title: Selective activation of heme oxygenase-2 by menadione.
abstract: While substantial progress has been made in elucidating the roles of heme oxygenases-1 (HO-1) and -2 (HO-2) in mammals, our understanding of the functions of these enzymes in health and disease is still incomplete. A significant amount of our knowledge has been garnered through the use of nonselective inhibitors of HOs, and our laboratory has recently described more selective inhibitors for HO-1. In addition, our appreciation of HO-1 has benefitted from the availability of tools for increasing its activity through enzyme induction. By comparison, there is a paucity of information about HO-2 activation, with only a few reports appearing in the literature. This communication describes our observations of the up to 30-fold increase in the in-vitro activation of HO-2 by menadione. This activation was due to an increase in Vmax and was selective, in that menadione did not increase HO-1 activity.
authors: a Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
authors: Dragic
authors: D
authors: Vukomanovic
authors: a Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
authors: Brian E
authors: BE
authors: McLaughlin
authors: b Department of Biochemistry, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
authors: Mona N
authors: MN
authors: Rahman
authors: c Department of Chemistry, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
authors: Walter A
authors: WA
authors: Szarek
authors: a Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
authors: James F
authors: JF
authors: Brien
authors: b Department of Biochemistry, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
authors: Zongchao
authors: Z
authors: Jia
authors: a Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
authors: Kanji
authors: K
authors: Nakatsu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / Q000378:metabolism*; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism; D024483:Vitamin K 3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins; D024483:Vitamin K 3; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; C105245:heme oxygenase-2