title: Adenosine promotes IL-6 release in airway epithelia.
abstract: In the airway epithelia, extracellular adenosine modulates a number of biological processes. However, little is known about adenosine's role in the inflammatory responses of airway epithelial cells. Recent studies suggest that the chronic elevation of extracellular adenosine in mice leads to pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. Yet, the underlying molecular mechanism has not been well understood and little attention has been paid to the role of airway epithelia in adenosine-triggered inflammation. In the present work, we examined the role of adenosine in releasing IL-6 from airway epithelia. In Calu-3 human airway epithelial cells, apical but not basolateral adenosine elicited robust, apically polarized release of IL-6, along with proinflammatory IL-8. Both protein kinase A and protein kinase C mediated the adenosine-induced IL-6 release, at least partly via phosphorylation of CREB. Protein kinase C appeared to phosphorylate CREB through activating ERK. In addition, A2A but not A2B adenosine receptors were specifically required for the adenosine-induced IL-6 release. Furthermore, in rat bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, adenosine triggered the release of IL-6 as well as proinflammatory IL-1beta. Adenosine also mediated the release of a considerable portion of the LPS-induced IL-6 in rat bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Our findings provide a possible molecular link between extracellular adenosine elevation and lung inflammation and fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Fengqiang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Pingbo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000241:Adenosine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000276:immunology; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D015850:Interleukin-6; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D000241:Adenosine