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)

This study explored the hypothesis that dietary salt promoted changes in renal expression of TGF-beta1 and NOS3 by modulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained for four days on formulated diets that contained 0.3, 1.0, 3.0, or 8.0% NaCl. An increase in salt intake to greater than or equal to 3.0% NaCl increased kinase activities of p38 MAPK and p42/44 MAPK, but not p46/54 JNK/SAPK, in the cortex and outer and inner medulla. Associated with this increased activity was a relative increase in the phosphorylated forms of the transcription factors ATF-2 and Elk-1. Compared with rats on 0.3% NaCl diet, glomerular preparations from rats on 8.0% NaCl diet contained more NOS3 and produced greater amounts of total and active TGF-beta1 and NOx. PD-098059, a MEK1 inhibitor, and SB-203580, an inhibitor of p38 MAPKalpha-gamma, diminished NOS3 expression and production of TGF-beta1 and NOx. TEA, administered intravenously 5 min before harvesting kidneys of rats on the 8.0% NaCl diet, decreased activities of both p38 MAPK and p42/44 MAPK, compared with vehicle-treated animals. Thus, an increase in dietary salt activated through a TEA-sensitive pathway the p38 MAPK and p42/44 MAPK signaling cascades, which promoted the increase in glomerular TGF-beta1 and NOS3 expression.
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PMID:Dietary salt intake activates MAP kinases in the rat kidney. 1220 91

RRR-alpha-tocopherol ether linked acetic acid analog (alpha-TEA), is a potential chemotherapeutic agent for ovarian cancer. Pro-death and pro-life signaling pathways were studied to understand the anti-cancer actions of alpha-TEA on cisplatin-sensitive (A2780S) and -resistant (A2780/cp70R) human ovarian cancer cells. Both cell lines were refractory to Fas; whereas, alpha-TEA sensitized them to Fas signaling. alpha-TEA increased levels of Fas message, protein and membrane-associated Fas. Neutralizing antibodies to Fas or Fas L partially blocked alpha-TEA-induced apoptosis. alpha-TEA induced prolonged activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and its substrate c-Jun; Bax conformational change; and cleavage of Bid and caspases-8, -9 and -3. Chemical inhibitors of JNK, and caspases blocked alpha-TEA-induced apoptosis. alpha-TEA decreased phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt/PKB) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), as well as cellular FLICE-like inhibitory protein (c-FLIP) and Survivin protein levels. Knockdown of Akt and ERK activity using phosphoinositide- 3-kinase (PI3K) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MKK1) inhibitors enhanced alpha-TEA-induced apoptosis. Over-expression of constitutively active Akt2 and MKK1 blocked alpha-TEA-induced apoptosis. Collectively, data show alpha-TEA to be a potent apoptotic inducer of both cisplatin-sensitive and -resistant human ovarian cancer cells via activating death receptor Fas signaling and suppressing anti-apoptotic AKT and ERK targets.
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PMID:alpha-TEA inhibits survival and enhances death pathways in cisplatin sensitive and resistant human ovarian cancer cells. 1685 Jan 65

Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) is a chemokine of the CXC subfamily that exerts its effects via CXCR4, a G-protein-coupled receptor. CXCR4 is often expressed by tumor cells, and its activation causes tumor cell proliferation. Using GH4C1 cells, here we show that SDF-1 induced cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Thus, we evaluated the intracellular signaling involved in this effect. SDF-1 increased cytosolic [Ca2+] and activated Pyk2, ERK1/2, and BKCa channels. To correlate these intracellular effectors with the proliferative activity of SDF-1, we inhibited their activity using BAPTA-AM (Ca2+ chelator), PD98059 (MEK inhibitor), salicylate (Pyk2 inhibitor), and TEA (K+ channel blocker). All these compounds reverted SDF-1-induced proliferation, suggesting the involvement of multiple intracellular pathways. To identify a possible crosstalk and a molecular ordering among these pathways, we tested these antagonists on SDF-1-dependent activation of ERK1/2, Pyk2, and BKCa channels. We report that the inhibition of [Ca2+]i increase or the blockade of BKCa channel activity did not affect ERK1/2 activation by SDF-1; Pyk2 activation was purely Ca2+-dependent, not involving ERK1/2 or BKCa channels; and BKCa channel activity was antagonized by Pyk2 but not by ERK1/2 inhibitors. These data suggest that SDF-1-dependent increase of [Ca2+]i activates Pyk2, which, in turn, regulates BKCa channel activity. Conversely, ERK1/2 activation is an independent phenomenon. In conclusion, we demonstrate that SDF-1 induces proliferation of GH4C1 cells, suggesting that the activation of CXCR4 may represent a novel regulatory mechanism for pituitary cell proliferation which may contribute to pituitary adenoma development.
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PMID:SDF-1 controls pituitary cell proliferation through the activation of ERK1/2 and the Ca2+-dependent, cytosolic tyrosine kinase Pyk2. 1738 83