Hypoxia Induces Expression and Activation of AMPK in Rat Dental Pulp Cells

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a stress-responsive enzyme involved in cell adaptation to an energy crisis. We hypothesized that hypoxia suppresses oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production, resulting in AMPK activation to protect cells. We investigated the effects of hypoxia on cell proliferation, the expression of AMPK and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), the activation of AMPK, and the relationship between AMPK and HIF-1α...