Involvement of Reactive Oxygen Species in Toll-Like Receptor 4-Dependent Activation of NF-κB

Abstract Although oxidative stress has been thought to play a general role in the activation of NF-κB, the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in facilitating nuclear translocation of NF-κB in neutrophils has not been described. In addition, the mechanisms by which ROS modulate the transcriptional activity of NF-κB in response to Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-dependent signaling are not well characterized. To examine these issues, oxidant-dependent signaling events downstream of TLR4 were investigated in neutrophils stimulated with LPS. Pretreatment of neutrophils with the antioxidants N-acetylcysteine or α-tocopherol prevented LPS-induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB. Antioxidant treatment of LPS-stimulated neutrophils also inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, macrophage inflammatory protein-2, and IL-1β), as well as activation of the kinases IκB kinase α, IκB kinase β, p38, Akt, and extracellular receptor-activated kinases 1 and 2. The decrease in cytoplasmic levels of IκBα produced by exposure of neutrophils to LPS was prevented by N-acetylcysteine or α-tocopherol. Activation of IL-1R-associated kinase-1 (IRAK-1) and IRAK-4 in response to LPS stimulation was inhibited by antioxidants. These results demonstrate that proximal events in TLR4 signaling, at or antecedent to IRAK-1 and IRAK-4 activation, are oxidant dependent and indicate that ROS can modulate NF-κB-dependent transcription through their involvement in early TLR4-mediated cellular responses.