title: Intradermal transfer of caspase-1 (CASP1) DNA into mouse dissects: role of CASP1 in interleukin-1beta associated skin inflammation and apoptotic cell death.
abstract: Caspase-1 (CASP1) interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) converting enzyme (ICE) has been cloned as a specific enzyme which activates the biologically inactive pro-form of IL-1beta into biological active IL-1beta. Based on the significant homology to Ced-3, Caenorhabditis elegans apoptotic gene and, proof of apoptotic activity of ICE in rat fibroblasts, ICE was renamed as CASP1. In contrast to in vitro functions, the in vivo significance of high expression of CASP1 in skin remains to be elucidated. We transferred plasmid DNA encoding murine CASP1 with beta-actin promoter into mouse skin. The CASP1 DNA-injected skin, but not skin injected with control plasmid without CASP1, developed localized erythema with subcutaneous nodules. The nodules were associated with marked inflammatory infiltrates. The apoptotic cells detected by the TUNEL method were distributed in and around the inflammatory foci. The plasma IL-1beta level of CASP1 DNA-injected mouse was elevated compared with that of the control DNA-injected mouse. These inflammatory reactions of CASP1 DNA-injected skin were suppressed by treatment with neutralizing anti-murine IL-1beta antibodies, but the TUNEL positive apoptotic cells were still detected. This study clearly demonstrate dual roles of CASP1 in causing IL-1beta associated granulomatous skin infiltration and inducing apoptotic cell death in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Mie University, Faculty of Medicine, Tsu, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asahi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizutani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsushima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimizu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D020170:Caspase 1 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004247:DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003877:Dermatitis, Contact / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D007271:Injections, Intradermal; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D007763:Lac Operon; D051379:Mice; D008812:Mice, Hairless; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D007375:Interleukin-1; D004247:DNA; D020170:Caspase 1