抗氧化剂和低氧诱导醌氧化还原酶1基因的表达及其机制

目的　探讨低氧和抗氧化剂诱导醌氧化还原酶1(NQO1 )基因表达及其与细胞增殖的关系和诱导表达的调节机制。方法　人肝癌细胞SMMC 772 1经抗氧化剂[酪醇(p Ty) ,丁基羟茴香醚(BHA) ,β萘黄酮(βNF) ]、低氧或两者共同处理2 4h ,分别采用微孔板测定法、RT PCR、结晶紫显色法、电泳迁移率变动试验(EMSA)测定MQO1 活力,NQO1 mRNA表达,细胞增殖和细胞核蛋白与抗氧化反应元件(ARE)的结合情况。结果　常氧下BHA ,βNF和p Ty均能诱导NQO1 比活力增加,酪醇诱导NQO1 mRNA表达呈剂量依赖性增加,且与酶比活力存在明显的相关性;酪醇在一定范围内,其抑制细胞增殖的能力呈剂量依赖性,且细胞增殖与酶比活力存在负相关。低氧与抗氧化剂共同处理比常氧下抗氧化剂诱导NQO1 比活力有增加(r=-0 41,P <0 0 1)。EMSA试验表明,ARE能与低氧、抗氧化剂或低氧 抗氧化剂诱导的核蛋白特异结合。结论　抗氧化剂在常氧下可诱导人肝癌细胞NQO1 活力增加,低氧加强其诱导能力。其中酪醇诱导NQO1 活力与NQO1 mRNA表达量增加相关,同时酪醇能抑制细胞的增殖,这种增殖抑制与酶活力诱导增加有关。ARE参与介导抗氧化剂和低氧诱导NQO1 基因表达的调节。     

Modulation of NAD(P)H:Quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) activity mediated by 5-arylamino-2-methyl-4,7-dioxobenzothiazoles and their cytotoxic potential

Synthesized 5-arylamino-2-methyl-4,7-dioxobenzothiazoles 3a-3o were evaluated for modulation of NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) activity with the cytosolic fractions derived from cultured human lung cancer cells and their cytotoxicity in cultured several human solid cancer cell lines. The 4,7-dioxobenzothiazoles affected the reduction potential by NQO1 activity and showed a potent cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell lines. The tested compounds 3a, 3b, 3g, 3h, 3n and 3o were considered as more potent cytotoxic agents, and comparable modulators of NQO1 activity.     

A physiological threshold for protection against menadione toxicity by human NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells

NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) has often been suggested to be involved in cancer prevention by means of detoxification of electrophilic quinones. In the present study, a series of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines expressing various elevated levels of human NQO1 were generated by stable transfection. The level of NQO1 over-expression ranged from 14 to 29 times the NQO1 activity in the wild-type CHO cells. This panel of cell lines, allowed investigation of the protective role of NQO1 in quinone cytotoxicity. It could be demonstrated that menadione toxicity was significantly reduced in all NQO1-transfected CHO clones compared to the wild-type cells, but the clones did not show differences in their level of protection against menadione. This observation pointed at a critical threshold concentration of NQO1 above which a further increase does not provide further protection against quinone cytotoxicity. Additional studies in which the NQO1 activity was inhibited by dicoumarol showed that only dicoumarol concentrations of about five times the EC(50) for NQO1 inhibition were able to reduce NQO1 levels below the apparent threshold, making the cells more sensitive. The level of this threshold was estimated to be in the range of base line NQO1 activities observed in several tissues and species. Thus, the results of the present study indicate that beneficial effects of NQO1 induction by, for example, cruciferous vegetables might be absent or present depending on the NQO1 activity threshold for optimal protection and the basal level of NQO1 expression in the tissue and species of interest.     

