OBJECTIVE The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase system, especially the p38 MAP kinase, is activated in chronic heart failure (CHF). However, the role of vascular p38 MAP kinase in CHF has not been analyzed yet. METHODS AND RESULTS In aortic rings from rats with CHF 10 weeks after myocardial infarction, acetylcholine-induced relaxation was attenuated (maximum relaxation, Rmax: 54+/-5%) co...

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases regulate smooth muscle cell contraction. Hypoxia contracts pulmonary arteries by mechanisms that are incompletely understood. We hypothesized that hypoxic contraction of pulmonary arteries involves activation of the MAP kinases. To test this hypothesis, we studied the effects of SB-202190, a p38 MAP kinase inhibitor, PD-98059 and UO-126, two structurally ...

We previously reported that transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) stimulates heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) induction through p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, p38 MAP kinase and stress-activated protein kinase/ c-Jun N-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK) in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells. In addition, we recently reported that the Rho-kinase inhibitors Y27632 and fasudil suppressed the TGF-...

The signaling mechanisms responsible for the regulation of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity by exogenous factors in osteoblast-like cells remain poorly understood. Among various agents, epinephrine was recently found to increase ALP activity in differentiating MC3T3-E1 cells by stimulating alpha1 adrenergic receptors coupled to Gi proteins. In the present study, we investigated the role of b...

Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) characterized by permeability edema is observed in severe insults such as bacteremia sepsis. Interleukin (IL)-8, which chemoattracts and activates neutrophils, has been suggested to play an important role in the production of ARDS. Therefore, the inhibition of IL-8 production is an important strategy for the treatment of ARDS. Recent studies have revea...

The protective adaptive response to electrophiles and reactive oxygen species is mediated by the enhanced expression of the phase II detoxifying genes through antioxidant response elements (AREs). The current study was designed to identify the signaling pathways responsible for the expression of rGSTA2 in response to cellular oxidative stress and to establish the molecular mechanistic basis. De...

Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of insulin resistance, characterized by impaired stimulation of glucose disposal into muscle. The mechanisms underlying insulin resistance are unknown. Here we examine the direct effect of leptin, the product of the obesity gene, on insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in cultured rat skeletal muscle cells. Preincubation of L6 myotubes with leptin...

Pyridinyl imidazole inhibitors, particularly SB203580, have been widely used to elucidate the roles of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (p38/HOG/SAPKII) in a wide array of biological systems. Studies by this group and others have shown that SB203580 can have antiproliferative activity on cytokine-activated lymphocytes. However, we recently reported that the antiproliferative effects o...

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as major constituent of Gramnegative bacteria is known to elicit a rapid pro-inflammatory primary response in immune cells. Multiple findings indicate that monocytes next to its crucial function in the early stage of LPS signaling might additionally play an essential role in the resolution of systemic inflammatory responses. We therefore compared gene expression profile...

Tumor necrosis factor-a (TNFa) and nitric oxide (NO), the product of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), mediate inflammatory and immune responses in the CNS under a variety of neuropathological situations. They are produced mainly by “activated” astrocytes and microglia, the two immune regulatory cells of the CNS. In this study we have examined the regulation of TNFa and iNOS gene expression in endo...