Fig. 7From: Hyperthermia induced HIF-1a expression of lung cancer through AKT and ERK signaling pathwaysHIF-1a expression in SCLCs following heat treatment was regulated through the AKT but not the ERK signaling pathway. The method used was described in Fig. 6; NCI-H446-b subline cells are harvested and western blot analysis for protein expression is applied. a There were no obvious changes in AKT and ERK total protein expression levels (※ p > 0.05 between different groups). p-AKT was gradually induced with increasing heregulin concentrations (* p < 0.05 between different groups), but p-ERK expression showed no significant change (# p > 0.05 between different groups). b HIF-1a expression was upregulated after treated by heregulin (▲ p < 0.05 heregulin group vs control group), but was inhibited after co-treatment with wortmannin, but not PD98059 (* p < 0.05 heregulin group vs heregulin + wortmannin group, # p > 0.05 heregulin group vs heregulin + PD98059 group). Total AKT and ERK protein levels also showed no significant changes between all treatment groups (※ p > 0.05 heregulin group vs heregulin + wortmannin group or heregulin + PD98059 group). p-AKT expression was upregulated when treated by heregulin (★ p < 0.05 heregulin group vs control group) and inhibited after co-treatment with wortmannin (◆ p < 0.05 heregulin group vs heregulin + wortmannin group). However, p-ERK expression in SCLCs was unaffected, regardless of heregulin or PD98059 treatment (■ p > 0.05 heregulin group vs control group, ● p > 0.05 heregulin group vs heregulin + PD98059 group)Back to article page