Originally published In Press as doi:10.1074/jbc.M002577200 on August 8, 2000
J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 275, Issue 42, 32681-32687, October 20, 2000
Oxidized Low Density Lipoprotein Inhibits Interleukin-12
Production in Lipopolysaccharide-activated Mouse Macrophages via Direct
Interactions between Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor-
and
Nuclear Factor-
B*
Su Wol
Chung
,
Bok Yun
Kang
,
Seung Hyun
Kim
,
Youngmi Kim
Pak§,
Daeho
Cho¶,
Giorgio
Trinchieri
, and
Tae Sung
Kim
**
From the
College of Pharmacy, Chonnam National
University, Kwangju 500-757, Korea, the § Division of
Metabolic Disease, National Institute of Health, Seoul 122-701, Korea,
¶ Cancer Research Center, Seoul National University College of
Medicine, Seoul 110-799, Korea, and the
Wistar Institute,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
Received for publication, March 27, 2000, and in revised form, June 22, 2000
 |
ABSTRACT |
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increases the production
of interleukin-12 (IL-12) from mouse macrophages via a
B site within
the IL-12 p40 promoter. In this study, we found that oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) inhibited this LPS-stimulated production of
IL-12 in a dose-dependent manner while native LDL did not. OxLDL inhibited p40 promoter activation in monocytic RAW264.7 cells
transiently transfected with p40 promoter/reporter constructs, and the
repressive effect mapped to a region in the p40 promoter containing a
binding site for nuclear factor-
B (NF-
B) (p40-
B). Activation
of macrophages by LPS in the presence of oxLDL resulted in markedly
reduced binding to the
B site, as demonstrated by the
electrophoretic mobility shift assays. In contrast, native LDL did not
inhibit the IL-12 p40 promoter activation and NF-
B binding to the
B sites, suggesting that oxidative modification of LDL was crucial
for the inhibition of NF-
B-mediated IL-12 production.
9-Hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid, a major oxidized lipid component of
oxLDL, significantly inhibited IL-12 production in LPS-stimulated mouse
macrophages and also suppressed NF-
B-mediated activation in IL-12
p40 promoter. The NF-
B components p50 and p65 directly bound
peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-
(PPAR-
) in
vitro. In cotransfections of CV-1 and HeLa cells, PPAR-
inhibited the NF-
B transactivation in an oxLDL-dependent manner. From these results, we propose that oxLDL-mediated suppression of the IL-12 production from LPS-activated mouse macrophages may, at
least in part, involve both inhibition of the NF-
B-DNA interactions and physical interactions between NF-
B and PPAR-
.
 |
INTRODUCTION |
Interleukin (IL)1 12, a
heterodimeric cytokine composed of two disulfide-linked subunits of 35 (p35) and 40 (p40) kDa encoded by two separate genes, was originally
identified in the supernatant fluid of Epstein-Barr virus-transformed
human B-cell lines (1, 2). IL-12 is produced by phagocytic cells and
other antigen-presenting cells in response to stimulation by a variety
of microorganisms as well as their products (3, 4). IL-12 exerts
multiple biological activities mainly through T and natural killer
cells by inducing their production of interferon-
(IFN-
), which
in turn augments their cytotoxicity, and by enhancing their
proliferation potential. IL-12 production is critical for the
development of T helper type 1 (Th1) cells and the initiation of
cell-mediated immune responses (reviewed in Ref. 5). The key role of
IL-12 in inflammation as well as the cell-mediated immune responses (6,
7) has raised considerable interests in the mechanisms of IL-12 gene
transcription. Inducible expression of IL-12 has been documented in
macrophages and dendritic cells after stimulation by microbial antigens
or via CD40-CD40L interaction (8, 9). In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and
IFN-
-treated monocytes, the expression of IL-12 p40 has been shown
to be primarily regulated at the transcriptional level, which involved
at least two transcription factors that belong to the NF-
B and Ets
families (10-12). Expression of IL-12 p35 is also known to be subject
to similar transcriptional regulation, although characterized to a much
lesser extent than p40 (13, 14).
The low density lipoprotein (LDL) particle acquires a number of
important biological activities as a result of oxidative modification. Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) is both a potent chemoattractant for circulating monocytes and a potent inhibitor of resident macrophage motility (15).
OxLDL has also been shown to be a powerful regulator of macrophage gene
expression. A number of genes involved in the inflammatory response,
including those encoding tumor necrosis factor-
, IL-1
, IL-1
,
IL-6, and platelet-derived growth factor, are known to be modulated by
exposure to oxLDL (16-18).
