediates pain-related behavior induced by mild hypertonic stimuli in the presence of inflammatory mediator.

The ligand-gated ion channel, TRPV4, functions as a transducer of hypotonic stimuli in primary afferent nociceptive neurons and contributes to inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Hypertonic saline also stimulates primary afferent nociceptors and the injection of mild hypertonic saline (2-5%) is widely used as an experimental model of pain in humans. Therefore, we tested whether TRPV4 participates in the transduction of hypertonic stimuli. Intradermal injection of 2% (607 mOsm) or 10% (3,250 mOsm) saline solution in the hind paw of rats induced a concentration-dependent pain-related behavior, flinching. Sensitization with prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) caused a 7-fold increase in the number of flinches induced by 2% saline but failed to increase those caused by 10% saline. Spinal administration of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides to TRPV4 caused a 46% decrease in the number of flinches induced by 2% saline, but there was no change in flinching induced by 10% saline. Similarly, only the nociceptive behavior caused by 2% saline was reduced in TRPV4(-/-) knockout mice. The TRPV4-mediated nociceptive behaviors induced by hyper- and hypotonic stimuli were dependent on Src tyrosine kinase. We suggest TRPV4 is a transducer in primary afferents that mediates nociceptive behavior induced by small increases or decreases in osmolarity. Such changes in osmolarity might contribute to pain in inflammatory and neuropathic states.

Animals↗

TRPV4 plays an evolutionary conserved role in the transduction of osmotic and mechanical stimuli in live animals.

The TRPV4 ion channel, previously named vanilloid receptor-related osmotically activated channel (VR-OAC), functions in vivo in the transduction of osmotic and mechanical stimuli. In trpv4 null mice, TRPV4 was found to be necessary for the maintenance of systemic osmotic equilibrium, and for normal thresholds in response to noxious mechanical stimuli. In a Caenorhabditis elegans TRPV mutant transgenic for mammalian TRPV4, the mammalian transgene was directing the osmotic and mechanical avoidance response in the context of the ASH 'nociceptive' neurone. Molecular mechanisms of gating of TRPV4 in vivo are not known at this point and have to be determined.

Animals↗

TRPV4 as osmosensor: a transgenic approach.

The transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) ion channel was named initially vanilloid-receptor-related osmotically activated channel (VR-OAC). Preliminary answers to the question, "What is the function of the trpv4 gene in live animals ?" are highlighted briefly in this review. In trpv4 null mice, TRPV4 is necessary for the maintenance of osmotic equilibrium, and in Caenorhabditis elegans transgenic for mammalian TRPV4, TRPV4 directs the osmotic avoidance response in the context of the ASH "nociceptive" neuron. The molecular mechanisms of gating of TRPV4 in vivo need to be determined; in particular, whether TRPV4 in live animals is gated via phosphorylation of defined amino-acid residues or more directly through the osmotic stimulus itself.

Animals↗

Abnormal osmotic regulation in trpv4-/- mice.

Osmotic homeostasis is one of the most aggressively defended physiological parameters in vertebrates. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying osmotic regulation are poorly understood. The transient receptor potential channel, vanilloid subfamily (TRPV4), is an osmotically activated ion channel that is expressed in circumventricular organs in the mammalian CNS, which is an important site of osmotic sensing. We have generated trpv4-null mice and observed abnormalities of their osmotic regulation. trpv4-/- mice drank less water and became more hyperosmolar than did wild-type littermates, a finding that was seen with and without administration of hypertonic saline. In addition, plasma levels of antidiuretic hormone were significantly lower in trpv4-/- mice than in wild-type littermates after a hyperosmotic challenge. Continuous s.c. infusion of the antidiuretic hormone analogue, dDAVP, resulted in systemic hypotonicity in trpv4-/- mice, despite the fact that their renal water reabsorption capacity was normal. Thus, the response to both hyper- and hypoosmolar stimuli is impaired in trpv4-/- mice. After a hyperosmolar challenge, there was markedly reduced expression of c-FOS in the circumventricular organ, the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, of trpv4-/- mice compared with wild-type mice. This finding suggests that there is an impairment of osmotic sensing in the CNS of trpv4-/- mice. These data indicate that TRPV4 is necessary for the normal response to changes in osmotic pressure and functions as an osmotic sensor in the CNS.

