• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2017

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play important roles in various cellular functions including proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. We showed that MAPKs are developmentally regulated in the rat kidney. p38 MAPK (p38) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) were strongly expressed in the fetal kidney, whereas c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) was detected predominantly in the adult kidney. The inhibition of p38 or ERK in organ culture resulted in reduced nephron formation with or without reduced kidney size. On the other hand, persistent fetal expression pattern of MAPKs, i.e., upregulation of p38 and ERK and downregulation of JNK, was observed in the cyst epithelium of human renal dysplasia, ovine fetal obstructive uropathy, and pcy mice, a model of polycystic kidney disease. Furthermore, activated p38 and ERK induced by cyclic stretch mediated proliferation and $TGF-{\beta}1$ expression in ureteric bud cells, probably leading to cyst formation and dysplastic changes. Inhibition of ERK slowed the disease progression in pcy mice. Finally, ERK and p38 were inactivated in the early embryonic kidney subjected to maternal nutrient restriction, characterized by reduced ureteric branching and nephron number. Thus, MAPKs mediate the development of normal and diseased kidney. Their modulation may result in novel therapeutic strategies against developmental abnormalities of the kidney.

• 약학회지
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• 제56권3호
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• pp.173-179
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• 2012

Saussurea lappa (SL) and major compounds, sesquiterpene lactones, have been suggested to possess various biological effects, including anti-tumor, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and cardiotonic activities. Therefore, the ethanol extract of Saussurea lappa root (ESL) is studied for the mechanism of its action in apoptotic pathway. ESL-treated cells manifested nuclear condensation, and fragmentation. ESL also triggered the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, as indicated by a change in Bax/Bcl2 ratio and caspase-9/-3 activation. ESL induced p38 MAPK/JNK, p53, and ASK1 phosphorylation. ROS scavenger reversed ESL-induced apoptotic cell death via inhibition of caspase-3 and p38 MAPK/JNK phosphorylation. These results suggest that ESL induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells through the ROS-p38/JNK pathway.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제19권8호
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• pp.1119-1124
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• 2009

포화 지방산이 인슐린 저항성 및 지방간등의 다양한 질병의 발병에 관련된다고 보고되고 있다. 그러나 간세포에서 포화지방산이 세포 사멸에 대한 효과 및 이와 관련된 신호전달계에 대해서는 거의 알려져 있지 않고 있다. 본 연구에서는 대표적인 포화지방산인 palmitic acid 처리 시 랫트 간세포 사멸에 미치는 효과와 이들이 mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs)와 관련되는 지를 알아보았다. 본 실험에서 palmitic acid 처리 시 간세포 성장은 억제 되었고 lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) 활성은 증가하였다. 이러한 작용은 JNK 및 p38 MAPK 억제제에 의해서 선택적으로 차단되었다. 아울러 palmitic acid에 의한 Bcl-2 발현 억제, Bax 발현 증가 작용, GSH 함량 감소작용 및 산화성 스트레스 증가작용 역시 JNK 및 p38 MAPK 억제제에 의해서 선택적으로 차단되었다. 실제로 palmitic acid 처리시 JNK 및 p38 MAPK 활성은 증가하였다. 결론적으로 palmitic acid는 간세포에서 JNK 및 p38 MAPK 활성을 경유하여 산화성 스트레스 증가를 통하여 간세포 사멸을 유도하는 것으로 나타났다.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제30권3호
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• pp.85-90
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• 2005

Homeostatic pH is very important for various cellular processes, including metabolism, survival, and death. An imbalanced-pH might induce cellular acidosis, which is involved in many abnormal events such as apoptosis and malignancy. One of several factors contributing to the onset of metabolic acidosis is the production of lactate and protons by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in anaerobic glycolysis. LDH is an important enzyme that catalyzes the reversible conversion of pyruvate to lactate. This study sought to examine whether decreases in extracellular pH induce apoptosis of CHO cells, and to elucidate the role of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in acidification-induced apoptosis. To test apoptotic signaling by acidification we used CHO dhfr cells that were sensitive to acidification, and CHO/anti-LDH cells that are resistant to acidification-induced apoptosis and have reduced LDH activity by stable LDH antisense mRNA expression. In the present study, cellular lactic acid-induced acidification and the role of MAPKs signaling in acidification-induced apoptosis were investigated. Acidification, which is caused by $HCO{_3}^-$-free conditions, induced apoptosis and MAPKs (ERK, JNK, and p38) activation. However, MAPKs were slightly activated in acidic conditions in the CHO/anti-LDH cells, indicating that lactic acid-induced acidification induces activation of MAPKs. Treatment with a p38 inhibitor, PD169316, increased acidification-induced apoptosis but apoptosis was not affected by inhibitors for ERK (U0126) or JNK (SP600125). Thus, these data support the hypothesis that activation of the p38 MAPK during acidification-induced apoptosis contributes to cell survival.