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-
(PPAR-
) is a member
of nuclear receptor superfamily of ligand-dependent
transcription factors that is predominantly expressed in adipose
tissue, adrenal gland, and spleen (19, 20). The PPAR-
is related to
the T3 and vitamin D3 receptors and bind to a
hexameric direct repeat as a heterodimeric complex with retinoid
receptor X
. PPAR-
serves as a transcription regulator of genes
involved adipocyte lipid metabolism (21). Naturally occurring compounds
such as fatty acids and the prostaglandin D2 metabolite
15-deoxy-
12,14 prostaglandin J2 bind to
PPAR-
and stimulate transcription of target genes (22, 23). OxLDL is
also known to stimulate PPAR-
expression in macrophages and
monocytic cell lines (24). Recently, two major oxidized lipid
components of oxLDL, 9-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (9-HODE) and
13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HODE), were identified as endogenous
activators and ligands of PPAR-
(25), suggest that the oxLDL
particle itself may be a source of endogenous PPAR-
ligand. In
addition, PPAR-
agonists such as thiazolidinediones (oral
anti-diabetic agents) and a variety of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs suppress monocyte elaboration of inflammatory cytokines (26).
Inhibition of cytokine production may help to explain the incremental
therapeutic benefit of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs observed in
the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
The transcription factor NF-
B is important for the inducible
expression of a wide variety of cellular and viral genes (reviewed in
Ref. 27). NF-
B is composed of homo- and heterodimeric complexes of
members of the Rel (NF-
B) family of polypeptides. In vertebrates, this family comprises p50, p65 (RelA), c-Rel, p52, and RelB. These proteins share a 300-amino acid region, known as the Rel homology domain, which binds to DNA and mediates homo- and heterodimerization. This domain is also a target of the I
B inhibitors, which include I
B
, I
B
, I
B
, Bcl-3, p105, and p100 (28). In the
majority of cells, NF-
B exists in an inactive form in the cytoplasm,
bound to the inhibitory I
B proteins. Treatment of cells with various inducers results in the degradation of I
B proteins. The bound NF-
B is released and translocates to the nucleus, where it activates appropriate target genes. Interestingly, members of steroid receptors including glucocorticoid receptor (29, 30), estrogen receptor (31, 32),
progesterone receptor (33), and androgen receptor (34), have been shown
to inhibit NF-
B activity and can physically interact with NF-
B
in vitro. Since RelA represses ligand-dependent activation of steroid receptor-regulated promoters, a mutually inactive
complex formed by a direct protein-protein interaction of steroid
receptors and RelA has been proposed.
In this report, we have demonstrated that oxLDL inhibited IL-12
production in LPS-stimulated mouse macrophages while native LDL did
not. The experimental results indicate that oxLDL-mediated suppression
of the IL-12 production from LPS-activated macrophages may involve, at
least in part, both inhibition of the NF-
B-DNA interactions and
direct interactions between PPAR-
and NF-
B.
 |
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES |
Mice, Cell Lines, Culture Medium, and Transient
Transfection--
Female DBA/2 mice were obtained from the Japan
SLC, Inc. (Tokyo, Japan) and used at 6-10 weeks of age. RAW264.7
cells, CV-1 cells and HeLa cells were cultured in Dulbecco's modified
Eagle's medium (DMEM) containing 10% FBS and antibiotics (Life
Technologies, Inc.). Spleen cell populations and macrophages from mice
were maintained in RPMI 1640 supplemented with 10% FBS. For
transfections, cells were grown in 24-well plates with medium
supplemented with 10% FBS for 24 h and transfected with indicated
plasmid in the presence of Superfectam according to the manufacturer's
protocol (Qiagen, Germany). After 20 h, cells were washed and
refed with DMEM containing 10% FBS. Cells were harvested 20 h
later, luciferase activity was assayed as described previously (35),
and the results were normalized to the LacZ expression.
Similar results were obtained in more than two separate experiments.
Monoclonal Antibodies, Cytokines, and Reagents--
Anti-IL-12
p40 mAbs C17.8 and C15.6 (36) were purified from ascitic fluid by
ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by DEAE-Sephagel chromatography
(Sigma). Anti-IL-12 p35 mAb Red-T/G297-289 was obtained from
PharMingen (San Diego, CA). Recombinant murine IL-12 was generously
provided by Dr. Stanley Wolf (Genetics Institute, Cambridge, MA). LPS
(from Escherichia coli 0111:B4) was purchased from Sigma.
