The procoagulant thrombin promotes the adhesion of polymorphonuclear leukocytes to endothelial cells by a mechanism involving expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) via an NF-kappaB-dependent pathway. We now provide evidence that protein kinase C-delta (PKC-delta) and the p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway play a critical role in the mechanism of thrombin-induced ICAM-1 gene expression in endothelial cells. We observed the phosphorylation of PKC-delta and p38 MAP kinase within 1 min after thrombin challenge of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Pretreatment of these cells with the PKC-delta inhibitor rottlerin prevented the thrombin-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase, suggesting that p38 MAP kinase signals downstream of PKC-delta. Inhibition of PKC-delta or p38 MAP kinase by pharmacological and genetic approaches markedly decreased the thrombin-induced NF-kappaB activity and resultant ICAM-1 expression. The effects of PKC-delta inhibition were secondary to inhibition of IKKbeta activation and of subsequent NF-kappaB binding to the ICAM-1 promoter. The effects of p38 MAP kinase inhibition occurred downstream of IkappaBalpha degradation without affecting the DNA binding function of nuclear NF-kappaB. Thus, PKC-delta signals thrombin-induced ICAM-1 gene transcription by a dual mechanism involving activation of IKKbeta, which mediates NF-kappaB binding to the ICAM-1 promoter, and p38 MAP kinase, which enhances transactivation potential of the bound NF-kappaB p65 (RelA).

Abstract-As thrombin binding to the G protein-coupled proteinase activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) induces endothelial adhesivity to leukocytes through NF-B activation and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression, we determined the signaling pathways mediating the response. Studies showed that the heterotrimeric G proteins, G␣ q , and the G␤␥ dimer were key determinants of the PAR-1 agonist peptide (TFLLRNPNDK)-induced NF-B activation and ICAM-1 expression in endothelial cells. Cotransfection of RGS3T, a regulator of G-protein signaling that inhibits G␣ q , or ␣-transducin (G␣ t ), a scavenger of the G␤␥, markedly decreased NF-B activity induced by PAR-1 activation. We determined the downstream signaling targets activated by G␣ q and G␤␥ that mediate NF-B activation. Expression of the kinase-defective protein kinase C (PKC)-␦ mutant inhibited NF-B activation induced by the constitutively active G␣ q mutant, but had no effect on NF-B activity induced by G␤ 1 ␥ 2 . In related experiments, NF-B as well as ICAM-1 promoter activation induced by G␤ 1 ␥ 2 were inhibited by the expression of the dominant-negative mutant of 85-kDa regulatory subunit of PI 3-kinase; however, the expression of this mutant had no effect on the response induced by activated G␣

We investigated the involvement of the RhoA/Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) pathway in regulating ICAM-1 expression in endothelial cells by the procoagulant, thrombin. Exposure of HUVECs to C3 exoenzyme, a selective inhibitor of Rho, markedly reduced thrombin-induced ICAM-1 expression. Inhibition of ROCK, the downstream effector of Rho, also prevented thrombin-induced ICAM-1 expression. Blockade of thrombin-induced ICAM-1 expression was secondary to inhibition of NF-κB activity, the key regulator of ICAM-1 expression in endothelial cells. In parallel studies we observed that inhibition of the RhoA/ROCK pathway by the same pharmacological and genetic approaches failed to inhibit TNF-α-induced NF-κB activation and ICAM-1 expression. The effect of RhoA/ROCK inhibition on thrombin-induced NF-κB activation was secondary to inhibition of IκB kinase activation and subsequent IκBα degradation and nuclear uptake and the DNA binding of NF-κB. Inhibition of the RhoA/ROCK pathway also prevented phosphorylation of Ser536 within the transactivation domain 1 of NF-κB p65/RelA, a critical event conferring transcriptional competency to the bound NF-κB. Thus, the RhoA/ROCK pathway signals thrombin-induced ICAM-1 expression through the activation of IκB kinase, which promotes NF-κB binding to ICAM-1 promoter and phosphorylation of RelA/p65, thus mediating the transcriptional activation of bound NF-κB.