COOLING AND REWARMING-INDUCED IL-8 EXPRESSION IN HUMAN BRONCHIAL EPITHELIAL-CELLS THROUGH P38 MAP KINASE-DEPENDENT PATHWAY

p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP) kinase is activated by vari ous stresses; however, little is known about cold stress which has bee n shown to cause various inflammatory diseases. In the present study, we examined the effect of cold stimulation on interleukin-8 (IL-8) exp ression and a role of p38 MAP kinase in IL-8expression in human bronch ial epithelial cells (BEC) in order to clarify the mechanism in hypoth ermic temperature-induced inflammation. The results showed that cold s timulation induced tyrosine phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase but not IL-8 expression. IL-8 expression in BEC was induced when the temperatu re of incubation changed from 1 degrees C to 37 degrees C (cooling and rewarming), The specific p38 MAP kinase inhibitor SE 203580 inhibited cooling and rewarming-induced IL-8 expression, indicating that coolin g and rewarming-induced IL-8 expression in BEC was mediated through p3 8 MAP kinase-dependent pathway. (C) 1998 Academic Press.