title: Soman poisoning alters p38 MAPK pathway in rat cerebellar Purkinje cells.
abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate the expression of phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and MAPK-activated transcription factors elk-1, c-jun and c-myc in rat cerebellar Purkinje cells after soman poisoning to investigate the pathogenetic mechanism of non-specific long-term adverse effects of nerve agents. Male Wistar rats were poisoned by intramuscular administration of soman at a dose 60 microg kg(-1) (80% LD(50)), while control animals were administered physiological saline. Samples were taken 1, 7 and 14 days after poisoning, immunohistochemically stained and p-p38MAPK, p-c-jun, p-c-myc, and p-elk-1 expressions were measured using computer image analysis. An increased expression of phosphorylated p38 MAPK and c-myc 14 days after soman poisoning was found, while both activated elk-1 and c-jun expression remained unchanged 1, 7 and 14 days after intoxication. Late activation of p38 MAPK and their targets might be the underlying mechanism of chronic neurophysiological adverse effects.
authors.affiliation: Center of Advance Studies, Faculty of Medical Health Sciences, University of Defense, Trebesská 1575, 50001 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. jaroslav.pejchal@seznam.cz
authors.forename: Jaroslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pejchal
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Osterreicher
authors.forename: Jiri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kassa
authors.forename: Ales
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tichy
authors.forename: Stanislav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Micuda
authors.forename: Zuzana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sinkorova
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zarybnicka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000506:poisoning*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D012999:Soman / Q000506:poisoning*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D012999:Soman; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases