Signal transduction pathways of IL-1β-mediated iNOS in pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells

Interleukin (IL)-1β is an important early mediator of inflammation in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. We previously reported that a geranylgeranyltransferase inhibitor elevated basal levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and enhanced IL-1β-mediated induction, suggesting that Rac or Rho small G proteins are candidates for antagonism of such induction. In this study, overexpression of constitutively active Rac1 or its dominant negative mutant did not affect IL-1β induction of iNOS. Alternatively, treatment with Clostridium botulinum C3 exoenzyme, which ADP-ribosylates Rho, was associated with superinduction of iNOS, suggesting an inhibitory role for Rho. IL-1β activated the three mitogen-activated protein kinase (extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase, and p38) and the Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription pathways. The former two pathways were not associated with IL-1β-mediated iNOS induction, whereas the latter two appeared to have inhibitory roles in iNOS expression. These data suggest that a broad intracellular signaling response to IL-1β in rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells results in elevated levels of iNOS that is opposed by the geranylgeranylated small G protein Rho as well as the p38 and JAK2 pathways.