objective(s): the objective of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of licochalcone b (lcb) in a mice model of carbon tetrachloride (ccl4)-induced liver toxicity. materials and methods: hepatotoxicity was induced in mice by a single subcutaneous injection (sc) of ccl4. the lcb was administered orally once a day for seven days (po) as pretreatment at three doses of 1, 5, and...

Objective(s): The possible action of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the reduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and also as anti-apoptotic agents may suggest them as putative agents for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. This study was designed to explore some pathways alterations induced by NSAIDs following 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-ind...

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are components of sequential kinase cascades that are activated in response to a variety of extracellular signals. Members of the MAPK family include the extracellular response kinases (ERKs or p42/44(MAPK)), the c-Jun amino-terminal kinases (JNKs), and the p38/Hog 1 protein kinases. MAPKs are phosphorylated and activated by MAPK kinases (MKKs or MEKs),...

Many protein kinases require phosphorylation at their activation loop for induction of catalysis. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are activated by a unique mode of phosphorylation, on neighboring Tyrosine and Threonine residues. Whereas many kinases obtain their activation via autophosphorylation, MAPKs are usually phosphorylated by specific, dedicated, MAPK kinases (MAP2Ks). Here we ...

In canine colon, M2/M3 muscarinic receptors are coupled to extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases. We tested the hypothesis that this coupling is mediated by enzymes of the phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase family. RT-PCR and Western blotting demonstrated expression of two isoforms, PI 3-kinase-alpha and PI 3-kinase-gamma. Muscarinic stimula...

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAP kinases) or meiosis-activated myelin basic protein kinase (p44mpk) are known to be activated by a mechanism involving dual phosphorylation at both tyrosine and serine/threonine in response to many extracellular stimuli. There has been considerable speculation as to whether MAP kinases are autophosphorylated and activated by an upstream protein kinase (MAP ...

OBJECTIVE Long-term durability of saphenous vein grafts used for coronary artery bypass grafting is limited by neointimal formation. Arterial vascular injury is known to activate intracellular mitogen-activated protein kinases, including extracellular signal-regulated kinases and c-jun N-terminal kinases, that affect cell differentiation, proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. This study test...

Ternary complex factors (TCFs), a subgroup of the ets protein family, bind with a dimer of serum response factor to the c-fos serum response element. Both DNA binding and transcriptional activation by TCFs are regulated by mitogen-activated protein kinases. When activated, mitogen-activated protein kinases form homodimers that translocate to the nucleus, where they interact with TCFs via specif...

Activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) leads to stimulation of classical G protein signaling pathways. In addition, GPCRs can activate the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) such as the extracellular signal-regulated kinases, c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinases (JNKs), and p38 MAPKs, and thereby influence cell proliferation, cell differentiation and mitogenesis. Cross talk between GP...

Ionizing radiation is known to activate both the cytotoxic stress-activated kinases (SAPK/JNK, p38) and the cytoprotective mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs, ERKs), which send divergent signals to the nucleus. However, all these kinases could not be activated simultaneously and at all the doses. An attempt has been made in this study to establish the dose and temporal response of these k...