title: [Effects of mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling pathway proteins on kidney injury in mice exposed subchronically to cadmium].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effects of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) on kidney injury in female BALB/c mice exposed to cadmium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 3 groups, i.e. control group, low Cd exposure group (2.5 µmol/kg) and high Cd exposure group (10 µmol/kg) were exposed to normal saline, 2.5, 10 µmol/kg Cd, respectively, 3 times a week for 14 weeks. The kidney slice were stained by HE, PAS and Masson staining to observe the morphological changes. The expression levels of pERK, ERK, pp38, p38, pJNK and JNK proteins in kidneys were tested by Western blot assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ratios of pERK/ERK, pp38/p38, pJNK/JNK in high Cd group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The ratio of pERK/ERK in low Cd group was higher than control group (P < 0.05). The expression levels of bcl-2, bax proteins and the ratio of bcl-2 to bax in Cd exposure groups decreased significantly, as compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The impairment of renal glomeruli and tubules were observed in HE, PAS and Masson staining slices of kidneys in mice exposed to Cd.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CdCl2 may induced renal injury by affecting the expression levels of MAPK.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Healthy, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Xia
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Zhao-Xiang
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shu-Shu
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Ya-Juan
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Xing-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Dao-Jun
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qiu-Yue
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases