A novel antagonist of the prostaglandin E(2) EP(4) receptor inhibits Th1 differentiation and Th17 expansion and is orally active in arthritis models.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder involving subsets of activated T cells, in particular T helper (Th) 1 and Th17 cells, which infiltrate and damage tissues and induce inflammation. Prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) enhances the Th17 response, exacerbates collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and promotes inflammatory pain. The current study investigated whether selective antagonism of the PGE(2) EP(4) receptor would suppress Th1/Th17 cell development and inflammatory arthritis in animal models of RA. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Effects of PGE(2) and a novel EP(4) receptor antagonist ER-819762 on Th1 differentiation, interleukin-23 (IL-23) production by dendritic cells (DCs), and Th17 development were assessed in vitro. The effect of ER-819762 was evaluated in CIA and glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI)-induced arthritis models. In addition, the effects of ER-819762 on pain were evaluated in a model of chronic inflammatory pain induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) in the rat. KEY RESULTS: Stimulation of the EP(4) receptor enhanced Th1 differentiation via phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase signalling, selectively promoted Th17 cell expansion, and induced IL-23 secretion by activated DCs, effects suppressed by ER-819762 or anti-PGE(2) antibody. Oral administration of ER-19762 suppressed Th1 and Th17 cytokine production, suppressed disease in collagen- and GPI-induced arthritis in mice, and suppressed CFA-induced inflammatory pain in rats. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: PGE(2) stimulates EP(4) receptors to promote Th1 differentiation and Th17 expansion and is critically involved in development of arthritis in two animal models. Selective suppression of EP(4) receptor signalling may have therapeutic value in RA both by modifying inflammatory arthritis and by relieving pain.

Identification of the Tax interaction region of serum response factor that mediates the aberrant induction of immediate early genes through CArG boxes by HTLV-I Tax.

Tax of human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) activates transcription at a CArG box of various immediate early genes such as the proto-oncogene c-fos. To do this, Tax does not directly bind to the CArG box, but instead binds to the CArG binding factor SRF. In this study, we investigated the domain of SRF required for the activation by Tax and studied the role of this domain on transcriptional regulation at the CArG box. Using a fusion protein of SRF with a yeast transcription factor GAL4, the 14 amino acid (aa) portion (aa 422-435) of SRF was identified as the domain required for Tax activation [Tax-responsive region of SRF (TRRS)]. By means of a two hybrid system, we showed that TRRS was essential for the interaction of SRF with Tax in vivo. The over-expression of SRF with a deletion of TRRS inhibited the Tax activation at the CArG box. Thus, TRRS is the domain of SRF that is essential for Tax activation at the CArG box. Unlike to Tax activation, TRRS was not required for TPA (12-o-tetradecanoylphobol-13-acetate) induction at the CArG box, but a TRRS deletion enhanced the basal activity at the CArG box both under serum-starved and TPA-stimulated conditions. These results suggest that TRRS negatively regulates the transcriptional activation function of SRF, and consequently contributes to the low basal activity at the CArG box before TPA induction.