Carbon monoxide (CO) is well-known as toxic gas and intrinsic signaling molecule such as neurotransmitter and blood vessel relaxant. Recently, it has been reported that low concentration of CO exerts therapeutic actions under various pathological conditions including liver failure, heart failure, gastric cancer, and cardiac arrest. However, little has been known about the effect of CO in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease (PD). To test whether CO could exert a beneficial action during oxidative cell death in PD, we examined the effects of CO on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced cell death in C6 glioma cells. Treatment of CO-releasing molecule-2 (CORM-2) significantly attenuated 6-OHDA-induced apoptotic cell death in a dose-dependent manner. CORM-2 treatment decreased Bax/Bcl2 ratio and caspase-3 activity, which had been increased by 6-OHDA. CORM-2 increased phosphorylation of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) which is a transcription factor regulating antioxidant proteins. Subsequently, CORM-2 also increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1 and superoxide dismutases (CuZnSOD and MnSOD), which were antioxidant enzymes regulated by Nrf2. These results suggest that CO released by CORM-2 treatment may have protective effects against oxidative cell death in PD through the potentiation of cellular adaptive survival responses via activation of Nrf2 and upregulation of heme oxygenase-1, leading to increasing antioxidant defense capacity.
Blood Vessels ; Carbon Monoxide* ; Carbon* ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death* ; Glioma* ; Heart Arrest ; Heart Failure ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; Liver Failure ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neuroprotection ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 ; Oxidopamine ; Phosphorylation ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Superoxides ; Transcription Factors ; Up-Regulation

Malaria is one of the most important public health problems in tropical areas on the globe. Several factors are associated with susceptibility to malaria and disease severity, including innate immunity such as blood group, hemoglobinopathy, and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) polymorphisms. This study was carried out to investigate association among ABO blood group, thalassemia types and HO-1 polymorphisms in malaria. The malarial blood samples were collected from patients along the Thai-Myanmar border. Determination of ABO blood group, thalassemia variants, and HO-1 polymorphisms were performed using agglutination test, low pressure liquid chromatography and polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Plasmodium vivax was the major infected malaria species in the study samples. Distribution of ABO blood type in the malaria-infected samples was similar to that in healthy subjects, of which blood type O being most prevalent. Association between blood group A and decreased risk of severe malaria was significant. Six thalassemia types (30%) were detected, i.e., hemoglobin E (HbE), β-thalassemia, α-thalassemia 1, α-thalassemia 2, HbE with α-thalassemia 2, and β-thalassemia with α-thalassemia 2. Malaria infected samples without thalassemia showed significantly higher risk to severe malaria. The prevalence of HO-1 polymorphisms, S/S, S/L and L/L were 25, 62, and 13%, respectively. Further study with larger sample size is required to confirm the impact of these 3 host genetic factors in malaria patients.
Agglutination Tests ; Blood Group Antigens ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Healthy Volunteers ; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; Heme ; Hemoglobin E ; Hemoglobinopathies ; Hemoglobins ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate ; Malaria ; Plasmodium vivax ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Public Health ; Sample Size ; Thalassemia

