title: Spontaneous activation of the NF-kappaB signaling pathway in isolated normal glomeruli.
abstract: In this report, we describe that NF-kappaB is spontaneously activated in isolated, normal glomeruli. Ex vivo incubation of isolated rat glomeruli triggered expression of a NF-kappaB-dependent gene, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), in parallel with downregulation of IkappaBalpha and IkappaBbeta proteins and activation of the p65 NF-kappaB subunit. The induction of MCP-1 was also observed in mesangial cells coincubated with isolated glomeruli or exposed to media conditioned by isolated glomeruli (GCM), which was abrogated by inhibition of NF-kappaB. The activation of NF-kappaB by glomerulus-derived factors was confirmed using reporter mesangial cells that produce secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) under the control of the kappaB enhancer element. When the reporter cells were adoptively transferred into normal glomeruli, expression of SEAP mRNA and activity of SEAP were also upregulated in the explanted glomeruli. The molecular weight of factors responsible for activation of NF-kappaB was >50 kDa, and TNF-alpha was identified as one of glomerulus-derived activators. To examine upstream events involved, we focused on MAP kinases that are spontaneously activated in explanted glomeruli. Selective suppression of ERK or p38 MAP kinase significantly attenuated activation of NF-kappaB in mesangial cells triggered by coculture with isolated glomeruli. Interestingly, the suppressive effects by MAP kinase inhibitors were not observed in mesangial cells treated with GCM. These data suggested that NF-kappaB was spontaneously activated in explanted glomeruli via autocrine/paracrine factors including TNF-alpha and that the production of NF-kappaB activators by glomeruli was, at least in part, through MAP kinase pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Signaling, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan.
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.forename: Yiman
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Nobuhiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hiramatsu
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasai
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitamura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019898:Autocrine Communication / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D050527:Mesangial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D019899:Paracrine Communication / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C491766:Ccl2 protein, rat; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases