JAK-STAT pathway modulates the roles of iNOS and COX-2 in the cytoprotection of early phase of hydrogen peroxide preconditioning against apoptosis induced by oxidative stress

Our previous studies have demonstrated that preconditioning with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) activated the JAK-STAT pathway that played an important role in the cytoprotection, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mediated the late phase of cytoprotection induced by high concentration of H2O2 after preconditioning. Here we sought to identify the downstream targets of the JAK-STAT axis that mediated H2O2 preconditioning and the expression of iNOS and COX-2 in the early phase of H2O2 preconditioning. It was shown that (1) Preconditioning with H2O2 at 100 μmol/L for 90 min in PC12 cells induced significant expression of iNOS and COX-2. (2) Pretreatment with the iNOS inhibitor AG (10 μmol/L) or the COX-2 inhibitor NS-398 (10 μmol/L) respectively 20 min before H2O2 preconditioning not only inhibits the increased expression of iNOS or COX-2 but also abrogates the protective effects of H2O2 preconditioning against apoptosis induced by oxidative stress. (3) Pretreatment with the JAK inhibitor AG-490 (10 μmol/L) 20 min before H2O2 preconditioning obviously inhibits the up-regulation of iNOS or COX-2 induced by H2O2 preconditioning. These results suggested that JAK-STAT pathway modulates the roles of iNOS and COX-2 in the cytoprotection of early phase of H2O2 preconditioning.

► H2O2 preconditioning induced overexpression of iNOS and COX-2.
► The cytoprotection of H2O2 preconditioning was also mediated by iNOS and COX-2.
► iNOS and COX-2 were the target genes of the JAK-STAT pathway.
► The JAK-STAT pathway modulated the cytoprotective effects of iNOS and COX-2.