FIG. 4.

Decreased bcl-2 gene expression by inhibition of the ERK1/2 pathway. AGS epithelial cells were cocultured with H. pylori strain 99 (cagA⁺, cytotoxin positive) with or without pretreatment by MEK1/2 inhibitor PD98050 (20 μM) or p38 inhibitor SB203580 (10 μM) for 1 h. After 6 h of coculture, total cellular RNA was extracted and RT-PCR was performed for bcl-2 family genes. PCR products were separated on a 2% NuSieve agarose gel and stained with ethidium bromide.