Formation of lymphatic capillaries by lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) occurs both in normal tissues as well as in pathological processes including tumor metastasis. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine, has been shown to be highly elevated in various cancers. IL-6 has also been shown to increase tumor lymphangiogenesis through vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) induction in tumor cells. Although lymphangiogenesis is associated with lymph node metastasis and also resistance to conventional therapy in various cancers, the precise mechanisms of lymphangiogenesis in LECs remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the signaling cascade involved in IL-6-induced VEGF-C expression in murine LECs (SV-LEC). The VEGF-C mRNA and protein levels were increased in SV-LECs exposed to IL-6. IL-6 time-dependently induced Src phosphorylation and downstream phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38MAPK. In contrast, PP2, an inhibitor of Src signaling, abrogated IL-6's effects on ERK1/2 and p38MAPK phosphorylation. IL-6 exposure also led to increase in VEGF-C promoter-luciferase activity as well as C/EBPβ- and κB-luciferase activities. VEGF-C promoter-, C/EBPβ- and κB-luciferase activities were all suppressed by Src, ERK1/2 or p38MAPK signaling blockades despite presence of IL-6. Finally, C/EBPβ and p65 binding to the VEGF-C promoter region were increased after IL-6 exposure in SV-LECs. Taken together, we report a Src-mediated ERK1/2 and p38MAPK activation resulting in C/EBPβ and p65 binding to the promoter region of VEGF-C, leading to VEGF-C expression in IL-6-exposed SV-LECs.
Asthma care mobile service (ACMS) is a care platform for asthma patients using mobile phones to monitor asthma patients' real-time conditions. The anticipated benefits and development of the healthcare network platform rely on people's adoptive willingness and behavioral intention. The goal of this study is to understand and predict patients' acceptance behavior for ACMS as an application of e-health. The study is based on the technology acceptance model and integrates "subjective norm" and "innovativeness" to understand and predict the patient's attitude and behavioral intention. Employing a convenience sampling method, valid questionnaire responses were obtained from 229 patients. A confirmatory factor analysis examined the reliability and validity of the measurement model, while the structural equation modeling technique was employed to interpret the causal model. The model was used in the study to explain and predict the utilization of ACMS with a high explanatory power as a good-fit model. The results indicated the most critical factor that affects behavioral intentions related to ACMS is user attitude, followed by perceived usefulness, subjective norm, perceived ease of use, and innovativeness. The results provide the government developing high-tech, preventive medicine strategies the necessary data to define an appropriate policy to use in attracting greater participation in the effort.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.