Production of macrophage IL-1beta was inhibited both at the levels of transcription and maturation by caspase-1 following inhalation exposure to isobutyl nitrite.

Epidemiological studies have identified abuse of nitrite inhalants as an independent co-factor in HIV infection and in Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) in AIDS patients. In the present study we investigated the ability of macrophages from mice exposed to isobutyl nitrite to produce the inflammatory cytokine IL-1beta, upon stimulation with IFN-gamma and LPS. The production of IL-1beta was inhibited up to 55%. IL-1beta mRNA transcription was reduced by 35% following nitrite inhalant exposure, consistent with inhibition of activation-induced phosphorylation of macrophage mitogen-activated protein kinase p38. However, synthesis of the 31 kDa IL-1beta precursor protein was only marginally inhibited. Caspase-1, which cleaves the precursor IL-1beta into mature 17 kDa IL-1beta, was examined. Nitrite inhalant exposure blocked activation-induced increases in caspase-1 activity, consistent with a 50% reduction in 17 kDa IL-1beta shown in Western blots. Thus, exposure to nitrite inhalants reduced macrophage production of IL-1beta by reducing transcription, as well as post-translational processing mediated by caspase-1.