title: Hydroquinone stimulates inflammatory functions in microvascular endothelial cells via NF-κB nuclear activation.
abstract: Hydroquinone impairs several leucocyte cell functions, which alter the immune response. Although endothelial cell functions are important for the development of immune responses, hydroquinone actions on endothelial cell have not been shown. Therefore, the effect of hydroquinone exposure (10 or 100 μM for 2 hr) on primary culture of microvascular endothelial cells (PMECs) obtained from the cremaster muscle of Wistar rats incubated in the presence or absence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 2 μg/mL) was investigated. Hydroquinone treatment induced the membrane expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) from the immunoglobulin superfamilies ICAM-1 (intercellular), VCAM-1(vascular) and PECAM-1 (platelet endothelial) and induced the secretion of cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). The effects were dependent on transcriptional modifications because enhanced CAM mRNA expression as well as both cytokines and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) nuclear activation was found. These effects may be due to the direct action of hydroquinone rather than its quinone metabolites, because endothelial cells do not present myeloperoxidase enzyme and hydroquinone incubation did not induce the expression of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) or prostaglandin H synthase 1. In addition, the incubation of endothelial cells with benzoquinone (10 μM, 2 hr) impaired PECAM-1 expression and did not modify NF-κB nuclear activation. Taken together, the data herein presented reveal that hydroquinone evokes pro-inflammatory properties in endothelial cells that are triggered by the enhancement of NF-κB nuclear translocation-dependent gene transcription.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cristina Bichels
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Hebeda
authors.forename: Fernanda Júdice
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Pinedo
authors.forename: Marco Aurélio Ramirez
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Vinolo
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Curi
authors.forename: Sandra Helena Poliselli
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Farsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000494:pharmacology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D006873:Hydroquinones / Q000633:toxicity*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology*; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016227:Benzoquinones; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D006873:Hydroquinones; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D009195:Peroxidase; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1; C031927:hydroquinone