Effects of 6-arylamino-5,8-quinolinediones and 6-chloro-7-ary-lamino-5,8-isoquinolinediones on NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) activity and their cytotoxic potential

Synthesized 6-arylamino-5,8-quinolinediones 4a-4j and 6-chloro-7-arylamino-5,8-isoquinolinediones 5a-5g were evaluated for effects on NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) activity with the cytosolic fractions derived from cultured human lung cancer cells and their cytotoxicity in cultured several human solid cancer cell lines. The 5,8-quinolinediones 4 and 5,8-isoquinolinediones 5 affected the reduction potential by NQO1 activity and showed a potent cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell lines. The tested compounds 4a, 5c, 5f, and 5g were considered as more potent cytotoxic agents. The compounds 4d, 5b, 5c, 5e and 5g were comparable modulators of NQO1 activity.     

Regulation of the Rat Glutathione S-Transferase A2 Gene by Glucocorticoids: Crosstalk Through C/EBPs

Regulation of the rat glutathione S-transferase A2 (GSTA2) gene by glucocorticoids is biphasic in its concentration dependence to glucocorticoids, with concentrations of 10–100 nM repressing gene activity (GR-dependent), and concentrations above 1 μM increasing transactivation (PXR-dependent) in adult rat hepatocytes or transient transfection assays. Over-expression of either C/EBPα or β negatively regulates basal and inducible expression of a 1.65 Kb GSTA2 luciferase reporter, and synergizes the response to glucocorticoids (GC). C/EBP responsive elements have been identified in the GSTA2 5′-flanking sequence, associated with the palindrominic Glucocorticoid Responsive Element (GRE), the Ah receptor response elements, and the antioxidant response element. In reporters lacking the palindromic GRE, negative regulation by GC is observed only when C/EBPα is co-expressed. Co-transfection of C/EBPα/β induced gene expression of the GSTA2 XRE reporter, but negatively regulated the GSTA2 ARE-reporter. In contrast, the ARE from the rat NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase gene was induced by co-transfection of C/EBPs, but was still negatively regulated by GC. PXR-induction of the GSTA2 reporter was partially ablated by co-transfection of C/EBPα and enhanced by co-transfection of C/EBPβ. We conclude that C/EBPα and β are involved in GC-dependent repression of GSTA2 gene expression and ARE sequences that bind C/EBPs appears to be critical for these responses.     

Arsenite pretreatment enhances the cytotoxicity of mitomycin C in human cancer cell lines via increased NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 expression

Arsenic is an effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of patients with refractory or relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia. The use of arsenic for treating solid tumors, particularly in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents, has been extensively studied. Here, we report that arsenite-resistant human lung cancer CL3R15 cells constitutively overexpress NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), an enzyme responsible for activation of mitomycin C (MMC), and are more susceptible to MMC cytotoxicity than parental CL3 cells. The effects of arsenite pretreatment on NQO1 induction were examined in CL3, H1299, H460, and MC-T2 cells. Arsenite pretreatment significantly enhanced the expression of NQO1 and susceptibility to MMC in CL3, H1299, and MC-T2 cells, but not in H460 cells that express high endogenous levels of NQO1. Alternatively, arsenic pretreatment reduced adriamycin sensitivity of CL3 cells. Arsenite-mediated MMC susceptibility was abrogated by dicumarol (DIC), an NQO1 inhibitor, indicating that NQO1 is one of the key regulators of arsenite-mediated MMC susceptibility. Various cancer cell lines showed different basal levels of NQO1 activity and a different capacity for NQO1 induction in response to arsenite treatment. However, overall, there was a positive correlation between induced NQO1 activity and MMC susceptibility in cells pretreated with various doses of arsenite. These results suggest that arsenite may increase NQO1 activity and thus enhance the antineoplastic activity of MMC. In addition, our results also showed that inhibition of NQO1 activity by DIC reversed the arsenite resistance of CL3R15 cells.     

