scholarly journals Identification of genomic targets downstream of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway mediating tumor necrosis factor-α signaling

2007 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 343-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy Zer ◽  
George Sachs ◽  
Jai Moo Shin

Inhibition of p38 MAPK suppresses the expression of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-1β in macrophages and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). However, there have been no genomewide studies on the gene targets of p38 MAPK signaling in synoviocytes. Microarray technology was applied to generate a comprehensive analysis of all genes regulated by the p38 MAPK signaling pathway in FLS. Gene expression levels were measured with Agilent oligonucleotide microarrays. Four independent sets of mRNA modulated by TNF-α and vehicle were used to measure the change of gene expression due to TNF-α, and three experiments were done to ascertain the effect of SB-203580, a p38 MAPK inhibitor, on TNF-α-induced genes. Microarray data were validated by RT-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. One hundred forty-one significantly expressed genes were more than twofold upregulated by TNF-α. Thirty percent of these genes were downregulated by the p38 inhibitor SB-203580, whereas 67% of these genes were not significantly changed. The SB-203580-inhibited genes include proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukins and chemokines, proteases including matrix metallopeptidases, metabolism-related genes such as cyclooxygenases and phosphodiesterase, genes involved in signal transduction, and genes encoding for transcription factors, receptors, and transporters. Approximately one-third of the TNF-α-induced genes in FLS are regulated by the p38 MAPK signal pathway, showing that p38 MAPK is a possible target for suppressing proinflammatory gene expressions in rheumatoid arthritis.

2021 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Rania Elsayed Hussein ◽  
Laila Ahmed Rashed ◽  
Basma Emad Aboulhoda ◽  
Ghada Mahmoud Abdelaziz ◽  
Ebtehal Gamal Abdelhady ◽  
...  

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of thymoquinone (TQ) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats. Our study has reported that TQ treatment of experimentally-induced HCC results in the up-regulation of the Jun-N-terminal kinase and p38 mitogen activated protein kinase pathway (JNK/p38 MAPK) and the enhancement of anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and pro-apoptotic machineries. TQ resulted in a significant decrease in the levels of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B-cells (NFκB), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and a significant increase in the anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 (IL-10). The pro-apoptotic effect of TQ was demonstrated through stimulating the apoptotic Bcl-2-associated X (Bax) gene and inhibiting the anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) gene together with increasing the level of caspase 3 and up-regulating the C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP-1) gene expression. TQ treatment also enhanced the activity of the ROS scavenger, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and decreased the level of the lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA). TQ-dependent suppression of HCC was associated with the up-regulation of JNK/p38 MAPK, enhanced CHOP-1 expression, and subsequently increased Bax gene expression.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej P. Herman ◽  
Agata Krawczyńska ◽  
Joanna Bochenek ◽  
Hanna Antushevich ◽  
Anna Herman ◽  
...  

The study was designed to determine the effects of peripheral injection of SB203580 on the synthesis of interleukin- (IL-) 1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)αin the hypothalamus of ewes during prolonged inflammation. Inflammation was induced by the administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (400 ng/kg) over 7 days. SB203580 is a selective ATP-competitive inhibitor of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), which is involved in the regulation of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNFαsynthesis. Intravenous injection of SB203580 successfully inhibited (P<0.01) synthesis of IL-1βand reduced (P<0.01) the production of IL-6 in the hypothalamus. The p38 MAPK inhibitor decreased (P<0.01) gene expression of TNFαbut its effect was not observed at the level of TNFαprotein synthesis. SB203580 also reduced (P<0.01) LPS-stimulated IL-1 receptor type 1 gene expression. The conclusion that inhibition of p38 MAPK blocks LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokine synthesis seems to initiate new perspectives in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases also within the central nervous system. However, potential proinflammatory effects of SB203580 treatment suggest that all therapies using p38 MAPK inhibitors should be introduced very carefully with analysis of all expected and unexpected consequences of treatment.


2016 ◽  
Vol 212 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adi D. Dubash ◽  
Chen Y. Kam ◽  
Brian A. Aguado ◽  
Dipal M. Patel ◽  
Mario Delmar ◽  
...  

Members of the desmosome protein family are integral components of the cardiac area composita, a mixed junctional complex responsible for electromechanical coupling between cardiomyocytes. In this study, we provide evidence that loss of the desmosomal armadillo protein Plakophilin-2 (PKP2) in cardiomyocytes elevates transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, which together coordinate a transcriptional program that results in increased expression of profibrotic genes. Importantly, we demonstrate that expression of Desmoplakin (DP) is lost upon PKP2 knockdown and that restoration of DP expression rescues the activation of this TGF-β1/p38 MAPK transcriptional cascade. Tissues from PKP2 heterozygous and DP conditional knockout mouse models also exhibit elevated TGF-β1/p38 MAPK signaling and induction of fibrotic gene expression in vivo. These data therefore identify PKP2 and DP as central players in coordination of desmosome-dependent TGF-β1/p38 MAPK signaling in cardiomyocytes, pathways known to play a role in different types of cardiac disease, such as arrhythmogenic or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.


