Figure 4.

The effect of HPV 16 E2 combined with SB203580 or SP600125 on gC1qR expression, and cervical squamous carcinoma cell line (C33a and SiHa) viability, migration and proliferation. The cells were treated with unmodified media (control) or HPV 16 E2 vector. After 72 h, the cells were treated with 20 μM SB203580 (a p38 MAPK pathway inhibitor) or 30 μM SP600125 (a JNK pathway inhibitor). A: Relative gC1qR gene expression levels are shown in C33a and SiHa cervical squamous carcinoma cell lines. gC1qR expression levels were analysed by real-time PCR. B: gC1qR protein expression levels were measured in C33a and SiHa cells using Western blot analysis. The graph depicts relative gC1qR protein levels normalised to actin. The results are expressed as the means ± SD of three separate experiments. C: C33a and SiHa cell viability was detected using a WST-1 assay. Sample absorbance was analysed using a bichromatic ELISA reader at 450 nm. D: C33a and SiHa cell migration was measured by a transwell assay. Migrated cells were counted via microscopy (400 X) in five different fields per filter. E: C33a and SiHa cell proliferation. ³H-thymidine DNA incorporation over the last 18 h of the final incubation. The results are expressed as the mean ± SD from 3 independent experiments. ***p < 0.001, **p < 0.01, *p < 0.05, ^#p > 0.05 versus the HPV 16 E2 (−), SB203580 (−), and SP600125 (−) groups; ^▲▲▲p < 0.001, ^▲▲p < 0.01, ^▲p < 0.05 versus the HPV 16 E2 (+), SB203580 (−), and SP600125 (−) groups.