Improving the NQO1-inducing activities of phenolic acids from radix Salvia miltiorrhiza: a methylation strategy

NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase1 (NQO1) is an important detoxification enzyme that can protect mammalian cells against toxic quinones and reduce the risk of tumorigenesis. In this study, it was found that salvianolic acid B (SaB), lithospermic acid (LA), and rosmarinic acid (RA), three main hydrophilic constituents in Danshen, conjugated with glutathione (GSH) easily in vitro but exhibited no NQO1-inducing activities in Hepa 1c1c7 cells, which might attribute to their poor absorptions. After a simple methylation strategy that aimed at improving the liposolubility, both the NQO1-inducing activities and the absorptions in cells of the phenolic acids improved obviously, without losing the GSH-conjugating abilities. The concentration to double the specific activity of NQ01 values of methylated products of lithospermic acid and rosmarinic acid were 17.86 ± 2.34 μg/mL and 11.97 ± 0.60 μg/mL, respectively. The findings indicated that methylation is an effective strategy to improve the NQO1-inducing activities of phenolic acids in Danshen.     

Combined molecular modelling and 3D‐QSAR study for understanding the inhibition of NQO1 by heterocyclic quinone derivatives

A combination of three‐dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship (3D‐QSAR), and molecular modelling methods were used to understand the potent inhibitory NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) activity of a set of 52 heterocyclic quinones. Molecular docking results indicated that some favourable interactions of key amino acid residues at the binding site of NQO1 with these quinones would be responsible for an improvement of the NQO1 activity of these compounds. The main interactions involved are hydrogen bond of the amino group of residue Tyr128, π‐stacking interactions with Phe106 and Phe178, and electrostatic interactions with flavin adenine dinucleotide (FADH) cofactor. Three models were prepared by 3D‐QSAR analysis. The models derived from Model I and Model III, shown leave‐one‐out cross‐validation correlation coefficients (q²_LOO) of .75 and .73 as well as conventional correlation coefficients (R²) of .93 and .95, respectively. In addition, the external predictive abilities of these models were evaluated using a test set, producing the predicted correlation coefficients (r²_pred) of .76 and .74, respectively. The good concordance between the docking results and 3D‐QSAR contour maps provides helpful information about a rational modification of new molecules based in quinone scaffold, in order to design more potent NQO1 inhibitors, which would exhibit highly potent antitumor activity.     

Metabolic characteristics of Tanshinone I in human liver microsomes and S9 subcellular fractions

1. Tanshinone I (TSI) is a lipophilic diterpene in Salvia miltiorrhiza with versatile pharmacological activities. However, metabolic pathway of TSI in human is unknown.

2. In this study, we determined major metabolites of TSI using a preparation of human liver microsomes (HLMs) by HPLC-UV and Q-Trap mass spectrometer. A total of 6 metabolites were detected, which indicated the presence of hydroxylation, reduction as well as glucuronidation.

3. Selective chemical inhibition and purified cytochrome P450 (CYP450) isoform screening experiments revealed that CYP2A6 was primarily responsible for TSI Phase I metabolism. Part of generated hydroxylated TSI was glucuronidated via several glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) isoforms including UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A7, UGT1A9, as well as extrahepatic expressed isoforms UGT1A8 and UGT1A10. TSI could be reduced to a relatively unstable hydroquinone intermediate by NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), and then immediately conjugated with glucuronic acid by a panel of UGTs, especially UGT1A9, UGT1A1 and UGT1A8. Additionally, NQO1 could also reduce hydroxylated TSI to a hydroquinone intermediate, which was immediately glucuronidated by UGT1A1.

4. The study demonstrated that hydroxylation, reduction as well as glucuronidation were the major pathways for TSI biotransformation, and six metabolites generated by CYPs, NQO1 and UGTs were found in HLMs and S9 subcellular fractions.

     

Influence of rosuvastatin on the NAD(P)H oxidase activity in the retina and electroretinographic response of spontaneously hypertensive rats

Background and purpose:

Retinal complications may be encountered during the development of hypertension as a response to oxidative stress. Statins may reduce the risk of developing hypertension and ocular diseases. We evaluate the effects of rosuvastatin (ROSU) on retinal functionality and oxidative stress levels in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).

Experimental approach:

Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and SHR were treated for 3 weeks with rosuvastatin (10 mg kg⁻¹ day⁻¹). Electroretinograms (ERG) were recorded before and after rosuvastatin treatment. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were determined in the retina with dihydroethidium staining and NAD(P)H oxidase activity was evaluated.

Key results:

Retinal ganglion cell ROS and retinal NAD(P)H oxidase activity were higher in SHR than in WKY rats, respectively (17.1±1.1 vs 10.2±1.2 AU, P<0.01; 38095±8900 vs 14081±5820 RLU mg⁻¹; P<0.05). The ERG b-wave amplitude in SHR was significantly lower than that in WKY rats. Rosuvastatin reduced SBP in SHR but did not change plasma lipid levels. Rosuvastatin treatment in SHR significantly decreased ROS levels (11.2±1.3, P<0.01), NAD(P)H activity in retinal ganglion cells (9889±4290; P<0.05), and increased retinal plasmalogen content in SHR, but did not modify the ERG response.

Conclusions and implications:

Rosuvastatin, beyond lowering cholesterol levels, was able to lower ROS in the retina induced by hypertension, but without improving retinal function in SHR. These findings point to a complex relationship between ROS in the pathogenesis of retinal disease and hypertension.     

低氧下苯醌类药物对人肝癌细胞的毒性及其机制

目的　为阐明低氧下生物还原剂类药物 (两种苯醌 )对人肝癌细胞的毒性和DNA损伤及其机制。方法　人肝癌细胞SMMC 772 1在低氧和常氧下培养不同时间 ,用稍加改良的微孔板直接法检测还原型辅酶Ⅰ /Ⅱ依赖醌氧化还原酶 1 (NQO1 )比活性 ;并用不同浓度的地吖醌 (AZQ)和 2 ,5 双 (氮杂苯) 1 ,4 苯醌 (DZQ)在低氧和常氧下分别处理 1和 6h ,用MTT法测药物细胞毒性 ;用碱性单细胞凝胶电泳(ASCGE)及改良法 (MSCGE)测DNA链断裂和链交联。结果　低氧处理 6h肝癌细胞的NQO1 比活性降低 ,更长时间处理后升高 (P <0 .0 1 )。低氧下AZQ与DZQ(1 ,6h)的细胞毒性升高。在ASCGE实验中 ,常氧下AZQ处理导致DNA链断裂 ;低氧下AZQ处理后则检测不到DNA链断裂。而无论低氧和常氧下DZQ均未导致明显DNA链断裂。在MSCGE实验中 ,低氧下AZQ使H2 O2 所致DNA链断裂减轻至明显低于空白 /常氧组 (P <0 .0 1 ) ;而低氧和常氧下DZQ均能减轻H2 O2 所致DNA链断裂。结论　低氧短时 (6h后 )可诱导NQO1 比活性升高。短时低氧下(6h内 )AZQ和DZQ对人肝癌细胞的毒性上升。DZQ致DNA损伤主要形成DNA链交联 ,低氧加重此效应 ;AZQ主要造成DNA链断裂 (常氧 )和链交联 (低氧 )。     

Increase in intracellular free/bound NAD[P]H as a cause of Cd-induced oxidative stress in the HepG(2) cells

The present study shows the use of confocal autofluorescence spectroscopy coupled with the time-resolved fluorescence decay analysis to measure changes in FAD/NAD[P]H and free/bound NAD[P]H in HepG(2) cells at 0.5, 1.5, 3 and 4.5h after exposure to cadmium chloride (Cd). These changes were compared to changes in GSSG/GSH and production of reactive oxygen radicals (ROS) production. The results demonstrated that both FAD/NAD[P]H and GSSG/GSH increased significantly upon exposure to Cd. The change in GSSG/GSH occurred as early as 1.5h after treatment while the change in FAD/NAD[P]H did not occur until 3h after exposure. Production of ROS was also increased at 1.5h. The ratio of free/bound NAD[P]H was studied. It was demonstrated that free/bound NAD[P]H increased significantly as early as 0.5h and remained elevated until 4.5h after treatment with Cd. The present study provides novel data to show that changes in NAD[P]H metabolism precedes the increase in ROS production and cellular oxidative stress (increase GSSG/GSH, FAD/NAD[P]H). It is suggested that Cd causes a release of NAD[P]H, an important cofactor for electron transfer, from its normal protein binding sites. This may result in a disruption of the activity of the enzyme and proteins, and may lead to the subsequent toxic events.