Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.12.2 (MEK)
 18,161 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

1. Rats were exposed to m-xylene (300 ppm) and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK, 600 ppm) vapour, separately and in combination. 2. Repeated exposures to m-xylene enhanced liver drug-metabolizing capacity, whereas MEK showed no effects. After mixed exposure the cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenase activities were additively or synergistically induced. 3. In the presence of MEK the overall metabolism of xylene was strongly inhibited both after single and repeated exposures, an effect accompanied by elevation of xylene concentration in blood (18-29%) and fat (25-32%). 4. The 24-h excretion of the urine metabolites of m-xylene was decreased by 22-24% in mixed exposures: the excretion of methylhippuric acid was decreased (29%), but that of 2,4-dimethylphenol increased (9-35%). 5. After repeated inhalation exposures the excretion of xylene metabolites in urine was consistently higher, whereas the concentrations of xylene in fat (but not the concentration of MEK) were lower than after a single treatment, conceivably due to accelerated metabolic clearance of xylene. 6. Thioether excretion in urine was enhanced in xylene-treated rats (7-13-fold), but was not influenced by the induced changes in the metabolism of xylene. Xylene inhalation caused liver GSH to decrease slightly (10%), as did inhalation of MEK, but the latter did not enhance the excretion of thioethers. 7. MEK is a potent inhibitor of the side-chain oxidation of m-xylene producing methylhippuric acid, but not of its ring oxidation to 2,4-dimethylphenol, and exhibits a synergistic inducing effect on liver enzymes responsible for the oxidation of m-xylene. The increased ring oxidation of m-xylene was not associated with increased production of reactive metabolites indicated by GSH-depletion or thioether formation.
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PMID:Metabolic interaction and disposition of methyl ethyl ketone and m-xylene in rats at single and repeated inhalation exposures. 200 67

Previously, our laboratory reported that lactosylceramide (LacCer) stimulated human aortic smooth muscle cell proliferation via specific activation of p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in the p21(ras)/Raf-1/MEK2 pathway and induced expression of the transcription factor c-fos downstream to the p44 MAPK signaling cascade (Bhunia A. K., Han, H., Snowden, A., and Chatterjee S. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 10660-10666). In the present study, we explored the role of free oxygen radicals in LacCer-mediated induction of cell proliferation. Superoxide levels were measured by the lucigenin chemiluminescence method, MAPK activity was measured by immunocomplex kinase assays, and Western blot analysis and c-fos expression were measured by Northern blot assay. We found that LacCer (10 microM) stimulates endogenous superoxide production (7-fold compared with control) in human aortic smooth muscle cells specifically by activating membrane-associated NADPH oxidase, but not NADH or xanthine oxidase. This process was inhibited by an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase, diphenylene iodonium (DPI), and by antioxidants, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) or pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate. NAC and DPI both abrogated individual steps in the signaling pathway leading to cell proliferation. For example, the p21(ras).GTP loading, p44 MAPK activity, and induction of transcription factor c-fos all were inhibited by NAC and DPI as well as an antioxidant pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate or reduced glutathione (GSH). In contrast, depletion of GSH by L-buthionine (S, R)-sulfoximine up-regulated the above described signaling cascade. In sum, LacCer, by virtue of activating NADPH oxidase, produces superoxide (a redox stress signaling molecule), which mediates cell proliferation via activation of the kinase cascade. Our findings may explain the potential role of LacCer in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis involving the proliferation of aortic smooth muscle cells.
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PMID:Redox-regulated signaling by lactosylceramide in the proliferation of human aortic smooth muscle cells. 918 53

Monofunctional alkylating agents like methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) are potent inducers of cellular stress leading to chromosomal aberrations, point mutations, and cell killing. We show that these agents induce a specific cellular stress response program which includes the activation of Jun N-terminal kinases/stress-activated protein kinases (JNK/SAPKs), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, and the upstream kinase SEK1/MKK4 and which depends on the reaction mechanism of the alkylating agent in question. Similar to another inducer of cellular stress, UV irradiation, damage of nuclear DNA by alkylation is not involved in the MMS-induced response. However, in contrast to UV and other inducers of the JNK/SAPKs and p38 pathways, activation of growth factor and G-protein-coupled receptors does not play a role in the MMS response. We identified the intracellular glutathione (GSH) level as critical for JNK/SAPK activation by MMS: enhancing the GSH level by pretreatment of the cells with GSH or N-acetylcysteine inhibits, whereas depletion of the cellular GSH pool causes hyperinduction of JNK/SAPK activity by MMS. In light of the JNK/SAPK-dependent induction of c-jun and c-fos transcription, and the Jun/Fos-induced transcription of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes, these data provide a potential critical role of JNK/SAPK and p38 in the induction of a cellular defense program against cytotoxic xenobiotics such as MMS.
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PMID:The level of intracellular glutathione is a key regulator for the induction of stress-activated signal transduction pathways including Jun N-terminal protein kinases and p38 kinase by alkylating agents. 923 35

1. We have previously shown that tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) activates p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase to produce interleukin-8 (IL-8) by human pulmonary vascular endothelial cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) including H(2)O(2) generated by TNF-alpha can act as signalling intermediates for cytokine induction; therefore, scavenging ROS by anti-oxidants is important for the regulation of cytokine production. However, the effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which acts as a precursor of glutathione (GSH) synthesis, on TNF-alpha-induced activation of p38 MAP kinase pathway and p38 MAP kinase-mediated IL-8 production by human pulmonary vascular endothelial cells has not been determined. To clarify these issues, we examined the effect of NAC on TNF-alpha-induced activation of p38 MAP kinase, MAP kinase kinase (MKK) 3 and MKK6 which are upstream regulators of p38 MAP kinase, and p38 MAP kinase-mediated IL-8 production. 2. Human pulmonary vascular endothelial cells that had been preincubated with NAC were stimulated with TNF-alpha and then the activation of p38 MAP kinase and MKK3/MKK6 in the cells and IL-8 concentrations in the culture supernatants were determined. 3. Intracellular GSH levels increased in NAC-treated cells. 4. NAC attenuated TNF-alpha-induced activation of p38 MAP kinase and MKK3/MKK6. 5. NAC attenuated p38 MAP kinase-mediated IL-8 production by TNF-alpha-stimulated cells. 6. These results indicate that the cellular reduction and oxidation (redox) regulated by intracellular GSH is critical for TNF-alpha-induced activation of p38 MAP kinase pathway and p38 MAP kinase-mediated IL-8 production by human pulmonary vascular endothelial cells, and we emphasize that anti-oxidant therapy is an important strategy for the treatment of acute lung injury.
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PMID:N-acetylcysteine attenuates TNF-alpha-induced p38 MAP kinase activation and p38 MAP kinase-mediated IL-8 production by human pulmonary vascular endothelial cells. 1115 86

Patients suffering from the metabolic disease hereditary tyrosinemia type I (HT1), caused by fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase deficiency, have a high risk of developing liver cancer. We report that a sub-apoptogenic dose of fumarylacetoacetate (FAA), the mutagenic metabolite accumulating in HT1, induces spindle disturbances and segregational defects in both rodent and human cells. Mitotic abnormalities, such as distorted spindles, lagging chromosomes, anaphase/telophase chromatin bridges, aberrant karyokinesis/cytokinesis and multinucleation were observed. Some mitotic asters displayed a large pericentriolar material cloud and/or altered distribution of the spindle pole-associated protein NuMA. FAA-treated cells developed micronuclei which were predominantly CREST-positive, suggesting chromosomal instability. The Golgi complex was rapidly disrupted by FAA, without evident microtubules/tubulin alterations, and a sustained activation of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) was also observed. Primary skin fibroblasts derived from HT1 patients, not exogenously treated with FAA, showed similar mitotic-derived alterations and ERK activation. Biochemical data suggest that FAA causes ERK activation through a thiol-regulated and tyrosine kinase-dependent, but growth factor receptor- and protein kinase C-independent pathway. Pre-treatment with the MEK inhibitor PD98059 and the Ras farnesylation inhibitor B581 decreased the formation of CREST-positive micronuclei by approximately 75%, confirming the partial contribution of the Ras/ERK effector pathway to the induction of chromosomal instability by FAA. Replenishment of intracellular glutathione (GSH) with GSH monoethylester abolished ERK activation and reduced the chromosomal instability induced by FAA by 80%. Together these results confirm and extend the previously reported genetic instability occurring in cells from HT1 patients and allow us to speculate that this tumorigenic-related phenomenon may rely on the biochemical/cellular effects of FAA as a thiol-reacting and organelle/mitotic spindle-disturbing agent.
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PMID:Fumarylacetoacetate, the metabolite accumulating in hereditary tyrosinemia, activates the ERK pathway and induces mitotic abnormalities and genomic instability. 1153 83

Human alveolar macrophages (HAM) express FcalphaR receptors for immunoglobulin (Ig)A which could link humoral and cellular branches of lung immunity. Here, we investigate the effects of polymeric (p-IgA) and secretory (S-IgA) IgA interaction with Fc(alpha)R on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-activated respiratory burst and TNF-alpha release by HAM. Activation of HAM with LPS and PMA increases the respiratory burst and TNF-alpha release through activation of the extracellular signal-related protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) pathway, because these effects are inhibited by treatment of HAM with PD98059, a selective inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein (MAP)/ERK kinases (MEK) pathway. S-IgA and p-IgA downregulate the LPS-increased respiratory burst in HAM through an inhibition of ERK1/2 activity. In contrast, p- and S-IgA induce an increase in the respiratory burst of PMA-treated HAM. This effect is associated with an upregulation by IgA of the PMA-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and is also inhibited by PD98059. Moreover, p-IgA and S-IgA enhance TNF-alpha release by HAM through an alternative pathway distinct from ERK1/2. Because LPS is known to activate nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) in HAM, we evaluate the effect of IgA on NF-kappaB. Treatment of HAM with LPS, p- and S-IgA, but not PMA, induces NF-kappaB activation through IkappaBalpha phosphorylation and subsequent proteolysis. Antioxidants, namely N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and glutathione (GSH), have no effects on IgA-mediated NF-kappaB nuclear translocation and only a minor and late effect on that of LPS, suggesting that reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) play a minor role in HAM activation through NF-kappaB. TNF-alpha release by LPS-activated HAM is sensitive to NF-kappaB inhibition and only partly to oxidant scavenging. In contrast, TNF-alpha release by IgA-treated HAM is not dependent on oxidants and only partly dependent on NF-kappaB. Our results show a differential HAM regulation by IgA through both dependent and independent modulation of ERK pathway. In addition, IgA activates NF-kappaB and this effect was independent on oxidants. These data may help to understand the role of IgA in both lung protection and inflammation.
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PMID:Effect of IgA on respiratory burst and cytokine release by human alveolar macrophages: role of ERK1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinases and NF-kappaB. 1186 40

The chemotherapeutic agent bleomycin induces pulmonary fibrosis through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are thought to contribute to cellular damage and pulmonary injury. We hypothesized that bleomycin activates oxidative stress response pathways and regulates cellular glutathione (GSH). Bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells exposed to bleomycin exhibit growth arrest and increased cellular GSH content. gamma-Glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) controls the key regulatory step in GSH synthesis, and Northern blots indicate that the gamma-GCS catalytic subunit [gamma-GCS heavy chain (gamma-GCS(h))] is upregulated by bleomycin within 3 h. The promoter for human gamma-GCS(h) contains consensus sites for nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and the antioxidant response element (ARE), both of which are activated in response to oxidative stress. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays show that bleomycin activates the transcription factor NF-kappaB as well as the ARE-binding factors Nrf-1 and -2. Nrf-1 and -2 activation by bleomycin is inhibited by the ROS quenching agent N-acetylcysteine (NAC), but not by U-0126, a MEK1/2 inhibitor that blocks bleomycin-induced MAPK activation. In contrast, NF-kappaB activation by bleomycin is inhibited by U-0126, but not by NAC. NAC and U-0126 both inhibit bleomycin-induced upregulation of gamma-GCS expression. These data suggest that bleomycin can activate oxidative stress response pathways and upregulate cellular GSH.
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PMID:Bleomycin upregulates expression of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase in pulmonary artery endothelial cells. 1200 92

