Heat shock stress ameliorates cytokine mixture-induced permeability by downregulating the nitric oxide and signal transducer and activator of transcription pathways in Caco-2 cells.

Proinflammatory cytokines are known to impair intestinal barrier function and to activate signaling pathways, whereas heat shock responses prevent cytokine-induced mucosal damage. We hypothesized that heat shock response blocks the effects of proinflammatory cytokines by regulating nitric oxide (NO) production and the activities of the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway. A monolayer of Caco-2 cells were pretreated with sodium arsenite (SA, 500 micromol/L) for 1 h, followed by a 1-h recovery, and then stimulated with a cytokine mixture (cytomix: tumor necrosis factor alpha [10 ng/mL], interferon beta [1000 U/mL], and interleukin [IL] 1beta [1 ng/mL]) for 24 h. The permeability of horseradish peroxidase and fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated Dextran and transepithelial resistance and potential difference were measured in Ussing chambers. Interleukin-6, IL-8, NO, inducible NO synthase mRNA, STAT activity, and suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) expression were measured in medium or cell lysates. Cytomix resulted in increased epithelial permeability of both fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated Dextran and horseradish peroxidase; whereas treatment of Caco-2 cells with SA 500 micromol/L blocked the cytomix-induced permeability changes. In addition, SA treatment decreased cytomix-induced NO production and inducible NO synthase mRNA expression and decreased the levels of STAT1, STAT3, SOCS1, and SOCS3. The SA treatment also decreased cytomix-induced IL-6 and IL-8 production in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, cytomix increased epithelial permeability, which is associated with increased NO and STAT activities. The SA treatment ameliorated cytomix-induced permeability, possibly through the downregulation of the NO and Janus kinase/STAT pathways.