A2E selectively induces cox-2 in ARPE-19 and human neural cells.

Purpose: To investigate the expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1, -2, and -3 RNA and protein in retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE-19) cells and in human neural (HN) cells exposed to the stress-inducing cytokines IL-1beta and TNF-a, the oxidizing peroxide H(2)O(2), the combination of TNF-alpha + H(2)O(2), and the lipofuscin fluorophore A2E.

Methods: Three-week-old ARPE-19 and HN cells were incubated with IL-1beta (10 ng/ml), TNF-alpha (10 ng/ml), H(2)O(2) (0.6 microM), TNF-alpha + H(2)O(2) (10 ng/ml and 0.6 microM), or A2E (10 microM) for 8 hr, after which total RNA and whole cellular proteins were isolated. Cyclooxygenase-1, -2, and -3 RNA and protein levels were quantified using Northern and Western immunoassay.

Results: IL-1beta-, H(2)O(2)-, TNF-alpha-, TNF-alpha + H(2)O(2)-, or A2E-stressed ARPE-19 or HN cells displayed no significant upregulation in COX-1 or COX-3 RNA message abundance; however, significant upregulation was observed in COX-2 RNA message and protein abundance. A2E treatment of HN cells resulted in modest increases in COX-3 protein, an effect that was not observed in ARPE-19 cells.

Conclusions: COX-2 RNA levels were induced in cytokine-, peroxide-, and A2E-stressed ARPE-19 and HN cells. Lack of induction of COX-3 RNA message by A2E, coupled with increases in COX-3 protein under identical treatment conditions, suggest that significant post-transcriptional or post-translational controls may regulate COX-3 gene expression in HN cells. Stress-induced upregulation of COX-2 gene expression in ARPE-19 and HN cells may play a mechanistic role in promoting proinflammatory and/or pro-oxidative pathology in these tissues.