title: MAP kinase activation and apoptosis in lung tissues from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
abstract: Three major MAP kinases (MAPKs), including extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 kinase (p38 MAPK), are involved in the regulation of lung inflammation and injury. This study investigated whether MAPKs are activated and associated with lung injury in lung tissues from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The expression of the active ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPK was examined using western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry and apoptosis was also examined by the TUNEL method, in lung tissues from ten patients with IPF obtained by thoracoscopic biopsy and in eight normal lung parenchyma specimens obtained by lobectomy for lung cancer. Activated MAPKs are significantly increased in lung homogenates from patients with IPF compared with controls. Activated ERK in epithelial and endothelial cells, but not in fibroblasts or smooth muscle cells, was decreased, accompanied by the progression of fibrosis. Activated JNK in epithelial and endothelial cells, but not in fibroblasts, was increased, accompanied by the progression of fibrosis. Activated p38 MAPK in epithelial, endothelial, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts was increased at the intermediate stage of fibrosis, in which the TUNEL-positive cells were predominantly detected. This is the first study to suggest that MAPKs may be associated with the regulation of inflammation and lung injury in IPF.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Diseases of the Chest, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuwano
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hagimoto
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Tokuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuba
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Inoshima
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases