Reciprocal effects of pro-inflammatory stimuli and anti-inflammatory drugs on the activity of heat shock factor-1 in human monocytes.

Heat shock factor-1 (HSF-1), the transcriptional activator of heat shock genes has recently been shown to play a role in the repression of acute phase genes. We have further explored the role of HSF-1 in inflammatory processes in human monocytes. HSF-1 was activated in these cells by a wide range of classes of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) while being strongly repressed by pro-inflammatory stimuli. The experiments indicate reciprocal regulation of the acute phase and heat shock responses and suggest a novel target for the NSAID family of drugs.