2014 ◽  
Vol 307 (11) ◽  
pp. H1643-H1654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shun-Guang Wei ◽  
Zhi-Hua Zhang ◽  
Yang Yu ◽  
Robert B. Felder

The chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1/CXCL12) and its receptors are expressed by neurons and glial cells in cardiovascular autonomic regions of the brain, including the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), and contribute to neurohumoral excitation in rats with ischemia-induced heart failure. The present study examined factors regulating the expression of SDF-1 in the PVN and mechanisms mediating its sympatho-excitatory effects. In urethane anesthetized rats, a 4-h intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of angiotensin II (ANG II) or tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in doses that increase mean blood pressure (MBP) and sympathetic drive increased the expression of SDF-1 in PVN. ICV administration of SDF-1 increased the phosphorylation of p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), JNK, and p38 MAPK in PVN, along with MBP, heart rate (HR), and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), but did not affect total p44/42 MAPK, JNK, and p38 MAPK levels. ICV pretreatment with the selective p44/42 MAPK inhibitor PD98059 prevented the SDF-1-induced increases in MBP, HR, and RSNA; ICV pretreatment with the selective JNK and p38 MAPK inhibitors attenuated but did not block these SDF-1-induced excitatory responses. ICV PD98059 also prevented the sympatho-excitatory response to bilateral PVN microinjections of SDF-1. ICV pretreatment with SDF-1 short-hairpin RNA significantly reduced ANG II- and TNF-α-induced phosphorylation of p44/42 MAPK in PVN. These findings identify TNF-α and ANG II as drivers of SDF-1 expression in PVN and suggest that the full expression of their cardiovascular and sympathetic effects depends upon SDF-1-mediated activation of p44/42 MAPK signaling.


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung Jae Park ◽  
Hong Joo Moon ◽  
Jin Hyun Park ◽  
Taek Hyun Kwon ◽  
Youn-Kwan Park ◽  
...  

OBJECT To determine the role played by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling in the interactions between macrophages and intervertebral disc (IVD) cells, it was hypothesized that MAPK inhibition would modulate the production of the proinflammatory cytokines associated with inflammatory reaction in IVD cells. METHODS Human annulus fibrosus (AF) and nucleus pulposus (NP) cells were cocultured with phorbol myristate acetate-stimulated macrophage-like THP-1 cells, with and without SB202190 (a p38-α and -β inhibitor), SP600125 (a c-Jun N-terminal kinase [JNK] inhibitor), and PD98059 (an extracellular signal-regulated kinase [ERK] 1/2 inhibitor). The cytokines in conditioned media from cocultured and macrophage-exposed (nemotic) cells were assayed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). RESULTS Interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 were secreted in greater quantities by the cocultured cells compared with naive IVD cells and macrophages (MΦ) cultured alone. The tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- α and IL-6 levels produced by the NP cells cocultured with MΦs (NP-MΦ) were significantly lower than those produced by AF cells cocultured with MΦs (AF-MΦ). SB202190 dose-dependently suppressed IL-6 secretion by AF-MΦ and NP-MΦ cocultures, and 10 μM SB202190 significantly decreased IL-6 and IL-8 production in nemotic AF and NP pellets. SP600125 at 10 μM significantly suppressed the production of TNF α IL-6. and IL-8 in AF-MΦ and NP-MΦ cocultures and significantly suppressed IL-1β production in the NP-MΦ coculture. Administration of 10 μM PD98059 significantly decreased IL-6 levels in the AF-MΦ coculture, and decreased the levels of TNF α and IL-8 in both the AF-MΦ and NP-MΦ cocultures. CONCLUSIONS The present study shows that inhibitors of p38 MAPK effectively controlled IL-6 production during inflammatory reactions and that JNK and ERK1/2 inhibitors successfully suppressed the production of major proinflammatory cytokines during interactions between macrophages and IVD cells. Therefore, selective blockade of these signals may serve as a therapeutic approach to symptomatic IVD degeneration.


