The roles of ERK1/2 and p38 MAP kinases in the preventive mechanisms of mushroom Phellinus linteus against the inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication by hydrogen peroxide.
Modulation of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) is a known cellular event associated with tumor promotion. The present study was undertaken to test the potential preventive effect of mushroom Phellinus linteus extract (PL) on the inhibition of GJIC, induced by hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), in WB-F344 rat liver epithelial cells (WB cells). Cells were pre-incubated with PL (5 and 25 microg/ml) for 24 h and this was followed by co-treatment with PL and H(2)O(2) (500 microM) for 1 h. PL (at 5 and 25 microg/ml) prevented the inhibition of GJIC and blocked the hyper-phosphorylation of connexin 43 by H(2)O(2). Moreover, H(2)O(2) activated p38 kinase, extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (ERK)1/2 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in WB cells. The present study indicates that PL is able to inactivate both ERK1/2 and p38 MAP kinases. However, PL did not affect the JNK pathway. For this reason, to elucidate the relation between MAP kinases and GJIC, we treated cells with PD98059 (an MEK inhibitor) and SB202190 (a p38 kinase inhibitor). These inhibitors were also found to prevent the inhibition of GJIC induced by H(2)O(2), which suggests that PL may act as a natural anticancer product by preventing the inhibition of GJIC through the inactivation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAP kinases. In addition, our results indicate that the p38 kinase signaling pathway may be closely related functionally to the gap junction in rat liver epithelial cells.
Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tumor Biology, Department of Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Suwon 441-744, South Korea.
Jong-Ho
JH
Cho
Sung-Dae
SD
Cho
Hongbo
H
Hu
Sung-Hoon
SH
Kim
Song Koo
SK
Lee
Yong-Soon
YS
Lee
Kyung-Sun
KS
Kang
D000363:Agaricales / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000187:drug effects*; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000633:toxicity*; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
D018031:Connexin 43; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D007093:Imidazoles; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011725:Pyridines; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; C090942:4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)imidazole; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one