Seo, Hong Joo
(Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chosun University Hospital)
Choi, Sang Joon
(Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chosun University Hospital)
Lee, Jung-Hee
(Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Chosun University School of Medicine)
Paraquat has been suggested to induce apoptosis by generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, little is known about the mechanism of paraquat-induced apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate that extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) is required for paraquat-induced apoptosis in NIH3T3 cells. Paraquat treatment resulted in activation of ERK, and U0126, inhibitors of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway, prevented apoptosis. Moreover, paraquat-induced apoptosis was associated with cytochrome C release, which could be prevented by treatment with the MEK inhibitors. Taken together, our findings suggest that ERK activation plays an active role in mediating paraquat-induced apoptosis of NIH3T3 cells.