Anti-Psoriatic Drug Anthralin Activates JNK via Lipid Peroxidation: Mononuclear Cells are More Sensitive than Keratinocytes

• Published in: Journal of investigative dermatology Vol. 114; no. 4; pp. 688 - 692
• Main Authors: Peus, Dominik, Beyerle, Astrid, Pott, Markus, Meves, Alexander, Pittelkow, Mark R., Rittner, HeikeL, Weyand, Cornelia
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Danvers, MA Elsevier Inc 01.04.2000; Nature Publishing; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Administration, Topical; anthralin; Anthralin - pharmacology; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; c-jun-N-terminal protein kinase; Enzyme Activation - drug effects; Humans; Infant, Newborn; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; keratinocytes; Keratinocytes - drug effects; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - drug effects; lipid peroxidation; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Male; MAP Kinase Kinase 4; Medical sciences; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases - metabolism; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psoriasis - drug therapy; reactive oxygen species; Skin, nail, hair, dermoskeleton; c-jun-N-terminal protein kinase; keratinocytes; lipid peroxidation; reactive oxygen species; anthralin; Human; Cell culture; Dithranol; Antipsoriatic agent; Keratinocyte; Lipids; Skin; Anthracene derivatives; Biological activity; Peroxidation
• ISSN: 0022-202X; 1523-1747
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1523-1747.2000.00934.x

Anthralin is a widely used, topical therapy for psoriasis. Anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory properties of anthralin have been identified. Little is known, however, about differential sensitivities of targeted cell types and specific mechanisms of signaling pathway activation. We demonstrate that anthralin exerts potent effects on keratinocytes and mononuclear cells through strong induction of lipid peroxidation and JNK activation, a stress-induced signal transduction pathway. Lipid peroxidation was observed rapidly and half-maximal levels of lipid peroxidation were reached at a 10-fold lower concentration of anthralin for peripheral blood mononuclear cells vs normal keratinocytes. JNK activation was detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells at a 40-fold lower anthralin dose compared with keratinocytes. For both cell types, selected inhibitors of lipid peroxidation prevented JNK activation. This study demonstrates that mononuclear leukocytes are markedly more sensitive than keratinocytes to anthralin-induced lipid peroxidation and JNK activation. We identify anthralin as a novel and potent inducer of JNK activation and demonstrate that this process is mediated, at least in part, by lipid peroxidation which is among the earliest and most proximate, membrane-related responses to anthralin yet described.