A polyacetylene from Gymnaster koraiensis exerts hepatoprotective effects in vivo and in vitro

In the present study, we isolated a polyacetylene, gymnasterkoreayne B (GKB), from Gymnaster koraiensis and investigated the effect of GKB on the protection from oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity through induction of the expression of cellular defense enzymes. GKB induced mRNA expression and enzyme activity of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) in vitro and in vivo, and potently increased expression of many cellular defense genes including glutathione-S-transferases, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, and glutathione reductase (GSR) in normal rat liver. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) which is known to induce various antioxidant and cytoprotective genes, and the genes containing the antioxidant response element (ARE), including NQO1, hemeoxygenease-1, GSR were induced by GKB in HepG2 human hepatocarcinoma cells. Pre-treatment of the cells with GKB accelerated the production of glutathione and mitigated menadione-induced cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells. Taken together, we found that GKB was a novel inducer of phase II detoxification enzymes and cellular defense enzymes, resulting in protection of the cells from oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity through regulation of detoxifying and antioxidant systems.     

Nrf2/ARE信号通路及其调控的抗氧化蛋白

机体在应对活性氧(reactive oxygen species,ROS)损害时形成了一套复杂的氧化应激应答系统,当暴露于ROS时,机体自身能诱导出一系列保护性蛋白,以缓解细胞所受的损害。这一协调反应是由这些保护性基因上游调节区的抗氧化反应元件(antioxidant responsive element,ARE)来调控的。而近年来的研究发现,核因子NF-E2相关因子(nuclear fac-tor erythroid 2-related factor 2,Nrf2)是ARE的激活因子。Nrf2是外源性有毒物质和氧化应激的感受器,在参与细胞抗氧化应激和外源性有毒物质诱导的主要防御机制中发挥重要的作用。Nrf2-ARE通路是迄今为止发现的最为重要的内源性抗氧化应激通路。