scholarly journals Protection of Male Rat Offspring against Hypertension Programmed by Prenatal Dexamethasone Administration and Postnatal High-Fat Diet with the Nrf2 Activator Dimethyl Fumarate during Pregnancy

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (16) ◽  
pp. 3957 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chien-Ning Hsu ◽  
Yu-Ju Lin ◽  
Hong-Ren Yu ◽  
I-Chun Lin ◽  
Jiunn-Ming Sheen ◽  
...  

Hypertension can originate from early-life exposure to oxidative stress. As reported, dimethyl fumarate (DMF) activates nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and protects against oxidative stress damage. We examined whether maternal DMF therapy protects adult offspring against hypertension programmed by prenatal dexamethasone (DEX) and postnatal high-fat (HF) diet exposure. We examined male Sprague Dawley rat offspring at 4 months of age from five groups (n = 11–13/group): control, DEX (0.1mg/kg i.p. from gestational day 16 to 22), HF (D12331 diet from weaning to 16 weeks of age), DEX+HF, and DEX+HF+DMF (50mg/kg/day via gastric gavage for 3 weeks during pregnancy). Maternal DMF therapy prevented male offspring against hypertension programmed by combined DEX and HF exposures. The protective effects of maternal DMF include reduced oxidative stress, decreased plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels, downregulated the renin-angiotensin system (i.e. Ren, Agt, Ace, and Agtr1a), increased renal protein levels of certain nutrient-sensing signals, and promoted autophagy. In conclusion, maternal Nrf2 activation by DMF protects male adult offspring against hypertension programmed by combined DEX and HF exposures. Our results cast a new light on the therapeutic potential of targeting Nrf2 signaling pathway as reprogramming strategies to prevent programmed hypertension in children exposed to antenatal corticosteroids and postnatally excessive consumption of fat.

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Ju Lin ◽  
I-Chun Lin ◽  
Hong-Ren Yu ◽  
Jiunn-Ming Sheen ◽  
Li-Tung Huang ◽  
...  

Prenatal dexamethasone (DEX) exposure, postnatal high-fat (HF) intake, and oxidative stress are closely related to the development of hypertension. Nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) regulates oxidative stress. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) reportedly activates Nrf2 and protects against oxidative stress damage. We examined a 4-month-old male rat offspring from five groups (n=8 for each group): control, DEX (0.1 mg/kg i.p. from a gestational age of 16 to 22 days), HF (D12331 diet from weaning to 4 months of age), and DEX + HF, DEX + HF + DMF (50 mg/kg/day via gastric gavage for 3 weeks after weaning). We found that postnatal HF intake aggravated prenatal DEX-induced hypertension in adult male offspring, which could be prevented by DMF treatment. The beneficial effects of DMF treatment include an increase in renal Nrf2 gene expression, reduction of oxidative stress, decrease in plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and renal soluble epoxide hydrolase protein levels, increase in the L-arginine-to-ADMA ratio, and activation of genes related to nutrient sensing and autophagy (e.g., Pparb, Pparg, Ppargc1a, Ulk1, and Atg5). In conclusion, better understanding of the impact of the Nrf2 signaling pathway in the two-hit model will aid in protecting children exposed to antenatal corticosteroids and a postnatal HF diet from programmed hypertension.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (18) ◽  
pp. 4382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chien-Ning Hsu ◽  
Yu-Ju Lin ◽  
You-Lin Tain

Maternal exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and a high-fat intake may induce the developmental programming of hypertension in adult offspring. Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most commonly environmental EDCs. As the nitric oxide (NO) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signaling pathways both contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension, we evaluated whether resveratrol, an antioxidant and an AHR antagonist, can prevent hypertension programmed by a maternal BPA and HF diet. Sixteen-week-old male rat offspring were assigned to six groups (n = 8 per group): Control, HF (D12331, Research Diets), BPA (50 μg/kg/day), HF + BPA, BPA + R (resveratrol 50mg/L in drinking water throughout pregnancy and lactation), and HF + BPA + R. Maternal BPA exposure exacerbated hypertension programmed by HF consumption in adult male offspring, which was protected by maternal resveratrol therapy. The BPA and HF diet synergistically induced oxidative stress in offspring kidneys, which resveratrol treatment prevented. We observed that HF + BPA-induced programmed hypertension was associated with a decreased NO bioavailability, increased oxidative stress, and an activated AHR signaling pathway. The beneficial effects of resveratrol are relevant to restoring NO bioavailability, reducing oxidative stress, and antagonizing the AHR signaling pathway. Our results cast a new light on resveratrol as a reprogramming strategy to protect against hypertension programmed by combined BPA and HF exposure, but this strategy has yet to be translated into clinical applications.


2020 ◽  
Vol 124 (3) ◽  
pp. 286-295
Author(s):  
Marcela Aída González ◽  
Jimena Lavandera ◽  
Carolina Gerstner ◽  
Ana Clara Fariña ◽  
Juliana Saín ◽  
...  

