Toll-Like Receptor 4 Reduces Oxidative Injury via Glutathione Activity in Sheep

Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2016:2016:9151290. doi: 10.1155/2016/9151290. Epub 2015 Nov 10.

Abstract

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is an important sensor of Gram-negative bacteria and can trigger activation of the innate immune system. Increased activation of TLR4 can lead to the induction of oxidative stress. Herein, the pathway whereby TLR4 affects antioxidant activity was studied. In TLR4-overexpressing sheep, TLR4 expression was found to be related to the integration copy number when monocytes were challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Consequently, production of malondialdehyde (MDA) was increased, which could increase the activation of prooxidative stress enzymes. Meanwhile, activation of an antioxidative enzyme, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), was increased. Real-time PCR showed that expression of activating protein-1 (AP-1) and the antioxidative-related genes was increased. By contrast, the expression levels of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and catalase (CAT) were reduced. In transgenic sheep, glutathione (GSH) levels were dramatically reduced. Furthermore, transgenic sheep were intradermally injected with LPS in each ear. The amounts of inflammatory infiltrates were correlated with the number of TLR4 copies that were integrated in the genome. Additionally, the translation of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) was increased. Our findings indicated that overexpression of TLR4 in sheep could ameliorate oxidative injury through GSH secretion that was induced by LPS stimulation. Furthermore, TLR4 promoted γ-GCS translation through the AP-1 pathway, which was essential for GSH synthesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase / biosynthesis
  • Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase / genetics
  • Glutathione / genetics
  • Glutathione / metabolism*
  • Glutathione Peroxidase / biosynthesis
  • Glutathione Peroxidase / genetics
  • Glutathione Peroxidase / metabolism
  • Lipopolysaccharides / toxicity*
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects*
  • Sheep
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / genetics
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / metabolism*
  • Transcription Factor AP-1 / biosynthesis
  • Transcription Factor AP-1 / genetics

Substances

  • Lipopolysaccharides
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4
  • Transcription Factor AP-1
  • Glutathione Peroxidase
  • Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase
  • Glutathione