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)

We have demonstrated that magnolol suppressed thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) formation in A23187-stimulated rat neutrophils. Maximum inhibition was obtained with about 10 microM magnolol. Magnolol was more effective in the inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) activity than in the inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) activity as assessed by means of enzyme activity determination in vitro and COX and 5-LO metabolic capacity analyses in vivo. Magnolol alone stimulated cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) phosphorylation and the translocation of 5-LO and cPLA2 to the membrane, and evoked arachidonic acid (AA) release. Recruitment of both 5-LO and cPLA2 to the membranes was suppressed by EGTA. Arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone (AACOCF3), a PLA2 inhibitor, bromoenol lactone (BEL), a Ca2+-independent PLA2 (iPLA2) inhibitor, and EGTA suppressed the magnolol-induced AA release. However, none of the follows affected magnolol-induced AA-release: 4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-methylsulfinylphenyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)-1H-imidazole (SB203580), a p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor, 1,4-diamino-2,3-dicyano-1,4-bis(2-aminophenylthio)butadiene (U0126), a MAPK kinase (MEK) inhibitor, or 2-[1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-1H-indol-3-yl]-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)-maleimide (GF109203X), a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor. In addition, magnolol at 30 microM did not stimulate the p38 MAPK and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) enzyme activities. These results indicated that magnolol inhibits the formation of prostaglandins and leukotrienes in A23187-stimulated rat neutrophils, probably through a direct blockade of COX and 5-LO activities. The stimulatory effects of magnolol at high concentration on the membrane association of 5-LO and cPLA2 are attributable to the elevation of [Ca2+]i, and on the AA release is likely via activation of cPLA2 and iPLA2.
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PMID:Mechanisms of the influence of magnolol on eicosanoid metabolism in neutrophils. 1510 36

We characterized the tracheal and bronchial relaxation caused by proteinase-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) activation in ddY mice and/or in wild-type and PAR-2-knockout mice of C57BL/6 background. Ser-Leu-Ile-Gly-Arg-Leu-amide (SLIGRL-NH(2)) and Thr-Phe-Leu-Leu-Arg-amide, PAR-2- and PAR-1-activating peptides, respectively, caused relaxation in the isolated ddY mouse trachea and main bronchus. The relaxation was abolished by specific inhibitors of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1, COX-2, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK), and p38 MAP kinase. The MEK and p38 MAP kinase inhibitors did not affect prostaglandin E(2)-induced relaxation. Inhibitors of cytosolic Ca(2+)-dependent phospholipase A(2) (PLA), Ca(2+)-independent PLA(2), diacylglycerol lipase, tyrosine kinase, and protein kinase C exhibited no or only minor inhibitory effects on the PAR-mediated relaxation. Trypsin, a PAR-2 activator, and 2-furoyl-Leu-Ile-Gly-Arg-Leu-amide, a potent PAR-2-activating peptide, in addition to SLIGRL-NH(2), caused airway relaxation in wild-type C57BL/6 mice, as in ddY mice. In PAR-2-knockout mice, the peptide effects were absent and the potency of trypsin decreased. Desensitization of PAR-2 and/or PAR-1 greatly suppressed the relaxant effect of trypsin. The bronchial and tracheal tissues displayed distinct sensitivities toward trypsin and the PAR-2-activating peptides. Our data indicate an involvement of both COX-1 and COX-2, and the MEK-extracellular signal-regulated kinase and p38 MAP kinase signaling pathways in the PAR-2- and PAR-1-triggered relaxation of mouse airway tissue, and substantiate a role for PAR-2 in regulating both the trachea and bronchial responsiveness in the mouse lung.
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PMID:Proteinase-activated receptor-2-mediated relaxation in mouse tracheal and bronchial smooth muscle: signal transduction mechanisms and distinct agonist sensitivity. 1519 93

Pancreatic carcinogenesis is driven by multiple genetic and epigenetic changes. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its downstream signaling pathways, Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK axis, play important roles in pancreatic cancer development. The phosphoinositol 3 kinase (PI3 K)/Akt and the nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) pathways control both proliferation and resistance to apoptosis of pancreatic cancer. The role of cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) in the development of pancreatic cancer has been made known recently. The elucidation of these molecular events has led to several distinct therapeutic advances, including therapies that target EGFR, the Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK axis, the COX-2 and LOX pathways, and others. Many novel agents have been developed and are undergoing clinical investigation, such as monoclonal antibodies against EGFR, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), farnesyl transferase inhibitors (FTIs), Bay43-9006, CI-1040, CCI-779, celecoxib, and LY293111. This review highlights recent advances in the development of these agents.
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PMID:Molecular targeting therapy for pancreatic cancer. 1531 51

Elevated levels of prostaglandins (PGs), products of cyclooxygenases (COXs), are found in the plasma and stool of rotavirus-infected children. We sought to determine the role of COXs, PGs, and the signal transduction pathways involved in rotavirus infection to elucidate possible new targets for antiviral therapy. Human intestinal Caco-2 cells were infected with human rotavirus Wa or simian rotavirus SA-11. COX-2 mRNA expression and secreted PGE2 levels were determined at different time points postinfection, and the effect of COX inhibitors on rotavirus infection was studied by an immunofluorescence assay (IFA). To reveal the signal transduction pathways involved, the effect of MEK, protein kinase A (PKA), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and NF-kappaB inhibitors on rotavirus infection was analyzed. In infected Caco-2 cells, increased COX-2 mRNA expression and secreted PGE2 levels were detected. Indomethacin (inhibiting both COX-1 and COX-2) and specific COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors reduced rotavirus infection by 85 and 50%, respectively, as measured by an IFA. Indomethacin reduced virus infection at a postbinding step early in the infection cycle, inhibiting virus protein synthesis. Indomethacin did not seem to affect viral RNA synthesis. Inhibitors of MEK, PKA, p38 MAPK, and NF-kappaB decreased rotavirus infection by at least 40%. PGE2 counteracted the effect of the COX and PKA inhibitors but not of the MEK, p38 MAPK, and NF-kappaB inhibitors. Conclusively, COXs and PGE2 are important mediators of rotavirus infection at a postbinding step. The ERK1/2 pathway mediated by PKA is involved in COX induction by rotavirus infection. MAPK and NF-kappaB pathways are involved in rotavirus infection but in a PGE2-independent manner. This report offers new perspectives in the search for therapeutic agents in treatment of severe rotavirus-mediated diarrhea in children.
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PMID:Inhibition of cyclooxygenase activity reduces rotavirus infection at a postbinding step. 1533 5

The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) sulindac prevents experimental colon cancer and can regress precancerous polyps in humans. Sulindac sulfide inhibits cyclooxygenase (COX)-mediated prostaglandin synthesis and retards the growth of cultured colon cell lines primarily by inducing apoptosis. Given the known role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in signal transduction and the regulation of cell survival and death, we determined the effect of sulindac sulfide on MAPK activation, COX-2 expression, and apoptosis induction in HCA-7 human colon cancer cells. Sulindac sulfide treatment was associated with activation of ERKp44/42 and p38 MAPK in a dosage- and time-dependent manner, and also activated upstream MEK. Similar results were seen in HCT-15 cells and also with the selective COX-2 inhibitor NS398. ERKp44/42 and p38 activation were accompanied by an induction of COX-2 protein expression. Selective inhibitors of sulindac sulfide-induced ERKp44/42 (PD98059) and p38 MAPK (SB203580) activation also suppressed the induction of COX-2 by this NSAID. Furthermore, both MAPK inhibitors significantly augmented sulindac sulfide-induced apoptosis, as did suppression of constitutive COX-2 using antisense oligonucleotides. In conclusion, MEK/ERK and p38 MAPK activation mediate COX-2 induction by sulindac sulfide. Selective inhibitors of these MAPKs potentiate apoptosis induction by this NSAID, suggesting a novel strategy for the prevention or treatment of colorectal cancer.
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PMID:Selective inhibitors of MEK1/ERK44/42 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases potentiate apoptosis induction by sulindac sulfide in human colon carcinoma cells. 1565 53

Although it is known that MEKK4 regulates MKK6, and p38 MAP kinase, extracellular stimuli that activate the serine/threonine kinase, MEKK4, are unknown. The aim of this study was then to identify stimuli that regulate MEKK4. By using recombinant MEKK4, as bait to attract interacting proteins, the calcium binding protein, annexin II, was identified by mass spectrometry as interacting with MEKK4, suggesting that MEKK4 might be regulated by calcium. A calcium-dependent interaction between MEKK4 and annexin II was observed when MEKK4 was immunoprecipitated from rat aortic smooth muscle cells that were treated with angiotensin II. Additional studies using recombinant MEKK4 in a Far-Western immunoblot identified a protein of 120 kDa as interacting directly with MEKK4. Prior studies indicated that MEKK4 was phosphorylated on tyrosine in vivo, and in fact, Pyk2 interacts with MEKK4 in an angiotensin II dependent manner in rat aortic smooth muscle cells. Pyk2 phosphorylates MEKK4 in vitro and Pyk2-dependent phosphorylation further regulates MEKK4-dependent phosphorylation of MKK6. Finally, dominant-negative MEKK4 inhibits angiotensin II mediated transcription of a luciferase reporter construct containing the cyclooxygenase II promoter, demonstrating that MEKK4 functions in a calcium-dependent manner as a substrate for Pyk2 and regulates transcription of cyclooxygenase II.
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PMID:Angiotensin II stimulated transcription of cyclooxygenase II is regulated by a novel kinase cascade involving Pyk2, MEKK4 and annexin II. 1588 58

