NF-κB activation is inhibited in human pulmonary epithelial cells transfected with α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone vector

alpha -Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha -MSH) modulates inflammation. We investigated the influence of alpha -MSH on NF-kappaB activation in human pulmonary epithelial cells (A549) using a plasmid vector encoding alpha -MSH (pCMV-ssMSH). Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that NF-kappaB activation induced by lipopolysaccharide was inhibited in A549 cells transfected with pCMV-ssMSH. Western blot analysis revealed that this inhibition was linked to preservation of expression of I kappaB alpha protein. Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assay indicated that NF-kappaB-alpha pendent reporter gene expression was suppressed in A549 cells transfected with pCMV-ssMSH. The findings indicate that anti-inflammatory actions are exerted via modulation of NF-kappaB activation by preservation of I kappaB alpha protein in human pulmonary epithelial cells transfected with alpha -MSH vector. We showed a possibility of gene therapy for chronic inflammatory lung diseases. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.