Molecular mechanisms underlying diabetes-induced painful neuropathy are poorly understood. We have demonstrated, in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes, that mechanical hyperalgesia, a common symptom of diabetic neuropathy, was correlated with an early increase in extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), p38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation in the spinal cord...

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play a pivotal role in the mitogenic signal transduction pathway and are essential components of the MAPK cascade, which includes MEK (also known as MAP kinase kinase), Raf-1, and Ras. In this study, we examined whether constitutive activation of the MAPK cascade was associated with the carcinogenesis of human renal cell carcinomas in a series of 25 tum...

Heptadecane is a volatile component of Spirulina platensis, and blocks the de novo synthesis of fatty acids and ameliorates several oxidative stress-related diseases. In a redox state disrupted by oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory genes are upregulated by the activation of NF-kB via diverse kinases. Thus, the search and characterization of new substances that modulate NF-kB are lively research...

The mechanism by which mechanical forces acting through skeletal muscle cells generate intracellular signaling, known as mechanotransduction, and the details of how gene expression and cell size are regulated by this signaling are poorly understood. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are known to be involved in mechanically induced signaling in various cell types, including skeletal musc...

Growing evidence suggests that macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha (synonym CCL3) is upregulated in the neuroinflammatory processes initiated by some brain disorders, but its precise role and regulatory mechanism remain unclear. The present work aims to evaluate the role of CCL3/MIP-1alpha in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced brain injury, and investigate whether the MAPKs and NF-kappaB...

We previously reported that the group III histidine kinase Dic1p in the maize pathogen Cochliobolus heterostrophus is involved in resistance to dicarboximide and phenylpyrrole fungicides and in osmotic adaptation. In addition, exposure to the phenylpyrrole fungicide fludioxonil led to improper activation of Hog1-type mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in some phytopathogenic fungi, inclu...

BACKGROUND Vitamin D can translocate a vitamin D receptor (VDR) from the nucleus to the cell membranes. The meaning of this translocation is not elucidated in terms of a role in pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) till now. VDR deficient mice are prone to develop emphysema, suggesting that abnormal function of VDR might influence a generation of COPD. The blood levels o...

Introduction Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and associated with increased bone loss due to excessive activity of the local renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Angiotensinogen/Angiotensin (ANG) II/Angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) axis considered as core regulating RAS activity. Azilsartan an FDA-approved selective AT1R antagonist that used treat hypertensio...

BACKGROUND Peimine is a major biologically active component of Fritillaria ussuriensis. Peimine was investigated in chronic inflammation response, but it has not been studied in mast cell-related immediate allergic reaction. The present study aimed to evaluate anti-allergic effect of peimine in human mast cell (HMC-1). MATERIALS AND METHODS The effect of peimine on cell viability was measured...

The tripartite mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades have been implicated in plant growth, development, and environment adaptation, but a comprehensive understanding of MAPK signaling at genome-wide level is limited in Capsicum annuum. Herein, genome-wide identification and transcriptional expression analysis of MAPK and MAPK kinase (MAPKK) were performed in pepper. A total...