9-HODE and 13-HODE were obtained from BIOMOL Research Laboratory, Inc. (Plymouth Meeting, PA).
Preparation and Modification of Lipoproteins--
Human LDL
(d = 1.019-1.063 g/ml) was prepared by sequential
ultracentrifugation of plasma from healthy donors, and LDL and oxidized
LDL (oxLDL) were made as described previously (37). In brief, oxidation
of LDL was performed by incubating 0.1 mg of LDL protein/ml in
phosphate-buffered saline containing 5 µM CuSO4 for 24 h at 37 °C and stopped by adding
butylated hydroxytoluene (2, 6-di-t-butyl-p-cresol) (Sigma) to a final
concentration of 0.1 mM. Oxidized LDL was separated from
CuSO4 and equilibrated into the cell culture medium over a
PD-10 column (Pharmacia Fine Chemicals, Uppsala, Sweden). All reagents
were endotoxin-free. LPS levels of LDL preparations were confirmed with
a chromogenic Limulus assay (38) and contained <0.3 pg of
LPS/µg of LDL protein. The extent of oxidation of the lipoprotein
preparations was determined by the thiobarbituric acid reactive
substance (TBARS) assay (39). The native LDL had <3 nM
TBARS/mg of cholesterol, whereas the oxidized LDL had 20-25
nM TBARS/mg of cholesterol.
Plasmids--
The
689/+98 fragment of mIL-12 p40 promoter from
pXP2 (11) was subcloned into KpnI/XhoI sites of
pGL3-basic luciferase vector (Promega Co., Madison, WI). All the
deletion mutants were generated by polymerase chain reaction using an
upstream primer containing BamHI site. A linker-scanning
mutant was generated by a two-step polymerase chain reaction procedure
with overlapping internal primers that contain mutated sequences for
the NF-
B site. The PPAR-
gene fragment (Dr. Spiegelman,
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA) was subcloned into
KpnI-EcoRI/Dra restriction site of the
CMV/T7 expression vector (Invitrogen, San Diego, CA). The reporter
constructs
B-Luc, Gal4/p65, GST/p65. GST/p50 fusion protein,
mammalian expression vectors for p65, and the transfection indicator
pRSV-
-gal were constructed as described previously (40).
Preparation of Splenic Macrophages Stimulated with
LPS--
Spleen cells were cultured at 106 cells/ml for
approximately 3 h at 37 °C. The nonadherent cells were removed
by washing with warm DMEM until visual inspection revealed a lack of
lymphocytes (>98% of the cell population). The adherent cells were
removed from plates by incubating for 15 min with ice-cold
phosphate-buffered saline and rinsing repeatedly. The isolated adherent
cell population was stimulated with 5 µg/ml LPS in the absence or
presence of LDL or oxLDL at 1, 5, 10, 20, and 50 µg/ml at 1 × 105 cells/well in 96-well culture plates for 48 h. In
some experiments, the cells were stimulated with LPS in the absence or
presence of ciglitazone, a selective PPAR-
agonist (BIOMOL).
Cytokine Assays--
The quantities of IL-12 p40 and IL-12 p70
in culture supernatants were determined by sandwich ELISAs using mAbs
specific for each cytokine, as described previously (41). The mAbs for
coating the plates and the biotinylated second mAbs were as follows:
for IL-12 p40, C17.8 and C15.6; for IL-12 p70, Red-T/G297-289 and C17.8. Standard curves were generated using recombinant cytokine. The
lower limit of detection was 30 pg/ml for IL-12 p40 and 50 pg/ml for
IL-12 p70.
Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay--
The nuclear extracts
were prepared from the cells, as described previously (42). An
oligonucleotide containing an NF-
B-binding site within the Ig
-chain (5'-CCG GTT AAC AGA GGG GGC TTT CCG AG-3') was used as a
probe. Labeled oligonucleotides (10,000 cpm) were incubated for 30 min
at room temperature, along with 10 µg of nuclear extracts, in 20 µl
of binding buffer (10 mM Tris·HCl, pH 7.6, 500 mM KCl, 10 mM EDTA, 50% glycerol, 100 ng of
poly(dI-dC), and 1 mM dithiothreitol). The reaction mixture
was analyzed by electrophoresis on a 4% polyacrylamide gel in 0.5×
Tris borate buffer. Specific binding was confirmed by competition
experiments with a 50-fold excess of unlabeled, identical
oligonucleotides or cAMP response element-containing oligonucleotides.
