title: Heme oxygenase 1 expression in rat liver during ageing and ethanol intoxication.
abstract: Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) expression is recognized as a marker of cellular response to oxidative stress; since ageing is believed to be related to oxidative "wear and tear", HO-1 may represent a candidate biomarker of ageing. In our study, the hepatic expression of HO-1 mRNA, evaluated by RT-PCR in 2.5-24 month-old rats, was higher at 6 months than at 2.5 months of age, but thereafter increased no further: on the contrary, a declining trend was observed. However, while 2.5 month-old rats responded to acute ethanol intoxication by displaying increased expression of liver HO-1 mRNA, and 6 month-old rats exhibited a mild response, 18 month-old rats did not show any response; this phenomenon suggests that during development and ageing the transcriptional response to oxidative stress decreases. In our view, the finding that HO-1 expression did not increase progressively during ageing may be explained by a decreased transcriptional ability to respond to stress in older animals, rather than by a reduction in oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of General Pathology, University of Genova, Via L.B. Alberti 2, 16132 , Genova, Italy. stefaniapatriarca@virgilio.it
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patriarca
authors.forename: Anna Lisa
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Furfaro
authors.forename: Luana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cosso
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pesce Maineri
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Balbis
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Domenicotti
authors.forename: Mariapaola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nitti
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cottalasso
authors.forename: Umberto Maria
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Marinari
authors.forename: Maria Adelaide
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pronzato
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Traverso
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000201:enzymology*; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1