BACKGROUN/OBJECTIVES: Although studies have revealed that black garlic is a potent antioxidant, its antioxidant mechanism remains unclear. The objective of this study was to determine black garlic's antioxidant activities and possible antioxidant mechanisms related to nuclear factor erythroid 2-like factor 2 (Nrf2)-Keap1 complex. METHODS/MATERIALS: After four weeks of feeding rats with a normal fat diet (NF), a high-fat diet (HF), a high-fat diet with 0.5% black garlic extract (HF+BGE 0.5), a high-fat diet with 1.0% black garlic extract (HF+BGE 1.0), or a high-fat diet with 1.5% black garlic extract (HF+BGE 1.5), plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin,homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were determined. As oxidative stress indices, plasma concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and 8-isoprostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF) were determined. To measure antioxidant capacities, plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and activities of antioxidant enzymes in plasma and liver were determined. The mRNA expression levels of antioxidant related proteins such as Nrf2, NAD(P)H: quinone-oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione S-transferase alpha 2 (GSTA2) were examined. RESULTS: Plasma glucose level, plasma insulin level, and HOMA-IR in black garlic supplemented groups were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those in the HF group without dose-dependent effect. Plasma TBARS concentration and TAC in the HF+BGE 1.5 group were significantly decreased compared to those of the HF group. The activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the HF+BGE 1.0 and HF+BGE 1.5 groups compared to those of the HF group. The mRNA expression levels of hepatic Nrf2, NQO1, HO-1, and GSTA2 were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the HF with BGE groups compared to those in the HF group. CONCLUSIONS: The improvements of blood glucose homeostasis and antioxidant systems in rats fed with black garlic extract were related to mRNA expression levels of Nrf2 related genes.
Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Catalase ; Diet ; Diet, High-Fat ; Garlic* ; Glucose ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; Glutathione Reductase ; Glutathione Transferase ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; Homeostasis ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Liver ; Oxidative Stress ; Plasma ; Rats ; RNA, Messenger ; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major chronic disease which increases global health problems. Diabetes-induced renal damage is associated with inflammation and fibrosis. Alpha (AT) and gamma-tocopherols (GT) have shown antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in inflammation-mediated injuries. The primary aim of this study was to investigate effects of AT and GT supplementations on hyperglycemia induced acute kidney inflammation in alloxan induced diabetic mice with different levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG). MATERIALS/METHODS: Diabetes was induced by injection of alloxan monohydrate (150 mg/kg, i.p) in ICR mice (5.5-week-old, male) and mice were subdivided according to their FBG levels and treated with different diets for 2 weeks; CON: non-diabetic mice, m-DMC: diabetic control mice with mild FBG levels (250 mg/dl < or = FBG < or = 450 mg/dl), m-AT: m-DM mice fed AT supplementation (35 mg/kg diet), m-GT: m-DM mice with GT supplementation (35 mg/kg diet), s-DMC: diabetic control mice with severe FBG levels (450 mg/dl < FBG), s-AT: s-DM mice with AT supplementation, s-GT: s-DM mice with GT supplementation. RESULTS: Both AT and GT supplementations showed similar beneficial effects on NFkappaB associated inflammatory response (phosphorylated inhibitory kappa B-alpha, interleukin-1beta, C-reactive protein, monocyte chemotactic protein-1) and pre-fibrosis (tumor growth factor beta-1 and protein kinase C-II) as well as an antioxidant emzyme, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in diabetic mice. On the other hands, AT and GT showed different beneficial effects on kidney weight, FBG, and oxidative stress associated makers (malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase) except HO-1. In particular, GT significantly preserved kidney weight in m-DM and improved FBG levels in s-DM and malondialdehyde and catalase in m- and s-DM, while AT significantly attenuated FBG levels in m-DM and improved glutathione peroxidase in m- and s-DM. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that AT and GT with similarities and differences would be considered as beneficial nutrients to modulate hyperglycemia induced acute renal inflammation. Further research with careful approach is needed to confirm beneficial effects of tocopherols in diabetes with different FBG levels for clinical applications.
Alloxan ; alpha-Tocopherol* ; Animals ; Blood Glucose ; C-Reactive Protein ; Catalase ; Chronic Disease ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diet ; Fasting ; Fibrosis ; gamma-Tocopherol* ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; Hand ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; Hyperglycemia* ; Inflammation* ; Interleukin-1beta ; Kidney* ; Malondialdehyde ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Monocytes ; Oxidative Stress* ; Protein Kinases ; Tocopherols

OBJECTIVETo investigate the therapeutic effects of hemin, an inducer of heme oxygenase, in a rat model of gestational hypertension and explore the possible mechanism.

METHODSEighteen pregnant SD rats at day 12 of gestation were randomized equally into gestational hypertension model group, hemin treatment group, and normal pregnancy (control) group. In the former two groups, the rats were subjected to daily nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 80 mg/kg) gavage since gestational day 14 for 7 consecutive days to induce gestational hypertension; saline was administered in the same manner in the control rats. The rats in hemin group received daily intraperitoneal injection of hemin (30 mg/kg) starting from gestational day 16. HO activity and carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level in rat placental tissue were detected with spectrophotometric method, and soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sFlt-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level in the placental tissue homogenate supernatant were detected using ELSIA.

RESULTSAt gestational day 20, the blood pressure and 24-h urinary protein were significantly higher in the model group than in the other two groups (P<0.05), and were higher in hemin group than in the control group (P<0.05); HO activity and COHb content in the placenta tissue were the lowest in the model group (P<0.05), and was lower in hemin group than in the control group (P<0.05). The level of sFlt-1 was significantly higher and VEGF level significantly lower in the model group than in the other two groups (P<0.05); sFlt-1 level remained higher and VEGF lower in hemin group than in the control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONHemin can reduce blood pressure and urinary protein in rats with gestational hypertension possibly by up-regulating HO activity, enhancing carbon monoxide production, reducing sFlt-1 and increasing VEGF in the placental tissue.

Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Carbon Monoxide ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) ; Hemin ; pharmacology ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; drug therapy ; Placenta ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the protein expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecules-1 (PECAM-1) in human coronary artery endothelial cells induced with Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle (ZnO-NPs).

