Skip to main content
Figure 4 | Respiratory Research

Figure 4

From: Cigarette smoke exacerbates mouse allergic asthma through Smad proteins expressed in mast cells

Figure 4

Effects of smoke exposure or MAP kinase inhibitors on the TGF-β expression, or Smad3 activity in BMMCs activated with antigen/antibody reaction or in BAL cells and lung tissues of OVA-induced asthmatic mice. BMMCs (1 × 106 cells) were sensitized and stimulated with 0.1 μg/ml anti-DNP IgE antibody and DNP-HSA (1.0 μg/ml) for 6 h, CSE solution (OD 2.0, 1.0%) was treated during DNP-HSA stimulation. mRNA expressions and activities were determined using RT-PCR and western blot as described in "Materials and Methods". Experimental conditions for BAL cells and lung tissues and group symbols used are described in Fig. 1. MAP kinase inhibitors (50 μM PD98059 for ERK, 10 μM SP600125 for JNK, and 10 μM SB203580 for p38 kinase) were added 30 min before DNP-HAS stimulation. Mean ± SEM (n = 4) for values measured by densitometry analysis was indicated by histogram. (A) Band images and histogram for time course in mRNA expression (left panel) and activity (right panel) of TGF-β and Smad3. (B) Histogram for activities of MAP kinases. (C) Band images and histogram for activities of Smad3 after pretreatment of MAP kinase inhibitors. Ag/Ab Rx, anti-DNP IgE antibody/DNP-HSA reaction; BM, BMMCs; -, +, without and with substances. *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01; ***, P < 0.001 versus control (BMMCs alone) or PBS/NS mice. +, P < 0.05; ++, P < 0.01; +++, P < 0.001 versus BMMCs without MAP kinase inhibitor. In Figure 4A and 4B, the symbols comparing to OVA/S mice and OVA/NS mice or PBS/S mice was not indicated to avoid complexity.

Back to article page