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Fibrates down-regulate IL-1–stimulated C-reactive protein gene expression in hepatocytes by reducing nuclear p50-NFκB–C/EBP-β complex formation
- Source :
- Blood; January 2003, Vol. 101 Issue: 2 p545-551, 7p
- Publication Year :
- 2003
-
Abstract
- C-reactive protein (CRP) is a major acute-phase protein in humans. Elevated plasma CRP levels are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. CRP is predominantly expressed in hepatocytes and is induced by interleukin-1 (IL-1) and IL-6 under inflammatory situations, such as the acute phase. Fibrates are hypolipidemic drugs that act through the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPAR-α). Fibrates have been shown to reduce elevated CRP levels in humans, but the molecular mechanism is unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that different PPAR-α activators suppress IL-1–induced, but not IL-6–induced, expression of CRP in primary human hepatocytes and HuH7 hepatoma cells. Induction of CRP expression by IL-1 occurs at the transcriptional level. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments show that IL-1 induces CRP expression through 2 overlapping response elements, the binding sites for CCAAT-box/enhancer–binding protein-β (C/EBP-β) and p50-nuclear factor-κB (p50-NFκB). Cotransfection of C/EBP-β and p50-NFκB enhances CRP promoter activity, and coimmunoprecipitation experiments indicate that the increase in CRP promoter activity by IL-1 is related to the generation and nuclear accumulation of C/EBP-β–p50-NFκB complexes. Interestingly, PPAR-α activators reduce the formation of nuclear C/EBP-β–p50-NFκB complexes, and thereby CRP promoter activity, by 2 mechanisms. First, PPAR-α increases IκB-α expression and thus prevents p50-NFκB translocation to the nucleus. Second, fibrates decrease hepatic C/EBP-β and p50-NFκB protein levels in mice in a PPAR-α–dependent way. Our findings identify C/EBP-β and p50-NFκB as novel targets for PPAR-α and provide a molecular explanation for the reduction of plasma CRP levels by fibrates.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00064971 and 15280020
- Volume :
- 101
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Supplemental Index
- Journal :
- Blood
- Publication Type :
- Periodical
- Accession number :
- ejs53039278
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2002-06-1762