In acute lung injury, activated neutrophils play an important role in tissue damage. For neutrophils to participate in lung inflammation, chemotactic factors released from mononuclear phagocytes are needed to bring these cells to the local site of inflammation, with interleukin-8 (IL-8) being one of the most specific and important chemotactic factors for neutrophils. IL-8 also induces the expression of adhesion molecules and activates neutrophils to release various inflammatory mediators. Lipopolysaccharide(LPS) is one of the most important causes of adult respiratory distress syndrome and can cause release of many inflammatory cytokines including IL-8 leading to acute lung injury. But little is known about the regulatory mechanism of LPS-induced IL-8 gene expression in mononuclear phagocytes.

Human alveolar macrophages(HAM) and peripleral blood monocytes(PBMC) were isolated from healthy volunteers. Time and dose relationship of LPS-induced IL-8 mRNA expression was observed by Northern blot analysis. To evaluate the regulatory mechanism of LPS-induced IL-8 gene expression, pretreatment of actinomycin D(AD, 5 µg/ml) and cycloheximide(CHX, 5µg/ml) was done and Northern blot analysis for IL-8 mRNA and ELISA for immunoreactive IL-8 protein in culture supernatant were performed.

1) In HAM, dose and time dependent LPS-induced IL-8 mRNA expression was observed with peak mRNA level at 8 hours post-stimulation.

2) In PBMC, dose and time dependent LPS-induced IL-8 rnRNA expression was also observed with peak mRNA level at 4 hours poststimulation.

3) AD decreased expression of LPS-induced IL-8 gene expression at both mRNA and protein levels in both types of cells.

4) CH X decreased expression of LPS-induced IL-8 gene expression at protein level in both cell types but in HAM, superinduction of IL-8 mRNA was observed while decreased expression of IL-8 mRNA was observed in PBMC.

Time and dose dependent LPS-induced IL-8 gene expression was observed in mononuclear phagocytes which is at least partly regulated pretranslationally. LPS-induced IL-8 mRNA expression in HAM needs no de novo protein synthesis and may be under the control of a labile repressor protein while de novo protein synthesis may be needed in PBMC.