title: Fundamental role of heme oxygenase in the protection against ischemic acute renal failure.
abstract: Oxidative stress conditions such as oxidant stimuli, inflammation, exposure to xenobiotics and ionizing irradiation provoke cellular responses, principally involving transcriptional activation of genes encoding proteins that participate in the defense against oxidative tissue injuries. Excess of free heme, which is released from hemeproteins under these conditions, may constitute a major threat because it catalyzes the formation of reactive oxygen species. Exposure of mammalian cells to oxidative stimuli induces heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), the rate-limiting enzyme in heme degradation, as well as the 32-kDa heat shock protein. In various tissue injury systems, HO-1 induction has been shown to confer protection, while its abrogation has been shown to accelerate cellular injuries. In this review, recent findings concerning the role of HO-1 as a protective response against oxidative stress conditions are summarized, with a particular emphasis on its protective role in ischemic acute renal failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Science, Faculty of Health and Welfare Science, Okayama Prefectural University, Soja, Japan. akagirei@fhw.oka-pu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Akagi
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sassa
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004790:Enzyme Induction / Q000187:drug effects; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006418:Heme / Q000378:metabolism; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D006418:Heme; C496541:HMOX1 protein, human; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1