METHODSMTT assay was used to determine the cell viability of ZnO-NPs. Levels of HO-1 and PECAM-1 protein in culture supernatants were measured using ELISA after human coronary artery endothelial cells were treated with different concentrations (0, 10, 20, 40µg/ml) of ZnO-NPs for 24 h.

RESULTSThe cell viability of human coronary artery endothelial cells in each group was 89.76%, 83.61%, 63.10%, 53.20%, 48.11%, 42.35%, 38.06%, 25.44% respectively when treated with different concentrations of ZnO-NPs (12.5, 25, 50, 70, 80, 90, 100, 200µg/ml). Protein levels of HO-1 (ng/L) in each group were 0.041±0.011, 0.512±0.076, 0.906±0.059, 1.062±0.089 respectively after the stimulation of different concentrations of ZnO-NPs (0, 10, 20, 40µg/ml). Comparisons in each group were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Protein levels of PECAM-1 (µg/L) in each group were 7.966 ± 0.046, 7.993 ± 0.036, 8.629 ± 0.052, 8.811 ± 0.039 respectively after the stimulation of different concentrations of ZnO-NPs (0, 10, 20, 40 µg/ml). Compared with the control group, protein levels of PECAM-1 increased (P < 0.05) when the concentration of ZnO-NPs was 20µg/ml or 40 µg/ml.

CONCLUSIONZnO-NPs stimulation could inhibit the viability of human coronary artery endothelial cells and upregulate the protein expression of HO-1 and PECAM-1.

Blood Platelets ; Cell Survival ; Coronary Vessels ; Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; metabolism ; Humans ; Nanoparticles ; toxicity ; Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Zinc Oxide ; toxicity

OBJECTIVETo investigate whether emodin exerts protective effects on mouse with allergic asthma.

METHODSA mouse model of allergic airway inflflammation was employed. The C57BL/6 mice sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) were intraperitoneally administered 10 or 20 mg/kg emodin for 3 days during OVA challenge. Animals were sacrificed 48 h after the last challenge. Inflammatory cell count in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was measured. The levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-13 and eotaxin in BALF and level of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in serum were measured with enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay kits. The mRNA expressions of IL-4, IL-5, heme oxygenase (HO)-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTSEmodin induced significant suppression of the number of OVA-induced total inflammatory cells in BALF. Treatment with emodin led to significant decreases in the levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and eotaxin in BALF and total IgE level in serum. Histological examination of lung tissue revealed marked attenuation of allergen-induced lung eosinophilic inflammation. Additionally, emodin suppressed IL-4, IL-5 and MMP-9 mRNA expressions and induced HO-1 mRNA expression.

CONCLUSIONEmodin exhibits anti-inflammatory activity in the airway inflammation mouse model, supporting its therapeutic potential for the treatment of allergic bronchial asthma.

Animals ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; cytology ; Chemokines ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Emodin ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Immunoglobulin E ; blood ; Interleukins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Leukocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Lung ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Ovalbumin ; Pneumonia ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) on peribiliary vascular plexus (PVP) in rat bile duct ischemia/reperfusion injury.

METHODSTotal 128 male SD rats were randomly divided into saline group (Saline), empty virus group (Adv), induced group (Adv-HO-1) and suppressed group (HO-1 siRNA), and there were 32 rats in each group. Rats were injected using 0.5 ml of saline, empty adenovirus, HO-1 adenovirus and siRNA adenovirus (2×10(9) TU/rat) via the dorsal penile vein 24 hours before surgery. Liver function was analyzed at 1 hour and 1, 7, 14 days after reperfusion. HO-1, hypoxiainducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), stromal cell derived factor-1α (SDF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein content was analyzed by Western blot. The endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) ratio in the liver and peripheral blood was detected by flow cytometry. Small vascular around the bile duct was observed by α-smooth muscle actin and von Willebrand factor double immunofluorescence staining.

RESULTSReduced liver injury and higher expression of HIF-1α, SDF-1α and VEGF in the induced group after surgery (q = 5.68-7.52, P < 0.01). EPCs ratio in the liver and peripheral blood was significantly higher in the induced group than saline group (q = 12.14 and 15.26, P < 0.01), and the suppressed group at 7 days after surgery were less than saline group significantly (q = 4.83 and 5.07, P < 0.01). In comparison to the suppressed group, higher density of small vascular around the bile duct was seen in the liver tissue of induced group.

CONCLUSIONSHO-1 can induce the expression of HIF-1α, SDF-1α and VEGF, and mobilize the release of EPCs to the peripheral from the bone marrow. EPCs migrate to the liver and promote damaged PVP repair and regeneration.

