title: Mitogen-activated protein kinase involves neutrophil elastase-induced morphological changes in human bronchial epithelial cells.
abstract: Neutrophil elastase (NE) promotes the detachment of airway epithelial cells; however, changes in overall morphology of NE-stimulated bronchial epithelial cell (BEC) monolayer are different from trypsin stimulation. Ras/Raf-initiated-mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) also known as extracellular signal-regulated kinase, pathway regulates integrin functions which participate in regulating attachment and detachment of cell and cellular morphology. However, little is known about the role of MAPK in NE-induced changes in overall morphology of BEC. In the present study, we examined the role of MAPK in NE-induced changes in overall morphology of BEC monolayer. To this end, we examined changes in cellular morphology and MAPK activation in NE-stimulated BEC monolayer, and the effect of PD 98059 as the specific inhibitor for MAPK kinase-1 (MEK-1, the upstream regulator of MAPK) on NE-induced changes in cellular morphology and MAPK activation. The results showed that in stimulation of NE, BECs detached and gaps developed, and MAPK activation was observed. PD 98059 attenuated NE-induced changes in cellular morphology as well as MAPK activation. These results indicated that in addition to proteolytic activity of NE on extracellular matrix (ECM), NE-activated MAPK pathway, at least in part, is involved in NE-induced changes in overall morphology and the detachment of BEC monolayer.
mesh_terms: D001980:Bronchi / Q000166:cytology*; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors