title: Effects of hydrogen peroxide on MAPK activation, IL-8 production and cell viability in primary cultures of human bronchial epithelial cells.
abstract: The airway epithelium is continuously exposed to inhaled oxidants, including airborne pollutants and cigarette smoke, which can exert harmful proinflammatory and cytotoxic effects. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate, in primary cultures of human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC), the signal transduction pathways activated by increasing concentrations (0.25, 0.5, and 1 mM) of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), as well as their effects on IL-8 production and cell viability. The reported results show that H(2)O(2) elicited, in a concentration-dependent fashion, a remarkable increase in phosphorylation-dependent activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), associated with a significant induction of IL-8 synthesis and a dramatically enhanced cell death. Pre-treatment of HBEC with MAPK inhibitors was able to significantly inhibit the effects of H(2)O(2) on IL-8 secretion, and to effectively prevent cell death. Therefore, these findings suggest that MAPKs play a key role as molecular transducers of the airway epithelial injury triggered by oxidative stress, as well as potential pharmacologic targets for indirect antioxidant intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy. pelaia@unicz.it
authors.forename: Girolamo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pelaia
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cuda
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vatrella
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gallelli
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fratto
authors.forename: Vincenza
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gioffrè
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: D'Agostino
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caputi
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maselli
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Francesco S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Costanzo
authors.forename: Serafino A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Marsico
mesh_terms: D001980:Bronchi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D016877:Oxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D016209:Interleukin-8; D016877:Oxidants; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020169:Caspases