title: Protein kinase C-zeta is critical in pancreatitis-induced apoptosis of Kupffer cells.
abstract: Protein kinase C-zeta (PKC-zeta) regulates cell death via NF-kappaB; therefore, we tested the hypothesis that PKC-zeta plays a critical role in pancreatitis-induced Kupffer cell apoptosis. Acute pancreatitis was induced in rats by cerulein injection 24 h later, livers were assayed for PKC-zeta, IKKalpha, IKKbeta, IKKgamma, NF-kappaB, Fas/FasL, and apoptosis was assessed with Caspase-3 and DNA fragmentation. Kupffer cells from unoperated rats were infected with a PKC-zeta domain-negative adenovirus (AdPKCzeta-DN) to inhibit PKC-zeta, or transfected with pCMVPKC-zeta to overexpress PKC-zeta, and then stimulated with pancreatic elastase; cellular extracts were assayed for PKC-zeta, IKKalpha, IKKbeta, IKKgamma, NF-kappaB, Fas/FasL, Caspase-3, and DNA fragmentation. Cerulein-induced pancreatitis upregulated PKC-zeta protein and activity, IKKbeta, IKKgamma, NF-kappaB, Fas/FasL, Caspase-3 and increased DNA fragmentation in rat livers (all p < 0.001 vs control). AdPKCzeta-DN abolished elastase-induced upregulation of PKC-zeta activity, IKKbeta, IKKgamma, NF-kappaB, Fas/FasL, Caspase-3 and DNA fragmentation (all p < 0.001 vs infection control), whereas overexpression of PKC-zeta augmented elastase-induced upregulation of IKKbeta, IKKgamma, Fas/FasL, Caspase-3 and DNA fragmentation (p < 0.001 vs control). PKC-zeta plays a critical role in pancreatitis-induced Kupffer cell apoptosis via NF-kappaB and Fas/FasL. The ability of Kupffer cells to autoregulate their stress response by upregulating their death receptor/ligand and key proapoptotic cell signaling systems warrants further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, James A. Haley Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of South Florida Health Sciences Center, Tampa, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Yanhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Celia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Sigua
authors.forename: Scott F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: Michel M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Murr
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D053148:Caspase 3; D002108:Ceruletide / Q000009:adverse effects; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000502:physiology*; D007728:Kupffer Cells; D008297:Male; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000502:physiology; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000502:physiology*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D000099221:Protein Kinase C zeta
chemical_list: D053148:Caspase 3; D002108:Ceruletide; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase; D007527:Isoenzymes; D016328:NF-kappa B; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000099221:Protein Kinase C zeta