Figure 5.

P38 functioned as a downstream effector of TGF-β1 and was involved in regulation of ank after CCMT stimulation. Western blotting (A) shows the protein phosphorylation of p38, but not of p44/42 and JNK, in endplate chondrocytes after CCMT for 20 min. All experiments were repeated at least three times. SB431542 (10 μm) down-regulated CCMT-induced p-p38 expression (B); SB203580 (10 μm) down-regulated CCMT-induced ANK expressions both in mRNA (C) and protein (D) levels. GAPDH mRNA expression was used as an internal control for real time PCR. GAPDH protein level acted as a loading control for Western blotting. The columns represent the mean ± SE. *P<0.05; **P<0.01 vs nonloading.