Hyperglycemia-induced inflammation caused down-regulation of 8-oxoG-DNA glycosylase levels in murine macrophages is mediated by oxidative-nitrosative stress-dependent pathways.

High glucose-induced increase in production of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) is recognized as a major cause of the clinical complications associated with diabetes. ROS/RNS apart from being redox agents, cause an unwanted severe physiological load to cells, also act as cellular messengers, and play a key role in activation of circulating macrophages. However, the molecular mechanisms of activation of macrophages by hyperglycemic conditions are currently unclear. In the present study, we report that high glucose (HG) causes a dramatic increase in the production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, at least in part through enhanced mRNA transcription. The increase in levels of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines corresponds to increased levels of ROS/RNS, which is accompanied by increased activities of Akt, ERK1/2, tuberin, down regulation of 8-oxoG-DNA glycosylase (OGG1), and increase in 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) accumulation in DNA. Elevated levels of ROS/RNS are triggering alteration in antioxidants level, biomolecules damage, cell cycle dysregulation, and apoptosis in macrophage cells. Pretreatment of antioxidants caused decrease in the levels of ROS/RNS leads to an increase in the levels of antioxidants, decrease in biomolecules damage, alterations in Akt, ERK1/2, tuberin, upregulation of OGG1, and decrease in 8-OHdG accumulations in DNA. Further, antioxidants treatments inhibit the effects of HG on the transcriptional activity of cytokines and chemokines. Our results demonstrate that intracellular signaling pathways mediated by ROS/RNS are linked to each other by elevated glucose in macrophages activation leading to inflammation. These findings provide a mechanistic explanation of how ROS/RNS cooperate to conduct inflammatory intracellular signals in macrophages related complications in hyperglycemic conditions.