Raloxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator, inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production by inhibiting the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt/nuclear factor-kappa B pathway in RAW264.7 macrophage cells.
We here demonstrate an anti-inflammatory action of raloxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Treatment with raloxifene at micromolar concentrations suppressed the production of nitric oxide (NO) by down-regulating expression of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene in LPS-activated cells. The decreased expression of iNOS and subsequent reduction of NO were due to inhibition of nuclear translocation of transcription factor NF-kappaB. These effects were significantly inhibited by exposure to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) inhibitor, LY294002, or by expression of a dominant negative mutant of PI 3-kinase. In addition, pretreatment with raloxifene reduced LPS-induced Akt phosphorylation as well as NF-kappa B DNA binding activity and NF-kappa B-dependent reporter gene activity. Thus our findings indicate that raloxifene exerts its anti-inflammatory action in LPS-stimulated macrophages by blocking the PI 3-kinase-Akt-NF-kappa B signaling cascade, and eventually reduces expression of pro-inflammatory genes such as iNOS.
Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Korea.
Sin-Ae
SA
Lee
Seok Hee
SH
Park
Byung-Chul
BC
Kim
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015536:Down-Regulation; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008156:Luciferases / Q000378:metabolism; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4 / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology*
D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008156:Luciferases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D016328:NF-kappa B; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D009573:Nitrites; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D000081082:Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators