Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase regulates eotaxin-induced eosinophil migration

Eotaxin is a potent eosinophil chemoattractant that plays an important role in regulating eosinophil tissue levels both in healthy individuals and in diseases associated with significant eosinophil infiltrates, such as the allergic inflammation observed in asthma. Here, we demonstrate that treatment of eosinophils with eotaxin induces the phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) p42 and p44, leading to kinase activation. Blockade of MAPK activation by the MAPK kinase inhibitor PD98059 leads to a dramatic decrease in eotaxin-induced eosinophil rolling in vivo and chemotaxis in vitro. This blockade in the leukocyte migration process is consistent with the observed inhibition of actin polymerization and rearrangement within the eosinophil following treatment with MAPK inhibitor. It is suggested, therefore, that the intrinsic mechanism of eotaxin-induced eosinophil rolling and migration involves activation of the p42/p44 MAPK, possibly through regulation of the cytoskeletal rearrangements necessary for chemotaxis.