TNF‐α‐Induced NOD2 and RIP2 Contribute to the Up‐Regulation of Cytokines Induced by MDP in Monocytic THP‐1 Cells

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain containing 2 (NOD2)-induced signal transduction and cytokine production is regulated by a number of factors. However, the feedback effect of the pro-inflammatory TNF-α on NOD2-induced inflammation is not fully understood. In this study, we found unexpectedly that TNF-α up-regulated NOD2 ligand MDP-induced production of the CXC chemokines, including CXCL1, 2 and 8, and the pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, in a dose-dependent manner at both mRNA and protein levels in monocytic THP-1 cells. Though TNF-α induced the up-regulation of ubiquitin-editing enzyme A20, an important negative regulator for Toll-like receptor- and NOD2-induced inflammatory responses, the over-expression of A20 by gene transfer did not reversed MDP-induced production of cytokines, suggested that A20 did not regulate the functions of NOD2 in THP-1 cells. Meanwhile, we found that TNF-α up-regulated NOD2 and its down-stream adaptor protein RIP2 at both mRNA and protein levels. MDP induced the activation of ERK, JNK, p38 and NF-κB, and TNF-α pre-treatment augmented this activation. The results from pharmacological inhibition assay showed that cytokine production was dependent on MAPK signaling. In addition, we found that the pre-treatment of THP-1 cells with MDP down-regulated the mRNA levels of cytokine induced by MDP re-treatment. MDP pre-treatment up-regulated NOD2, but down-regulated RIP2, and down-regulated NOD2 signal transduction induced by MDP re-stimulation. Taking together, these results suggested that TNF-α is a positive regulator for NOD2 functions via up-regulation of NOD2 and its signal adaptor RIP2, and TNF-α-induced A20 does not regulate MDP-induced inflammatory responses in THP-1 cells. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved