title: MAP kinase pathways as a route for regulatory mechanisms of IL-10 and IL-4 which inhibit COX-2 expression in human monocytes.
abstract: Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are activated by various extracellular stimuli and play an important role in regulating the expression of proinflammatory molecules in monocytes/macrophages. We first questioned whether MAPK activation in involved in cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human monocytes. LPS induced the expression of COX-2 protein and COX-2 mRNA as well as the phosphorylation and activation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK)2 and p38 MAPK in monocytes. The induction of COX-2 mRNA, COX-2 protein, and prostaglandin (PG)E2 by LPS was inhibited by the specific inhibitors of ERK and p38 MAPK, suggesting that the activation of ERK2 and p38 MAPK is involved in COX-2 expression in LPS-stimulated monocytes. Since we previously showed that interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-4 similarly inhibited COX-2 expression in LPS-stimulated monocytes, we next questioned whether these cytokines regulate the phosphorylation and activation of ERK2 and p38 MAPK in LPS-stimulated monocytes. Interestingly, LPS-induced phosphorylation and activation of ERK2 was significantly inhibited by IL-4 and IL-10, while that of p38 MAPK was inhibited by IL-10, but not IL-4. These results suggest that the mechanisms of inhibition by IL-10 and IL-4 of the LPS-induced expression of proinflammatory molecules could be ascribed to the regulatory effects of both cytokines on MAPK activation.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Niiro
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Otsuka
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ogami
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamaoka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akahoshi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arinobu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Izuhara
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Niho
mesh_terms: D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases