Human neutrophil peptides upregulate expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and endothelin-1 by inducing oxidative stress

摘要

The human neutrophil peptides (HNP) bind to vascular smooth muscle cells and regulate vascular tone. We hypothesized that HNP act on endothelial cells to modulate the expression of vasoactive byproducts. We observed a time- and dose-dependent increase in the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in response to HNP stimulation, while COX-1 levels remained unchanged. Despite an upregulated expression of COX-2, HNP did not significantly enhance the production of the COX-2-derived prostaglandins PGI2 and PGE2. HNP significantly induced the release of endothelin-1 (ET-1) as well as the formation of nitrotyrosine. The HNP-induced COX-2 and ET-1 production was attenuated by the treatment with the oxygen free radical scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine, and the inhibitors of p38 MAPK and NF-κB, respectively. We conclude that HNP may play an important role in the regulation of the course of cardiovascular diseases by activating endothelial cells to produce vasoactive byproducts.