Inhibition of heat-shock protein 70 induction in intestinal cells overexpressing cyclooxygenase 2.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes catalyze the initial step of prostaglandin formation; the inducible form, COX-2, plays a role in inflammation. Heat-shock protein 70 (hsp70) is a stress-responsive gene important for cell survival; induction of hsp70 appears to be mediated, in part, by the prostaglandin pathway. We determined the effect of COX-2 overexpression on hsp70 induction in rat intestinal epithelial (RIE) cells.

METHODS

RIE cells transfected with COX-2 complementary DNA oriented in the sense (RIE-S) or antisense (RIE-AS) direction were subjected to a heat shock; RNA and protein were harvested and analyzed by Northern and Western blots, respectively. Gel shift assays were performed to assess DNA binding.

RESULTS

Both hsp70 messenger RNA and HSP70 protein levels were increased in the RIE-AS cells, whereas induction was markedly inhibited in the RIE-S cells after heat shock. Inhibition of heat-shock factor binding was noted in RIE-S cells, suggesting that heat-shock transcription factor regulation may explain the inhibition of hsp70. The COX-2 selective inhibitor, NS-398, reversed the effects of COX-2 overexpression.

CONCLUSIONS

The results support a functional role for the prostaglandin/COX pathway in the induction of hsp70. The findings underscore a potential regulatory mechanism involving an inverse relationship between COX-2 expression and hsp70 induction.