FIGURE 4.

Effects of DMF on p38 MAPK pathway. ARPE-19 cells exposed to normal glucose (NG) or high glucose (HG) w/or w/o DMF (10 μM) for 24 h (A) p38 MAPK was measured by western blot analysis; band densities were quantified by ImageQuantTL software and normalized values were plotted in the histogram shown on the right (***p < 0.001 vs. NG; †p < 0.05 vs. untreated/HG; n = 6). (B) ARPE-19 cells exposed to normal glucose (NG) or high glucose (HG) were pretreated with SB202190 (10 µM), a p38 MAPK inhibitor for 30 min and then treated with DMF (10 μM) for 24 h. VEGF levels were measured through ELISA. *p < 0.05 vs. NG untreated cells; n = 6. (C) MTT analysis: values are expressed as percentage of cell viability in NG untreated cells. *p < 0.05 or **p < 0.01 vs. NG untreated cells; n = 6.