GST Pull-down Assay--
The GST fusions or GST alone was
expressed in E. coli, bound to glutathione-Sepharose-4B
beads (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech), and incubated with labeled proteins
expressed by in vitro translation by using the TNT-coupled
transcription-translation system, which conditions as described by the
manufacturer (Promega, Madison, WI). Specifically bound proteins were
eluted from beads with 40 mM reduced glutathione in 50 mM Tris (pH 8.0) and analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis and autoradiography as described (43).
Statistical Analysis--
Student's t test was used
to determine the statistical differences between various experimental
and control groups. A p value of <0.01 was considered as significant.
 |
RESULTS |
OxLDL Inhibits IL-12 Production from LPS-activated
Macrophages--
We examined the effect of oxLDL on the production of
IL-12 by primary macrophages stimulated with LPS. LPS readily induced the production of IL-12 heterodimer as well as the p40 subunit, as
expected. However, oxLDL inhibited this LPS-induced IL-12 production in
a dose-dependent manner while native LDL did not (Fig.
1). By trypan blue exclusion assay, we
found that native LDL and oxLDL at concentrations of <100 µg/ml were
not toxic to the cells (viability = 100%).

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Fig. 1.
Inhibition of IL-12 production in primary
macrophages by oxLDL. Macrophages were stimulated with LPS (5 µg/ml) in the absence or presence of varying concentrations of LDL or
oxLDL. Cytokine levels were evaluated by ELISA, and results are
presented as mean ± standard deviations of the percentage
response of cytokine production of the treated macrophages compared
with untreated control macrophages stimulated with LPS. Mean cytokine
levels in the absence of LDL or oxLDL were as follows: IL-12 p70, 1.7 ng/ml; IL-12 p40, 3.5 ng/ml. Closed and open
symbols indicate the IL-12 p70 heterodimer and the IL-12
p40, respectively.
|
|
OxLDL Inhibits NF-
B-mediated Activation of IL-12 p40 Promoter by
LPS--
An IL-12 p40 subunit was known as the highly inducible and
tightly regulated component of IL-12 (5). To identify the region involved in these oxLDL actions, we generated a series of luciferase reporter constructs containing the p40 promoter sequences from positions
689 and
185 to +98 relative to the transcription
initiation site (Fig. 2A).
Mouse RAW264.7 monocytic cells were transfected with each of these
constructs and stimulated with LPS either in the absence or presence of
LDL (or oxLDL), and the luciferase activity was determined. All of
these constructs showed strong stimulation with LPS in the absence of
oxLDL but impaired stimulation with oxLDL (Fig. 2B). In
particular, deleting sequences to
185 (p40/185) did not diminish the
LPS-dependent promoter activities and the inhibitory effect
of oxLDL was still observed, suggesting that the target site for oxLDL
should reside within this region. To directly test the role of a
B
site found between
121 and
131 of the p40 promoter in the
oxLDL-mediated inhibitory actions, we introduced a linker scanning
mutation into the
B site within the context of the
689/+98
construct (p40/LS). The LPS-dependent promoter activation
was still observed with p40/LS although significantly reduced (Fig.
2B), consistent with the previous findings in which the
B
site was shown to be important for the LPS induction of p40 promoter
(10). However, addition of oxLDL to LPS-stimulated cells did not have
any repressive effects with p40/LS, clearly indicating that the
inhibitory effect of oxLDL on IL-12 production was mediated through the
B site. In contrast, in consistent with the experiment of IL-12
production, native LDL could not significantly inhibit the LPS
induction of p40 promoter activity (Fig. 2B).

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Fig. 2.
Analysis of oxLDL-mediated transcriptional
repression of p40 promoter constructs activated by LPS.
A, schematic representation of the mouse p40 promoter
constructs as well as a linker-scanning mutant for NF- B site are as
shown, along NF- B binding site. The nucleotide sequence numbers for
each construct are shown. B, transient transfection of
RAW264.7 cells with the p40 promoter constructs, followed by
stimulation with LPS in the absence or presence of LDL or oxLDL.
