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Mitochondrial DNA is a key driver in cigarette smoke extract-induced IL-6 expression

Hypertension Research volume 47, pages 88–101 (2024)Cite this article

Abstract

Smoking is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis, the primary pathogenesis of which is inflammation. We recently reported that cigarette smoke extract (CSE) causes cytosolic and extracellular accumulation of both nuclear (n) and mitochondrial (mt) DNA, which leads to inflammation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). In this study, we examined whether inflammation induction depends more on cytosolic nDNA or mtDNA, and which chemical constituents of CSE are involved. Acrolein (ACR), methyl vinyl ketone (MVK), and 2-cyclopenten-1-one (CPO) were used in the experiments, as these are the major cytotoxic factors in CSE in various cell types. Stimulation with ACR, MVK, or CPO alone resulted in the accumulation of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), but not oxidative DNA damage, accumulation of cytosolic DNA, or increased expression of inflammatory cytokines. Simultaneous administration of all three constituents (ALL) resulted in oxidative DNA damage in both the nucleus and mitochondria, accumulation of DSBs, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, induction of minority mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, accumulation of cytosolic free DNA, and increased expression of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-1α. Treatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine, a reactive oxygen species scavenger, suppressed oxidative DNA damage and the increased expression of IL-6 and IL-1α induced by ALL or CSE. The ALL- or CSE-induced increase in IL-6 expression, but not that of IL-1α, was suppressed by mtDNA depletion. In conclusion, ACR, MVK, and CPO may strongly contribute to CSE-induced inflammation. More importantly, cytosolic free mtDNA is thought to play an important role in IL-6 expression, a central mediator of inflammation.

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Funding

This work was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI #21K080290 to MI, KAKENHI #22K160760 to CS, and KAKENHI#23K07557 to TI), a research grant from the Tsuchiya Medical Foundation to MI, and the Program of the Network-type Joint Usage/Research Center for Radiation Disaster Medical Science of Hiroshima University, Nagasaki University, and Fukushima Medical University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan

    Yusuke Kobayashi & Yukiko Nakano

  2. Department of Cardiovascular Physiology and Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan

    Chiemi Sakai, Minako Nagata & Mari Ishida

  3. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan

    Takafumi Ishida

Authors
  1. Yusuke Kobayashi
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  2. Chiemi Sakai
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  4. Minako Nagata
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  5. Yukiko Nakano
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  6. Mari Ishida
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Contributions

Conceptualization, MI; Methodology, YK and CS; Validation, TI, and YN; Formal Analysis, YK and MI; Investigation, YK, CS, and MN; Resources, KK, DN, HK, TM, JT, and AN; Writing—Original Draft Preparation, YK and MI; Writing—Review & Editing, TI and YN; Visualization, YK; Supervision, MI; Project Administration, MI; Funding Acquisition, MI and TI.

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Correspondence to Mari Ishida.

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Kobayashi, Y., Sakai, C., Ishida, T. et al. Mitochondrial DNA is a key driver in cigarette smoke extract-induced IL-6 expression. Hypertens Res 47, 88–101 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-023-01463-z

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