title: [Protective effects of pravastatin against P38MAPK signaling pathway-mediated inflammatory toxicity in islet micro-endothelial cells].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the signaling pathways associated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in islet micro-endothelial cells (IMECs) and the mechanism of pravastatin intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  IMECs exposed to LPS, SB203580, pravastatin, or SB203580+pravastatin were examined for cell apoptosis with Hoechst staining and flow cytometry and for expression levels of total-p38, photophosphorylation-p38 (p-p38) and iNOS with Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The apoptosis rate and expression levels of total-p38, p-p38, iNOS in IMECs all increased after LPS exposure. Pravastatin, SB203580, and their combination significantly attenuated LPS-induced enhancement of cell apoptosis and total-p38, p-p38, and iNOS expressions in IMECs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LPS-induced inflammatory toxicity in IMECs is associated with the activation of P38MAPK and iNOS/NO signaling pathways. Pravastatin can inhibit these pathways and suppress the apoptosis and necrosis of IMECs to relieve the cell inflammatory injuries.
authors.affiliation: Second College of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China. E-mail: hunan021@163.com.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yuancheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Jiansheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lishan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Juchang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Songyuan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Dehong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D007249:Inflammation; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000098:blood supply; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496317:Nos2 protein, mouse; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D017035:Pravastatin