Fate of hypertonicity-stressed corneal epithelial cells depends on differential MAPK activation and p38MAPK/Na-K-2Cl cotransporter1 interaction.

The capacity of the corneal epithelium to adapt to hypertonic challenge is dependent on the ability of the cells to upregulate the expression and activity of cell membrane-associated Na-K-2Cl cotransporter1 (NKCC1). Yet, the signaling pathways that control this response during hypertonic stress are still unclear. We studied stress-induced changes in proliferation and survival capacity of SV40-immortalized human (HCEC) and rabbit (RCEC) corneal epithelial cells as a function of (i) the magnitude of the hypertonic challenge, (ii) differential changes in activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and (iii) the extent of p38MAPK interaction with NKCC1. Cells were incubated in hypertonic (up to 600 mOsm) media for varying time periods up to 24 h. Phosphorylated forms of p44/42, p38, and stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK) MAPK were immunoprecipitated from cell lysates, and the amount of each activated NKCC1-associated MAPK was evaluated by Western blot/ECL assay. DNA integrity was assessed by electrophoresis in a 2% agarose gel. Cell survival and proliferation were evaluated based on three criteria: protein content, cell count, and the MTT assay. Exposure to media of 325-350 mOsm increased proliferation of HCEC up to 75%, whereas this response was limited to <16% in RCEC. At higher osmolarities, cell proliferation decreased in both species. SAPK/JNK activity increased 150-fold in HCEC and <10-fold in RCEC, while DNA fragmentation occurred only in HCEC. Compared to HCEC, the better RCEC survival rate was associated with higher p38MAPK activity and near complete restoration of p44/42MAPK activity after the first 30 min. In both cell lines, the amount of phospho-NKCC1 that coimmunoprecipitated with phospho-p38MAPK was proportional to the magnitudes of their respective activation levels. However, no such associations occurred between amounts of phosphorylated p44/42MAPK or SAPK/JNK and phospho-NKCC1. Under isotonic conditions, with bumetanide-induced inhibition of RCEC and HCEC NKCC1 activities, p44/42MAPK activity declined by 40 and 60%, respectively. Such declines led to proportional decreases in cell proliferation. Survival of hypertonicity-stressed corneal epithelial cells depends both on p38MAPK activation capacity and the ability of p38MAPK to stimulate NKCC1 activity through protein-protein interaction. The level of NKCC1 activation affects the extent of cell volume recovery and, in turn, epithelial survival capacity.