Prostaglandins (PGs) of the J2 series form in vivo and exert effects on a variety of biological processes. While most of PGs mediate their effects through G protein-coupled receptors, the mechanism of action for the J2 series of PGs remains unclear. Here, we report the PGJ2 and its derivatives are efficacious activators of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors alpha and gamma (PPAR alpha and PPAR gamma, respectively), orphan nuclear receptors implicated in lipid homeostasis and adipocyte differentiation. The PGJ2 metabolite 15-deoxy-delta 12,14-PGJ2 binds directly to PPAR gamma and promotes efficient differentiation of C3H10T1/2 fibroblasts to adipocytes. These data provide strong evidence that a fatty acid metabolite can function as an adipogenic agent through direct interactions with PPAR gamma and furthermore, suggest a novel mechanism of action for PGs of the J2 series.

The genetic loci agouti and extension control the relative amounts of eumelanin (brown-black) and phaeomelanin (yellow-red) pigments in mammals: extension encodes the receptor for melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) and agouti encodes a novel 131-amino-acid protein containing a signal sequence. Agouti, which is produced in the hair follicle, acts on follicular melanocytes to inhibit alpha-MSH-induced eumelanin production, resulting in the subterminal band of phaeomelanin often visible in mammalian fur. Here we use partially purified agouti protein to demonstrate that agouti is a high-affinity antagonist of the MSH receptor and blocks alpha-MSH stimulation of adenylyl cyclase, the effector through which alpha-MSH induces eumelanin synthesis. Agouti was also found to be an antagonist of the melanocortin-4 receptor, a related MSH-binding receptor. Consequently, the obesity caused by ectopic expression of agouti in the lethal yellow (Ay) mouse may be due to the inhibition of melanocortin receptor(s) outside the hair follicle.

Cartilage specimens from osteoarthritis (OA)-affected patients spontaneously released PGE 2 at 48 h in ex vivo culture at levels at least 50-fold higher than in normal cartilage and 18-fold higher than in normal cartilage ϩ cytokines ϩ endotoxin. The superinduction of PGE 2 production coincides with the upregulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in OA-affected cartilage. Production of both nitric oxide (NO) and PGE 2 by OA cartilage explants is regulated at the level of transcription and translation. Dexamethasone inhibited only the spontaneously released PGE 2 production, and not NO, in OA-affected cartilage. The NO synthase inhibitor H N G -monomethyl-L -arginine monoacetate inhibited OA cartilage NO production by Ͼ 90%, but augmented significantly (twofold) the spontaneous production of PGE 2 in the same explants. Similarly, addition of exogenous NO donors to OA cartilage significantly inhibited PGE 2 production. Cytokine ϩ endotoxin stimulation of OA explants increased PGE 2 production above the spontaneous release. Addition of L -NMMA further augmented cytokine-induced PGE 2 production by at least fourfold. Inhibition of PGE 2 by COX-2 inhibitors (dexamethasone or indomethacin) or addition of exogenous PGE 2 did not significantly affect the spontaneous NO production. These data indicate that human OA-affected cartilage in ex vivo conditions shows ( a ) superinduction of PGE 2 due to upregulation of COX-2, and ( b ) spontaneous release of NO that acts as an autacoid to attenuate the production of the COX-2 products such as PGE 2 . These studies, together with others, also suggest that PGE 2 may be differentially regulated in normal and OA-affected chondrocytes. ( J. Clin. Invest. 1997. 99:1231-1237.)

Tetracyclines have recently been shown to have ''chondroprotective'' effects in inf lammatory arthritides in animal models. Since nitric oxide (NO) is spontaneously released from human cartilage affected by osteoarthritis (OA) or rheumatoid arthritis in quantities sufficient to cause cartilage damage, we evaluated the effect of tetracyclines on the expression and function of human OA-affected nitric oxide synthase (OA-NOS) and rodent inducible NOS (iNOS). Among the tetracycline group of compounds, doxycycline > minocycline blocked and reversed both spontaneous and interleukin 1␤-induced OA-NOS activity in ex vivo conditions. Similarly, minocycline > doxycycline inhibited both lipopolysaccharide-and interferon-␥-stimulated iNOS in RAW 264.7 cells in vitro, as assessed by nitrite accumulation. Although both these enzyme isoforms could be inhibited by doxycycline and minocycline, their susceptibility to each of these drugs was distinct. Unlike acetylating agents or competitive inhibitors of L-arginine that directly inhibit the specific activity of NOS, doxycycline or minocycline has no significant effect on the specific activity of iNOS in cell-free extracts. The mechanism of action of these drugs on murine iNOS expression was found to be, at least in part, at the level of RNA expression and translation of the enzyme, which would account for the decreased iNOS protein and activity of the enzyme. Tetracyclines had no significant effect on the levels of mRNA for ␤-actin and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase nor on levels of protein of ␤-actin and cyclooxygenase 2 expression. These studies indicate that a novel mechanism of action of tetracyclines is to inhibit the expression of NOS. Since the overproduction of NO has been implicated in the pathogenesis of arthritis, as well as other inf lammatory diseases, these observations suggest that tetracyclines should be evaluated as potential therapeutic modulators of NO for various pathological conditions.