Fig. 2.

Enhanced metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 protein expression were mediated by the ERK/JNK pathways in AGEs-treated NRK-52E cells. The activation levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in cells treated with AGEs and MAPK inhibitors (A) Immunodetection of phospolylation-ERK and phospolylation -JNK in untreated and AGEs-treated NRK-52E cells. (B) Protein expression of MMP-2 (72 kDa) and MMP-9 (92 kDa) were analyzed by Western blotting. MMP-2 and MMP-9 protein expression were determined in the NRK-52E cells treated with AGEs (100 μg/mL) for 24 h. (C) Twenty 24 h after the cells were treated with 100 μg/mL of AGEs, MMP-2 and MMP-9 gelatinolytic activity in NRK-52E cells was evaluated by zymography. Effect of treatment with ERK inhibitor (PD98059) and JNK inhibitor (SP600125) on the activation of (D) MMP-2 and (E) MMP-9 were evaluated using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR)