All-trans-retinoic acid induces interleukin-8 via the nuclear factor-kappaB and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways in normal human keratinocytes.

Retinoic acid derivatives have been used successfully for the treatment of various dermatoses, such as psoriasis; however, topical application of these compounds often elicits skin irritation. We hypothesized that this irritation was as a result of the local production of interleukin-8 (IL-8). To test this hypothesis, we investigated whether all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) induced IL-8 production in normal human keratinocytes. Stimulation with 10(-7) M ATRA enhanced IL-8 mRNA expression and induced IL-8 production. We also studied the intracellular signaling mechanisms of ATRA-induced IL-8 production in keratinocytes. ATRA increased the expression of RelA (p65), RelB, nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB2 (p52), and NF-kappaB1 (p50), and elevated the DNA-binding activity of p65 and phosphorylation of inhibitor kappaB (IkappaB) alpha. Introduction of a dominant-negative mutant of IkappaBalpha completely abolished ATRA-induced IL-8 production, which indicates that this process is NF-kappaB-dependent. We also studied the role of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in this phenomenon. ATRA phosphorylated the p38 MAPK, and SB202180 inhibited ATRA-induced IL-8 production, which indicates that the p38 MAPK is also involved in ATRA-induced IL-8 production. In summary, ATRA induces IL-8 production in both NF-kappaB- and p38 MAPK-dependent manners in normal human keratinocytes.