Heme oxygenase 1 transgenic mice as a model to study neuroprotection.
Bile pigments and CO are formed in the course of heme degradation by the isozymes and are biologically active moieties. In the course of heme degradation the chelated iron is also released. Heme and iron are prooxidants, whereas bile pigments are antioxidants. In addition, CO functions as a signal molecule and HO-2 may serve as an intracellular "sink" for NO. In the balance, the published data suggest that the HO system functions in cellular defense mechanisms. The methods described in this chapter can be used to assess the tissue/cell toxicity of chemicals in general, and as pertains to the defense activity of HO-1, specifically.
Maines
Mahin D
MD
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642, USA.
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009336:Necrosis; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D002843:Chromatin; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; C496542:Hmox1 protein, mouse; D002118:Calcium