DIFFERENTIAL ROLE OF PROTEIN-KINASE-C IN CYTOKINE-INDUCED LYMPHOCYTE-ENDOTHELIUM INTERACTION IN-VITRO

In the present study we investigated the influence of the PKC-inhibitor GF109203X on cytokine- and endotoxin-induced expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and on the adhesion of lymphocytes to cytokine-activated endothelial cells. We found that tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha)- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ICAM-1 expression on a human endothelium-derived cell line (EA.hy926) were unaffected by the PKC-inhibitor and thus appeared to be independent of PKC activation. In contrast, GF109203X significantly reduced ICAM-1 expression induced by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-1 (IL-1). The functional relevance of these findings was evaluated in an adhesion assay using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). In fact, the IFN-gamma- and IL-1-induced adhesion of PBMC to cytokine treated HUVEC could be down-regulated by the PKC-inhibitor, whereas TNF alpha- and LPS-mediated adhesion was not affected. Additionally, the IL-1-driven ICAM-1 expression on HUVEC as well as the IL-1 induced adhesion of PBMC to HUVEC was found to be TNF-dependent, as both effects could be inhibited by an anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibody (MoAb) (MAK195). Based on these data on differential regulation of cytokine-induced lymphocyte-endothelium interactions our study supports the use of PKC-inhibitors as additive modulators in cytokine related pathophysiological conditions.