ZEB2 Attenuates LPS-Induced Inflammation by the NF-κB Pathway in HK-2 Cells

As a transcription factor, zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2) includes multiple functional domains which interact with kinds of transcriptional co-effectors. It has been reported that ZEB2 was involved in signal transduction and multiple cellular functions. However, the functional role of ZEB2 in inflammation is still obscure. The aim of the current study is to explore the function of ZEB2 in inflammation cytokine secretion and the role of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced human proximal tubule cell line (HK-2) cells. Our result demonstrated that expression of ZEB2 was significantly downregulated and expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) was upregulated in response to LPS. Meanwhile, knockdown of ZEB2 by transfecting siRNA increased TNF-α and IL-6 secretion. Overexpression of ZEB2 resulted in a decrease of TNF-α and IL-6 secretion in HK-2 cells. Additionally, Western blot analysis indicated that ZEB2 suppressed the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway via downregulating the levels of phosphorylated p65 and IκBα compared with LPS stimulation. Collectively, our data demonstrated that ZEB2 attenuated LPS-induced inflammation cytokine secretion possibly through suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway.