Hydrogen Peroxide Activates NFκB and the Interleukin-6 Promoter Through NFκB-Inducing Kinase

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Abstract
Aging is associated not only with oxidant stress, but also with increased interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. To determine if oxidative stress could contribute to the age-associated increase IL-6 expression, we exposed LNCaP prostate carcinoma cells and HeLa cervical carcinoma cells to H2O2 as an oxidant challenge. We found that H2O2 induced IL6 expression through activation of the IL-6 promoter. Furthermore, H2O2-induced activation of the promoter was mediated through nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) secondary to H2O2-induced phosphorylation and degradation of IκBα. NFκB-inducing kinase (NIK) is upstream of the IκB kinase complex that induces IκBα degradation. Accordingly, we explored if H2O2 induces IL-6 expression through NIK. In addition to H2O2 inducing NIK autophosphorylation, transfection of LNCaP cells with a dominant negative NIK diminished H2O2-mediated NFκB and IL-6 promoter activity. Taken together, these results demonstrate that H2O2 induces the IL-6 promoter by activating NFκB through NIK. These data provide a candidate mechanism through which oxidant challenge induces IL-6 gene expression with age.