Hemin induces and sustains the phosphorylation of Erk1/2 in human umbilical vascular endothelial cells

AIM: To investigate the relationship between hemin and Erk1/2 activation in human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs). METHODS: Cultured HUVECs were separately incubated with hemin or H₂O₂ for different times. Subsequently Erk1/2 phosphorylation and total Erk1/2 were determined by Western blotting assay. Flow cytometry was employed to determine the cell cycle distribution. RESULTS: Hemin at the concentration of 1-10 μmol/L induced the phosphorylation of Erk1/2 in HUVECs, and sustained the phosphorylation of Erk1/2 for three hours. The duration of phospho-Erk1/2 induced by hemin was much longer than that in H₂O₂ control (3 h vs 30 min). CONCLUSION: Hemin induces and sustains the phosphorylation of Erk1/2 in HUVECs, which indicates that the effect of hemin on the Erk1/2 activation may be one of pharmacological target of hemin.