Fig. 6: oxLDL-induced COX-2 expression is mediated by the p38 MAPK pathway in TM3 Leydig cells. | Cell Death & Disease

Fig. 6: oxLDL-induced COX-2 expression is mediated by the p38 MAPK pathway in TM3 Leydig cells.

From: Oxidized-LDL inhibits testosterone biosynthesis by affecting mitochondrial function and the p38 MAPK/COX-2 signaling pathway in Leydig cells

Fig. 6: oxLDL-induced COX-2 expression is mediated by the p38 MAPK pathway in TM3 Leydig cells.The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

Cells were treated with various concentrations of oxLDL for 24 h (a, b) or with 100 μg/mL oxLDL for different time points (c, d), and the mRNA and protein expression of COX-2 was detected by qRT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. The vehicle with no oxLDL treatment was used as a control. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, compared with the control. e After incubation with 100 μg/mL oxLDL for different time points, the levels of phosphorylated MAPK (p-ERK, p-JNK, and p-p38) and total MAPK (T-ERK, T-JNK, and T-p38) were detected by western blotting. f The ratio of p-p38 to T-p38 was calculated. The p-p38 level in TM3 cells without oxLDL treatment (0 min) was used as a control (*P < 0.05). g Cells were pretreated with 0.5 μM SB203580 (a p38 inhibitor) for 1 h and then with 100 μg/mL oxLDL for 24 h. The protein expression of COX-2 was detected by western blotting and compared to that observed with oxLDL treatment alone (**P < 0.01). The data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation of at least three independent experiments.

Back to article page