Nox4 NADPH oxidase mediates oxidative stress and apoptosis caused by TNF-α in cerebral vascular endothelial cells

Basuroy S, Bhattacharya S, Leffler CW, Parfenova H. Nox4 NADPH oxidase mediates oxidative stress and apoptosis caused by TNF-alpha in cerebral vascular endothelial cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 296: C422-C432, 2009. First published December 31, 2008; doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00381.2008.-Inflammatory brain disease may damage cerebral vascular endothelium leading to cerebral blood flow dysregulation. The proinflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha causes oxidative stress and apoptosis in cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (CMVEC) from newborn pigs. We investigated contribution of major cellular sources of reactive oxygen species to endothelial inflammatory response. Nitric oxide synthase and xanthine oxidase inhibitors (N-omega-nitro-L-arginine and allopurinol) had no effect, while mitochondrial electron transport inhibitors (CCCP, 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone, and rotenone) attenuated TNF-alpha-induced superoxide (O2(center dot-)) and apoptosis. NADPH oxidase inhibitors (diphenylene iodonium and apocynin) greatly reduced TNF-alpha-evoked O2(center dot-) generation and apoptosis. TNF-alpha rapidly increased NADPH oxidase activity in CMVEC. Nox4, the cell-specific catalytic subunit of NADPH oxidase, is highly expressed in CMVEC, contributes to basal O2(center dot-) production, and accounts for a burst of oxidative stress in response to TNF-alpha. Nox4 small interfering RNA, but not Nox2, knockdown prevented oxidative stress and apoptosis caused by TNF-alpha in CMVEC. Nox4 is colocalized with HO-2, the constitutive isoform of heme oxygenase (HO), which is critical for endothelial protection against TNF-alpha toxicity. The products of HO activity, bilirubin and carbon monoxide (CO, as a CO-releasing molecule, CORM-A1), inhibited Nox4-generated O2(center dot-) and apoptosis caused by TNF-alpha stimulation. We conclude that Nox4 is the primary source of inflammation-and TNF-alpha-induced oxidative stress leading to apoptosis in brain endothelial cells. The ability of CO and bilirubin to combat TNF-alpha-induced oxidative stress by inhibiting Nox4 activity and/or by O2(center dot-) scavenging, taken together with close intracellular compartmentalization of HO-2 and Nox4 in cerebral vascular endothelium, may contribute to HO-2 cytoprotection against inflammatory cerebrovascular disease.