The procoagulant thrombin promotes the adhesion of polymorphonuclear leukocytes to endothelial cells by a mechanism involving expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) via an NF-kappaB-dependent pathway. We now provide evidence that protein kinase C-delta (PKC-delta) and the p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway play a critical role in the mechanism of thrombin-induced ICAM-1 gene expression in endothelial cells. We observed the phosphorylation of PKC-delta and p38 MAP kinase within 1 min after thrombin challenge of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Pretreatment of these cells with the PKC-delta inhibitor rottlerin prevented the thrombin-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase, suggesting that p38 MAP kinase signals downstream of PKC-delta. Inhibition of PKC-delta or p38 MAP kinase by pharmacological and genetic approaches markedly decreased the thrombin-induced NF-kappaB activity and resultant ICAM-1 expression. The effects of PKC-delta inhibition were secondary to inhibition of IKKbeta activation and of subsequent NF-kappaB binding to the ICAM-1 promoter. The effects of p38 MAP kinase inhibition occurred downstream of IkappaBalpha degradation without affecting the DNA binding function of nuclear NF-kappaB. Thus, PKC-delta signals thrombin-induced ICAM-1 gene transcription by a dual mechanism involving activation of IKKbeta, which mediates NF-kappaB binding to the ICAM-1 promoter, and p38 MAP kinase, which enhances transactivation potential of the bound NF-kappaB p65 (RelA).

We investigated the involvement of the RhoA/Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) pathway in regulating ICAM-1 expression in endothelial cells by the procoagulant, thrombin. Exposure of HUVECs to C3 exoenzyme, a selective inhibitor of Rho, markedly reduced thrombin-induced ICAM-1 expression. Inhibition of ROCK, the downstream effector of Rho, also prevented thrombin-induced ICAM-1 expression. Blockade of thrombin-induced ICAM-1 expression was secondary to inhibition of NF-κB activity, the key regulator of ICAM-1 expression in endothelial cells. In parallel studies we observed that inhibition of the RhoA/ROCK pathway by the same pharmacological and genetic approaches failed to inhibit TNF-α-induced NF-κB activation and ICAM-1 expression. The effect of RhoA/ROCK inhibition on thrombin-induced NF-κB activation was secondary to inhibition of IκB kinase activation and subsequent IκBα degradation and nuclear uptake and the DNA binding of NF-κB. Inhibition of the RhoA/ROCK pathway also prevented phosphorylation of Ser536 within the transactivation domain 1 of NF-κB p65/RelA, a critical event conferring transcriptional competency to the bound NF-κB. Thus, the RhoA/ROCK pathway signals thrombin-induced ICAM-1 expression through the activation of IκB kinase, which promotes NF-κB binding to ICAM-1 promoter and phosphorylation of RelA/p65, thus mediating the transcriptional activation of bound NF-κB.

Abstract-As thrombin binding to the G protein-coupled proteinase activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) induces endothelial adhesivity to leukocytes through NF-B activation and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression, we determined the signaling pathways mediating the response. Studies showed that the heterotrimeric G proteins, G␣ q , and the G␤␥ dimer were key determinants of the PAR-1 agonist peptide (TFLLRNPNDK)-induced NF-B activation and ICAM-1 expression in endothelial cells. Cotransfection of RGS3T, a regulator of G-protein signaling that inhibits G␣ q , or ␣-transducin (G␣ t ), a scavenger of the G␤␥, markedly decreased NF-B activity induced by PAR-1 activation. We determined the downstream signaling targets activated by G␣ q and G␤␥ that mediate NF-B activation. Expression of the kinase-defective protein kinase C (PKC)-␦ mutant inhibited NF-B activation induced by the constitutively active G␣ q mutant, but had no effect on NF-B activity induced by G␤ 1 ␥ 2 . In related experiments, NF-B as well as ICAM-1 promoter activation induced by G␤ 1 ␥ 2 were inhibited by the expression of the dominant-negative mutant of 85-kDa regulatory subunit of PI 3-kinase; however, the expression of this mutant had no effect on the response induced by activated G␣

We addressed the role of protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes in mediating tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced oxidant generation in endothelial cells, a requirement for nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) gene transcription. Depletion of the conventional (c) and novel (n) PKC isozymes following 24 h exposure of human pulmonary artery endothelial (HPAE) cells with the phorbol ester, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (500 nM), failed to prevent TNF-alpha-induced oxidant generation. In contrast, inhibition of PKC-zeta synthesis by the antisense oligonucleotide prevented the oxidant generation following the TNF-alpha stimulation. We observed that PKC-zeta also induced the TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappaB binding to the ICAM-1 promoter and the resultant ICAM-1 gene transcription. We showed that expression of the dominant negative mutant of PKC-zeta prevented the TNF-alpha-induced ICAM-1 promoter activity, whereas overexpression of the wild-type PKC-zeta augmented the response. These data imply a critical role for the PKC-zeta isozyme in regulating TNF-alpha-induced oxidant generation and in signaling the activation of NF-kappaB and ICAM-1 transcription in endothelial cells.

We tested the hypothesis that TNF-alpha induces early-onset endothelial adhesivity toward PMN by activating the constitutive endothelial cell surface ICAM-1, the beta2-integrin (CD11/CD18) counter-receptor. Stimulation of human pulmonary artery endothelial cells with TNF-alpha resulted in phosphorylation of ICAM-1 within 1 minute, a response that was sustained up to 15 minutes after TNF-alpha challenge. We observed that TNF-alpha induced 10-fold increase in PMN adhesion to endothelial cells in an ICAM-1-dependent manner and that this response paralleled the rapid time course of ICAM-1 phosphorylation. We also observed that the early-onset TNF-alpha-induced endothelial adhesivity was protein synthesis-independent and associated with cell surface ICAM-1 clustering. Pretreatment of cells with the pan-PKC inhibitor, chelerythrine, prevented the activation of endothelial adhesivity. As PKCzeta, an atypical PKC isoform abundantly expressed in endothelial cells, is implicated in signaling TNF-alpha-induced ICAM-1 gene transcription, we determined the possibility that PKCzeta was involved in mediating endothelial adhesivity through ICAM-1 expression. We observed that TNF-alpha stimulation of endothelial cells induced PKCzeta activation and its association with ICAM-1. Inhibition of PKCzeta by pharmacological and genetic approaches prevented the TNF-alpha-induced phosphorylation and the clustering of the cell surface ICAM-1 as well as activation of endothelial adhesivity. Thus, TNF-alpha induces early-onset, protein synthesis-independent expression of endothelial adhesivity by PKCzeta-dependent phosphorylation of cell surface ICAM-1 that precedes the de novo ICAM-1 synthesis. The rapid ICAM-1 expression represents a novel mechanism for promoting the stable adhesion of PMN to endothelial cells that is needed to facilitate the early-onset transendothelial migration of PMN.

We identify herein a novel signaling function of the Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4), the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) receptor mediating the innate immune response, in inducing the expression of CD11b/CD18 integrin in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). Studies were made in PMNs isolated from TLR4-deficient (TLR4(-/-)) and C57BL/6 [wild-type (WT)] mice. We observed increased CD11b expression in WT PMNs within 3 h after LPS challenge, whereas CD11b was not expressed in TLR4(-/-) PMNs above basal levels. TLR4-activated CD11b expression was cycloheximide sensitive and involved the activation of transcription factors, NF-kappaB and c-Jun/PU.1. TLR4(-/-) PMNs challenged with LPS were functionally defective as the result of the impaired CD11b expression in that they failed to adhere and did not migrate across endothelial cells in response to N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine. TLR4 also promoted increased binding of LPS to PMNs on the basis of expression of CD11b. Thus TLR4 signaling activates synthesis and upregulation of CD11b and is essential for PMN adhesion and transmigration. Our data suggest an important role of TLR4-activated CD11b expression in the mechanism of the PMN host-defense response to LPS.

We investigated the mechanisms by which elevated intracellular cAMP concentration inhibits the thrombin-induced ICAM-1 expression in endothelial cells. Exposure of human umbilical vein endothelial cells to forskolin or dibutyryl cAMP, which increase intracellular cAMP by separate mechanisms, inhibited the thrombin-induced ICAM-1 expression. This effect of cAMP was secondary to inhibition of NF-kappaB activity, the key regulator of thrombin-induced ICAM-1 expression in endothelial cells. The action of cAMP occurred downstream of IkappaBalpha degradation and was independent of NF-kappaB binding to the ICAM-1 promoter. We observed that cAMP interfered with thrombin-induced phosphorylation of NF-kappaB p65 (RelA) subunit, a crucial event promoting the activation of the DNA-bound NF-kappaB. Because p38 MAPK can induce transcriptional activity of RelA/p65 without altering the DNA binding function of NF-kappaB, we addressed the possibility that cAMP antagonizes thrombin-induced NF-kappaB activity and ICAM-1 expression by preventing the activation of p38 MAPK. We observed that treating cells with forskolin blocked the activation of p38 MAPK, and inhibition of p38 MAPK interfered with phosphorylation of RelA/p65 induced by thrombin. Our data demonstrate that increased intracellular cAMP concentration in endothelial cells prevents thrombin-induced ICAM-1 expression by inhibiting p38 MAPK activation, which in turn prevents phosphorylation of RelA/p65 and transcriptional activity of the bound NF-kappaB.

Macrophages are crucial drivers of inflammatory corneal neovascularization and thus are potential targets for immunomodulatory therapies. We hypothesized that therapeutic use of cornea-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (cMSCs) may alter the function of macrophages. We found that cMSCs can modulate the phenotype and angiogenic function of macrophages. In vitro, cMSCs induce apoptosis of macrophages while preferentially promoting a distinct CD14 CD16 CD163 CD206 immunophenotype that has significantly reduced angiogenic effects based on in vitro angiogenesis assays. In vivo, application of cMSCs to murine corneas after injury leads to reduced macrophage infiltration and higher expression of CD206 in macrophages. Macrophages cocultured ("educated") by cMSCs express significantly higher levels of anti-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory factors compared with control macrophages. In vivo, injured corneas treated with cMSC-educated macrophages demonstrate significantly less neovascularization compared with corneas treated with control macrophages. Knocking down the expression of pigment epithelial derived factor (PEDF) in cMSCs significantly abrogates its modulating effects on macrophages, as shown by the reduced rate of apoptosis, decreased expression of sFLT-1/PEDF, and increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-A in the cocultured macrophages. Similarly, cMSCs isolated from PEDF knockout mice are less effective compared with wild-type cMSCs at inhibiting macrophage infiltration when applied to wild-type corneas after injury. Overall, these results demonstrate that cMSCs therapeutically suppress the angiogenic capacity of macrophages and highlight the role of cMSC secreted PEDF in the modulation of macrophage phenotype and function. Stem Cells 2018;36:775-784.