title: Thioredoxin negatively regulates p38 MAP kinase activation and IL-6 production by tumor necrosis factor-alpha.
abstract: We examined the regulatory role of a reduction/oxidation (redox) control protein, thioredoxin (TRX), in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced p38 MAP kinase activation and p38 MAP kinase-mediated cytokine expression utilizing TRX-transfected murine L929 cells (TRX14). The results showed that TNF-alpha-induced p38 MAP kinase activation and interleukin-6 (IL-6) production by TRX 14 were less than those by the parental L cells and the control transfected L cells (Neo-1). SB 203580 as the specific inhibitor for p38 MAP kinase activity inhibited TNF-alpha-induced IL-6 production by the parental L cells, indicating that TNF-alpha-activated p38 MAP kinase regulates IL-6 production by the cell lines used in this study. These results showed that overexpression of TRX negatively regulates p38 MAP kinase activation and p38 MAP kinase-mediated IL-6 production by TNF-alpha-stimulated cells, indicating that TRX is critical for p38 MAP kinase activation which regulates cytokine expression.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D013879:Thioredoxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases