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Arthritis Research & Therapy
Published in: Arthritis Research & Therapy 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

Glutaminase 1 plays a key role in the cell growth of fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis

Authors: Soshi Takahashi, Jun Saegusa, Sho Sendo, Takaichi Okano, Kengo Akashi, Yasuhiro Irino, Akio Morinobu

Published in: Arthritis Research & Therapy | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

The recent findings of cancer-specific metabolic changes, including increased glucose and glutamine consumption, have provided new therapeutic targets for consideration. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients exhibit several tumor cell-like characteristics; however, the role of glucose and glutamine metabolism in the aberrant proliferation of these cells is unclear. Here, we evaluated the role of these metabolic pathways in RA-FLS proliferation and in autoimmune arthritis in SKG mice.

Methods

The expression of glycolysis- or glutaminolysis-related enzymes was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blotting, and the intracellular metabolites were evaluated by metabolomic analyses. The effects of glucose or glutamine on RA-FLS cell growth were investigated using glucose- or glutamine-free medium. Glutaminase (GLS)1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) and the GLS1 inhibitor compound 968 were used to inhibit GLS1 in RA-FLS, and compound 968 was used to study the effect of GLS1 inhibition in zymosan A-injected SKG mice.

Results

GLS1 expression was increased in RA-FLS, and metabolomic analyses revealed that glutamine metabolism was increased in RA-FLS. RA-FLS proliferation was reduced under glutamine-deprived, but not glucose-deprived, conditions. Cell growth of RA-FLS was inhibited by GLS1 siRNA transfection or GLS1 inhibitor treatment. Treating RA-FLS with either interleukin-17 or platelet-derived growth factor resulted in increased GLS1 levels. Compound 968 ameliorated the autoimmune arthritis and decreased the number of Ki-67-positive synovial cells in SKG mice.

Conclusions

Our results suggested that glutamine metabolism is involved in the pathogenesis of RA and that GLS1 plays an important role in regulating RA-FLS proliferation, and may be a novel therapeutic target for RA.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Glutaminase 1 plays a key role in the cell growth of fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors
Soshi Takahashi
Jun Saegusa
Sho Sendo
Takaichi Okano
Kengo Akashi
Yasuhiro Irino
Akio Morinobu
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Arthritis Research & Therapy / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1478-6362
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-017-1283-3

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