Quinacrine Inhibits ICAM-1 Transcription by Blocking DNA Binding of the NF-κB Subunit p65 and Sensitizes Human Lung Adenocarcinoma A549 Cells to TNF-α and the Fas Ligand.

Quinacrine has been used for therapeutic drugs in some clinical settings. In the present study, we demonstrated that quinacrine decreased the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin-1 (IL-1) α in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. Quinacrine inhibited ICAM-1 mRNA expression and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)-responsive luciferase reporter activity following a treatment with TNF-α and IL-1α. In the NF-κB signaling pathway, quinacrine did not markedly affect the TNF-α-induced degradation of the inhibitor of NF-κB or the TNF-α-induced phosphorylation of the NF-κB subunit, p65, at Ser-536 and its subsequent translocation to the nucleus. In contrast, a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that quinacrine prevented the binding of p65 to the ICAM-1 promoter following TNF-α stimulation. Moreover, TNF-α and the Fas ligand effectively reduced the viability of A549 cells in the presence of quinacrine only. Quinacrine down-regulated the constitutive and TNF-α-induced expression of c-FLIP and Mcl-1 in A549 cells. These results revealed that quinacrine inhibits ICAM-1 transcription by blocking the DNA binding of p65 and sensitizes A549 cells to TNF-α and the Fas ligand.