Role of [Ca2+]i in induction of c-fos, c-jun, and c-myc mRNA in rat PTE after oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress plays an important role in various types of cell injury and tumor promotion. Cells respond to oxidative stress in many ways including changes in membrane organization, ion movements, and altered gene expression, all of which contribute to the subsequent fate of affected cells. In this study, we investigated the expression of the proto-oncogenes c-fos, c-myc, and c-jun, which play a key role in proliferation and differentiation, using primary cultures of rat proximal tubular epithelium exposed to oxidative stress generated by the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system. This system generates superoxide and H2O2 in the extracellular space stimulating the release of active oxygen species from inflammatory cells. c-fos mRNA was expressed within 15 min, peaked at 30 min, and returned to constitutive levels by 3 h. c-jun mRNA began to rise after 30 min, peaked at 120 min, and remained above the constitutive levels up to 180 min. c-myc mRNA expression was less affected by the treatment, with levels increasing gradually over the 180 min period. The expression of c-fos was inhibited by superoxide dismutase but not by catalase and was super-induced by cycloheximide. H2O2 alone did not induce any c-fos mRNA in this system. Chelation of extracellular ionized calcium by EGTA or of intracellular ionized calcium by Quin 2/AM resulted in a marked decrease of c-fos expression. Two protein kinase C inhibitors, H-7 and staurosporine, partly diminished the expression of c-fos, whereas a third, 2-aminopurine, which has a broader spectrum of inhibiting protein kinases, almost completely abolished it. A poly ADP-ribosylation inhibitor, 3-aminobenzamide, had no effect on c-fos expression in this system. Our results show that oxidative stress provokes sequential expression of c-fos, c-jun, and c-myc, mRNA in this order. This c-fos expression appears to be largely controlled by calcium ion movement, which could include protein kinase C activation. Another protein kinase or kinases also appear to play an important role.