Journal of Bacteriology and Virology  2005;35(3):217-226

Nuclear Factor-kappa B Activation and Chemokine Genes Expression in HT-29 Intestinal Epithelial Cells in Response to Clostridium difficile Toxin A Stimulation.

Jin Young LEE 1 ; Young Mee YOON ; Hyun Cheol ROH ; Jung Mogg KIM

Affiliations

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Keywords

C. difficile toxin A; Intestinal epithelial cells; NF-kappaB

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

Intestinal epithelial cells are known to up-regulate the expression of several chemokines in response to bacterial toxins. Since there has been little understanding on the cellular mechanisms of C. difficile toxin A-induced mucosal inflammation, we investigated whether nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) could regulate chemokine gene expression in HT-29 intestinal epithelial cells stimulated with C. difficile toxin A. C. difficile toxin A rapidly increased signals of NF-kappaB composed with p65 and p50 subunits in HT-29 cells, whereas it decreased the signals of IkappaBalpha. Blocking the NF-kB activation by transfection with dominant negative I kappa B alpha-containing retrovirus attenuated the upregulated expression of IL-8, GRO-alpha, and MCP-1 induced by C. difficile toxin A. These results suggest that NF-kappaB is a major regulator of chemokine gene expression in C. difficile toxin A-stimulated intestinal epithelial cells.