title: P38 MAPK pathway is involved in the urokinase plasminogen activator expression in human gastric SNU-638 cells.
abstract: Overexpression of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) is known to correlate closely with tumor cell invasion and metastasis. In gastric cancer, however, the mechanism for induction of uPA remains to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the intracellular signaling for uPA expression in human gastric carcinoma cells (AGS, SNU-1, SNU-5, and SNU-638). SNU-638 cells which expressed a high level of uPA was found to be highly invasive on a matrigel, while AGS, SNU-1, and SNU-5 cells with low levels of uPA expression were only slightly invasive. SNU-638 cells showed a much higher P38 MAPK activity than the 3 other cell lines. However, there was no significant difference in the activities of P44/42 MAPK (Erk-1/2), JNK and Akt among the above cell lines. Treatment of SNU-638 cells with SB203580, a specific P38 MAPK inhibitor, reduced both the promoter activity and mRNA expression of uPA. Expression of a vector encoding a mutated-type P38alpha MAPK resulted in decrease in the uPA promoter activity in SNU-638 cells. These results suggest that P38 MAPK signaling pathway is important for uPA expression in gastric SNU-638 cells by enhancing the promoter activity of uPA.
authors.affiliation: Chonnam University Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Chonnam National University Medical School, Kwangju 501-190, Korea.
authors.forename: Boo A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Hyeon G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Hong S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mi H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Kee O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Chay
authors.forename: Kee Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Bong W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Young D
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D003094:Collagen / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D007797:Laminin / Q000494:pharmacology; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000494:pharmacology; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007093:Imidazoles; D007797:Laminin; D011509:Proteoglycans; D011725:Pyridines; C059485:matrigel; D003094:Collagen; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator; C093642:SB 203580