title: Induction of haem oxygenase contributes to the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines in re-oxygenated rat macrophages: role of cGMP.
abstract: Macrophage activation and the resulting inflammatory response may be a major component of tissue injury upon hypoxia and re-oxygenation. Activation of the haem oxygenase (HO)/carbon monoxide (CO) pathway may be an important regulator of the inflammatory response, through production of cyclic 3', 5'-monophosphate (cGMP). We have assessed whether HO contributes to the increased production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-6 in re-oxygenated rat peritoneal macrophages.Hypoxia/re-oxygenation markedly increased levels of HO-1 mRNA and cGMP. The increase in cGMP was reduced by the HO-1 inhibitor tin-protoporphyrin (SnPP-9) given during re-oxygenation. Hypoxia and re-oxygenation also increased IL-6 and TNF-alpha mRNA expression, as well as IL-6 and TNF-alpha concentrations in the cell supernatant. These increases were nullified by SnPP-9 and by Methylene Blue, an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase, but were not affected by L-NNA, an inhibitor of NO synthesis. The inhibitory effect of SnPP on the synthesis of cytokines was reversed by co-administration of the stable analogue of cGMP, 8-Br-cGMP. Our results indicate that activation of haem oxygenase and of the CO/cGMP pathway is a major stimulus for the synthesis and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in re-oxygenated macrophages. This pathway may play a central role in pathological situations in which local tissue hypoxia/re-oxygenation triggers a systemic inflammatory response, for example in patients with shock.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000502:physiology; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D004790:Enzyme Induction; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019335:Nitroarginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*