牛樟芝提取物调控Nrf2/HO-1通路对酒精性肝损伤的保护作用

研究不同剂量（100、200和400mg/kg）的牛樟芝水提物（WE）、醇提后水提取物（WEE）和醇提物（EE）对酒精诱导的ICR小鼠急性肝损伤的保护作用和对Nrf2/HO-1抗氧化信号通路的影响。研究结果表明：与模型组比较,400mg/kg的WE和WEE均能显著抑制血清ALT和AST水平的升高,200mg/kg的WE和WEE分别显著降低血清ALT和AST含量。各剂量的WE、WEE和EE均能显著降低肝脏MDA含量,200和400mg/kg的WE和不同剂量的WEE均可明显提高肝脏的SOD和CAT活力。H&E染色结果表明WE、WEE和EE对酒精诱导的肝损伤均有一定的改善作用,EE处理组的效果相对较差。免疫组化染色结果表明各剂量的WE、WEE和EE均能促进Nrf2的核转位,诱导HO-1的表达,提高肝脏的抗氧化能力,对酒精诱导的急性肝损伤具有明显的保护作用。提示牛樟芝能通过调节Nrf2/HO-1抗氧化信号通路发挥解酒保肝功效。     

Coffee constituents as modulators of Nrf2 nuclear translocation and ARE (EpRE)-dependent gene expression

Oxidative cellular stress initiates Nrf2 translocation into the nucleus, thus inducing antioxidant response element (ARE)-mediated expression of Phase II enzymes involved in detoxification and antioxidant defence. We investigated whether coffee extracts (CEs) of different proveniences and selected constituents have an impact on the Nrf2/ARE pathway in human colon carcinoma cells (HT29). Assessed as increased nuclear Nrf2 protein, Nrf2 nuclear translocation was modulated by different CEs as observed by Western blot analysis. In addition to the known Nrf2 activator 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (CGA), pyridinium derivatives like the N-methylpyridinium ion (NMP) were identified as potent activators of Nrf2 nuclear translocation and ARE-dependent gene expression of selected antioxidative Phase II enzymes in HT29. Thereby, the substitution pattern at the pyridinium core structure determined the impact on Nrf2-signalling. In contrast, trigonelline was found to interfere with Nrf2 activation, effectively suppressing the NMP-mediated induction of Nrf2/ARE-dependent gene expression. In conclusion, several coffee constituents, partly already present in the raw material as well as those generated during the roasting process, contribute to the Nrf2-translocating properties of consumer-relevant coffee. A fine tuning in the degradation/formation of activating and deactivating constituents of the Nrf2/ARE pathway during the roasting process appears to be critical for the chemopreventive properties of the final coffee product.     

Gualou Guizhi Granule Protects Against Oxidative Injury by Activating Nrf2/ARE Pathway in Rats and PC12 Cells

Stroke involves numerous pathophysiological processes and oxidative stress is considered as a main cellular event in its pathogenesis. The nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway plays a key role in inducing phase II detoxifying enzymes and antioxidant proteins and is now considered as a interesting therapeutic target for the treatment of stroke. The objective of this study is to investigate the protective effect of Gualou Guizhi granule (GLGZG) against oxidative stress and explore the protective mechanism of the Nrf2/ARE pathway. In vivo, administration of GLGZG in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia significantly suppressed oxidative injury by increasing the activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione level and decreasing reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde levels. Western blot analysis showed that GLGZG induced nuclear translocation of Nrf2, and combined with real-time PCR results, which indicated that GLGZG up-regulated the Nrf2/ARE pathway. In addition, in cultured PC12 cells, GLGZG protected against H₂O₂ induced oxidative injury and activated the Nrf2/ARE pathway. All the results demonstrated that GLGZG in the management of cerebral ischemia and H₂O₂ induced oxidative injury may be associated with activation of Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway.     

