Abstract: Objective To investigate the role and mechanism of nonreceptor tyrosine kinase Tec in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) induced by endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in human alveolar epithelial cells A549. Methods Human alveolar epithelial cells A549 were routinely cultured and passaged in Roswell Park Memorial Institute-1640 medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum. The second or third passage of cells were collected for subsequent experiments. (1) Cells were collected and divided into 6 groups with 4 wells in each group according to the random number table. Cells in blank control group were routinely cultured for 2 h. Cells in simple LPS group were routinely cultured for 1 h and then stimulated by 1 μg/mL LPS for 1 h. Cells in simple LFM-A13 group were cultured with conventional culture medium adding 75 μmol/L LFM-A13 for 1 h and then cultured with replaced conventional culture medium for 1 h. Cells in 25 μmol/L LFM-A13+ LPS group, 75 μmol/L LFM-A13+ LPS group, and 100 μmol/L LFM-A13+ LPS group were cultured with conventional culture medium adding 25, 75, and 100 μmol/L LFM-A13 respectively for 1 h and then all stimulated by 1 μg/mL LPS added into the replaced conventional culture medium for 1 h. The protein expression of Tec in cells of each group was detected by Western blotting, and the content of IL-8 in cell culture supernatant of each group was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. (2) Cells were collected and divided into 5 groups with 4 wells in each group according to the random number table. Cells in blank control group were routinely cultured for 2 h. Cells in small interfering RNA (siRNA) control+ LPS group were transfected with empty lentivirus for 10 h and then stimulated by 1 μg/mL LPS added into the conventional culture medium for 2 h. Cells in Tec mus-298 RNA interference (RNAi)+ LPS group, Tec mus-299 RNAi+ LPS group, and Tec mus-300 RNAi+ LPS group were transfected with lentivirus loaded with Tec mus-298 RNAi, Tec mus-299 RNAi, and Tec mus-300 RNAi respectively for 10 h and then stimulated by 1 μg/mL LPS added into the conventional culture medium for 2 h. The protein expression of Tec in cells of each group was detected by Western blotting to screen Tec-siRNA with the best silencing effect on Tec gene. (3) Cells were collected and divided into 4 groups with 4 wells in each group according to the random number table. Cells in blank control group were routinely cultured for 2 h. Cells in virus control group were transfected with empty lentivirus for 10 h and then routinely cultured for 2 h. Cells in simple LPS group were stimulated by 1 μg/mL LPS added into the conventional culture medium for 2 h. Cells in Tec-siRNA+ LPS group were transfected with lentivirus loaded with Tec-siRNA with the best silencing effect on Tec gene for 10 h and then stimulated by 1 μg/mL LPS added into the conventional culture medium for 2 h. The protein expressions of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) MAPK of cells in each group were detected by Western blotting. Data were processed with one-way analysis of variance and the least significant difference-t test. Results (1) Compared with that of blank control group, the protein expression of Tec of cells in simple LPS group was obviously increased (t=9.72, P<0.05), but the protein expression of Tec of cells in simple LFM-A13 group was not obviously changed (t=4.31, P=0.05). Compared with that of simple LPS group, the protein expression of Tec of cells in 25 μmol/L LFM-A13+ LPS group, 75 μmol/L LFM-A13+ LPS group, or 100 μmol/L LFM-A13+ LPS group was obviously decreased (t=9.72, 9.07, 16.33, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with (189±22) pg/mL of blank control group, the content of IL-8 in culture supernatant of cells in simple LPS group was obviously increased [(214±10) pg/mL, t=2.18, P<0.05], but the content of IL-8 in culture supernatant of cells in simple LFM-A13 group was not obviously changed [(173±43) pg/mL, t=0.64, P>0.05]. Compared with that of simple LPS group, the content of IL-8 in culture supernatant of cells in 25 μmol/L LFM-A13+ LPS group was not obviously changed [(204±38) pg/mL, t=0.54, P>0.05], but the content of IL-8 in culture supernatant of cells in 75 μmol/L LFM-A13+ LPS group and 100 μmol/L LFM-A13+ LPS group was obviously decreased [(144±44), (137±51) pg/mL, t=3.63, 2.55, P<0.05 or P<0.01]. (2) Compared with that of blank control group, the protein expression of Tec of cells in siRNA control+ LPS group was obviously increased (t=14.24, P<0.01). Compared with that of siRNA control+ LPS group, the protein expression of Tec of cells in Tec mus-298 RNAi+ LPS group or Tec mus-299 RNAi+ LPS group was obviously decreased (t=36.03, 18.23, P<0.01), but the protein expression of Tec of cells in Tec mus-300 RNAi+ LPS group was not obviously changed (t=4.08, P>0.05). The protein expression of Tec was the lowest in cells of Tec mus-298 RNAi+ LPS group, so Tec mus-298 RNAi was used in subsequent experiment. (3) Compared with 1.16±0.16 and 0.78±0.11 of blank control group, the protein expressions of p38 MAPK and ERK MAPK of cells in virus control group were not obviously changed (1.66±0.13, 0.89±0.11, t=11.09, 3.60, P>0.05), but the protein expressions of p38 MAPK and ERK MAPK of cells in simple LPS group were obviously increased (2.83±0.29, 1.86±0.37, t=9.70, 7.23, P<0.05). Compared with those of simple LPS group, the protein expression of p38 MAPK and protein expression of ERK MAPK of cells in Tec-siRNA+ LPS group were obviously decreased (0.69±0.16, 1.03±0.24, t=13.78, 4.12, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusions Tec may mediate the production and release of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-8 from human alveolar epithelial cells A549 induced by LPS via the p38 MAPK and ERK MAPK signal pathways.