NF-kappaB-regulated expression of cellular FLIP protects rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts from tumor necrosis factor alpha-mediated apoptosis.
OBJECTIVE
Little apoptosis has been observed in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial tissues. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) is expressed in the joints of patients with RA, yet RA synovial fibroblasts are relatively resistant to apoptosis induced by TNFalpha. Recently, we demonstrated that FLIP is highly expressed in the RA joint. These studies were performed to determine if TNFalpha-induced NF-kappaB controls the expression of FLIP long (FLIP(L)) and FLIP short (FLIP(S)) in RA synovial fibroblasts and to determine the role of FLIP in the control of TNFalpha-induced apoptosis.


METHODS
RA synovial fibroblasts were isolated from RA synovial tissues and used between passages 3 and 9. RA synovial or control fibroblasts were sham infected or infected with a control adenovirus vector or one expressing the super-repressor IkappaBalpha (srIkappaBalpha). The cells were stimulated with TNFalpha or a control vehicle, and expression of FLIP(L) and FLIP(S) was determined by isoform-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Cell viability was determined by XTT cleavage, and apoptosis was determined by annexin V staining, DNA fragmentation, and activation of caspases 8 and 3.


RESULTS
TNFalpha induced the expression of both isoforms of FLIP messenger RNA (mRNA) in RA synovial fibroblasts; however, FLIP(L) was the dominant isoform detected by Western blot analysis. In control fibroblasts, TNFalpha induced the expression of FLIP(L) and FLIP(S) mRNA and protein. The TNFalpha-induced, but not the basal, expression of FLIP was regulated by NF-kappaB. When NF-kappaB activation was suppressed by the expression of srIkappaBalpha, TNFalpha-mediated apoptosis was induced. TNFalpha-induced apoptotic cell death was mediated by caspase 8 activation and was prevented by the ectopic expression of FLIP(L) or the caspase 8 inhibitor CrmA.


CONCLUSIONS
The TNFalpha-induced, but not the basal, expression of FLIP is regulated by NF-kappaB in RA synovial fibroblasts. The resistance of RA synovial fibroblasts to TNFalpha-induced apoptosis is mediated by the NF-kappaB-regulated expression of FLIP. These observations support the role of NF-kappaB and FLIP as attractive therapeutic targets in RA.
Bai
Shaochun
S
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
Liu
Hongtao
H
Chen
Kun-Hung
KH
Eksarko
Polikseni
P
Perlman
Harris
H
Moore
Terry L
TL
Pope
Richard M
RM
D017304:Annexin A5; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000473:pathology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053446:CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D020169:Caspases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*
D017304:Annexin A5; D053446:CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein; C506386:CFLAR protein, human; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C505530:CASP8 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D020169:Caspases