Effect of dexamethasone on STAT6-dependent Ym1/2 expression in vivo and in vitro

Biol Pharm Bull. 2008 Sep;31(9):1663-6. doi: 10.1248/bpb.31.1663.

Abstract

Ym1 and Ym2 (Ym1/2) are chitinase-like proteins and we reported previously that IL-4 induced Ym1/2 in mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells. In the present study, ovalbumin-induced asthmatic mice were used to investigate the effect of glucocorticoids on Ym1/2 expression. Ym1/2 were highly induced in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the lung. Ym1/2 expression was completely inhibited by dexamethasone (Dex) in BALF and weakly inhibited in the lung. Primary cultured macrophages were used to investigate the inhibition of Ym1/2 expression at the cellular level. Although Dex pretreatment inhibited the Ym1/2 expression level in an animal model, it did not reduce IL-4 induction of Ym1/2 expression in vitro. Next, we tested whether Dex blocks IL-4 induced STAT6 signaling and found that it had no inhibitory effect on the phosphorylation level of STAT6 in macrophages. The luciferase reporter assay also revealed that Dex did not inhibit IL-4 induction of Ym1/2 promoter activity. These results indicate that the inhibitory effect of Dex on Ym1/2 protein expression in the murine model of asthma does not involve the STAT6 signaling pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Blotting, Western
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / cytology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chitinases / biosynthesis
  • Chitinases / metabolism*
  • Dexamethasone / pharmacology*
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Female
  • Indicators and Reagents
  • Lectins / biosynthesis
  • Lectins / metabolism*
  • Luciferases / genetics
  • Luciferases / metabolism
  • Macrophages / drug effects
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Ovalbumin / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Plasmids / genetics
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor / physiology*
  • Transfection
  • beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases / biosynthesis
  • beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Indicators and Reagents
  • Lectins
  • STAT6 Transcription Factor
  • Dexamethasone
  • Ovalbumin
  • Luciferases
  • Chitinases
  • Ym2 protein, mouse
  • Chil3 protein, mouse
  • beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases