title: Over-expression of Nrf2 diminishes ethanol-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in neural crest cells by inducing an antioxidant response.
abstract: Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) is a key transcription factor that regulates antioxidant defense in cells. In this study, we investigated whether over-expression of Nrf2 can prevent ethanol-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in neural crest cells (NCCs). We found that transfection of NCCs with pcDNA3.1-Nrf2 resulted in statistically significant increases in the Nrf2 protein levels in control and ethanol-exposed NCCs as compared to the cells transfected with control vector. Luciferase reporter gene assay revealed that over-expression of Nrf2 significantly increased the antioxidant response element (ARE) promoter activity in NCCs. Nrf2 over-expression also increased the protein expression and activities of Nrf2 target antioxidants in NCCs. In addition, over-expression of Nrf2 significantly decreased ROS generation and diminished apoptosis in ethanol-exposed NCCs. These results demonstrate that over-expression of Nrf2 can confer protection against ethanol-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in NCCs by the induction of an antioxidant response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria, IL 61605, United States.
authors.forename: Xiaopan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shao-yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D061745:Antioxidant Response Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D017209:Apoptosis; D002460:Cell Line; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic
chemical_list: D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; C495636:Nfe2l2 protein, mouse; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Antioxidant; Apoptosis; Ethanol; Neural crest cells; Nrf2