Involvement of p38 kinase signaling in PC12 cell death induced by nitric oxide / 中国病理生理杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To study signal transduction pathway of nitric oxide-induced PC12 cell death. METHODS: After PC12 cells were incubated with sodium nitroprusside(SNP), caspase-3 inhibitor Ⅱ plus SNP or p38 inhibitor-SB203580 plus SNP, cell survival rate was quantified by MTT assay and caspase-3 activity was measured with caspase-3 assay kits. RESULTS: SNP induced PC12 cell death in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and increased caspase-3 activity gradually. Both caspase-3 inhibitorⅡand SB203580 reduced cell death significantly, but SB203580 reduced caspase-3 activity significantly. CONCLUSION: NO might induce PC12 cell death through the activation of p38 and caspase-3.