HSF1/hsp72 pathway as an endogenous anti-inflammatory system

We investigated the occurrence and the role of HSF1 activation and inducibl e hsp72 expression in the carrageenin pleurisy in the rat. Molecular analys is performed on pleural cells collected from rat pleural cavity after carra geenin challenge revealed increased HSF1 activation and hsp72 expression. M oreover, local injection of a double-stranded oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) co ntaining the heat shock element sequence, acting as transcription factor de coy, exacerbated the inflammatory reaction, The exacerbation, induced by wi ld-type, but not by mutant ODN decoy, was associated to both inhibition of HSF1/DNA binding activity and reduction of hsp72 expression. In conclusion, this study shows that HSF1 activation and hsp72 expression both actually o ccur in acute inflammation and that the remission of the inflammatory react ion is tightly associated to the HSF1-dependent hsp72 expression, suggestin g a a relevant role for the HSF1/hsp72 pathway as an endogenous antiinflamm atory system, (C) 2001 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Publis hed by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.