Normalized luciferase expressions from triplicate samples are presented
relative to the LacZ expressions, and the standard
deviations are less than 5%. Open, closed,
striped, and checked boxes indicate no LPS added,
5 µg/ml LPS, 5 µg/ml LPS plus LDL (1, 10, 50, and 100 µg/ml
each), and 5 µg/ml LPS plus oxLDL (1, 10, 50, and 100 µg/ml each),
respectively. The data are representative of three similar
experiments.
|
|
Next, to determine whether oxidized components in the oxLDL were
crucial for the inhibition of IL-12 production in mouse macrophages, the cells were stimulated with LPS in the absence or presence of 9-HODE
or 13-HODE, two major oxidized lipid components of oxLDL (25).
Afterward, the IL-12 levels in culture supernatants were determined.
Like oxLDL, 9-HODE and 13-HODE significantly inhibited IL-12 production
in LPS-activated mouse macrophages (Fig.
3A). In addition, 9-HODE
significantly suppressed NF-
B-mediated IL-12 p40 promoter activation
(Fig. 3B).

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Fig. 3.
Inhibition of IL-12 production in
LPS-activated macrophages by HODE. A, macrophages were
stimulated with LPS (5 µg/ml) in the absence or presence of 9-HODE or
13-HODE. IL-12 levels were evaluated by IL-12 p40 ELISA, and results
are presented as mean ± standard deviations of triplicate
determinations. Open, closed, striped,
and checked boxes indicate no LPS added, 5 µg/ml LPS, 5 µg/ml LPS plus 9-HODE (1.25, 2.5 µg/ml), and 5 µg/ml LPS plus 13-HODE (1.25 µg/ml), respectively. *,
p < 0.01, relative to LPS-stimulated group in the
absence of 9-HODE or 13-HODE. B, transient transfection of
RAW264.7 cells with the p40 promoter constructs, followed by
stimulation with LPS in the absence or presence of 9-HODE. Normalized
luciferase expressions from triplicate samples are presented relative
to the LacZ expressions, and the standard deviations are
less than 5%. Open, closed, and
striped boxes indicate no LPS added, 5 µg/ml
LPS, and 5 µg/ml LPS plus 9-HODE (0.1, 1.0, and 10 µg/ml each),
respectively.
|
|
Physical Interaction of PPAR-
with NF-
B--
With the
precedents of direct physical interactions of NF-
B with steroid
receptors (29-34), we hypothesized that associations of NF-
B with
PPAR-
may have led to the NF-
B-inhibitory action of oxLDL.
Indeed, in vitro translated, labeled PPAR-
interacted with GST fusions to the NF-
B components p50 and p65 but not with GST
alone, in a ligand-independent manner (Fig.
4). The band intensity is not
significantly different between groups in the absence or presence of
the ligand, as demonstrated by densitometric analysis.

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Fig. 4.
Interactions of PPAR-
with p50 and p65 in vitro. The wild type
PPAR- was labeled with [35S]methionine by in
vitro translation and incubated with glutathione beads containing
GST alone or GST fusions to p50 and p65, either in the absence or
presence of 10 µg/ml oxLDL, as indicated. Beads were washed, and
specifically bound material was eluted with reduced glutathione and
resolved by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Approximately
10-20% of total input was typically retained. Intensities of specific
bands were quantitated and were plotted as relative intensity.
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|
NF-
B Binding to the
B Site Inhibited by OxLDL--
Steroid
receptors have been shown to inhibit NF-
B binding to
B sites in a
ligand-dependent manner (29-34). To examine whether oxLDL-mediated inhibition of the NF-
B transactivation also exploits similar mechanisms, we analyzed the
B binding activity present in
nuclear extract of unstimulated or LPS-stimulated macrophages, either
in the absence or presence of oxLDL or LDL. As expected, nuclear
extracts from LPS-stimulated macrophages exhibited strong
B binding
activity in the electrophoretic mobility shift assays using a labeled
oligonucleotide containing a consensus Ig-
B site (44) (Fig.
5). The binding was specific since it was
competed with an unlabeled, identical oligonucleotide, but not with
unrelated, nonspecific oligonucleotide, and was absent with nuclear
extracts from unstimulated cells. Similar to steroid receptors, nuclear extracts from macrophages stimulated by LPS in the presence of oxLDL
showed much diminished
B binding activities (Fig. 5). In contrast,
native LDL had no effect on the LPS-induced DNA-binding of NF-
B to
the
B site.

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Fig. 5.
OxLDL-mediated inhibition of
B binding by NF- B.