Animals ; Bile Ducts ; blood supply ; Chemokine CXCL12 ; metabolism ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) ; physiology ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Male ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; physiopathology ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDThere are limited eligible clinical markers at present to monitor the progress of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), as one of the most important oxidation-regulating enzymes in vivo, suggests the onset and progression of cancer when highly expressed. Furthermore, HO-1 level is related with the occurrence and development of hematological diseases. But the relationship between HO-1 expression and progression/relapse of CML has seldom been studied hitherto. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between them to find out a new molecular marker for prediction.

METHODSA total of 60 peripheral blood and bone marrow (BM) samples from 25 CML patients in different phases were collected respectively to detect the expressions of HO-1 and bcr/abl using real-time PCR. Routine blood test was performed to detect the changes of leukocyte and platelet counts. The proportion of primitive cells in BM was detected by flow cytometry. The relationship between high HO-1 expression and CML progression and relapse was explored by the analysis of variance by Wilcoxon test and linear regression analysis. The diagnostic accuracy and cutoff values were determined by receiver operating characteristic curve.

RESULTSRelative expression of HO-1 mRNA in CML patients peripheral blood was significantly higher than that of donors (P < 0.0001), which were 0.57±3.78 and (1.417±1.125)×10(-6), respectively. HO-1 expression level in CML patients was 0.061 5±0.062 4, which decreased to 0.009 4±0.006 7 upon CMoR, and remained remarkably higher 0.016 3±0.017 5 than that of normal donors (1.417±1.125)×10(-6), P < 0.001. When relapse occurred, HO-1 expression significantly increased from 0.020 6±0.021 0 to 3.852±10.285 in CMoR stage and undergoing relapse. According to progression of CML, HO-1 expression level in CML patients increased from CP (0.009 5±0.017 6) to AP (0.028 0±0.055 7) and then to BP (0.276 7 ± 0.447 0). And there was a linear correlation between HO-1 expression and proportion of primitive CML cells. The diagnostic accuracies and cutoff values of HO-1 expression for CML-CP, CML-AP, and CML-BP were 1.0, 0.748, and 0.965, respectively, as well as 0.000 070, 0.001 917, and 0.020 696, respectively.

CONCLUSIONHO-1 may be a potential molecular indicator for the progression and relapse of CML.

Bone Marrow ; metabolism ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Gene Expression ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; blood ; genetics ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; diagnosis ; enzymology ; pathology ; Male ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

BACKGROUNDBone marrow hematopoietic function suppression is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy. After chemotherapy, the bone marrow structure gets destroyed and the cells died, which might cause the hematopoietic function suppression. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a key enzyme of antioxidative metabolism that associates with cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis. The aim of this study was to restore or resist the bone marrow from the damage of chemotherapy by the HO-1 expression of mouse mesenchymal stem cells (mMSCs) homing to the mice which had the chemotherapy-induced bone marrow suppression.

METHODSOne hundred and sixty female Balb/c mice (6-8-weeks old) were randomly divided into four groups. Each group was performed in 40 mice. The control group was intraperitoneally injected for 5 days and tail intravenously injected on the 6th day with normal saline. The chemotherapy-induced bone marrow suppression was established by intraperitoneally injecting cyclophosphamide (CTX) into the mice which performed as the chemotherapy group. The mMSCs were tail intravenously injected into 40 chemotherapically damaged mice which served as the mMSCs group. The difference between the HO-1 group and the mMSCs group was the injected cells. The HO-1 group was tail intravenously injected into the mMSCs that highly expressed HO-1 which was stimulated by hemin. The expression of HO-1 was analyzed by Western blotting and RT-PCR. Cell proliferation was measured using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Histopathologic examinations were performed 1 week after injection.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the expression levels of HO-1 mRNA and protein were significantly higher in the HO-1 group (all P < 0.05), even obviously than the mMSCs group. CTX treatment induced apoptosis and inhibited proliferation. After injected, the white blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC) and platelet (PLT) declined fast and down to the bottom at the 7th day. The bone marrow structure was destroyed incomplete. In vitro, the survival rate of cells in chemotherapy group was less than 50% after 24 hours. In contrast, mMSCs could do a favor to the cellular cleavage and proliferation. They slowed down the cell mortality and more than 50% cells survived after 24 hours. The effects of blocking apoptosis and bone marrow recovery could be more effective in the HO-1 group. In the HO-1 group, it had observed that the bone marrow structure became complete and the hemogram closed to normal at 7th day.

CONCLUSIONSHO-1 played an important role in promoting the recovery of CTX-induced hematopoietic damage. We suggest that HO-1 is able to restore the functions of chemotherapy-induced hematopoietic damage.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Blood Platelets ; drug effects ; Blotting, Western ; Bone Marrow ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Cyclophosphamide ; toxicity ; Erythrocytes ; drug effects ; Female ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Leukocytes ; drug effects ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; enzymology ; physiology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction