The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway has an anti-apoptotic effect through several downstream targets, which includes activation of the transformed mouse 3T3 cell double-minute 2 (Mdm2) protein, its translocation to the nucleus and degradation of the tumor suppressor p53. We show that Mif, the Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor, an important cytokine at the maternal fetal interface in several species, triggers phosphorylation of Mdm2 protein in a PI3K/Akt-dependent manner, thereby preventing apoptosis in cultured mouse decidual cells. Inhibition of Akt and PI3K suppresses the pathway.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: After aggression to the dental pulp, some cells produce cytokines in order to start and control the inflammatory process. Among these cytokines, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) emerge as important ones.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the location, distribution and concentration of these cytokines in healthy and inflamed dental pulps.