The involvement of Sp1 in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced transcription of HDC mRNA in the mouse macrophage-like cell line RAW 264 was analyzed. LPS increased the levels of HDC mRNA 4 h after the stimulation in a concentration-dependent manner. Mithramycin A, an inhibitor of the binding of the Sp family to the GC box, reduced the LPS-induced increase in the levels of HDC mRNA at 4 h and HDC protein at 8 It in a concentration-dependent manner. By conducting electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we found that one of the transcription factors binding to the DNA probe containing the GC box sequence of the mouse HDC gene promoter region was Sp1, and that levels of Sp1-DNA probe complexes were increased by stimulation with LPS although the protein levels of Sp1 were not changed. These results suggested that Sp1 is one of the transcription factors that regulate the LPS-induced expression of HDC in RAW 264 cells. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.