Fig 4. Effects of UDCA on activation of the p38 MAPK, ERK1/2, and JNK signaling pathways induced by HG.
The phosphorylated and total levels of p38 MAPK (A), ERK1/2 (B), and JNK (C) in cells under HG (for 24 h) were measured by Western blotting. The ratios of phosphorylated to total protein levels were determined using the Image J software. #,* Significant difference at the P < 0.025 based on post-hoc Mann-Whitney U test following a Kruskal-Wallis test (#, Control vs. HG; *, HG vs. HG + UDCA). Error bars: SEMs. (D and E) The JNK inhibitor SP600125 (10 μM) or the NF-κB inhibitor PDTC (10 μM) were added for 1 h prior to HG. Western blotting was used to detect RAGE. Representative images from at least three experiments are shown. #,* Significant difference at the P < 0.025 based on post-hoc Mann-Whitney U test following a Kruskal-Wallis test (#, Control vs. HG; *, HG vs. HG + SP600125/ PDTC). Error bars: SEMs.