Mycophenolic acid attenuates tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced endothelin-1 production in human aortic endothelial cells.
OBJECTIVE
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in solid organ transplant recipients. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and is one of the potential therapeutic targets. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of mycophenolic acid (MPA), an immunosuppressant for the transplant recipients, on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced ET-1 production in aortic endothelial cells.


RESULTS
In cultured human aortic endothelial cells, TNF-alpha increased ET-1 through AP-1 and NF-kappaB, whereas MPA attenuated it by reducing both AP-1 and NF-kappaB DNA-binding activities. TNF-alpha increased ET-1 via c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), but not extracellular signal-regulated kinase. N-acetylcysteine that downregulated TNF-alpha-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibited JNK activation, but not p38 MAPK. N-acetylcysteine, SP600125 (JNK inhibitor) and SB203580 (p38 MAPK inhibitor) attenuated TNF-alpha-induced DNA-binding activities of both AP-1 and NF-kappaB. MPA inhibited JNK and p38 MAPK activations as well as ROS generation. N-acetylcysteine, SP600125, SB203580 and MPA had no effect on either TNF-alpha-induced IkappaBalpha degradation or p65 nuclear translocation, but attenuated p65 Ser276 phosphorylation.


CONCLUSIONS
MPA attenuated TNF-alpha-induced ET-1 production through inhibitions of ROS-dependent JNK and ROS-independent p38 MAPK that regulated NF-kappaB as well as AP-1. These findings suggest that MPA could have an effect of amelioration of atherosclerosis.
Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Won Seok
WS
Yang
Joo Mi
JM
Lee
Nam Jeong
NJ
Han
Yoon Ji
YJ
Kim
Jai Won
JW
Chang
Su-Kil
SK
Park
D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000873:Anthracenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism
D000873:Anthracenes; D019332:Endothelin-1; D007093:Imidazoles; D016328:NF-kappa B; D011725:Pyridines; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C432165:pyrazolanthrone; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid; C093642:SB 203580; D000111:Acetylcysteine