title: Vasoactive intestinal peptide and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide inhibit the MEKK1/MEK4/JNK signaling pathway in endotoxin-activated microglia.
abstract: The vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), two immunomodulatory neuropeptides, act as anti-inflammatory factors for activated microglia, by inhibiting the production of proinflammatory factors. In the present study the effects of VIP/PACAP on the MEKK1/MEK4/JNK transduction pathway and on the subsequent changes in Jun family members, a transduction pathway clearly involved in the activation of microglia cells were examined. VIP/PACAP inhibit MEKK1 activity and the subsequent phosphorylations of MEK4, JNK, and c-Jun, which result in a decrease in the AP-1 binding and a marked change in the composition of AP-1 complexes from c-Jun/c-Fos to JunB/c-Fos. Furthermore, VIP stimulates JunB production in LPS-stimulated microglia. Both inhibition of the MEKK1/MEK4/JNK pathway, leading to a reduction in phosphorylated c-Jun, and the stimulation of JunB are mediated through the specific VPAC1 receptor and cAMP/PKA pathway. The VIP/PACAP interference with the stress-induced SAPK/JNK pathway in activated microglia may represent a significant element in the regulation of inflammatory response in the CNS by endogenous neuropeptides.
authors.affiliation: Departamento Biologia Celular, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad Complutense, Madrid 28040, Spain. mariodm@bio.ucm.es
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delgado
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D007700:Kinetics; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D048768:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 4; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000378:metabolism; D018005:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000502:physiology; D051238:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide, Type I; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D009479:Neuropeptides; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D018005:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D051238:Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide, Type I; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048768:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 4; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases