Figure 8.

PPP3/calcineurin accounts for the dual roles of the AKT/TFE3 pathway in the effects of Cd. (A) MSCs were treated with various concentrations of Cd for 24 h. Western blot analysis was then performed to assess the expression level of the PPP3/calcineurin catalytic subunits PPP3CA, PPP3CB and PPP3CC. Treatment with the PPP3/calcineurin inhibitor FK506 (10 μM) for 24 h significantly reduced (B) the Cd-induced decreases in phospho-AKT (Ser473) as measured by western blot and (C) the Cd-induced nuclear translocation of TFE3 as indicated by immunofluorescence. Nuclei were stained with DAPI. The results are expressed as the percentage of the control, which was set to 100%. The values are presented as the means ± SEM, **p < 0.01 versus the control group, and ^##p < 0.01 versus the Cd (14 μM) group. (n = 3).