title: IL-18 induces monocyte chemotactic protein-1 production in macrophages through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt and MEK/ERK1/2 pathways.
abstract: Macrophages are activated during an inflammatory response and produce multiple inflammatory cytokines. IL-18 is one of the most important innate cytokines produced from macrophages in the early stages of the inflammatory immune response. Monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) is expressed in many inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, and its expression is correlated with the severity of the disease. Both IL-18 and MCP-1 have been shown to be involved in inflammatory immune responses. However, it has been unclear whether IL-18 is involved in the induction of MCP-1. This investigation was initiated to determine whether IL-18 can induce MCP-1 production, and if so, by which signal transduction pathways. We found that IL-18 induced the production of MCP-1 in macrophages, which was IL-12-independent and was not mediated by autocrine cytokines such as IFN-gamma or TNF-alpha. We then examined signal transduction pathways involved in IL-18-induced MCP-1 production. We found that IL-18 did not activate the IkappaB kinase/NF-kappaB pathway, evidenced by no degradation of IkappaBalpha and no translocation of NF-kappaB p65 to the nucleus in IL-18-stimulated macrophages. Instead, IL-18 activated the PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK1/2 pathways. Inhibition of either of these pathways attenuated MCP-1 production in macrophages, and inhibition of both signaling pathways resulted in the complete inhibition of MCP-1 production. On the basis of these observations, we conclude that IL-18 induces MCP-1 production through the PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK1/2 pathways in macrophages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Jae Kwang
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Hyokjoon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Lee-Young
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Khil
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hee-Sook
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.forename: Ji-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000502:physiology*; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D020382:Interleukin-18; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020930:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases