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Nur77 is a transcription factor belonging to the NR4A subfamily of nuclear hormone receptors. Upon induction, Nur77 modulates the expression of its target genes and controls a variety of biological and pathophysiological processes. Prior research that revealed a structurally atypical ligand-binding domain (LBD) and failed to locate an endogenous ligand had led to a classification of Nur77 as an orphan receptor. However, several more recent studies indicate that small synthetic molecules and unsaturated fatty acids can bind to Nur77. Discovery of additional endogenous ligands will facilitate our understanding of the receptor's functions and regulatory mechanisms. Our data have identified prostaglandin A2 (PGA2), a cyclopentenone prostaglandin (PG), as such a ligand. Cyclopentenone PGs exert their biological effects primarily by forming protein adducts via the characteristic electrophilic ß-carbon(s) located in their cyclopentenone rings. Our data show that PGA2 induces Nur77 transcriptional activity by forming a covalent adduct between its endocyclic ß-carbon, C9, and Cys566 in the receptor's LBD. The importance of this endocyclic ß-carbon was substantiated by the failure of PGs without such electrophilic properties to react with Nur77. Calculated chemical properties and data from reactive molecular dynamic simulations, intrinsic reaction co-ordinate modeling, and covalent molecular docking also corroborate the selectivity of PGA2's C9 ß-carbon towards Nur77's Cys. In summary, our molecular, chemical, and structural characterization of the PGA2-Nur77 interaction provides the first evidence that PGA2 is an endogenous Nur77 agonist.

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Our present study examines, in mesenteric resistance arteries, possible vasodilation alterations, and the role of NO and COX (cyclo-oxygenase) derivatives, in cirrhosis. The vasodilator response to acetylcholine was analysed in segments from control and cirrhotic rats. The effects of the non-specific COX inhibitor indomethacin, the specific COX-1 inhibitor SC-560 and the specific COX-2 inhibitor NS-398 were analysed in segments from both groups of rats. NO release was measured, and eNOS [endothelial NOS (NO synthase)], phospho-eNOS, iNOS (inducible NOS), COX-1 and COX-2 protein expression was also analysed. The effects of the TP receptor [TXA2 (thromboxane A(2)) receptor] antagonist SQ 29548, the TXA(2) synthesis inhibitor furegrelate, the PGI(2) (prostaglandin I(2)) synthesis inhibitor TCP (tranylcypromine) or TCP+furegrelate were only determined in segments from cirrhotic rats. The vasodilator response to acetylcholine was higher in segments from cirrhotic rats. Indomethacin, SC-560 and NS-398 did not modify the vasodilator response in control rats; however, indomethacin, NS-398 and TCP+furegrelate increased, whereas SC-560 did not modify and SQ 29548, furegrelate or TCP decreased, the vasodilator response to acetylcholine in cirrhotic rats. NO release was higher in cirrhotic rats. Furegrelate decreased, whereas TCP+furegrelate increased, the NO release in segments from cirrhotic rats. eNOS and COX-1 protein expression was not modified, whereas phosho-eNOS, iNOS and COX-2 protein expression was higher in cirrhotic rats. Therefore the increase in iNOS expression and eNOS activity may mediate increases in endothelial NO release. The COX-2 derivatives TXA(2) and PGI(2) may act simultaneously, producing a compensatory effect that reduces NO release and may limit the hyperdynamic circulation.

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Within the nuclear receptor superfamily, Nur77, Nurr1, and NOR1 constitute the nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A. Modulation of NOR1 function would be therapeutic potential for diseases related to dysfunction of NOR1, including extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma and autoimmune diseases. By screening arachidonate metabolites for their capacity of transcriptional activation, we have identified prostaglandin (PG) A2 as a transactivator for NOR1. PGA2 acted as a potent activator of NOR1-dependent transcription through the GAL4-based reporter system. The putative ligand-binding domain (LBD) of the receptor directly bound PGA2, and LBD-deleted receptor showed little transcriptional activation by PGA2. Primary cultured spleen cells derived from transgenic mice overexpressing NOR1, showed higher sensitivity to PGA2 compared to those from wild-type mice. These observations suggest that PGA2 can serve as a transactivator of NOR1, and thus suggest a possibility of pharmacological modulation of the NOR1 pathways by PGA2-related compounds.

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Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), one product of inflammatory reactions, and PGA1, which is formed during PGE2 extraction, induce degeneration in adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-induced differentiated neuroblastoma (NB) cells in culture. The mechanisms of action of PGE2 on neurodegeneration are not well understood. To investigate this, we have utilized PGA(1), which mimics the effect of PGE2 and is very stable in solution. We have assayed selected markers of oxidative stress such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx1), mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD-2) and cytosolic superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD-1). The results showed that the treatment of differentiated NB cells with PGA1 for a period of 48 hr increased the expression of HO-1 and catalase, decreased the expression of GPx1 and Mn-SOD-2, and did not change the expression of Cu/Zn-SOD-1 as measured by gene array and confirmed by real-time PCR. The protein levels of HO-1 and GPx1 increased; however, the protein level of Mn-SOD-2 decreased and the levels of catalase and Cu/Zn-SOD-1 did not change as determined by Western blot. The increases in the levels of HO-1 and GPx1 reflected an adaptive response to increased oxidative stress, whereas decrease in the level of Mn-SOD-2 may make cells more sensitive to oxidative damage. These data suggest that one of the mechanisms of action of PGA1 on neurodegeneration may involve increased oxidative stress. This was supported further by the fact that a mixture of antioxidants (alpha-tocopherol, vitamin C, selenomethionine, and reduced glutathione), but not the individual antioxidants, reduced the level of PGA1-induced degeneration in differentiated NB cells. The addition of a single antioxidant at two or four times the concentration used in the mixture was toxic.

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Prostaglandins (PG) of the E series are known to rapidly undergo non-enzymatic dehydration in culture medium containing serum albumin to produce the cyclopentenone PGs of the A series. We investigated the actions of PGA1 and A2 in the in vitro calcifying fibroblastic-colony forming unit assay which can partially mimic the in vivo anabolic effects of PGE2. It was found that PGA1 and A2 both stimulated colony formation in a dose-dependent manner with a maximum at 10(-6) M and to a similar degree to PGE2. In contrast to PGE2, PGA1 and PGA2 both caused an inhibition of cAMP accumulation. Furthermore, the addition of protein kinase A inhibitors, H8 and H89, had no significant effect on the stimulation of colony number by PGE2. These data suggest that (a) the bone anabolic effects of PGE1 and E2 are, in part at least, mediated by their dehydration products PGA1 and A2 and (b) that they are mediated via pathways not necessarily involving the cAMP/protein kinase A cascade.

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The electrophilic eicosanoids prostaglandins A(1) or A(2) impaired p53-dependent transcription of endogenous genes and exogenous p53-luciferase reporter plasmids in RKO and HCT 116 colon cancer cells. Cellular accumulation of genetically wild-type, but transcriptionally silent p53 varied as a function of exposure time and concentration of prostaglandins A(1) and A(2). Prostaglandins A(1) and A(2) induced a conformational change in wild-type p53 that corresponded with its inactivation and its aberrant redistribution from the cytosol to the nucleus. Derangement of its transcriptional activity manifested as inhibition of p53-mediated apoptosis by etoposide, a representative antineoplastic agent. We conclude that electrophilic eicosanoids impair the role of wild-type p53 as a guardian of genomic integrity by a process distinct from somatic mutation or viral oncoprotein binding. This process may pertain to malignant and premalignant conditions, such as colon carcinoma and adenoma, which often harbor a genetically wild-type, but inactive form of p53 tumor suppressor.

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The dehydration products of PGD2, 9-deoxy-9 prostaglandin D2(PGJ2), 9-deoxy-delta 9, delta 12, delta 13 dehydroprostaglandin D2 (delta 12 PGJ2), and PGA2 all contain an unsaturated cyclopentenone structure which is characteristic of prostaglandins which effectively inhibit cell growth. It has been suggested that the action of the inhibitory prostaglandins may be through a cAMP mechanism. In this study, we use S49 wild type (WT) and adenylate cyclase variant (cyc-) cells to show that PGD2 and PGJ2 are not acting via a cyclic AMP mechanism. First, the increase in cyclic AMP in wild type S-49 cells is not proportional to its effects on DNA synthesis. More importantly, when S-49 cyc- cells were exposed to PGJ2, the adenylate cyclase (cyc-) mutant had decreased DNA synthesis with no change in its nominal cAMP content. Short-term (2 hours or less) exposure of the cyc- cells to prostaglandin J2 caused an inhibition of DNA synthesis. PGJ2 caused cytolysis at high concentrations. Long-term exposure (>14 hrs) of the cells to PGJ2, delta 12PGJ2 or delta 12, delta 14PGJ2 caused a cell cycle arrest in G1 demonstrating a cell cycle specific mechanism of action for growth inhibition by naturally occurring biological products independent of cAMP.

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We have been unable to detect any change in the in vitro radiation response of mouse fibrosarcoma cells, HSDM1C1, which secrete 2 micrograms PGE2/mg cell protein/24 h, in the presence of the prostaglandin biosynthesis inhibitor flurbiprofen. Furthermore, addition of exogenous PGE1 or PGA2 to cultures of Chinese hamster cells was similarly without effect on radiation response. Although a high concentration of PGA2 inhibited the growth of Chinese hamster cells in vitro this effect disappeared upon removal of the prostaglandin. The implications of these results for radiotherapy are discussed.

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In most isolated tissues, prostaglandins, particularly of the E-series, inhibit stimulated norepinephrine release from prejunctional nerve endings and inhibit sympathetic neurotransmission. They may also modulate the response of target organs to the neurotransmitter. In some tissues PGE enhances the response to norepinephrine. It appears that the effect of PGE on norepinephrine release is mediated by restriction of calcium availability at the nerve ending, although this mechanism is incompletely understood. Prostaglandins other than PGE do not appear to play a major role in the modulation of norepinephrine release. In the intact organism, prostaglandins facilitate norepinephrine release. Inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis causes a decrease in norepinephrine release. It is not clear if the effects in vivo are mediated by a direct action of prostaglandins or through baroreceptor reflex mechanisms.

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Mechanisms whereby prostaglandins and other cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) modulators might enhance the growth of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in human skin fibroblasts were explored. Prostaglandins A1, B1, E1, E2, and F2 alpha, as well as isoproterenol, imidazole, carbamylcholine, and dibutyryl cAMP had no effect on HSV growth. On the other hand, the phosphodiesterase inhibitors 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine and theophylline delayed the growth, suppressed the cell-to-cell spread, but inhibited neither the adsorption nor the penetration of the virus. Although none of the cAMP-elevating reagents directly enhanced HSV growth, they were found to inhibit dose dependently the antiviral action of both type I and HSV antigen-induced human interferon preparations. Furthermore, these reagents suppressed the production of HSV antigen-induced interferon by immune human mononuclear leukocytes. These data support the hypothesis that prostaglandin elaboration in vivo could contribute to exacerbations of HSV infections by compromising the host's interferon defense system.

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The GSR induced by a single injection of endotoxin in pregnant rats and cortisone-sensitized rabbits was prevented by bradykinin. The action is mediated by prostaglandins, such as evidenced by: (1) abolition of the effect of bradykinin by aspirin, (2) prevention of the Shwartzman reaction by infusions of PGA2 and PGE1, and (3) sensitization of the normal male rat to the generalized Shwartzman reaction by infusions of PGA2 and PGE1, and (3) sensitization of the normal male rat to the generalized Shwartzman reaction by indomethacin. The mechanism appears to be a neutralization of the essential alpha-adrenergic component of the generalized Shwartzman reaction.

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In response to ischaemic or vasoconstrictor stimuli the kidney reacts by synthesising prostaglandins (PG) which modify local vascular tone. They induce a compensatory vasodilatation and direct the blood flow towards the internal cortex. It is thus not necessary to attribute a systemic role to PG in order to understand their haemodynamic action. This explains the natriuresis following the injection of PG both in the animal and in man. Nevertheless the direct effet of PG upon the tubular reabsorption of sodium remains controversial since very different experimental models lead to contradictory conclusions. Despite these disparate data, it is probable that PG are intimately involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension. A lack of PG or a deficiency in their metabolism may be responsible in essential hypertension.

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The quantitative composition of depressor prostaglandins PGE1 and PGA1 in the plasma of arterial and venous blood and blood from the great cardiac vein was studied in comparison with the values of hemodynamics in dogs with experimental myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock. The content of prostaglandins in blood plasma was determined by the radioimmune method. The development of acute coronary insufficiency was attended with changes in the quantitative composition of the depressor PGE1 and PGA1 in the plasma of arterial and venous blood and blood from the great cardiac vein. In myocardial infarction and particularly in cardiogenic shock, intensification of PGE1 and PGA1 synthesis and an increase in the consumption of these PG by the myocardium occurred beginning with the first hours following occlusion of the coronary arteries, which suggests that PGE1 and PGA1 may probably take part in the normalization of the activity of the affected heart.

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