title: TNF alpha production in morphine-treated human neural cells is NF-kappaB-dependent.
abstract: The cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) is a key factor in several inflammatory diseases and its levels increase in response to a variety of internal or external stimuli. The regulation of the TNFalpha promoter is mediated by several transcription factors including the nuclear factor kappa B protein (NF-kappaB). This study examines the role of NF-kappaB in the regulation of TNFalpha production by morphine in microglia. Using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, we demonstrated the presence of morphine receptors in these cells. We next demonstrated the ability of morphine to promote TNFalpha production and secretion by these cells using a cytokine array assay. Transient transfection experiments led to the identification of the region located between nucleotides -751 and -615 within the TNFalpha promoter as being responsive to morphine treatment. The DNA sequence of this region contains a motif indicative of a potential NF-kappaB binding site. The use of a small interfering RNA directed against p65, a subunit of NF-kappaB, demonstrated that TNFalpha induction by morphine is NF-kappaB-dependent. All of the effects of morphine were reversed by the morphine inhibitor, naloxone. These data provide important insights into the effects of morphine on microglia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Center for Neurovirology, Temple University School of Medicine, 1900N 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. sawaya@temple.edu
authors.forename: Bassel E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Sawaya
authors.forename: Satish L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Deshmane
authors.forename: Ruma
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mukerjee
authors.forename: Shongshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Kamel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Khalili
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009020:Morphine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000502:physiology*; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D034622:RNA Interference; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014162:Transfection; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020298:U937 Cells
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D016328:NF-kappa B; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009270:Naloxone; D009020:Morphine