Fig 3. Kras and Raf-1 are the upstream molecules of the AKT/ERK1/2/p38 pathway involved in P4-induced increases in the levels of p21cip1 and p27kip1 protein in RASMCs.
(A) Pre-treatment of RASMCs with a Kras inhibitor, FTI (10 μM), for 1 h prevented P4-induced increases in the levels of p-Raf-1, p-ERK1/2, p-AKT, and p-p38 protein. (B) Pre-treatment of RASMCs with a Raf-1 inhibitor, sulindac sulfide (10 μM), for 1 h prevented P4-induced increases in the levels of p-ERK1/2, p-AKT, and p-p38 protein. Data are representative of 2 independent experiments with similar results. Values shown in parentheses represent the quantified results adjusted with their own total protein level and expressed as ratio over control. Con, control. FTI, farnesyltransferase inhibitor; SS, sulindac sulfide.