Biomedical subjects

Outi Sareila

Publications and source records attributed to Outi Sareila.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase enhances c-Jun N-terminal kinase activity: implication in inducible nitric oxide synthase expression.

BACKGROUND: Nitric oxide (NO) is an inflammatory mediator, which acts as a cytotoxic agent and modulates immune responses and inflammation. p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal transduction pathway is activated by chemical and physical stress and regulates immune responses. Previous studies have shown that p38 MAPK pathway regulates NO production induced by inflammatory stimuli. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanisms involved in the regulation of inducible NO synthesis by p38 MAPK pathway. RESULTS: p38 MAPK inhibitors SB203580 and SB220025 stimulated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and NO production in J774.2 murine macrophages. Increased iNOS mRNA expression was associated with reduced degradation of iNOS mRNA. Treatment with SB220025 increased also LPS-induced c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activity. Interestingly, JNK inhibitor SP600125 reversed the effect of SB220025 on LPS-induced iNOS mRNA expression and NO production. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that inhibition of p38 MAPK by SB220025 results in increased JNK activity, which leads to stabilisation of iNOS mRNA, to enhanced iNOS expression and to increased NO production.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Inhibition of classical PKC isoenzymes downregulates STAT1 activation and iNOS expression in LPS-treated murine J774 macrophages.

Proinflammatory cytokines and bacterial products trigger inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and nitric oxide (NO) production in inflammatory and tissue cells. In inflammation, NO acts as an important mediator having both proinflammatory and destructive effects. Protein kinase C (PKC) is a family of serine-threonine protein kinase isoenzymes involved in signal transduction pathways related to inflammatory responses. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of classical PKC (cPKC) isoenzymes in the regulation of iNOS expression and NO production in murine J774 macrophages and the mechanisms involved. RO318220 (inhibits PKCbeta, PKCgamma and PKCvarepsilon), GO6976 (inhibits cPKC isoenzymes PKCalpha and PKCbeta) and LY333531 (inhibits PKCbeta) reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO production and iNOS expression in a dose-dependent manner as did 6 h pretreatment with 1 microM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) (which was shown to downregulate PKC expression). PKC inhibitors also reduced LPS-induced iNOS mRNA levels, but they did not affect the half-life of iNOS mRNA. PKC inhibitors did not alter LPS-induced activation of NF-kappaB as measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. All PKC inhibitors used and pretreatment with 1 microM PMA inhibited signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) activation as measured by the translocation of STAT1alpha from the cytosol to the nucleus by Western blot. In addition, inhibition of STAT1 activation by AG-490, an inhibitor of JAK-2, also reduced NO production. These results suggest that cPKC isoenzymes, especially PKCbeta, mediate the upregulation of iNOS expression and NO production in activated macrophages in an NF-kappaB-independent manner, possibly through the activation of transcription factor STAT1.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

JAK inhibitors AG-490 and WHI-P154 decrease IFN-gamma-induced iNOS expression and NO production in macrophages.

In inflammation, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) produces nitric oxide (NO), which modulates inflammatory processes. We investigated the effects of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, AG-490 and WHI-P154, on iNOS expression and NO production in J774 murine macrophages stimulated with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). JAK inhibitors AG-490 and WHI-P154 decreased IFN-gamma-induced nuclear levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1alpha (STAT1alpha). JAK inhibitors AG-490 and WHI-P154 decreased also iNOS protein and mRNA expression and NO production in a concentration-dependent manner. Neither of the JAK inhibitors affected the decay of iNOS mRNA when determined by actinomycin D assay. Our results suggest that the inhibition of JAK-STAT1-pathway by AG-490 or WHI-P154 leads to the attenuation of iNOS expression and NO production in IFN-gamma-stimulated macrophages.

Animals↗