Involvement of p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase in lipopolysaccharide‐induced iNOS and COX‐2 expression in J774 macrophages

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Abstract
Both the nitrite and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in J774 macrophages are inhibited by SB 203580, a specific p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor, in a concentration-dependent manner. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) for nitrite and PGE2 responses was 1 μm and 0·5 μm, respectively. Inhibition was marked following simultaneous treatment with SB 203580 and LPS, and was much reduced when SB 203580 was added 6 hr after LPS treatment. In parallel, LPS induction of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) proteins and their steady-state levels of mRNA were reduced by SB 203580. LPS activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), activator protein-1 (AP-1) and p38 MAPK was also inhibited by SB 203580. These results suggest a crucial role of p38 MAPK in regulation of the transcriptional level of endotoxin LPS-induced iNOS and COX-2 protein expression.