title: c-Jun N-terminal kinase is upregulated in patients with hypospadias.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) 1/2 in human hypospadiac tissue compared with that in normal penile tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  Penile skin tissue specimens obtained at surgery during hypospadias repair or during elective circumcision were divided into 3 groups according to the position of the urethral meatus: children with mild hypospadias (n=16), severe hypospadias (n=16), and normal controls (n=16). The expression of total and phosphorylated JNK1 and JNK2 at the messenger ribonucleic acid and protein levels were assessed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunochemistry, and Western blot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  JNK1 messenger ribonucleic acid expression and JNK1 and JNK2 phosphorylated protein levels increased significantly in subjects with mild or severe hypospadias compared with the controls (P<.05). JNK2 phosphorylated protein levels increased significantly in those with severe hypospadias compared with those with mild hypospadias (P<.05). Those with hypospadias had increased phosphorylation protein expression of JNK1/2 in the mesenchymal cell layers of the preputial subcutaneous mesenchymal cell layer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that JNK upregulation might contribute to the development of hypospadias and might associated with mesenchymal cell migration in the process of external male genitalia defect development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Urology Surgery, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Mingyong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Dawei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: Xingang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Guanghui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006801:Humans; D007021:Hypospadias / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D048055:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 8 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D048056:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 9 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010413:Penis / Q000201:enzymology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D048056:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 9; D048055:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 8