title: Induction of gap junctional communication by 4-oxoretinoic acid generated from its precursor canthaxanthin.
abstract: The activity of 4-oxoretinoic acid as an inducer of gap junctional communication was investigated in C3H/10T1/2 murine fibroblasts. Two isomers of this retinoid, all-trans- and 13-cis-4-oxoretinoic acid, enhance gap junctional communication. This is accompanied by increased expression of connexin43 mRNA. Decomposition fractions of canthaxanthin were isolated by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography and shown to be active in the cell-cell communication assay. Two of the decomposition compounds were identified as all-trans- and 13-cis-4-oxoretinoic acid. Therefore, it is concluded that the biological activity of canthaxanthin regarding cell-cell communication is at least in part due to the formation of active decomposition products such as 4-oxoretinoic acid.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologische Chemie I, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanusch
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sies
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016644:Canthaxanthin / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000187:drug effects*; D002460:Cell Line; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000235:genetics; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000187:drug effects*; D015870:Gene Expression; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D018031:Connexin 43; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C002202:4-oxoretinoic acid; D016644:Canthaxanthin; D014212:Tretinoin