Electrophilicity is one of the most common features of skin contact sensitizers and is necessary for protein haptenation. The Keap1 (Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1)/Nrf2 -signaling pathway is dedicated to the detection of electrophilic stress in cells leading to the upregulation of genes involved in protection or neutralization of chemical reactive species. Signals provided by chemical stress could play an important role in dendritic cell activation and the aim of this work was to test whether contact sensitizers were specific activators of the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway. CD34-derived dendritic cells (CD34-DC) and the THP-1 myeloid cell line were treated by a panel of sensitizers (Ni, 1-chloro 2,4-dinitrobenzene, cinnamaldehyde, 7-hydroxycitronellal, 1,4-dihydroquinone, alpha-methyl-trans-cinnamaldehyde, 2-4-tert-(butylbenzyl)propionaldehyde or Lilial, and 1,4-phenylenediamine), irritants (sodium dodecyl sulfate, benzalkonium chloride), and a nonsensitizer molecule (chlorobenzene). Three well-known Nrf2 activators (tert-butylhydroquinone, lipoic acid, sulforaphane) were also tested. Expression of hmox1 and nqo1 was measured using real-time PCR and cellular accumulation of Nrf2 was assessed by Western blot. Our results showed an increased expression at early time points of hmox1 and nqo1 mRNAs in response to sensitizers but not to irritants. Accumulation of the Nrf2 protein was also observed only with chemical sensitizers. A significant inhibition of the expression of hmox1 and nqo1 mRNAs and CD86 expression was found in 1-chloro 2,4-dinitrobenzene-treated THP-1 cells preincubated with N-acetyl cysteine, a glutathione precursor. Altogether, these data suggested that the Keap1/Nrf2-signaling pathway was activated by electrophilic molecules including sensitizers in dendritic cells and in the THP-1 cell line. Monitoring of this pathway may provide new biomarkers (e.g., Nrf2, hmox1) for the detection of the sensitization potential of chemicals.
Dendritic cell (DC) activation is a critical event for the induction of an immune response to haptens. Although signaling pathways such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family members have been reported to play a role in DC activation by haptens, little is known about the implication of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) pathway. In this work, we showed that NiSO(4) induced the expression of HLA-DR, CD83, CD86, and CD40 and the production of interleukin (IL)-8, IL-6, and IL-12p40 in human DCs, whereas DNCB induced mainly the expression of CD83 and CD86 and the production of IL-8. NiSO(4) but not DNCB was able to activate the degradation of IkappaB-alpha leading to the binding of the p65 subunit of NF-kappaB on specific DNA probes. Inhibition of the NF-kappaB pathway using BAY 11-7085 prevents both CD40 and HLA-DR expression and cytokine production induced by NiSO(4). However, BAY 11-7085 only partially inhibited CD86 and CD83 expression induced by NiSO(4). In addition, p38 MAPK and NF-kappaB were independently activated by NiSO(4) since SB203580 did not inhibit NF-kappaB activation by NiSO(4). Interestingly, we also showed that DNCB inhibited the degradation of IkappaB-alpha induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha leading to alteration of CD40, HLA-DR, and CD83 expression but not of CD86 and CCR7. Extensive modifications of DC phenotype by NiSO(4) in comparison to DNCB are probably the consequence of NF-kappaB activation by NiSO(4) but not by DNCB.
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