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Ligands for macrophage scavenger receptors are reported to induce a wide range of host cell responses, including the production of inflammatory cytokines; however, the underlying mechanisms have not yet been fully understood and which remain obscure. In this study, we have examined the effect of maleylated bovine serum albumin (maleylated-BSA), a well-known ligand of the scavenger receptor, on the murine macrophage cell line RAW264.7. Maleylated-BSA strongly induced the production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and NF-kB p65. We also observed that maleylated-BSA-induced TNF-α production was blocked by the ERK inhibitor U0126. Together, these data demonstrates that maleylated-BSAinduced production of TNF-α requires the ERK/NF-κB signaling cascade in murine RAW-264.7 macrophages.

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