Apigenin is a nonmutagenic bioflavonoid that has been shown to be an inhibitor of mouse skin carcinogenesis induced by the two-stage regimen of initiation and promotion with dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). These DMBA/TPA-induced squamous cell carcinomas overexpress cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Cyclooxygenases are key enzymes required for prostaglandin (PG) synthesis, converting the arachidonic acid (AA) released by phospholipase A2 into prostaglandins. A large body of evidence indicates that the inducible form of cyclooxygenase, COX-2, is involved in tumor promotion and carcinogenesis in a wide variety of tissue types, including colon, breast, lung, and skin. In the present study, we have determined that apigenin inhibited the TPA-induced increase in COX-2 protein and mRNA in the human keratinocyte cell line; HaCaT. The induction of COX-2 elicited by TPA correlated with increased activation of Akt kinase and cell treatment with the PI3 kinase inhibitor, LY294002, blocked TPA induction of COX-2. In cells treated with TPA and apigenin, the inhibition of COX-2 expression correlated with inhibition of Akt kinase activation. Apigenin-mediated inhibition of TPA-induced COX-2 expression was reversed by transient transfection with constitutively active Akt (CA-Akt). Chemical inhibitors of MEK (PD98059), p38 (SB202190), but not JNK (SP600125) blocked TPA induction of COX-2 although apigenin did not inhibit TPA-mediated COX-2 expression through these pathways. The TPA-induced release of AA from HaCaT cells was also inhibited by cell treatment with apigenin. These data show that apigenin inhibits TPA-mediated COX-2 expression by blocking signal transduction of Akt and that apigenin also blocks AA release, which may contribute to its chemopreventive activity.
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PMID:Inhibition of TPA-induced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression by apigenin through downregulation of Akt signal transduction in human keratinocytes. 1604 7

We found that striptease-positive mast cells were abundant in the invasive front of human colon adenocarcinoma by examining 30 cases. Because tryptase has been suggested to be the agonist proteinase for protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2), we investigated the effects of stimulation of PAR-2 by tryptase on the cell signaling and proliferation of DLD-1, a human colon carcinoma cell line. PAR-2 stimulation by tryptase induced the increase in [Ca(2+)](i), which was desensitized by the prior application of PAR-2 activating peptide (AP). The proliferative responses of DLD-1 to tryptase and PAR-2 AP were associated with the phosphorylation of MEK and MAP kinase. Inhibition of MEK by PD98059 completely inhibited the proliferation-enhancing effects of tryptase and PAR-2 AP as well as phosphorylation of MAP kinase. Moreover, tryptase and PAR-2 AP stimulated the production of prostaglandin E2 and the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis by indomethacin or NS398 resulted in the complete inhibition of the proliferative responses to tryptase and PAR-2 AP. Furthermore, the tryptase-stimulated proliferation of DLD-1 was concentration-dependently inhibited by nafamostat mesilate, a specific inhibitor of tryptase. These results as a whole indicated that tryptase has proliferative effects on DLD-1 through cyclooxygenase- and MAP kinase-dependent manners acting on PAR-2 by its proteolytic activity.
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PMID:Mast cell tryptase stimulates DLD-1 carcinoma through prostaglandin- and MAP kinase-dependent manners. 1609 13

Elevation of the intracellular cAMP concentration in agonist-activated human neutrophils (PMN) leads to the concomitant inhibitions of arachidonic acid (AA) release, 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) translocation, and leukotriene (LT) biosynthesis. We report herein that exogenous AA completely prevents cAMP-dependent inhibition of 5-LO translocation and LT biosynthesis in agonist-activated PMN. Moreover, the group IVA phospholipase A2 inhibitor pyrrophenone and the MEK inhibitor U-0126 inhibited AA release and 5-LO translocation in activated PMN, and these effects were also prevented by exogenous AA, demonstrating a functional link between AA release and 5-LO translocation. Polyunsaturated fatty acids of the C18 and C20 series containing at least three double bonds located from carbon 9 (or closer to the carboxyl group) were equally effective as AA in restoring 5-LO translocation in pyrrophenone-treated agonist-activated PMN. Importantly, experiments with the 5-LO-activating protein inhibitor MK-0591 and the intracellular Ca2+ chelator BAPTA-AM demonstrated that the AA-regulated 5-LO translocation is FLAP- and Ca2+-dependent. Finally, the redox and competitive 5-LO inhibitors L-685,015, L-739,010, and L-702,539 (but not cyclooxygenase inhibitors) efficiently substituted for AA to reverse the pyrrophenone inhibition of 5-LO translocation, indicating that the site of regulation of 5-LO translocation by AA is at or in the vicinity of the catalytic site. This report demonstrates that AA regulates the translocation of 5-LO in human PMN and unravels a novel mechanism of the cAMP-mediated inhibition of LT biosynthesis.
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PMID:Arachidonic acid regulates the translocation of 5-lipoxygenase to the nuclear membranes in human neutrophils. 1627 40

The roles of growth factor receptors and numerous downstream growth regulatory pathways are of increasing interest in neuro-oncology. These pathways have been extensively studied in gliomas but only recently analyzed in meningiomas. This article reviews current research on the growth factor receptor-Ras-Raf-1-MEK-1-MAPK, PI3K-Akt/PKB, PLC-gamma1-PKC, phospholipase A2-cyclooxygenase, and TGF-beta receptor-Smad pathways that appear to regulate meningioma growth and inhibit apoptosis. Sites along these receptor/kinase cascades that might be targeted by novel therapies are also discussed.
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PMID:Mitogenic signal transduction pathways in meningiomas: novel targets for meningioma chemotherapy? 1631 13


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