AB1284 Sigma-AldrichAnti-Heme Oxygenase 1 Antibody

Oxidative stress contributes to the progression of acute liver failure (ALF). Transcription factor nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) serves as an endogenous regulator by which cells combat oxidative stress. We have investigated liver damage and the balance between death and survival signaling pathways in concanavalin A (ConA)-mediated ALF using in vivo siRNA delivery targeting Keap1 in hepatocytes. For that goal, mice were injected with Keap1- or luciferase-siRNA-containing liposomes via the tail vein. After 48 hours, ALF was induced by ConA. Liver histology, pro-inflammatory mediators, antioxidant responses, cellular death, and stress and survival signaling were assessed. Keap1 mRNA and protein levels significantly decreased in livers of Keap1-siRNA-injected mice. In these animals, histological liver damage was less evident than in control mice when challenged with ConA. Likewise, markers of cellular death (FasL and caspases 8, 3 and 1) decreased at 4 and 8 hours post-injection. Nuclear Nrf2 and its target, hemoxygenase 1 (HO1), were elevated in Keap1-siRNA-injected mice compared with control animals, resulting in reduced oxidative stress in the liver. Similarly, mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were reduced in livers from Keap1-siRNA-injected mice. At the molecular level, activation of c-jun (NH2) terminal kinase (JNK) was ameliorated, whereas the insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGFIR) survival pathway was maintained upon ConA injection in Keap1-siRNA-treated mice. In conclusion, our results have revealed a potential therapeutic use of in vivo siRNA technology targeted to Keap1 to combat oxidative stress by modulating Nrf2-mediated antioxidant responses and IGFIR survival signaling during the progression of ALF.

Previous studies suggested that β-blockers with adjunctive α1-blocking activities warrant renoprotective function other than the therapeutic effect on hypertension. The current report is designed to dissect the role of TJ0711, a novel β-blocker with a 1:1 ratio for the β1/α1 blocking activities, in renoprotection in SHR rats. It was noted that TJ0711 possesses similar potency for control of blood pressure as that of Carvedilol. However, TJ0711 is much more potent in terms of protecting SHR rats against hypertension induced renal injury. Specifically, SHR rats treated with 20mg/kg/day of TJ0711 manifested significantly lower levels for urine albumin and total protein. In line with these result, TJ0711 treated rats displayed much less severe pathological changes in the kidneys. Mechanistic studies revealed that TJ0711 improves kidney perfusion during the course of hypertensive insult by enhancing eNOS expression through suppressing inflammatory cytokine secretion. TJ0711 also attenuates Vasohibin-1 expression to prevent HIF-1α from signal-induced degradation, and by which it promotes HO-1 expression to protect SHR rats against oxidative stress induced by hypertension in the kidneys. Together, our data suggest that TJ0711 possesses higher potency for renoprotection while manifesting the similar effect on hypertension therapy as Carvedilol.

Acute hepatic failure secondary to acetaminophen (APAP) poisoning is associated with high mortality. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is a negative regulator of tyrosine kinase growth factor signaling. In the liver, this pathway confers protection against injury. However, the involvement of PTP1B in the intracellular networks activated by APAP is unknown. We have assessed PTP1B expression in APAP-induced liver failure in humans and its role in the molecular mechanisms that regulate the balance between cell death and survival in human and mouse hepatocytes, as well as in a mouse model of APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. PTP1B expression was increased in human liver tissue removed during liver transplant from patients for APAP overdose. PTP1B was upregulated by APAP in primary human and mouse hepatocytes together with the activation of c-jun (NH2) terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), resulting in cell death. Conversely, Akt phosphorylation and the antiapoptotic Bcl2 family members BclxL and Mcl1 were decreased. PTP1B deficiency in mouse protects hepatocytes against APAP-induced cell death, preventing glutathione depletion, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and activation of JNK and p38 MAPK. APAP-treated PTP1B(-/-) hepatocytes showed enhanced antioxidant defense through the glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3)β/Src kinase family (SKF) axis, delaying tyrosine phosphorylation of the transcription factor nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) and its nuclear exclusion, ubiquitination and degradation. Insulin-like growth factor-I receptor-mediated signaling decreased in APAP-treated wild-type hepatocytes, but was maintained in PTP1B(-/-) cells or in wild-type hepatocytes with reduced PTP1B levels by RNA interference. Likewise, both signaling cascades were modulated in mice, resulting in less severe APAP hepatotoxicity in PTP1B(-/-) mice. Our results demonstrated that PTP1B is a central player of the mechanisms triggered by APAP in hepatotoxicity, suggesting a novel therapeutic target against APAP-induced liver failure.

Sildenafil, given shortly before 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), affords protection against 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) depletions caused by this amphetamine derivative by an acute preconditioning-like mechanism. Because acute and delayed preconditionings do not share the same mechanisms, we investigated whether sildenafil would also protect the 5-HT system of the rat if given 24 hr before MDMA. For this, MDMA (3 × 5 mg/kg i.p., every 2 hr) was administered to rats previously treated with sildenafil (8 mg/kg p.o.). One week later, 5-HT content and 5-HT transporter density were measured in the striatum, frontal cortex, and hippocampus of the rats. Our findings indicate that sildenafil afforded significant protection against MDMA-induced 5-HT deficits without altering the acute hyperthermic response to MDMA or its metabolic disposition. Sildenafil promoted ERK1/2 activation an effect that was paralleled by an increase in MnSOD expression that persisted 24 hr later. In addition, superoxide and superoxide-derived oxidants, shown by ethidium fluorescence, increased after the last MDMA injection, an effect that was prevented by sildenafil pretreatment. Similarly, MDMA increased nitrotyrosine concentration in the hippocampus, an effect not shown by sildenafil-pretreated rats. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that sildenafil produces a significant, long-lasting neuroprotective effect against MDMA-induced 5-HT deficits. This effect is apparently mediated by an increased expression of MnSOD and a subsequent reduced susceptibility to the oxidative stress caused by MDMA.

1. Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) has been shown to play a pivotal role in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis when the liver undergoes sublethal stress, such as ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. In the present study, we investigated the protective role of HO-1 in hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) preconditioning against liver injury after I/R. 2. A total hepatic ischaemia (30 min) and reperfusion (60 min) injury model in rats was used in the present study. Preconditioned groups were exposed to HBO 24 h prior to the induction of I/R injury. Other groups were injected with zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP) intraperitoneally 1 h before I/R to inhibit HO-1 activity. At the end of the reperfusion period, blood and liver samples were collected for the analysis of liver injury markers, morphological changes, and HO-1 expression and activity in the liver. 3. In untreated rats, I/R induced an increase in hepatic injury markers, such as plasma transaminases, inflammatory cytokines (tumour necrosis factor-? and interleukin-1?), and tissue malondialdehyde. However, HBO preconditioning attenuated the I/R-induced increases in these hepatic injury markers, and prevented both the necrosis and apoptosis of hepatocytes induced by I/R injury. Furthermore, HBO preconditioning significantly increased HO-1 mRNA and protein levels in the liver. In rats in which HO-1 activity had been inhibited with ZnPP pretreatment, the protective effects of HBO preconditioning against I/R injury were abolished. 4. In conclusion, HBO preconditioning can protect the liver against I/R injury and it appears that this effect might be mediated by the induction of HO-1.

Heme oxygenase (HO) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the degradation of heme to produce bile pigments and carbon monoxide. The HO-1 isozyme is induced by a variety of factors such as heat, heme, ischemia, and hydrogen peroxide. In recent years, mounting findings have suggested that HO-1 has a neuroprotective activity against ischemic injury. The neuroprotective role of isoflurane, a commonly used anesthetic, has been well documented, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms involved. Recently, isoflurane has been shown to up-regulate HO-1 in the liver. In this study, we show that isoflurane preconditioning promotes the survival of cultured ischemic hippocampal neurons by increasing the number of surviving neurons and their viability. Further study by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis showed that isoflurane preconditioning significantly increases HO-1 expression in oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced neuronal injury. Furthermore, inhibition of HO activity by tin protoporphyrin partially abolishes isoflurane preconditioning's protective effect as measured by lactate dehydrogenase release in OGD neurons. These findings indicated that the neuroprotective role of isoflurane preconditioning against OGD-induced injury might be associated with its role in up-regulating HO-1 in ischemic neurons.

Epidemiological studies suggest that Mediterranean diets rich in resveratrol are associated with reduced risk of coronary artery disease. However, the mechanisms by which resveratrol exerts its vasculoprotective effects are not completely understood. Because oxidative stress and endothelial cell injury play a critical role in vascular aging and atherogenesis, we evaluated whether resveratrol inhibits oxidative stress-induced endothelial apoptosis. We found that oxidized LDL and TNF-alpha elicited significant increases in caspase-3/7 activity in endothelial cells and cultured rat aortas, which were prevented by resveratrol pretreatment (10(-6)-10(-4) mol/l). The protective effect of resveratrol was attenuated by inhibition of glutathione peroxidase and heme oxygenase-1, suggesting a role for antioxidant systems in the antiapoptotic action of resveratrol. Indeed, resveratrol treatment protected cultured aortic segments and/or endothelial cells against increases in intracellular H(2)O(2) levels and H(2)O(2)-mediated apoptotic cell death induced by oxidative stressors (exogenous H(2)O(2), paraquat, and UV light). Resveratrol treatment also attenuated UV-induced DNA damage (comet assay). Resveratrol treatment upregulated the expression of glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and heme oxygenase-1 in cultured arteries, whereas it had no significant effect on the expression of SOD isoforms. Resveratrol also effectively scavenged H(2)O(2) in vitro. Thus resveratrol seems to increase vascular oxidative stress resistance by scavenging H(2)O(2) and preventing oxidative stress-induced endothelial cell death. We propose that the antioxidant and antiapoptotic effects of resveratrol, together with its previously described anti-inflammatory actions, are responsible, at least in part, for its cardioprotective effects.

Hemin treatment increased both activity and mRNA level of heme oxygenase in human macrophages. Using poly(A)-rich RNA prepared from human macrophages treated with hemin, we have constructed a cDNA library in the Okayama-Berg vector. The human heme oxygenase cDNA was isolated by screening this library with a rat cDNA and was subjected to nucleotide sequence analysis. The deduced human heme oxygenase is composed of 288 amino acids with a molecular mass of 32,800 Da. The homology in amino acid sequences between rat and human heme oxygenase is 80%. Like rat heme oxygenase, human enzyme has a putative membrane segment at its carboxyl terminus, which is probably essential for the insertion of heme oxygenase into endoplasmic reticulum. Both rat and human heme oxygenase have no cysteine residues. Recently we have shown that rat heme oxygenase is a heat-shock protein [J. Biol. Chem. 262, 12889-12892 (1987)], and therefore we examined the effects of heat treatment on the induction of heme oxygenase in human macrophages and glioma cells. In contrast to hemin treatment, heat treatment had no apparent effects in either human cell line on the activity of heme oxygenase and its mRNA levels. These results suggest that human heme oxygenase may not be a heat-shock protein.