title: alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone inhibits NF-kappaB activation and IkappaBalpha degradation in human glioma cells and in experimental brain inflammation.
abstract: The neuropeptide alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) modulates production of proinflammatory cytokines in brain tissue and in peripheral inflammatory cells. Transcription of the genes for these proinflammatory cytokines is regulated by the nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB). NF-kappaB is also activated by proinflammatory cytokines. Degradation of the cytoplasmic inhibitor IkappaBalpha protein results in activation of NF-kappaB. Because of increasing evidence that NF-kappaB is involved in brain injury and inflammation and neurodegenerative disease, we examined whether alpha-MSH inhibits activation of NF-kappaB and limits degradation of IkappaBalpha protein induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in human glioma cells (A-172) and in mouse brain. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays of nuclear extracts from A-172 cells and whole mouse brains stimulated with LPS revealed that alpha-MSH does suppress NF-kappaB activation. Western blot analysis demonstrated that alpha-MSH preserved expression of IkappaBalpha protein in vitro (glioma cells) and in vivo (brain tissue). Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assay indicated that alpha-MSH suppresses NF-kappaB-dependent reporter gene expression induced by LPS in A-172 cells. The findings are consistent with the possibility that the anti-inflammatory action of alpha-MSH in CNS inflammation occurs via modulation of NF-kappaB activation by peptide-induced inhibition of degradation of IkappaBalpha protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, Texas, 75235-9040, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichiyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Catania
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lipton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D005910:Glioma; D006801:Humans; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D007249:Inflammation; D007700:Kinetics; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; C000606204:NFKBIA protein, human; C000606205:Nfkbia protein, mouse; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D000521:alpha-MSH; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase