No abstract

The leukocyte 12-lipoxygenase (12-LO) gene is expressed in pancreatic β cells and macrophages. Products of the 12-LO enzyme are proinflammatory and may be involved in immune-mediated conditions, but formal proof of this hypothesis is lacking. Leukocyte 12-LO is preferentially expressed over 5-and 15-lipoxygenase in pancreatic β cells and may be involved in cytokine-mediated β-cell damage through generation of the lipid hydroperoxide 12-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HPETE) (1-7). Reduction of 12-HPETE to 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) is facilitated by the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, and recent work has demonstrated that 12-LO inhibitors can prevent glutamate-induced neuronal cell death when intracellular glutathione stores are depleted (8). Both neuronal cell death and peroxide generation required 12-LO activity in this model and were prevented by treatment with a lipoxygenase inhibitor, baicalein (10 µM). Furthermore, the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β was shown to increase 12-LO product formation in pancreatic islets (9, 10), whereas nordihydroguaiaretic, a lipoxygenase inhibitor, protected rat islet cells from cytokine-induced destruction (11). Given that 12-HPETE and/or other 12-LO products may damage pancreatic β cells through lipid peroxidation, it is possible that inhibition of the 12-LO pathway may protect pancreatic β cells from cytotoxic conditions.To test this hypothesis, we administered low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) to 12-LO knockout (12-LO KO) mice and genetic controls to evaluate the development of diabetes. In addition, we isolated pancreatic islets and tested them for sensitivity to cytokine-induced dysfunction. We also evaluated the capacity of macrophages to generate nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide when stimulated. We chose the low dose STZ-induced diabetic model because previous studies have demonstrated that β-cell destruction is mediated in part by generation of free radicals and lipid hydroperoxides as well as by immune activation (12, 13). 12-LO KO mice were generated by homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells, as described previously (14).In the present study, we found that 12-LO KO mice were significantly more resistant to STZ-induced diabetes than were C57BL/6 controls and that islets purified from 12-LO KO mice were protected from cytokine-induced dysfunction. Furthermore, macrophages from 12-LO KO mice generated ∼50% of the nitrate/nitrite compared with macrophages from control C57BL/6 mice. Leukocyte 12-lipoxygenase (12-LO) gene expression in pancreatic β cells is upregulated by cytotoxic cytokines like IL-1β. Recent studies have demonstrated that 12-LO inhibitors can prevent glutamateinduced neuronal cell death when intracellular glutathione stores are depleted. Therefore, 12-LO pathway inhibition may prevent β-cell cytotoxicity. To evaluate the role of 12-LO gene expression in immune-mediated islet destruction, we used 12-LO knockout (12-LO KO) mice. Male homozygous 12-LO KO mice and control C57BL/6 mice received 5 consecutive daily injections of low-...

No abstract

No abstract