PURPOSE The purpose of this research was to determine whether a correlation exists between the levels of activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Src kinases and the progression from normal to malignant endometrium. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We measured total and phosphorylated levels for extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, p38, stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun NH(2)-termin...

Thymocytes develop into mature functional T cells in the inductive environment of the thymus where thymocyte-stromal cell interactions and cytokines provide survival and differentiation signals as cues for thymocyte maturation. Disruption of the thymic microenvironment results in attenuation of T cell maturation, suggesting that intrathymic signals are essential for differentiation and repertoi...

Autocrine or paracrine signaling by beta interferon (IFN-β) is essential for many of the responses of macrophages to pathogen-associated molecular patterns. This feedback loop contributes to pathological responses to infectious agents and is therefore tightly regulated. We demonstrate here that macrophage expression of IFN-β is negatively regulated by mitogen- and stress-activated kinases 1 and...

Serine and threonine kinases may contribute to insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes. To test the potential for members of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family to contribute to type 2 diabetes, we examined basal and insulin-stimulated Erk 1/2, JNK, and p38 phosphorylation in adipocytes isolated from healthy and type 2 diabetic individuals. Maximal insulin stimul...

Abstract The cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are becoming a critical threat to our lives in these years. It is now widely accepted that platelets play an important role disease as they have fundamental thrombosis. Therefore, many drugs or natural substances been developed treat CVDs. Cudrania tricuspidata regional plant containing various constituents, such xanthones, flavonoids, organic acids, ...

We have investigated the cellular mechanisms that participate in reducing insulin sensitivity in response to increased oxidant stress in skeletal muscle. Measurement of glucose transport and glycogen synthesis in L6 myotubes showed that insulin stimulated both processes, by 2- and 5-fold, respectively. Acute (30 min) exposure of muscle cells to hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) blocked the hormonal ...

OBJECTIVES Myocardial failure, leading to inotrope-unresponsive shock, is the predominant cause of death in meningococcal and other forms of septic shock. Proinflammatory cytokines released in septic shock are known to have myocardial depressant effects. We previously showed that interleukin 6 is a major myocardial depressant factor in children with meningococcal septicemia. In the current stud...