title: Decline in the expression of IL-2 after trauma and changes in the nuclear transcription factors NFAT and AP-1.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether the decrease in expression of interleukin-2 (IL-2) after trauma is associated with changes in DNA binding activity of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) and activator protein-1 (AP-1).
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice with closed impact injury with fracture in both hind limbs were adopted as the trauma model. Spleen lymphocytes were isolated from traumatized mice and stimulated with Con-A. Culture supernatants were assayed for IL-2 activity, and total RNA was extracted from spleen lymphocytes and assayed for IL-2 mRNA. DNA binding activity of NFAT and AP-1 were measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). The expression of c-Fos, c-Jun and JunB proteins was determined by the Western blot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DNA binding activity of NFAT and AP-1 gradually decreased to a minimum of 41% and 49%, respectively, of the control on the 4th day after injury, which was closely followed by the decline in IL-2 activity and IL-2 mRNA. A decrease in the expression of c-Fos on the 1st and 4th day after trauma had no significant effect on c-Jun expression; the increase in expression of JunB was only on the 1st day after injury.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decreased IL-2 expression is, at least in part, due to a decline in the activation of NFAT and AP-1 in traumatized mice. The decline in DNA binding activity of NFAT and AP-1 is partly due to a trauma-induced block in the expression of c-Fos.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Field Surgery, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Huaping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Chenxiang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhengguo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D005260:Female; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000032:analysis; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000032:analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007376:Interleukin-2; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA