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Updated: Apr 19, 2026

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Paraquat Induces Apoptosis through Cytochrome C Release and ERK Activation
Hong Joo Seo1, Sang Joon Choi2, Jung-Hee Lee3
1Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chosun University School of Medicine, Gwangju 501-759, Republic of Korea.
Abstract:
Paraquat has been suggested to induce apoptosis by generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, little is known about the mechanism of paraquat-induced apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate that extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) is required for paraquat-induced apoptosis in NIH3T3 cells. Paraquat treatment resulted in activation of ERK, and U0126, inhibitors of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway, prevented apoptosis. Moreover, paraquat-induced apoptosis was associated with cytochrome C release, which could be prevented by treatment with the MEK inhibitors. Taken together, our findings suggest that ERK activation plays an active role in mediating paraquat-induced apoptosis of NIH3T3 cells.
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