title: The involvement of Nrf2-ARE pathway in regulation of apoptosis in human glioblastoma cell U251.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway plays anti-apoptotic role in normal tissue and tumor. But the role of Nrf2 in apoptosis in glioma is still unknown. Here, we established this experiment to elucidate how Nrf2-ARE  pathway participates in apoptosis in human glioblastoma cell U251.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two plasmids, pEGFP-Nrf2 and Si-Nrf2, were transfected to up- or downregulate the expression of Nrf2 in U251. After transfection, the apoptosis rate, expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Bcl-2, Bax, caspases  3, 9 and activity of caspases 3, 9 were detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After increasing expression of Nrf2, the apoptosis rate was reduced accompanied with upregulated expression of HO-1, Bcl-2/Bax, decreased expression and activity of caspases 3, 9. After decreasing expression of Nrf2, the  apoptosis rate was enhanced accompanied with downregulated expression of HO-1, Bcl-2/Bax, increased expression and activity of caspases 3, 9.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that Nrf2 participates in the regulation of apoptosis in U251 through HO-1 and the 'intrinsic'  apoptotic pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Handong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xiaoliang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zixiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.forename: Kangjian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Youwu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D061745:Antioxidant Response Elements / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000473:pathology; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014162:Transfection; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; C495635:NFE2L2 protein, human; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9