Alleles↗

Mammalian TRPV4 (VR-OAC) directs behavioral responses to osmotic and mechanical stimuli in Caenorhabditis elegans.

All animals detect osmotic and mechanical stimuli, but the molecular basis for these responses is incompletely understood. The vertebrate transient receptor potential channel vanilloid subfamily 4 (TRPV4) (VR-OAC) cation channel has been suggested to be an osmo/mechanosensory channel. To assess its function in vivo, we expressed TRPV4 in Caenorhabditis elegans sensory neurons and examined its ability to generate behavioral responses to sensory stimuli. C. elegans ASH neurons function as polymodal sensory neurons that generate a characteristic escape behavior in response to mechanical, osmotic, or olfactory stimuli. These behaviors require the TRPV channel OSM-9 because osm-9 mutants do not avoid nose touch, high osmolarity, or noxious odors. Expression of mammalian TRPV4 in ASH neurons of osm-9 worms restored avoidance responses to hypertonicity and nose touch, but not the response to odorant repellents. Mutations known to reduce TRPV4 channel activity also reduced its ability to direct nematode avoidance behavior. TRPV4 function in ASH required the endogenous C. elegans osmotic and nose touch avoidance genes ocr-2, odr-3, osm-10, and glr-1, indicating that TRPV4 is integrated into the normal ASH sensory apparatus. The osmotic and mechanical avoidance responses of TRPV4-expressing animals were different in their sensitivity and temperature dependence from the responses of wild-type animals, suggesting that the TRPV4 channel confers its characteristic properties on the transgenic animals' behavior. These results provide evidence that TRPV4 can function as a component of an osmotic/mechanical sensor in vivo.

Animals↗

Role for stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 in leptin-mediated weight loss.

Leptin elicits a metabolic response that cannot be explained by its anorectic effects alone. To examine the mechanism underlying leptin's metabolic actions, we used transcription profiling to identify leptin-regulated genes in ob/ob liver. Leptin was found to specifically repress RNA levels and enzymatic activity of hepatic stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1), which catalyzes the biosynthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids. Mice lacking SCD-1 were lean and hypermetabolic. ob/ob mice with mutations in SCD-1 were significantly less obese than ob/ob controls and had markedly increased energy expenditure. ob/ob mice with mutations in SCD-1 had histologically normal livers with significantly reduced triglyceride storage and VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) production. These findings suggest that down-regulation of SCD-1 is an important component of leptin's metabolic actions.

Animals↗

Stathmin-deficient mice develop an age-dependent axonopathy of the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Stathmin is a cytosolic protein that binds tubulin and destabilizes cellular microtubules, an activity regulated by phosphorylation. Despite its abundant expression in the developing mammalian nervous system and despite its high degree of evolutionary conservation, stathmin-deficient mice do not exhibit a developmental phenotype.(1) Here we report that aging stathmin(-/-) mice develop an axonopathy of the central and peripheral nervous systems. The pathological hallmark of the early axonal lesions was a highly irregular axoplasm predominantly affecting large, heavily myelinated axons in motor tracts. As the lesions progressed, degeneration of axons, dysmyelination, and an unusual glial reaction were observed. At the functional level, electrophysiology recordings demonstrated a significant reduction of motor nerve conduction velocity in stathmin(-/-) mice. At the molecular level, increased gene expression of SCG 10-like protein, a stathmin-related gene with microtubule destabilizing activity, was detected in the central nervous system of aging stathmin(-/-) mice. Together, these findings suggest that stathmin plays an essential role in the maintenance of axonal integrity.

Aging↗