Cyclosporin-sensitive expression of cytokine mRNA in mouse macrophages responding to bacteria

Characteristics of the cytokine response in resident mouse macrophages to certain Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria have been investigated by monitoring the expression of mRNA encoding interleukin-1 alpha and -beta (IL-1 alpha/beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Expression of these cytokine mRNAs occurred within 30-60 min. Both the flavonoid quercetin and phloretin inhibited the expression of IL-1 alpha/beta as well as TNF-alpha mRNA, with quercetin being more potent than phloretin and TNF-alpha expression somewhat more sensitive than that of IL-1 alpha/beta. Expression of all three cytokine mRNAs was also inhibited by prostaglandin E2, with an IC50 of > 1 microM, but not by the phosphodiesterase inhibitor pentoxifylline, although lipopolysaccharide-induced expression of TNF-alpha mRNA was inhibited. Down-regulation of phorbol ester-sensitive isoforms of protein kinase C had virtually no effect on the cytokine response to bacteria, and treatment of resting macrophages with phorbol ester did not cause expression of any of the cytokine mRNAs investigated. Among protein phosphatase inhibitors, cyclosporin A caused extensive inhibition of bacteria-induced expression of both IL-1 alpha/beta and TNF-alpha mRNA, while okadaic acid in itself caused selective induction of TNF-alpha, but not IL-1 alpha/beta mRNA, with a sharp peak at 0.3 microM concentration. At higher concentrations of okadaic acid, at which protein/phosphatase 2B/calcineurin would also be inhibited, the induction was completely reversed. This suggests that critical phosphorylation events, counteracted by one or more okadaic acid-sensitive protein phosphatase(s), and a dephosphorylation event carried out by a cyclosporin-sensitive protein phosphatase are both necessary for transcriptional activation of the TNF-alpha gene.