Mitogen-activated protein kinase involves neutrophil elastase-induced morphological changes in human bronchial epithelial cells.

Neutrophil elastase (NE) promotes the detachment of airway epithelial cells; however, changes in overall morphology of NE-stimulated bronchial epithelial cell (BEC) monolayer are different from trypsin stimulation. Ras/Raf-initiated-mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) also known as extracellular signal-regulated kinase, pathway regulates integrin functions which participate in regulating attachment and detachment of cell and cellular morphology. However, little is known about the role of MAPK in NE-induced changes in overall morphology of BEC. In the present study, we examined the role of MAPK in NE-induced changes in overall morphology of BEC monolayer. To this end, we examined changes in cellular morphology and MAPK activation in NE-stimulated BEC monolayer, and the effect of PD 98059 as the specific inhibitor for MAPK kinase-1 (MEK-1, the upstream regulator of MAPK) on NE-induced changes in cellular morphology and MAPK activation. The results showed that in stimulation of NE, BECs detached and gaps developed, and MAPK activation was observed. PD 98059 attenuated NE-induced changes in cellular morphology as well as MAPK activation. These results indicated that in addition to proteolytic activity of NE on extracellular matrix (ECM), NE-activated MAPK pathway, at least in part, is involved in NE-induced changes in overall morphology and the detachment of BEC monolayer.