Skip to main content
. 2018 Jun 20;19(6):1813. doi: 10.3390/ijms19061813

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Model of lead (Pb2+)-induced activation of the IL-8 gene. The diagram presents a signaling pathway leading to the induction of the IL-8 gene in human AGS cells (human caucasian gastric adenocarcinoma) after the administration of 0.1 μM Pb(NO3)2. Pb2+ activates the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and p42/44 mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphorylation, which then activates the protein heterodimeric transcriptional factor AP-1 (containing the c-jun protein), resulting in the activation of IL-8 gene expression. The use of EGFR inhibitors (PD153035 and AG1478) resulted in a decrease in IL-8 gene expression, but EGFR inhibitors were unable to fully abolish Pb(NO3)2-induced IL-8 gene expression. The use of a MAP kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor (PD98059) significantly suppressed IL-8 gene expression.