title: Different activation of ERK1/2 and p38 with hyperbaric oxygen in dorsal root ganglion.
abstract: Prolonged hyperbaric oxygen exposure causes pulmonary and nervous system toxicity, although hyperbaric oxygen treatment has been used to treat a broad spectrum of ailments. In the current study, animals have been exposed to 100% oxygen at a pressure of 2.3 atmospheres absolute (ATA) for two, six and 10 hours or 0.23 MPa normoxic hyperbaric nitrogen (N2-O2 mixture, oxygen partial pressure = 21 kPa) for 10 hours. Then we investigated whether ERK1/2 and p38 had been activated in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) by hyperbaric conditions. Using Western blot analysis, we found that the phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2 (phospho-ERK1/2) increased significantly (p < 0.05, n = 3 for each group) in the six-hour treatment of 100% oxygen at a pressure of 2.3 ATA. The phosphorylation levels of p38 (phospho-p38) increased significantly (p < 0.05, n = 3 for each group) in the 10-hour treatment of 100% oxygen at a pressure of 2.3 ATA--which was consistent with time course changes of an apoptosis marker, cleavage caspase-3--while the phospho-p38 decreased in the 10 hours of N2-O2 mixture. These results demonstrate that the ERK1/2 and p38 have been differently activated in the DRG by prolonged hyperbaric oxygen exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diving Medicine, the Naval Medical Research Institute, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Kai-Cheng
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao-Chen
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Yi-Qun
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Hai-Ting
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000502:physiology; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000633:toxicity; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C535150:MAPK1 protein, human; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D053148:Caspase 3; D010100:Oxygen