Aberrant HO-1/NQO1-Reactive Oxygen Species-ERK Signaling Pathway Contributes to Aggravation of TPA-Induced Irritant Contact Dermatitis in Nrf2-Deficient Mice

NF-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a major transcription factor to protect cells against reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive toxicants. Meanwhile, Nrf2 can inhibit contact dermatitis through redox-dependent and -independent pathways. However, the underlying mechanisms of how Nrf2 mediates irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) are still unclear. In this article, we elucidated the role of Nrf2 in 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced acute ICD. Our study demonstrated that the ear thickness, redness, swelling, and neutrophil infiltration were significantly increased, accompanied by increased expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6, etc.) and decreased expression of antioxidant genes (HO-1 and NQO) in Nrf2 knockout mice. Moreover, ERK phosphorylation was elevated in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) from Nrf2 knockout mouse. Inhibition of ERK significantly alleviated TPA-induced cutaneous inflammation and ROS accumulation in MEFs derived from mouse. Conversely, ROS scavenging inhibited the ERK activation and TPA-induced inflammation in MEFs. Taken together, the findings illustrate the key role of the Nrf2/ROS/ERK signaling pathway in TPA-induced acute ICD.

Automated summary

This study elucidated the role of Nrf2 in TPA-induced acute ICD, showing that Nrf2 knockout increased inflammatory response and neutrophil infiltration, while decreasing the expression of antioxidant genes. Moreover, the ERK signaling pathway played a key role in TPA-induced inflammation and ROS accumulation.