Research Paper Volume 13, Issue 14 pp 18606—18619

Figure 6. AMPK activation in obese CCD rats reduces the ERK phosphorylation, NOX4 expression, oxidative stress and inflammatory response in L4, L5 spinal cord and DRG of obese CCD rats. (A–D) The expression of p-AMPK, AMPK, p-ERK, ERK, and NOX4 in nervous tissue of rats were determined by western blot and immunohistochemistry. (E–G) SOD, MDA, NADPH oxidase activity in the nervous tissue were detected by kit. (H–J) IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α mRNA levels in nervous tissue were detected by PCR. N = 10-15 per group, *P < 0.05 vs. NCCD group, **P < 0.01 vs. NCCD group, ^#P < 0.05 vs. saline group, ^##P < 0.01 vs. saline group. AMPK, AMP-activated protein kinase; U0126, ERK inhibitor; ERK, extracellular-regulated kinase; NOX4, NAD(P)H oxidase 4; DRG, dorsal root ganglia; CCD, chronic compression of the dorsal root ganglia; MDA, malondialdehyde; SOD, superoxide dismutase; IL-1β, interleukin-1 beta; IL-6, interleukin-6; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor alpha; qRT-PCR, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction; NCCD, normal CCD; OCCD, obese CCD.