Hepatocyte growth factor regulates cyclooxygenase-2 expression via beta-catenin, Akt, and p42/p44 MAPK in human bronchial epithelial cells

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is upregulated in response to lung injury and has been implicated in tissue repair through its antiapoptotic and proliferative activities. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an inducible enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of prostaglandins, and its activation has been shown to play a role in cell growth. Here, we report that HGF induces gene transcription of COX-2 in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEpC). Treatment of HBEpC with HGF resulted in phosphorylation of the HGF receptor (c-Met), activation of Akt, and upregulation of COX-2 mRNA. Adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of a dominant negative (DN) Akt mutant revealed that HGF increased COX-2 mRNA in an Akt-dependent manner. COX-2 promoter analysis in luciferase reporter constructs showed that HGF regulation required the beta-catenin-responsive T cell factor-4 binding element (TBE). The HGF activation of the COX-2 gene transcription was blocked by DN mutant of beta-catenin or by inhibitors that blocked activation of Akt. Inhibition of p42/p44 MAPK pathway blocked HGF-mediated activation of beta-catenin gene transcription but not Akt activation, suggesting that p42/p44 MAPK acts in a parallel mechanism for beta-catenin activation. We also found that inhibition of COX-2 with NS-398 blocked HGF-induced growth in HBEpC. Together, the results show that the HGF increases COX-2 gene expression via an Akt-, MAPK-, and beta-catenin-dependent pathway in HBEpC.