Roles of NF-κB in expression of hBD-2 mRNA in human primary epithelial cells induced by TNF-α

Objective To explore the roles of NF-κB in expression of human β-defensin-2(hBD-2) mRNA induced by TNF-α in the human airway primary epithelial cells.Methods After the human bronchial primary epithelial cells were stimulated with TNFα or first with NF-κB inhibitor PDTC,then TNF-α,the expression of hBD-2 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR.The IκB-α protein level in the cytoplasm was detected by Western blotting and the nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB) binding activity was analyzed by electrophoretic mobility shift assays.Results The hBD-2 mRNA could be detected after 2.5 h of TNF-α stimulation and expressed in a dose-dependent manner.The NF-κB could be activated after 0.5 h of TNF-α stimulation.The supershifts assays indicated that the p65-p50 heterodimer formed complexes of NF-κB were involved in the activated of NF-κB.Conclusion TNF-α can induce the expression of hBD-2 mRNA in a dose-dependent manner.The p65-p50 heterodimer formed complexes of NF-ΚB play an important role in the regulation of hBD-2 gene expression in response to TNF-α.