Nuclear extracts prepared from macrophage cells stimulated by LPS in
the absence or presence of LDL or oxLDL (1, 10, and 50 µg/ml each)
were examined for B binding activity in the electrophoretic mobility
shift assays using a labeled oligonucleotide containing a consensus
Ig- B site, as indicated. S and NS indicate the
presence of an unlabeled, identical oligonucleotide and nonspecific
oligonucleotide, respectively. The specific NF- B complexes are as
indicated.
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|
An Inhibitory Complex of NF
B-PPAR
--
To test if this
oxLDL-mediated inhibition of NF-
B activities in macrophages are
generally observed in other cell types, we employed a reporter
construct
B-LUC, previously characterized to efficiently mediate the
NF-
B-dependent transactivations in various cell types,
that consists of a minimal promoter from the IL-2 gene and four
upstream
B sites from the IL-6 gene (45). Cotransfection of HeLa-1
cells with PPAR-
had minimal effect on the p65-induced reporter gene
expression in the presence of LDL. In the presence of oxLDL or 9-HODE,
however, increasing amount of cotransfected PPAR-
inhibited the
reporter gene expression in a PPAR-
dose-dependent
manner (Fig. 6). Similarly,
cotransfection of increasing amounts of p50 or p65 also inhibited the
oxLDL-dependent transactivation by PPAR-
(data not
shown). These results suggest that the interactions of NF
B-PPAR
may lead to a formation of transcriptionally inactive complex in
vivo, regardless of the nature of DNA binding sites.

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Fig. 6.
Transcriptionally inhibitory complex of
NF- B and PPAR- .
HeLa cells were transfected with p65 (50 ng) and increasing amounts of
PPAR- (10, 100, and 200 ng each) expression vectors along with a
reporter gene B-LUC in the absence or presence
of LDL, oxLDL, or 9-HODE. Open, black
closed, gray closed,
striped, and checked boxes indicate no
PPAR- added, PPAR- added, PPAR- plus 10 µg/ml LDL, PPAR-
plus 10 µg/ml oxLDL, and PPAR- plus 10 µg/ml 9-HODE,
respectively. Normalized luciferase expressions from triplicate samples
are presented relative to the LacZ expressions, and the
standard deviations are less than 5%.
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|
The NF-
B-inhibitory Actions of OxLDL Independent of
B
Sites--
Next, we tested whether the NF
B-inhibitory actions of
oxLDL require
B site binding. We expressed a Gal4 fusion protein to p65 (Gal4/p65) in CV-1 cells, along with a reporter construct controlled by upstream Gal4 sites. Consistent with previous finding (46), Gal4/p65 directed a strong activation of the reporter gene
expression (Fig. 7). Cotransfection of
increasing amount of PPAR-
-expression vector was without any
significant effects in the presence of native LDL. In contrast,
PPAR-
in the presence of oxLDL or 9-HODE directed inhibition of the
Gal4/p65 transactivation in a PPAR-
-dose dependent manner (Fig. 7).
These results suggest that the inhibitory actions of oxLDL can also
operate without
B site binding.

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Fig. 7.
OxLDL-mediated transrepression of p65 in the
absence of B binding. CV-1 cells were
transfected with Gal4/p65 (100 ng) and PPAR- (10, 100, and 200 ng
each) expression vectors along with a reporter gene Gal4-LUC
either in the absence or presence of LDL (or oxLDL), as indicated.
Normalized luciferase expressions from triplicate samples are presented
relative to the LacZ expressions and the standard deviations
are less than 5%. Open, closed, and
striped boxes indicate 10 µg/ml LDL added, 10 µg/ml oxLDL, and 10 µg/ml 9-HODE, respectively.
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|
Ciglitazone, a Selective PPAR-
Agonist, Also Inhibits IL-12
Production in Activated Mouse Macrophages--
Next, we determined
whether PPAR-
agonists inhibited IL-12 production in LPS-activated
macrophages, as like oxLDL. As shown in Fig.
8A, ciglitazone, a selective
PPAR-
agonist, significantly inhibited IL-12 production in a
dose-dependent manner and also showed additive effect of
inhibition on IL-12 production when combined with oxLDL. In addition,
like oxLDL, increasing amount of cotransfected PPAR-
in HeLa cells
inhibited the p65 reporter gene expression in a PPAR-
dose-dependent manner in the presence of ciglitazone (Fig.
8B).

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Fig. 8.
Effects of ciglitazone on IL-12 production in
mouse macrophages and on
PPAR- -dependent transactivation of
p65 promoter. A, macrophages were stimulated with 5 µg/ml LPS alone (open) or in combination with 10 µg/ml
oxLDL (closed) in the absence or presence of varying
concentrations of ciglitazone. The levels of IL-12 in culture
supernatants were determined by an IL-12 p40 ELISA. The results are
presented as mean ± standard deviations of triplicate
determinations. *, p < 0.01, relative to
ciglitazone-untreated group in the absence or presence of oxLDL.
B, HeLa cells were transfected with p65 (50 ng) and
increasing amounts of PPAR- (10, 100, and 200 ng each) expression
vectors along with a reporter gene B-LUC in
the absence or presence of ciglitazone. Open,
closed, and striped boxes indicate no
ciglitazone added, and checked boxes indicate the
presence of 10 µM ciglitazone. Normalized luciferase
expressions from triplicate samples are presented relative to the
LacZ expressions, and the standard deviations are less than
5%.
|
|
 |
DISCUSSION |
Oxidized LDL has been hypothesized to play a causative role in
atherosclerotic plaque formation (reviewed in Ref. 47). Oxidative modification of cholesterol, fatty acid, and protein components of LDL
results in the formation of a lipoprotein particle with distinct
biologic activities. In this study we have shown that oxLDL inhibited
IL-12 production in LPS-activated mouse macrophages in a
dose-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect is, at least in part, via down-regulation of NF-
B activation and binding to the
p40-
B site by physical interactions of PPAR-
and NF-
B. Oxidative modification of the LDL particle is of importance for the
inhibition of IL-12 production in LPS-activated mouse macrophages. Several lines of evidence support this point. First, treatment of
LPS-activated macrophages with oxLDL significantly suppressed the
production of IL-12 in a dose-dependent manner while
treatment with native LDL did not (Fig. 1). Furthermore, oxLDL
inhibited the activation of IL-12 p40 promoter and NF-
B binding to
the
B sites while LDL did not.
Exposure of monocytes and macrophages to oxLDL has a range of
biological consequences, including enhanced monocyte maturation, increased adhesive properties, and production of cytokines and growth
factors (15). As one might expect, the influence of oxLDL on macrophage
gene expression is complex and context-dependent. Exposure
of resting macrophages to oxLDL leads to increased expression of CD11b,
CD18 (48), the scavenger receptors SR-A and CD36 (49), and cytokines
such as IL-1
and IL-1
(50, 51). At the same time, oxLDL has been
reported to suppress the IFN
or LPS-induced expression of tumor
necrosis factor-
, IP-10, and IL-1
(17, 52, 53). Interestingly,
two groups have recently reported that PPAR-
ligands can also
function to suppress cytokine production in activated macrophages (24,
26). In addition, in contrast to our results, oxLDL was reported to
induce IL-10 and IL-12 release from resting human monocytes in
vitro (54). Thus, the effects of both oxLDL and PPAR-
ligands
on macrophage gene expression are dependent on the activation state of
the cell. These context-dependent effects may help to
explain why oxLDL-exposed macrophages maintain a chronic rather than
fulminant inflammatory reaction at sites of atherosclerosis. In
addition, the results of this study might indicate that oxLDL could
inhibit or minimize a normal inflammatory response. It has been
speculated that the suppression of cytokine expression in foam cells
may be an important contributing factor of the pathophysiologic process
in the formation of fatty streaks before they convert to mature
atheromas (52). The capacity of macrophages in lesions to be activated
might also be crucial for the stability of the atherosclerotic plaque
as well as for the thrombosis formation on the plaque surface.
Although the mechanisms that transduce signals from oxLDL to the
nucleus are not well defined, previous studies have suggested that
isolated protein and lipid components can each recapitulate some of the
effects of the intact particle. For example, 9-HODE and 13-HODE have
been implicated in the induction of IL-1
(55) and function as
activators and endogenous ligands of PPAR-
(25). In this report
9-HODE inhibited IL-12 production in LPS-activated mouse macrophage and
the IL-12 p40 promoter activation in a dose-dependent manner (Fig. 3).
Inhibiting the action of IL-12 has been shown to prevent development
and progression of disease in experimental models of autoimmunity (56).
These findings have raised great interest in identifying inhibitors of
IL-12 production for the treatment of Th1-mediated diseases such as
type-1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory
bowel disease and acute graft-versus-host disease. Recently,
corticosteroids have been shown to enhance the capacity of macrophages
to induce IL-4 synthesis in CD4+ T cells by inhibiting
IL-12 production (57). In addition, captopril and lisinopril,
angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, were also shown to suppress
IL-12 production from human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (58). A
phosphodiesterase inhibitor pentoxifylline (59) and thalidomide (60)
inhibited IL-12 production from human monocytes by a mechanism
independent of known endogenous inhibitors of IL-12 production such as
IL-10, transforming growth factor-
, or prostaglandin E2.
