Impact of ozone exposure on the response to glucocorticoid in a mouse model of asthma: involvements of p38 MAPK and MKP-1

BACKGROUND: Molecular mechanisms involved in the oxidative stress induced glucocorticoids insensitivity remain elusive. The mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase (MKP) 1 mediates a part of glucocorticoids action and can be modified by exogenous oxidants. Whether oxidant ozone (O(3)) can affect the function of MKP-1 and hence blunt the response to corticotherapy is not clear. METHODS: Here we employed a murine model of asthma established with ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and challenge to evaluate the influence of O(3) on the inhibitory effect of dexamethasone on AHR and airway inflammation, and by administration of SB239063, a selective p38 MAPK inhibitor, to explore the underlying involvements of the activation of p38 MAPK and the expression of MKP-1. RESULTS: Ozone exposure not only aggravated the pulmonary inflammation and AHR, but also decreased the inhibitory effects of dexamethasone, accompanied by the elevated oxidative stress, airway neutrophilia, enhanced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, and upregulated expression of IL-17. Administration of SB239063 caused significant inhibition of the p38 MAPK phosphorylation, alleviation of the airway neutrophilia, and decrement of the ozone-induced IL-17 expression, and partly restored the ozone-impaired effects of dexamethasone. Ozone exposure not only decreased the protein expression of MKP-1, but also diminished the dexamethasone-mediated induction process of MKP-1 mRNA and protein expression. CONCLUSIONS: The glucocorticoids insensitivity elicited by ozone exposure on current asthma model may involve the enhanced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and disturbed expression of MKP-1. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12931-014-0126-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.