Docosahexaenoic acid inhibition of inflammation is partially via cross-talk between Nrf2/heme oxygenase 1 and IKK/NF-κB pathways

We examined the underlying mechanisms involved in n-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) inhibition of inflammation in EA.hy926 cells. The present results demonstrated that pretreatment with DHA (50 and 100 μM) inhibited tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-induced intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) protein, mRNA expression and promoter activity. In addition, TNF-α-stimulated inhibitory kappa B (IκB) kinase (IKK) phosphorylation, IκB phosphorylation and degradation, p65 nuclear translocation, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and DNA binding activity were attenuated by pretreatment with DHA. DHA triggered early-stage and transient reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and significantly increased the protein expression of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), induced nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) translocation to the nucleus and up-regulated antioxidant response element (ARE)-luciferase reporter activity. Moreover, DHA inhibited Nrf2 ubiquitination and proteasome activity. DHA activated Akt, p38 and ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and specific inhibitors of respective pathways attenuated DHA-induced Nrf2 nuclear translocation and HO-1 expression. Transfection with HO-1 siRNA knocked down HO-1 expression and partially reversed the DHA-mediated inhibition of TNF-α-induced p65 nuclear translocation and ICAM-1 expression. Importantly, we show for the first time that HO-1 plays a down-regulatory role in NF-κB nuclear translocation, and inhibition of Nrf2 ubiquitination and proteasome activity are involved in increased cellular Nrf2 level by DHA. In this study, we show that HO-1 plays a down-regulatory role in NF-κB nuclear translocation and that the protective effect of DHA against inflammation is partially via up-regulation of Nrf2-mediated HO-1 expression and inhibition of IKK/NF-κB signaling pathway.     

Participation of protein kinase C in the activation of Nrf2 signaling by ischemic preconditioning in the isolated rabbit heart

Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) is a critical intracellular signaling triggered by ischemic preconditioning (IPC), but the precise mechanisms underlying the actions of PKC in IPC-mediated cardioprotection remain unclear. Here, we investigated the role of PKC activation on the antioxidant activity by IPC in rabbit hearts. Isolated rabbit hearts were subjected to 60?min of global ischemia by cold cardioplegic arrest (4?°C) and 60?min of reperfusion (37?°C). IPC was induced by three cycles of 2-min ischemia following 3?min of reperfusion (37?°C) before cardioplegic arrest. IPC resulted in a better recovery of mechanical function, increased tissue reduced glutathione-to-oxidized glutathione ratio (GSH/GSSG), superoxide dismutase and catalase content, and decreased tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) content compared to control hearts subjected to 60?min of cardioplegic ischemia and 60?min of reperfusion. IPC also significantly induced activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and the inductions of antioxidant genes heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD). Injection of phorbol 12-myristate 13 acetate, an activator of PKC, before cardioplegic ischemia induced translocation of PKC-?? and -?? isoforms to membrane fraction, nuclear accumulation of Nrf2, and conferred cardioprotection similar to IPC. Polymyxin B, an inhibitor of PKC, blocked the membrane translocation of PKC-?? and -?? during IPC, inhibited Nrf2 nuclear accumulation, and significantly diminished the IPC-induced cardioprotection when administrated before IPC. These results indicate that the activation of PKC induces the translocation of Nrf2 and the enhancement of endogenous antioxidant defenses in the IPC hearts and suggest that PKC may target Nrf2 to confer cardioprotection.     

The Ras GTPase-activating-like Protein IQGAP1 Mediates Nrf2 Protein Activation via the Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase/Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase (ERK) Kinase (MEK)-ERK Pathway

Nrf2 plays a critical role in the regulation of cellular oxidative stress. MEK-ERK activation has been shown to be one of the major pathways resulting in the activation of Nrf2 and induction of Nrf2 downstream targets, including phase II detoxifying/antioxidant genes in response to oxidative stress and xenobiotics. In this study, IQGAP1 (IQ motif-containing GTPase-activating protein 1), a new Nrf2 interaction partner that we have published previously, was found to modulate MEK-ERK-mediated Nrf2 activation and induction of phase II detoxifying/antioxidant genes. Nrf2 binds directly to the IQ domain (amino acids 699–905) of IQGAP1. Knockdown of IQGAP1 significantly attenuated phenethyl isothiocyanate- or MEK-mediated activation of the MEK-ERK-Nrf2 pathway. Knockdown of IQGAP1 also attenuated MEK-mediated increased stability of Nrf2, which in turn was associated with a decrease in the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and a decrease in the expression of phase II detoxifying/antioxidant genes. In the aggregate, these results suggest that IQGAP1 may play an important role in the MEK-ERK-Nrf2 signaling pathway.