Different activation of ERK1/2 and p38 with hyperbaric oxygen in dorsal root ganglion

Prolonged hyperbaric oxygen exposure causes pulmonary and nervous system toxicity, although hyperbaric oxygen treatment has been used to treat a broad spectrum of ailments. In the current study, animals have been exposed to 100% oxygen at a pressure of 2.3 atmospheres absolute (ATA) for two, six and 10 hours or 0.23 MPa normoxic hyperbaric nitrogen (N2-O2 mixture, oxygen partial pressure = 21 kPa) for 10 hours. Then we investigated whether ERK1/2 and p38 had been activated in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) by hyperbaric conditions. Using Western blot analysis, we found that the phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2 (phospho-ERK1/2) increased significantly (p < 0.05, n = 3 for each group) in the six-hour treatment of 100% oxygen at a pressure of 2.3 ATA. The phosphorylation levels of p38 (phospho-p38) increased significantly (p < 0.05, n = 3 for each group) in the 10-hour treatment of 100% oxygen at a pressure of 2.3 ATA--which was consistent with time course changes of an apoptosis marker, cleavage caspase-3--while the phospho-p38 decreased in the 10 hours of N2-O2 mixture. These results demonstrate that the ERK1/2 and p38 have been differently activated in the DRG by prolonged hyperbaric oxygen exposure.