title: Exposure to 4-tert-octylphenol, an environmentally persistent alkylphenol, enhances interleukin-4 production in T cells via NF-AT activation.
abstract: 4-tert-Octylphenol (OP) is a representative endocrine disruptor that may have adverse effects on human health. The influence of this compound on allergic immune responses remains unclear. In this study, we have examined the effects of OP on production of interleukin-4 (IL-4), a pro-inflammatory cytokine closely associated with allergic immune responses. OP significantly enhanced IL-4 production in antigen-primed T cells in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with OP in vivo resulted in significant increase of IL-4 production in T cells and of IgE levels in sera of antigen-primed mice. Furthermore, OP enhanced the activation of IL-4 gene promoter in EL4 T cells transiently transfected with IL-4 promoter/reporter constructs, and the enhancing effect mapped to a region in the IL-4 promoter containing binding sites for nuclear factor of activated T cell (NF-AT). Activation of T cells by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) resulted in markedly enhanced binding activities to the NF-AT site, which significantly increased upon addition of OP, indicating that the transcription factor NF-AT was involved in the enhancing effect of OP on IL-4 production. The enhancement of IL-4 production by OP was blocked by FK506, a calcineurin inhibitor, but not by the estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist ICI 182780. FK506 inhibited the NF-AT-DNA binding activity and IL-4 gene promoter activity enhanced by OP in a dose-dependent manner. These findings demonstrate that OP enhances IL-4 production in T cells via the stimulation of calcineurin-dependent NF-AT activation.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Laboratory, College of Pharmacy, Chonnam National University, Kwangju 500-757, South Korea.
authors.forename: Mi H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tae S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D000077267:Fulvestrant; D006433:Hemocyanins / Q000494:pharmacology; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008156:Luciferases / Q000378:metabolism; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000494:pharmacology; D010636:Phenols / Q000633:toxicity*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000494:pharmacology; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016328:NF-kappa B; D010636:Phenols; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D015847:Interleukin-4; D000077267:Fulvestrant; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D004958:Estradiol; D006433:Hemocyanins; D008156:Luciferases; C032808:keyhole-limpet hemocyanin; C105260:4-tert-octylphenol; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D016559:Tacrolimus