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) play an important role in the development of angiopathy in diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis. Here, we show that adducts of N(epsilon)-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), a major AGE, and bovine serum albumin (CML-BSA) stimulated gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS), which is a key enzyme of glutathione (GSH) synthesis, in RAW264.7 mouse macrophage-like cells. CML-BSA stimulated the expression of gamma-GCS heavy subunit (h) time- and dose-dependently and concomitantly increased GSH levels. CML-BSA also stimulated DNA-binding activity of activator protein-1 (AP-1) within 3h, but the stimulatory effect decreased in 5h, and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) with a peak activity at 1h and the stimulatory effect diminished in 3h. Studies of luciferase activity of the gamma-GCSh promoter showed that deletion and mutagenesis of the AP-1-site abolished CML-BSA-induced up-regulation, while that of NF-kappaB-site did not affect CML-BSA-induced activity. CML-BSA also stimulated the activity of protein kinase C, Ras/Raf-1, and MEK/ERK1/2. Inhibition of ERK1/2 abolished CML-BSA-stimulated AP-1 DNA-binding activity and gamma-GCSh mRNA expression. Our results suggest that induction of gamma-GCS by CML adducts seems to increase the defense potential of cells against oxidative stress produced during glycation processes.
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PMID:Nepsilon-(Carboxymethyl)lysine induces gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase in RAW264.7 cells. 1214 23

Reduced glutathione (GSH) is an essential, multifunctional tripepetide that controls redox-sensitive cellular processes, but its regulation in the heart is poorly understood. The present study used a pharmocological model of GSH depletion to examine cellular mechanisms controlling cardiac GSH. Inhibition of GSH metabolism was elicited in normal rats by daily injections of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a blocker of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, plus 1,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU), an inhibitor of glutathione reductase. After 3 d of BSO/BCNU treatment, intracellular [GSH] was measured in isolated-ventricular myocytes by fluorescence microscopy using the probe monochlorobimane. Basal [GSH] in left-ventricular myocytes from BSO/BCNU-treated rats (2.0 +/- 0.05 amol/microm(3), n = 146) was 50% less than control (4.0 +/- 0.13 amol/microm(3), n = 116; P < 0.05). Incubation of myocytes from BSO/BCNU rats with 0.1 microM insulin normalized [GSH] after a delay of 3-4 h (3.6 +/- 0.29 amol/microm(3), n = 66). This effect of insulin was blocked by pre-treating myocytes with cycloheximide. A protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, bis-peroxovanadium-1,10-phenanthroline (bpV(phen), 1 microM), elicited a similar effect as insulin, while neither agent altered [GSH] in myocytes from control rats. Moreover, the effect of insulin and bpV(phen) to up-regulate GSH was blocked by inhibitors of PI 3-kinase (wortmannin, LY294002), MEK (PD98059) and p38 MAP kinases (SB203580). These data suggest that the insulin-signaling cascade regulates [GSH] in ventricular myocytes by a coordinated activation of PI 3-kinase and MAP kinase pathways. These signaling mechanisms may play essential roles in controlling intracellular redox state and normal function of cardiac myocytes.
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PMID:Regulation of glutathione in cardiac myocytes. 1296 37

Since ethacrynic acid (EA), an SH modifier as well as glutathione S-transferase (GST) inhibitor, has been suggested to induce apoptosis in some cell lines, its effects on a human colon cancer cell line DLD-1 were examined. EA enhanced cell proliferation at 20-40 microM, while it caused cell death at 60-100 microM. Caspase inhibitors did not block cell death and DNA ladder formation was not detected. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, however, was cleaved into an 82-kDa fragment, different from an 85-kDa fragment that is specific for apoptosisis. The 82-kDa fragment was not recognized by antibody against PARP fragment cleaved by caspase 3. N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) completely inhibited EA-induced cell death, but 3(2)-t-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole or pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate ammonium salt did not. Glutathione (GSH) levels were dose-dependently increased in cells treated with EA and this increase was hardly affected by NAC addition. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase (MEK) 1, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1 and GST P1-1 were increased in cells treated with 25-75 microM EA, while c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) 1 and p38 MAPK were markedly decreased by 100 microM EA. NAC repressed EA-induced alterations in these MAPKs and GST P1-1. p38 MAPK inhibitors, SB203580 and FR167653, dose-dependently enhanced EA-induced cell death. An MEK inhibitor, U0126, did not affect EA-induced cell death. These studies revealed that EA induced cell death concomitantly with a novel PARP fragmentation, but without DNA fragmentation. p38 MAPK was suggested to play an inhibitory role in EA-induced cell death.
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PMID:Characterization of cell death induced by ethacrynic acid in a human colon cancer cell line DLD-1 and suppression by N-acetyl-L-cysteine. 1455 62


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