2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 3784-3792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Midori Kayahara ◽  
Xin Wang ◽  
Cathy Tournier

ABSTRACT To further understand how the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways regulate AP-1 activity, we have elucidated the physiological role of these cascades in the regulation of c-jun gene expression. c-Jun is a crucial component of AP-1 complexes and has been shown in vitro to be a point of integration of numerous signals that can differentially affect its expression as well as its transcriptional activity. Our strategy was based on the use of (i) genetically modified fibroblasts deficient in components of the MAPK cascades and (ii) pharmacological reagents. The results demonstrate that c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK) is essential for a basal level of c-Jun expression and for c-Jun phosphorylation in response to stress. In addition to JNK, p38 MAPK or ERK1/2 and ERK5 are required for mediating UV radiation- or epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced c-Jun expression, respectively. Further studies indicate that p38 MAPK inhibits the activation of JNK in response to EGF, causing a down-regulation of c-Jun. Overall, these data provide important insights into the mechanisms that ultimately determine the function of c-Jun as a regulator of cell fate.


2004 ◽  
Vol 286 (6) ◽  
pp. G906-G913 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donnie E. Shifflett ◽  
Samuel L. Jones ◽  
Adam J. Moeser ◽  
Anthony T. Blikslager

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways transduce signals from a diverse array of extracellular stimuli. The three primary MAPK-signaling pathways are the extracellular regulated kinases (ERK1/2), p38 MAPK, and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). Previous research in our laboratory has shown that COX-2-elaborated prostanoids participate in recovery of mucosal barrier function in ischemic-injured porcine ileum. Because COX-2 expression is regulated in part by MAPKs, we postulated that MAPK pathways would play an integral role in recovery of injured mucosa. Porcine mucosa was subjected to 45 min of ischemia, after which tissues were mounted in Ussing chambers, and transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) was monitored as an index of recovery of barrier function. Treatment of tissues with the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB-203580 (0.1 mM) or the ERK1/2 inhibitor PD-98059 (0.1 mM) abolished recovery. Western blot analysis revealed that SB-203580 inhibited upregulation of COX-2 that was observed in untreated ischemic-injured mucosa, whereas PD-98059 had no effect on COX-2 expression. Inhibition of TER recovery by SB-203580 or PD-98059 was overcome by administration of exogenous prostaglandin E2 (1 μM). The JNK inhibitor SP-600125 (0.1 mM) significantly increased TER and resulted in COX-2 upregulation. COX-2 expression appears to be positively and negatively regulated by the p38 MAPK and the JNK pathways, respectively. Alternatively, ERK1/2 appear to be involved in COX-2-independent reparative events that remain to be defined.


2002 ◽  
Vol 283 (2) ◽  
pp. L418-L427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga L. Miakotina ◽  
Jeanne M. Snyder

Surfactant protein A (SP-A), the major lung surfactant-associated protein, mediates local defense against pathogens and modulates inflammation in the alveolus. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, a proinflammatory cytokine, inhibits SP-A gene expression in lung epithelial cells. Inhibitors of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway, i.e., wortmannin, LY-294002, and rapamycin, did not block the inhibitory effects of TNF-α on SP-A mRNA levels. An inhibitor of the p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, PD-98059, was also ineffective. PD-169316 and SB-203580, inhibitors of p38 MAPK, blocked the TNF-α-mediated inhibition of SP-A mRNA levels. TNF-α increased the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK within 15 min. Anisomycin, an activator of p38 MAPK, increased p38 MAPK phosphorylation and decreased SP-A mRNA levels in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, TNF-α increased the phosphorylation of ATF-2, a transcription factor that is a p38 MAPK substrate. We conclude that TNF-α downregulates SP-A gene expression in lung epithelial cells via the p38 MAPK signal transduction pathway.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 6428
Author(s):  
Hanon Lee ◽  
Dong Hun Lee ◽  
Jang-Hee Oh ◽  
Jin Ho Chung

Skullcapflavone II (SFII), a flavonoid derived from Scutellaria baicalensis, has been reported to have anti-inflammatory properties. However, its therapeutic potential for skin inflammatory diseases and its mechanism are unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of SFII on TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced atopic dermatitis (AD)-associated cytokines, such as thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC). Co-stimulation with TNF-α/IFN-γ in HaCaT cells is a well-established model for induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines. We treated cells with SFII prior to TNF-α/IFN-γ-stimulation and confirmed that it significantly inhibited TARC and MDC expression at the mRNA and protein levels. Additionally, SFII also inhibited the expression of cathepsin S (CTSS), which is associated with itching in patients with AD. Using specific inhibitors, we demonstrated that STAT1, NF-κB, and p38 MAPK mediate TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced TARC and MDC, as well as CTSS expression. Finally, we confirmed that SFII significantly suppressed TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced phosphorylation of STAT1, NF-κB, and p38 MAPK. Taken together, our study indicates that SFII inhibits TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced TARC, MDC, and CTSS expression by regulating STAT1, NF-κB, and p38 MAPK signaling pathways.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document