CFTR-regulated MAPK/NF-?B signaling in pulmonary inflammation in thermal inhalation injury.

ABSTRACT: The mechanism underlying pulmonary inflammation in thermal inhalation injury remains elusive. Cystic fibrosis, also hallmarked with pulmonary inflammation, is caused by mutations in CFTR, the expression of which is temperature-sensitive. We investigated whether CFTR is involved in heat-induced pulmonary inflammation. We applied heat-treatment in 16HBE14o- cells with CFTR knockdown or overexpression and heat-inhalation in rats in vivo. Heat-treatment caused significant reduction in CFTR and, reciprocally, increase in COX-2 at early stages both in vitro and in vivo. Activation of ERK/JNK, NF-?B and COX-2/PGE2 were detected in heat-treated cells, which were mimicked by knockdown, and reversed by overexpression of CFTR or VX-809, a reported CFTR mutation corrector. JNK/ERK inhibition reversed heat-/CFTR-knockdown-induced NF-?B activation, whereas NF-?B inhibitor showed no effect on JNK/ERK. IL-8 was augmented by heat-treatment or CFTR-knockdown, which was abolished by inhibition of NF-?B, JNK/ERK or COX-2. Moreover, in vitro or in vivo treatment with curcumin, a natural phenolic compound, significantly enhanced CFTR expression and reversed the heat-induced increases in COX-2/PGE2/IL-8, neutrophil infiltration and tissue damage in the airway. These results have revealed a CFTR-regulated MAPK/NF-?B pathway leading to COX-2/PGE2/IL-8 activation in thermal inhalation injury, and demonstrated therapeutic potential of curcumin for alleviating heat-induced pulmonary inflammation.

SUBMITTER: Dong ZW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4626762 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature