Figure 2.

mTOR and S6K1 protein expression and phosphorylation. Vascular smooth muscle cells were divided into five groups: Young cells, senescent cells, Sen + rap, Sen + CC and Sen + AICAR group. (A) Representative western blots of mTOR, p-mTOR (Ser²⁴⁴⁸), p-mTOR (Thr²⁴⁴⁶), p-mTOR (Ser²⁴⁸¹), S6K1 and p-S6K1 protein levels. (B) Semi-quantitative analysis of mTOR, p-mTOR (Ser²⁴⁴⁸), p-mTOR (Thr²⁴⁴⁶) and p-S6K1 protein levels in A. Values are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation (n=4). *P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001 between two indicated groups. Sen, senescent cells; Rap, rapamycin; CC, Compound C; p-mTOR, phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin; S6K1, ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1; AICAR, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside (agonist of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase).