TY - JOUR T1 - Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 Agonists Cause Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Cell Death in Human Lung Cells JF - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics JO - J Pharmacol Exp Ther SP - 830 LP - 838 DO - 10.1124/jpet.107.119412 VL - 321 IS - 3 AU - Karen C. Thomas AU - Ashwini S. Sabnis AU - Mark E. Johansen AU - Diane L. Lanza AU - Philip J. Moos AU - Garold S. Yost AU - Christopher A. Reilly Y1 - 2007/06/01 UR - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/321/3/830.abstract N2 - Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is a calcium-selective ion channel expressed in human lung cells. We show that activation of the intracellular subpopulation of TRPV1 causes endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and cell death in human bronchial epithelial and alveolar cells. TRPV1 agonist (nonivamide) treatment caused calcium release from the ER and altered the transcription of growth arrest- and DNA damage-inducible transcript 3 (GADD153), GADD45α, GRP78/BiP, ATF3, CCND1, and CCNG2) in a manner comparable with prototypical ER stress-inducing agents. The TRPV1 antagonist N-(4-tert-butylbenzyl)-N′-(1-[3-fluoro-4-(methylsulfonylamino)-phenyl]ethyl)thiourea (LJO-328) inhibited mRNA responses and cytotoxicity. EGTA and ruthenium red inhibited cell surface TRPV1 activity, but they did not prevent ER stress gene responses or cytotoxicity. Cytotoxicity paralleled eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2, subunit 1 (EIF2α) phosphorylation and the induction of GADD153 mRNA and protein. Transient overexpression of GADD153 caused cell death independent of agonist treatment, and cells selected for stable overexpression of a GADD153 dominant-negative mutant exhibited reduced sensitivity. Salubrinal, an inhibitor of ER stress-induced cytotoxicity via the EIF2αK3/EIF2α pathway, or stable overexpression of the EIF2α-S52A dominant-negative mutant also inhibited cell death. Treatment of the TRPV1-null human embryonic kidney 293 cell line with TRPV1 agonists did not initiate ER stress responses. Likewise, n-benzylnonanamide, an inactive analog of nonivamide, failed to cause ER calcium release, an increase in GADD153 expression, and cytotoxicity. We conclude that activation of ER-bound TRPV1 and stimulation of GADD153 expression via the EIF2αK3/EIF2α pathway represents a common mechanism for cytotoxicity by cell-permeable TRPV1 agonists. These findings are significant within the context of lung inflammatory diseases where elevated concentrations of endogenous TRPV1 agonists are probably produced in sufficient quantities to cause TRPV1 activation and lung cell death. The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics ER -