title: The role of NOX enzymes in ethanol-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in mouse embryos.
abstract: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in ethanol-induced apoptosis and teratogenesis. However, the major sources of ROS in ethanol-exposed embryos have remained undefined. This study was conducted to determine the role of NADPH oxidase (NOX) in ethanol-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in mouse embryos. Analyses of mRNA expression indicated that ethanol treatment resulted in a significant increase in mRNA expression of NOX catalytic subunit Duox-1 in gestational day 9 (GD 9:0) mouse embryos. Ethanol exposure also resulted in significant increases in mRNA expression of NOX regulatory subunits, p22phox, p67phox, NOXA1 and NOXO1. In addition, a significant increase in NOX enzyme activity was found in the ethanol-exposed embryos as compared to controls. Co-treatment with the NOX inhibitor, diphenyleneiodonium (DPI), significantly prevented ethanol-induced increases in NOX enzyme activity, ROS generation and oxidative DNA damage in ethanol-exposed embryos. DPI treatment also resulted in a reduction in caspase-3 activation, decreased caspase-3 activity and diminished prevalence of apoptosis in ethanol-exposed embryos. These results support the hypothesis that NOX is a critical source of ROS in ethanol-exposed embryos and that it plays an important role in ethanol-induced oxidative stress and pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7178, USA.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Kathleen K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Sulik
authors.forename: Shao-yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000633:toxicity*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000473:pathology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019255:NADPH Oxidases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D009861:Onium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009861:Onium Compounds; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000431:Ethanol; D012313:RNA; C007517:diphenyleneiodonium; D019255:NADPH Oxidases; D053148:Caspase 3