Journal: Scientific Reports

Article Title: MK2 inhibitor reduces alkali burn-induced inflammation in rat cornea

doi: 10.1038/srep28145

Figure Lengend Snippet: (A) Representative Western blots images shows the selective inhibitory effects of MK2i on MK2 activation on day 7 after alkali burn; (B) Summary plot showing changes in the MK2 phosphorylation status of the 4 groups; (C) MK2i does not inhibit p38 phosphorylation status after 7 days; (D) Summary plot showing changes in the p38 phosphorylation status of the 4 groups. Applications of either 15 or 150 μM MK2i fully and selectively suppressed MK2 activation. (Data are presented as Mean ± SEM, n = 3. ** p < 0.01, *** P < 0.001).

Article Snippet: After 1 h blocking in 5% BSA, the blots were incubated with primary antibodies for: MK2(1:1000, Cell Signaling Technology, Danvers, MA, USA), Phospho-MK2(p-MK2, 1:1000, Cell Signaling Technology), p38(1:200, Santa Cruz Biotechnology Biotechnology, Dallas, TX, USA), Phospho-p38(p-p38, 1:1000, Cell Signaling Technology), PEDF(1:500, Abcam), VEGF(1:1000, Abcam) and HRP-conjugated anti-β-actin antibody (1:20,000, Sigma, Saint Louis, MO, USA) as a loading control.

Techniques: Western Blot, Activation Assay

Journal: Current Issues in Molecular Biology

Article Title: Mitigation of 3.5 GHz Electromagnetic Field-Induced BV2 Microglial Cytotoxicity by Polydeoxyribonucleotide

doi: 10.3390/cimb47060386

Figure Lengend Snippet: Effect of SP600125, SB203580, or PD98059 on 3.5 GHz EMF-induced growth suppression of BV2 cells and phosphorylation of JNK-1/2, p38 MAPK (MK2), or ERK-1/2 in BV2 cells. ( A ) BV2 cells were exposed to 3.5 GHz EMFs without or with SP600125 (25 μM), a JNK-1/2 inhibitor, SB203580 (25 μM), a p38 MAPK inhibitor, or PD98059 (50 μM), an ERK-1/2 inhibitor for 2 h. The number of surviving cells was analyzed using cell count analysis. Data represent the mean ± SE of three independent experiments. * p < 0.01 compared with the values of the control (no 3.5 GHz EMF exposure). # p < 0.01 compared with the values of 3.5 GHz EMF exposure (no drug), as determined by one-way ANOVA followed by Sidak’s post hoc test. ( B ) A representative image of morphological changes in the conditioned cells in ( A ). ( C ) BV2 cells were exposed to 3.5 GHz EMFs without or with SP600125 (25 μM), SB203580 (25 μM), or PD98059 (50 μM) for 2 h. Whole-cell lysates from the conditioned cells were prepared and analyzed using Western blotting with antibodies.

Article Snippet: The primary antibodies, including eukaryotic initiation factor-2α (eIF-2α) (cat. no. 9722), phosphorylated (p)-extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase-1/2 (p-ERK-1/2) (T202/Y204) (cat. no. 9101), ERK-1/2 (cat. no. 9102), p-JNK-1/2 (T183/Y185) (cat. no. 9251), JNK-1/2 (cat. no. 9252), and p-p38 MAPK (T180/Y182) (cat. no. 9211) p38 MAPK (cat. no. 9212), p-MK2 (T334) (cat. no. 3007), and T-MK2 (cat. no. 3042), were obtained from Cell Signaling Technology, Inc. (Beverly, MA, USA).

Techniques: Phospho-proteomics, Cell Counting, Control, Western Blot