AbstractMaternal nutritional programming by a high-fat (HF) diet is related to hepatic lipid accumulation and steatosis in offspring. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) might ameliorate impaired hepatic lipid homoeostasis; therefore, the aim was to investigate the potential preventive effect of maternal CLA consumption on TAG metabolism alterations induced by HF diets in adult male rat offspring receiving or not receiving CLA. Female Wistar rats were fed a control (C) diet, HF diet or HF diet supplemented with CLA (HF+CLA) for 4 weeks before mating and throughout pregnancy and lactation. After weaning, for 9 weeks, male offspring of C or HF rats continued with the same diets as their mothers (C/C or HF/HF groups, respectively) and male offspring of HF+CLA rats were fed HF or HF+CLA diets (HF+CLA/HF or HF+CLA/HF+CLA groups, respectively). Nutritional parameters, serum and liver TAG levels, the TAG secretion rate (TAG-SR) and the activities as well as gene expression of key hepatic enzymes involved in TAG regulation were assessed. The most interesting results were that maternal CLA decreased epididymal white adipose tissue weight and prevented serum and liver TAG accumulation induced by a HF diet in adult male offspring receiving or not receiving CLA. The prevention of liver steatosis in HF+CLA/HF+CLA and HF+CLA/HF offspring was associated with an increased hepatic TAG-SR. Overall, this study provides evidence that maternal CLA consumption programmes TAG regulation and in this way contributes to lowering lipid levels in tissues and preventing liver steatosis in particular.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 5995
Author(s):  
Chand Basha Davuljigari ◽  
Frederick Adams Ekuban ◽  
Cai Zong ◽  
Alzahraa A. M. Fergany ◽  
Kota Morikawa ◽  
...  

Acrylamide is a well characterized neurotoxicant known to cause neuropathy and encephalopathy in humans and experimental animals. To investigate the role of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in acrylamide-induced neuropathy, male C57Bl/6JJcl adult mice were exposed to acrylamide at 0, 200 or 300 ppm in drinking water and co-administered with subcutaneous injections of sulforaphane, a known activator of the Nrf2 signaling pathway at 0 or 25 mg/kg body weight daily for 4 weeks. Assessments for neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, oxidative stress as well as messenger RNA-expression analysis for Nrf2-antioxidant and pro-inflammatory cytokine genes were conducted. Relative to mice exposed only to acrylamide, co-administration of sulforaphane protected against acrylamide-induced neurotoxic effects such as increase in landing foot spread or decrease in density of noradrenergic axons as well as hepatic necrosis and hemorrhage. Moreover, co-administration of sulforaphane enhanced acrylamide-induced mRNA upregulation of Nrf2 and its downstream antioxidant proteins and suppressed acrylamide-induced mRNA upregulation of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the cerebral cortex. The results demonstrate that activation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway by co-treatment of sulforaphane provides protection against acrylamide-induced neurotoxicity through suppression of oxidative stress and inflammation. Nrf2 remains an important target for the strategic prevention of acrylamide-induced neurotoxicity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Li ◽  
Lan Chu ◽  
Chunfeng Liu ◽  
Zongyi Zha ◽  
Yuanlu Shu

Aim: This study investigated the protective effect of dimethyl fumarate (DMF) in rats by mediating GSK3-β/Nrf2 using the middle cerebral artery embolization reperfusion (MCAO/R) rat model. Background: After an acute ischemic stroke (AIS), oxidative stress occurs. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF), a nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activator, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was observed to regulate the Nrf2 pathway by acting as an anti-oxidative stress agent; however, whether this agent is involved in inhibiting GSK-3β remains to be established. Methods: DMF model was used to explore the effects of GSK-3β on Nrf2 expression level, Nrf2-ARE binding activity and Nrf2/ARE downstream expression level of anti-oxidant stress protein in Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI). 60 rats were randomly divided into Sham group, MCAO/R group, solvent control group (DMSO group) and DMF treatment group, with 15 rats in each group. The MCAO/R, DMSO and DMF groups were considered in the MCAO/R model using the modified thread embolization method. In contrast, the Sham group was only anaesthetized and disinfected, and tissue muscle was dissected without inserting suture emboli. DMF group was gavaged with 45mg/kg per day of DMF, DMSO control group was gavaged with DMSO of equal volume, while MCAO/R group was only modeled without any intragastric treatment. The rats were treated seven days after the operation, and a neurological function Longa score was estimated. The rats were sacrificed seven days later, and the infarct volume was assessed by TTC staining. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes in rat brain tissue. Nissl staining was used to observe the expression of neurons in the infarcted cortex. Western blotting (WB) was used to observe the protein expression levels of glycogen synthase kinase 3β(GSK-3β), nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), downstream heme oxygenase 1 (HO1) and NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) in four groups. The expression levels of GSK-3β and Nrf2 in the four groups were observed by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Results: (1) The Longa score of the MCAO/R, DMSO and DMF groups was found to be higher compared to the Sham group, indicating successful operation. The Longa score of the DMF group was lower than that of the other three groups 4-7 days after surgery (P<0.05). (2) HE and Nissl staining showed that the DMF group had lower neuron necrosis and higher gliosis compared to the control groups. (3) TTC staining results showed that the infarct volume of the DMF group was significantly smaller than the MCAO/R and DMSO groups. (4) Protein results showed that the GSK-3β expression in the DMF group was lower than that in all groups, while the expression of Nrf2, HO1 and NQO1 was higher compared to other groups. Conclusion: DMF can reduce neurological deficits and infarct size in the MCAO/R model. The protective effect may be related to decreased GSK-3β expression and increased Nrf2 expression, which may play a role in anti-oxidative stress.


2016 ◽  
Vol 310 (5) ◽  
pp. R432-R439 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Pileggi ◽  
S. A. Segovia ◽  
J. F. Markworth ◽  
C. Gray ◽  
X. D. Zhang ◽  
...  

A high-saturated-fat diet (HFD) during pregnancy and lactation leads to metabolic disorders in offspring concomitant with increased adiposity and a proinflammatory phenotype in later life. During the fetal period, the impact of maternal diet on skeletal muscle development is poorly described, despite this tissue exerting a major influence on life-long metabolic health. This study investigated the effect of a maternal HFD on skeletal muscle anabolic, catabolic, and inflammatory signaling in adult rat offspring. Furthermore, the actions of maternal-supplemented conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on these measures of muscle phenotype were investigated. A purified control diet (CD; 10% kcal fat), a CD supplemented with CLA (CLA; 10% kcal fat, 1% total fat as CLA), a high-fat (HFD; 45% kcal fat from lard), or a HFD supplemented with CLA (HFCLA; 45% kcal fat from lard, 1% total fat as CLA) was fed ad libitum to female Sprague-Dawley rats for 10 days before mating and throughout gestation and lactation. Male offspring received a standard chow diet from weaning, and the gastrocnemius was collected for analysis at day 150. Offspring from HF and HFCLA mothers displayed lower muscular protein content accompanied by elevated monocyte chemotactic protein-1, IL-6, and IL-1β concentrations. Phosphorylation of NF-κBp65 (Ser536) and expression of the catabolic E3 ligase muscle ring finger 1 (MuRF1) were increased in HF offspring, an effect reversed by maternal CLA supplementation. The present study demonstrates the importance of early life interventions to ameliorate the negative effects of poor maternal diet on offspring skeletal muscle development.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Nakagami

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a redox-sensitive transcription factor that binds to antioxidant response elements located in the promoter region of genes encoding many antioxidant enzymes and phase II detoxifying enzymes. Activation of Nrf2 functions is one of the critical defensive mechanisms against oxidative stress in many species. The retina is constantly exposed to reactive oxygen species, and oxidative stress is a major contributor to age-related macular diseases. Moreover, the resulting inflammation and neuronal degeneration are also related to other retinal diseases. The well-known Nrf2 activators, bardoxolone methyl and its derivatives, have been the subject of a number of clinical trials, including those aimed at treating chronic kidney disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and mitochondrial myopathies. Recent studies suggest that Nrf2 activation protects the retina from retinal diseases. In particular, this is supported by the finding that Nrf2 knockout mice display age-related retinal degeneration. Moreover, the concept has been validated by the efficacy of Nrf2 activators in a number of retinal pathological models. We have also recently succeeded in generating a novel Nrf2 activator, RS9, using a biotransformation technique. This review discusses current links between retinal diseases and Nrf2 and the possibility of treating retinal diseases by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Yan Xu ◽  
Huan Yuan ◽  
Yi Luo ◽  
Yu-Jie Zhao ◽  
Jian-Hui Xiao

Aging is an important risk factor in the occurrence of many chronic diseases. Senescence and exhaustion of adult stem cells are considered as a hallmark of aging in organisms. In this study, a senescent human amniotic mesenchymal stem cell (hAMSC) model subjected to oxidative stress was established in vitro using hydrogen peroxide. We investigated the effects of ganoderic acid D (GA-D), a natural triterpenoid compound produced from Ganoderma lucidum, on hAMSC senescence. GA-D significantly inhibited β-galactosidase (a senescence-associated marker) formation, in a dose-dependent manner, with doses ranging from 0.1 μM to 10 μM, without inducing cytotoxic side-effects. Furthermore, GA-D markedly inhibited the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the expression of p21 and p16 proteins, relieved the cell cycle arrest, and enhanced telomerase activity in senescent hAMSCs. Furthermore, GA-D upregulated the expression of phosphorylated protein kinase R- (PKR-) like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), peroxidase III (PRDX3), and nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor (NRF2) and promoted intranuclear transfer of NRF2 in senescent cells. The PERK inhibitor GSK2656157 and/or the NRF2 inhibitor ML385 suppressed the PERK/NRF2 signaling, which was activated by GA-D. They induced a rebound for the generation of ROS and β-galactosidase-positive cells and attenuated the differentiation capacity. These findings suggest that GA-D retards hAMSC senescence through activation of the PERK/NRF2 signaling pathway and may be a promising candidate for the discovery of antiaging agents.


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