Stimulation of Alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Attenuates Nicotine-Induced Upregulation of MMP, MCP-1, and RANTES through Modulating ERK1/2/AP-1 Signaling Pathway in RAW264.7 and MOVAS Cells

Figure 3

Nicotine increased the phosphorylation of c-Jun in MOVAS cells. (a) MOVAS cells were exposed to 10 ng/ml nicotine for 0, 10, 20, 30, 60, and 120 min. (e) MOVAS cells were treated with nicotine for 30 min at the concentrations of 0, 1, 10, and 100 ng/ml. The expression of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (p-ERK1/2), ERK1/2, p-c-Jun, c-Jun, p-p65, and p65 were analyzed with Western blot. (b–d, f–h) Densitometric analysis of protein bands was performed via ImageJ software. GAPDH was utilized as an internal control, and all experiments were analyzed as three different independent experiments. and versus controls.

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