2-Adrenergic compounds including salbutamol inhibited
IL-12 production from human monocytes or dendritic cells by increasing
intracellular cAMP levels, leading to inhibition of the development of
Th1 cells while promoting Th2 cell differentiation (61). Interestingly,
1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 was also shown to inhibit IL-12
production, presumably by down-regulating the NF-
B activities from
human IL-12 p40 gene (62). In this report, we added oxLDL to the list
of compounds that inhibit production of IL-12 through specific nuclear
receptors, together with corticosteroids (57), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin
D3 (62) and retinoids (40) (Fig. 1). As was the case with
corticosteroids and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, this
inhibition was also mapped to a region in the p40 promoter containing a
binding site for NF-
B (Fig. 2) and may involve direct physical
interactions of PPAR-
with NF-
B (Fig. 4). However, it is
interesting to note that NF-
B constitutively interacted with
PPAR-
(Fig. 3), whereas the inhibitory actions were absolutely oxLDL-dependent (Figs. 1, 2, and 6). Thus, NF-
B may
exist constitutively associated with PPAR-
in vivo and
this complex becomes transcriptionally inactive upon addition of oxLDL.
In addition, transcription coactivators such as SRC-1 and p300/CBP may
play important roles since these cofactors were known to directly
interact with PPAR-
and could regulate the transcriptional
activities (63, 64). In addition, oxLDL also inhibited the
B binding
activities of NF-
B in vitro (Fig. 5), suggesting that the
PPAR-
/NF-
B complex is unable to recognize
B-sites. However, it
is not currently known why this liganded PPAR-
/NF-
B complex loses
its ability to bind
B sites. It is possible that conformational
change brought into this complex, upon addition of oxLDL may become
propagated to the Rel homology domain of NF-
B, resulting in
inability to bind
B sites. The inhibitory actions of oxLDL can also
operate in the absence of
B site binding by NF-
B, as demonstrated
by the results shown in Fig. 7, in which transactivation mediated by
Gal4/p65 was shown to be inhibited by oxLDL. Overall, these results are
similar to previously described results with steroid receptors
(29-34), in which the mutual inhibitions between GR and RelA involved
the DNA and the ligand binding domains of the GR (Fig. 4). The
PPAR
-NF
B interactions are likely to have wide implications in
various aspects of oxLDL and NF-
B biology, not limited to the
regulation of IL-12 production in macrophages described in this study.
In conclusion, we have shown that PPAR-
forms a transcriptionally
inhibitory complex with NF-
B. With the NF-
B transactivation, in
particular, this oxLDL-mediated inhibitory action appeared to involve
inhibition of the NF-
B-DNA interactions as well as physical
interactions between NF-
B and PPAR-
. This transrepression between
NF-
B and PPAR-
could play an important role in a large variety of
biological processes.
 |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |
We thank Drs. S. Wolf, X. Ma, B. M. Spiegelman, J. W. Lee, and Y. K. Choe for providing valuable
reagents and helpful discussion.
 |
FOOTNOTES |
*
This work was supported by Korea Science and Engineering
Foundation Grant HRC 1998G0201 (to T. S. K.).The costs of publication of this
article were defrayed in part by the
payment of page charges. The article
must therefore be hereby marked
"advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section
1734 solely to indicate this fact.
**
To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel.: 82-62-530-2935;
Fax: 82-62-530-2911; E-mail:
taekim@chonnam.chonnam.ac.kr.
Published, JBC Papers in Press, August 8, 2000, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M002577200
 |
ABBREVIATIONS |
The abbreviations used are:
IL, interleukin;
IFN-
, interferon-
;
Th1, T helper type 1;
LPS, lipopolysaccharide;
NF-
B, nuclear factor-
B;
oxLDL, oxidized low density lipoprotein;
PPAR-
, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-
;
9-HODE, 9-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid;
13-HODE, 13-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid;
mAb, monoclonal antibody;
ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay;
GST, glutathione S-transferase;
DMEM, Dulbecco's modified
Eagle's medium;
FBS, fetal bovine serum;
LDL, low density
lipoprotein;
TBARS, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance.
 |
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