INHIBITORY EFFECT OF INTERLEUKIN-13 ON NUCLEAR FACTOR-KAPPA B ACTIVATION IN HUMAN MESANGIAL CELLS

Zhang Ai-H, Chen R-H, Ding G-X

Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

 

Objective: Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) is one of the most inportant proinflammatory transcription factors and plays a major role in the induced expression of genes involved in cellular proliferation and inflammatory response. IL-13 is known to suppress the expression of inflammatory cytokines in human mesangial cells (HMC), but the mechanism of which is not known. The aims of this study were: (1) to define the mechanism of NF-kB activation in HMC; (2) to determine whether IL-13 inhibits activation of NF-kB in these cells.

Methods: Cultured HMC were stimulated with LPS, IL-1b, TNF-a, and angiotensin II (Ang II) in the presense and absense of pretreatment of IL-13. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and Western Blot were used to detect the activity of NF-kB and degradation of IkB.

Results: EMSA showed that constitute activation of NF-kB was observed in unstimulated HMC and LPS, IL-1b, TNF-a, and Ang II significantly activated NF-kB in HMC. Supershift assay demonstrated that p65 and p50 were the predominant subunits involved. Pretreatment of HMC with IL-13 block LPS-induced NF-kB activation, nuclear translocation of p65 subunit, and degradation of IkBa and IkBb. IL-13 also inhibited NF-kB activation by IL-1b, TNF-a, and Ang II.

Conclusion: These results suggested that IL-13 is a potent inhibitor of actvation of NF-kB in HMC, which may contribute to its previously described anti-inflammatoy effects.

 
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