Figure 1.

Effect of DMS and DHS on FCS-stimulated DNA synthesis and ERK-1/2 activation. (A) and (C) PVSMC were pretreated with vehicle or (A) DMS (0.1–100 µM) or (C) DMS (0.1–100 µM) for 15 min before FCS stimulation for 24 h. [³H]-thymidine was added for the last 5 h, and its incorporation into DNA quantified. Results are expressed as a percentage of FCS-stimulated vehicle-treated controls. The * indicates P ≤ 0.05 compared to FCS-stimulated control using one-way anova followed by a Bonferroni test, n = 6. (B) and (C) PVSMCs were pretreated with vehicle or (B) DMS (0.1–100 µM) or (C) DHS (0.1–100 µM) for 15 min before FCS stimulation for 10 min. Samples were Western blotted for phospho-ERK-1/2 (P-ERK-1 /2). Blots were stripped and re-probed with anti-α-actin antibody to ensure equal protein loading. Representative Western blots are shown. Blots were quantified by densitometry, and results are presented as % maximal FCS-stimulated phospho-ERK-1/2 (mean ± SEM, n = 5, b and n = 5, c). (D) PVSMCs were pretreated with vehicle or DMS (50 µM) for 15 min before FCS stimulation for 10 min. Samples were Western blotted for phospho-Akt. Blots were stripped and re-probed with anti-Akt antibody to ensure equal protein loading. The Western blot shown is representative of two cell preparations with each treatment performed in duplicate wells.