• 사상체질의학회지
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.139-149
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• 2009

1. Objectives The roots of Sophora flavescens Aiton (SFA) are widely used as a herbal remedy for allergic inflammation. In this study, we invested the effect of SFA on passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction and histamin releas and we demonstrated that SFA suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$), interleukin- 6 (IL-6), and interleukin -8 (IL-8), through inhibition of the $NF{\kappa}B$, JNK and p38 pathway in the human mast cell line, HMC-1. 2. Methods To accomplish this, we invested passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction and histamin release at an animal experiment. In addition, we investigated the effect of SFA on the production of inflammation-related cytokines in HMC-1 cells that were co-treated with PMA and A23187, which can induce production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. 3. Results and Conclusions SFA induced passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction and histamin releas and supressed the expression of TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-6, and IL-8. In addition, the protein levels of TNF-${\alpha}$ were also decreased by SFA treatment. Furthermore, SFA inhibited the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor $NF{\kappa}B$ through inhibition of the phosphorylation and degradation of $I{\kappa}B-{\alpha}$, which is an inhibitor of $NF{\kappa}B$. Moreover, SFA also inhibited induction of MAPKs (JNK, p38) and $NF{\kappa}B$ promoter-mediated luciferase activity. Taken together, these results suggest that SFA could be used as a treatment for mast cell-derived allergic inflammatory diseases.

• BMB Reports
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• 제45권10호
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• pp.583-588
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• 2012

Leukotactin(Lkn)-1 is a CC chemokine and is upregulated in macrophages in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection. We investigated whether mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are involved in MTB-induced expression of Lkn-1. The up-regulation of Lkn-1 by infection with MTB was inhibited in cells treated with inhibitors specific for JNK (SP600125) or p38 MAPK (SB202190). Since the up-regulation of Lkn-1 by MTB has been reported to be mediated by the PI3-K/PDK1/Akt signaling, we examined whether JNK and/or p38 MAPK are also involved in this signal pathway. MTB-induced Akt phosphorylation was blocked by treatment with JNK- or p38 MAPK-specific inhibitors implying that p38 and JNK are upstream of Akt. In addition, treatment with the PI3-K-specific inhibitor inhibited MTB-stimulated activation of JNK or p38 MAPK implying that PI3-K is upstream of JNK and p38 MAPK. These results collectively suggest that JNK and p38 MAPK are involved in the signal pathway responsible for MTB-induced up-regulation of Lkn-1.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제24권2호
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• pp.157-163
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• 2020

Chronic inflammatory airway diseases, such as chronic rhinosinusitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma, are associated with excessive mucus production. Hence, the regulation of mucus production is important for the treatment of upper and lower airway diseases. Eupatilin is a pharmacologically active ingredient obtained from Artemisia asiatica Nakai (Asteraceae) and exerts potent anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and anti-tumor activities. In the present study, we investigated the effect of eupatilin on phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced MUC5AC and MUC5B expression in human airway epithelial cells. We found that eupatilin treatment significantly inhibited PMA-induced mucus secretion in PAS staining. In addition, qRT-PCR results showed that eupatilin dose-dependently decreased the mRNA expression of MUC5AC in human airway epithelial cells. Western blot and immunofluorescence assay also showed that PMA-induced protein expression of MUC5AC was inhibited by eupatilin treatment. Finally, we investigated MAPKs activity after stimulation with PMA using western blot analysis in human airway epithelial cells. The results showed that eupatilin downregulated the levels of phosphorylated p38, ERK, and JNK. In summary, the anti-inflammatory activities of eupatilin, characterized as the suppression of MUC5AC expression and secretion in human airway epithelial cells, were found to be associated with the inhibition of p38/ERK/JNK MAPKs signaling pathway of MUC5AC secretion.

• 한국식품과학회지
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• 제39권5호
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• pp.558-563
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• 2007

본 연구에서는 정상 세포인 간상피세포를 이용하여 BHT와 PG가 GJIC에 미치는 효과 및 그 작용 기전을 살펴보았다. BHT와 PG를 WB-F344세포에 각각 1.0mM, 0.75mM 이상 처리한 결과, 세포 생육이 80%이하로 저하되어 세포 독성을 보였고, BHT와 PG의 GJIC에 대한 억제효과는 이보다 낮은 농도인 0.6mM, 0.1mM에서 나타났으며 처리에 따른 Cx43 단백질의 발현 및 인산화를 측정한 결과, BHT와 PG 모두 농도의존적으로 Cx43의 인산화가 증가하였고, Cx43의 구조적 변화와 관련된 MAP kinase는 주요 biomarker인 ERK, p38, JNK의 발현 및 인산화를 측정한 결과, 농도의존적으로 ERK와 p38의 인산화가 증가하는 것으로 나타났다. 이는 WB-F344세포에 BHT와 PG의 처리가 세포독성을 나타내기 전 농도에서 GJIC의 억제하였음을 의미하며 이는 식품첨가물의 안전성 평가에도 활용될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• 제28권8호
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• pp.942-947
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• 2005

Peroxynitrite is a potent neurotoxic molecule produced from a reaction between NO and super-oxide and induces NO-mediated inflammation under neuropathological conditions. Previously, we reported that glucose deprivation induced ATP depletion and cell death in immunostimulated astrocytes, which was mainly due to peroxynitrite. In this study, the role of MAPKs (ERK1/2, p38MAPK, and JNK/SAPK) signal pathway in the SIN-1/glucose deprivation-induced death of astrocytes was examined. A combined treatment with glucose deprivation and $50 {\mu}M$ SIN-1, an endogenous peroxynitrite generator, rapidly and markedly increased the death in rat primary astrocytes. Also, SIN-1/glucose deprivation resulted in the activation of MAPKs, which was significantly blocked by the treatment with $20{\mu}M$ MAPKs inhibitors (ERK1/2, PD98059; p38MAPK, SB203580; JNK/SAPK, SP600125). Interestingly, SIN-1/glucose deprivation caused the loss of intracellular ATP level, which was significantly reversed by MAPKs inhibitors. These results suggest that the activation of MAPKs plays an important role in SIN-1/glucose deprivation-induced cell death by regulating the intracellular ATP level.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제44권3호
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• pp.197-207
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• 2006

This experiment focused on MAPK activation in host cell invasion and replication of T. gondii, as well as the expression of CC chemokines, MCP-1 and $MIP-1\alpha$, and enzyme, COX-2/prostaglandin $E_2(PGE_2)$ in infected cells via western blot, $[^3H]-uracil$ incorporation assay, ELISA and RT-PCR. The phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38 in infected HeLa cells was detected at 1 hr and/or 6 hr postinfection (PI). Tachyzoite proliferation was reduced by p38 or JNK MAPK inhibitors. MCP-1 secretion was enhanced in infected peritoneal macrophages at 6 hr PI. $MIP-1\alpha$ mRNA was increased in macrophages at 18 hr PI. MCP-1 and $MIP-1\alpha$ were reduced after treatment with inhibitors of ERK1/2 and JNK MAPKs. COX-2 mRNA gradually increased in infected RAW 264.7 cells and the secretion of COX-2 peaked at 6 hr PI. The inhibitor of JNK suppressed COX-2 expression. $PGE_2$ from infected RAW 264.7 cells was increased and synthesis was suppressed by PD98059, SB203580, and SP600125. In this study, the activation of p38, JNK and/or ERK1/2 MAPKs occurred during the invasion and proliferation of T. gondii tachyzoites in HeLa cells. Also, increased secretion and expression of MCP-1, $MIP-1\alpha$, COX-2 and $PGE_2$ were detected in infected macrophages, and appeared to occur via MAPK signaling pathways.