FIG 5.

p38 and JNK MAPK influence GBS-mediated cytokine activation. THP-1 macrophages were treated with a p38 inhibitor (SB203580, 10 μM), a JNK inhibitor (SP600125, 25 μM), or a vehicle control (DMSO) 1.25 h prior to infecting them with GBS at a MOI of 10 for 1 h. They were washed and treated with antibiotics for an additional hour prior to collecting cell culture supernatants for cytokine analysis. Data from at least three independent biological replicates were pooled to determine the average cytokine concentrations (pg/ml) produced under each of the infection conditions shown. The average and standard deviation of each condition were plotted for comparison, and significance was determined by ANOVA, followed by post-ANOVA Dunnett’s tests (*, P = 0.01 to 0.05; **, P = 0.001 to 0.01; ***, P = 0.0001 to 0.001; ****, P < 0.0001) to compare the mean of each condition to the mean of the GB411 vehicle control infection condition (GB411 DMSO). All cytokines tested had ANOVA P values of <0.0001.