LPS Induces Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 Activation in Macrophage-Differentiated Cells in a Reactive Oxygen Species–Dependent Manner

A prominent feature of various inflamed and diseased tissue is the presence of low oxygen tension (hypoxia). Effector cells of the innate immune system must maintain their viability and physiologic functions in a hypoxic microenvironment. Monocytes circulating in the bloodstream differentiate into macrophages. During this process, cells acquire the ability to exert effects at hypoxic sites of inflammation. The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) mediates adaptive responses to reduced oxygen availability. In this study, we demonstrated that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces HIF-1 activation by enhancing both HIF-1alpha protein expression through a translation-dependent pathway and HIF-1alpha transcriptional activity in THP-1 human myeloid cells that have undergone macrophage differentiation but not in undifferentiated monocytic THP-1 cells. LPS-induced HIF-1 activation was blocked by treatment with antioxidant (N-acetylcysteine or thioredoxin-1), NADPH oxidase inhibitor (diphenyleneiodonium), indicating that reactive oxygen species generated in response to LPS are essential in this process. LPS-mediated activation of HIF-1 was independent of NF-kappaB activity. LPS-induced ROS generation and HIF-1 activation required the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 or myeloid differentiation factor (MyD) 88, thus providing a molecular basis for the selective activation of HIF-1 in differentiated THP-1 cells.