title: Methylmercury induces CCL2 expression through activation of NF-κB in human 1321N1 astrocytes.
abstract: Methylmercury is an environmental pollutant that is toxic to the central nervous system; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying its toxicity remain unclear. Methylmercury increases expression of several chemokines in the cerebellum of mice treated with methylmercury. The present study analyzes the mechanism underlying methylmercury-induced chemokine expression using human 1321N1 astrocytes, and shows that methylmercury increases CCL2 expression in these cells. The transcription factor NF-κB is involved in the induction of chemokine expression. Methylmercury increased the level of the NF-κB p65 subunit in the nuclei of 1321N1 cells. The methylmercury-induced increase in CCL2 expression was significantly decreased by suppression of p65 expression by RNA interference. These results suggest that methylmercury induces chemokine expression through activation of NF-κB in human astrocytes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular and Biochemical Toxicology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Min-Seok
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Jin-Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Gi-Wook
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naganuma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D016328:NF-kappa B