title: Suppression of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, but not IL-8, by alprazolam: effect of alprazolam on c-Rel/p65 and c-Rel/p50 binding to the monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 promoter region.
abstract: Alprazolam is a hypnotic/tranquilizer that has been shown to specifically inhibit the platelet-activating factor (PAF)-induced aggregation of human platelets. The goal of this study was to elucidate whether alprazolam modulates IL-1alpha-initiated responses. For this purpose we investigated the effects of alprazolam on the IL-1alpha-induced production of inflammatory cytokines (IL-8 and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1)) in a human glioblastoma cell line, T98G, and explored the signaling pathways involved. We found that alprazolam inhibited IL-1alpha-elicited MCP-1 production within a range of 0.1-3 micro M. In contrast, it did not inhibit IL-1alpha-induced IL-8 production. Although NF-kappaB is involved in regulating the IL-1alpha-induced expression of MCP-1 and IL-8, the degradation of IkappaB-alpha stimulated by IL-1alpha was not inhibited by alprazolam. Alprazolam prevented NF-kappaB from binding to the MCP-1 promoter region (the A2 and A1 oligonucleotide probes), but binding of NF-kappaB to IL-8/NF-kappaB was not inhibited. Moreover, alprazolam inhibited c-Rel/p50 binding to the A2 oligonucleotide probe, but not p50/p65 from binding to the IL-8/NF-kappaB site. While AP-1 is involved in regulating the IL-1alpha-induced expression of IL-8, but not MCP-1, alprazolam potentiated the binding of c-Jun/c-Fos to the AP-1 oligonucleotide probe. These results show that the inhibition of IL-1alpha-mediated MCP-1 production by alprazolam is mainly due to inhibition of c-Rel/p65 and c-Rel/p50 binding to the MCP-1 promoter region, since alprazolam did not affect the IL-1alpha-mediated activation of NF-kappaB (p50/p65) or AP-1 (c-Jun/c-Fos) binding to the IL-8 promoter region. In conclusion, a new action of alprazolam was elucidated, as shown in the inhibition of c-Rel/p65- and c-Rel/p50-regulated transcription.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Kyoritsu College of Pharmacy, Tokyo, Japan. oda-ti@kyoritsu-ph.ac.jp
authors.forename: Taiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.forename: Atsuhisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Handa
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kasahara
mesh_terms: D000525:Alprazolam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001667:Binding, Competitive / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D052002:NF-kappa B p50 Subunit; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D020569:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-rel / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007375:Interleukin-1; D016209:Interleukin-8; D016328:NF-kappa B; D052002:NF-kappa B p50 Subunit; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; D020569:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-rel; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA; D000525:Alprazolam