INTERLEUKIN-1 INDUCES A NUCLEAR FORM OF TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR NF-KAPPA-B IN HUMAN LUNG EPITHELIAL-CELLS

Activation of the transcription factor NFkappaB by the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1)has been investigated in the human lung e pithelial cell line (A549). Nuclear NFkappaB activity was not detectab le in unstimulated A549 cells, but was rapidly (within 15 min) and pot ently (100 fM to 1 pM) induced in the presence of IL-1. Activation of NFkappaB by IL-1 (1 pM) was prevented when incubations were performed in the presence of the IL-1 receptor antagonist protein (1 nM). Howeve r, a number of protein kinase inhibitors failed to block this response . The results suggest that a novel kinase pathway may be involved in t he activation of NFkappaB by IL-1 in these cells.