Regulatory role of p38 MAPK for MCPª²1 release from activated bronchial epithelial cells by eosinophils

    WANG Chengª²Bin, TONG Hongª²Li, TIAN Yaª²Ping, WANG Deª²Qing, HUANG Zhenª²Guo, YE Weiª²Ji, LI Luoª²Yi, LIN Weiª²Ji

    Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China, Department of Chemical Pathology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To investigate the release of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)ª²1 from the coª²culture of human bronchial epithelial cells and eosinophils and the related mechanisms. METHODS: MCPª²1 in culture supernatant was determined by Cytometric Bead Array (CBA) Kit in flow cytometry to compare MCPª²1 release in bronchial epithelial cells and eosinophils cultured alone or together, and investigate the inhibitive effect of SB 203580, a selective inhibitor of p38 MAPK, on MCPª²1 release. The reverse transcriptaseª²polymerase chain reaction (RTª²PCR) was used to analyze the gene expression of MCPª²1 in bronchial epithelial cells during coª²culture with eosinophils and the effect of SB 203580. RESULTS: The interaction of eosinophils and bronchial epithelial cells was found to upª²regulate the gene expression of MCPª²1 in epithelial cells. MCPª²1 in coª²culture supernatant of bronchial epithelial cells and eosinophils was elevated significantly [(1266¡À127) ng/L vs (134¡À25) ng/L,P<0.001]. Fixed eosinophils, which lost the ability to release MCPª²1, could also elevate epithelial cells to release MCPª²1 [(773¡À48) ng/L vs (107¡À15) ng/L, P<0.001] in coª²culture. SB 203580 could effectively inhibit MCPª²1 gene expression of bronchial epithelial cells during coª²culture with eosinophils, and decreased the release of MCPª²1 in the coª²culture of epithelial cells and eosinophils or fixed eosinophils [(1335¡À115) ng/L vs (481¡À42) ng/L, (868¡À89) ng/L vs (239¡À26) ng/L, P<0.001]. CONCLUSION: Eosinophils can activate bronchial epithelial cells to express MCPª²1 in coª²culture by p38 MAPK pathway so as to regulate the airway inflammatory reaction. ......