Fig. 8

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors and 1,25(OH)₂D₃ inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced phosphorylation of p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). Cultured cells were treated for 180 min with PBS (control; Cont.) alone, or LPS combined with 20 μM of SB203580, PD98059, SP600125, or 100 nM 1,25(OH)₂D₃, and then harvested to conduct Western blot analyses of phosphorylated (p)-p38 (a), p-ERK (p42/44) (b), and p-JNK (p46/54) (c). Levels of p-p38, p-ERK, and p-JNK were respectively normalized to total levels of p38, ERK, and JNK, and then quantified. Data are expressed as the mean ± SEM (n = 5 in each group). *p < 0.05, ***p < 0.001 vs. the Cont.; ⁺ p < 0.05, ⁺⁺ p < 0.01, ⁺⁺⁺ p < 0.001 vs. LPS