These studies were undertaken to investigate the therapeutic mechanism of saturated solutions of KI, used to treat infectious and inflammatory diseases. The addition of 12-50 mM KI to cultured human peripheral blood mononuclear cells resulted in 319-395 mosM final solute concentration and induced interleukin (IL)-8 synthesis. production was seen when 40 mM salt was added (375 mosM) and was equal to IL-8 induced by endotoxin or IL-la. However, there was no induction of IL-la, IL-118, or tumor necrosis factor to account for the synthesis of IL-8; the effect of KI was not due to contaminating endotoxins. Hyperosmolar NaCl also induced IL-8 and increased steady-state levels of IL-8 mRNA similar to those induced by IL-la. IL-8 gene expression was elevated for 96 hr in peripheral blood mononuclear cells incubated with hyperosmolar NaCl. In human THP-1 macrophagic cells, osmotic stimulation with KI, Nal, or NaCl also induced IL-8 production. IL-1 signal transduction includes the phosphorylation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase that is observed following osmotic stress. Using specific blockade of this kinase, a dose-response inhibition of hyperosmolar NaCl-induced IL-8 synthesis was observed, similar to that in cells stimulated with IL-1. Thus, these studies suggest that IL-1 and osmotic shock utilize the same mitogen-activated protein kinase for signal transduction and IL-8 synthesis.We began these studies to investigate whether KI modulated host defenses, particularly cytokine production. Compounds containing iodine, especially KI, have been used therapeutically for over 100 years to treat inflammatory and infectious diseases such as asthma, gout, gangrene, tertiary syphilis, and mycobacterial and fungal infections (reviewed in ref. 1). Oral KI is currently the treatment of choice for cutaneous sporotrichosis, although KI possesses no intrinsic antibacterial activity. It therefore seemed reasonable that KI could affect host phagocytic cells. In preliminary studies, we reported that the addition of 40 mM KI to cultured human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), resulting in a final osmolarity of 375 mosmol/liter (mosM), induced interleukin (IL)-8 synthesis (2). As these studies expanded, we observed that similar concentrations of Nal or NaCl. were equally effective in inducing IL-8 synthesis and, therefore, hyperosmolarity rather than the presence of iodide was likely stimulating the production of IL-8.Mammalian cells are exposed to hyperosmotic conditions in the distal tubule of the kidney, during hemo-or peritoneal dialysis, when serum sodium rises as a consequence of dehydration, and when infused with hypertonic saline (3). In the present studies, we have examined the effect of hyperosmotic conditions on cytokine production. During the course of these studies, it was reported that mammalian cells phosphorylate proteins in response to 200 mM NaCl (400 mosM) (4, 5). Moreover, phosphorylation of a specific p38 mitogen-activatedThe publication costs of this article were defrayed in part by page...