Dexamethasone prevents granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-induced nuclear factor-kappaB activation, inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and nitric oxide production in a skin dendritic cell line.
OBJECTIVE
Nitric oxide (NO) has been increasingly implicated in inflammatory skin diseases, namely in allergic contact dermatitis. In this work, we investigated the effect of dexamethasone on NO production induced by the epidermal cytokine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in a mouse fetal skin dendritic cell line.


METHODS
NO production was assessed by the method of Griess. Expression of the inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein was evaluated by western blot analysis and immunofluorescence microscopy. Western blot analysis was also performed to evaluate cytosolic IkappaB-alpha (IkappaB-alpha) protein levels. The electrophoretic mobility shift assay was used to evaluate the activation or inhibition of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB).


RESULTS
GM-CSF induced iNOS expression and NO production, and activated the transcription factor NF-kappaB. Dexamethasone inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, NO production induced by GM-CSF. Addition of dexamethasone to the culture, 30 min before GM-CSF stimulation, significantly inhibited the cellular expression of iNOS. Dexamethasone also inhibited GM-CSF-induced NF-kappaB activation by preventing a significant decrease on the IkappaB-alpha protein levels, thus blocking NF-kappaB migration to the nucleus.


CONCLUSIONS
The corticosteroid dexamethasone inhibits GM-CSF-induced NF-kappaB activation, iNOS protein expression and NO production. These results suggest that dexamethasone is a potent inhibitor of intracellular events that are involved on NO synthesis, in skin dendritic cells.
Vital
Ana Luísa
AL
Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidad de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Gonçalo
Margarida
M
Cruz
M Teresa
MT
Figueiredo
Américo
A
Duarte
Carlos B
CB
Lopes
M Celeste
MC
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; C000606205:Nfkbia protein, mouse; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D003907:Dexamethasone; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse