Figure 4

MAPK-related responses to SMF in hEBD LVEC cells. (A) An increase in p38 phosphorylation occurred in the SMF-treated cells (representative results from one of three experiments is shown for 30 min of SMF exposure; a normalized ratio of phosphorylated p38 (Ph-p38) to p38 is provided in the bar graph after quantification of the western blots by densitometry). (B) Proliferation of SMF-exposed cells decreased over the first 6 days of SMF exposure but not at nine days (error bars represent SD for n ≥ 3 independent experiments and "*" indicates p < 0.05 and "**" indicates p < 0.01). No change in the number of apoptotic cells was detected after SMF exposure when evaluated by the Annexin V/propidium iodide assay (Panel C; representative data from one of three experiments is shown) compared to control cells (Panel D).