H(2)O(2)-mediated permeability: role of MAPK and occludin

H(2)O(2)-mediated elevation in endothelial solute permeability is associated with pathological events such as ischemia-reperfusion and inflammation. To understand how H(2)O(2) mediates increased permeability, we investigated the effects of H(2)O(2) administration on vascular endothelial barrier properties and tight junction organization and function. We report that H(2)O(2) exposure caused an increase in endothelial solute permeability in a time-dependent manner through extracellularly regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/ERK2) signal pathways. H(2)O(2) exposure caused the tight junctional protein occludin to be rearranged from endothelial cell-cell junctions. Occludin rearrangement involved redistribution of occludin on the cell surface and dissociation of occludin from ZO-1. Occludin also was heavily phosphorylated on serine residues upon H(2)O(2) administration. H(2)O(2) mediates changes in ERK1/ERK2 phosphorylation, increases endothelial solute permeability, and alters occludin localization and phosphorylation were all blocked by PD-98059, a specific mitogen-activated protein (MAP) or ERK kinase 1 inhibitor. These data strongly suggest that H(2)O(2)-mediated increased endothelial solute permeability involves the loss of endothelial tight junction integrity through increased ERK1/ERK2 activation.