Tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced apoptosis in a human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) is counteracted by transforming growth factor-alpha

The integrity of the human epidermis is guaranteed by a regulated balance of proliferation, differentiation, and physiologic cell death of its main cellular constituent, the epidermal keratinocyte. Physiologic cell death is known as apoptosis and has been recognized as an active regulatory mechanism, complementary to, but functionally opposite of, proliferation. The regulators of the delicate balance between cell death and proliferation are only partially understood in human keratinocytes. Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) has been identified as a positive regulator of proliferation and growth, while tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) induces apoptosis. Both mediators are thought to influence epidermal keratinocytes under various physiological and pathophysiological conditions. In the current study we have begun to investigate potential regulatory interactions between these two mediators in the human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT. We have found that, when the HaCaT cells were sensitized by the translation inhibitor cycloheximide, TNF-alpha induced apoptosis, as evidenced by nuclear disintegration, DNA fragmentation (''DNA laddering''), and the appearance of soluble DNA/histone complexes. Moreover, we found that the induction of apoptosis was reduced by preincubation of the cells with TGF-alpha. The protective effect of TGF-alpha was abrogated by translation inhibition, indicating that it depended on de novo protein synthesis. Moreover, the protective effect was not accompanied by a reduced surface expression of TNF receptor molecules. We postulate that TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis in HaCaT cells is counteracted by constitutively produced suppressors of apoptosis, the synthesis of which can be downregulated by inhibition of translation and upregulated by the cytokine TGF-alpha. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.