scholarly journals The Role of the Nrf2 Signaling in Obesity and Insulin Resistance

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (18) ◽  
pp. 6973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiri Li ◽  
Natsuki Eguchi ◽  
Hien Lau ◽  
Hirohito Ichii

Obesity, a metabolic disorder characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue, has globally become an increasingly prevalent disease. Extensive studies have been conducted to elucidate the underlying mechanism of the development of obesity. In particular, the close association of inflammation and oxidative stress with obesity has become increasingly evident. Obesity has been shown to exhibit augmented levels of circulating proinflammatory cytokines, which have been associated with the activation of pathways linked with inflammation-induced insulin resistance, a major pathological component of obesity and several other metabolic disorders. Oxidative stress, in addition to its role in stimulating adipose differentiation, which directly triggers obesity, is considered to feed into this pathway, further aggravating insulin resistance. Nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a basic leucine zipper transcription factor that is activated in response to inflammation and oxidative stress, and responds by increasing antioxidant transcription levels. Therefore, Nrf2 has emerged as a critical new target for combating insulin resistance and subsequently, obesity. However, the effects of Nrf2 on insulin resistance and obesity are controversial. This review focuses on the current state of research on the interplay of inflammation and oxidative stress in obesity, the role of the Nrf2 pathway in obesity and insulin resistance, and the potential use of Nrf2 activators for the treatment of insulin resistance.

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun-Ae Seo ◽  
In-Kyu Lee

Metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and obesity, are increasing globally, and much work has been performed to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of these diseases. Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a basic leucine zipper transcription factor that serves as a primary cellular defense against the cytotoxic effects of oxidative stress. Recent studies have proposed a close relationship between oxidative stress and energy metabolism-associated disease. The Nrf2 pathway, as a master regulator of cellular defense against oxidative stress, has emerged as a critical target of energy metabolism; however, its effects are controversial. This review examines the current state of research on the role of Nrf2 on energy metabolism, specifically with respect to its participation in adipocyte differentiation, obesity, and insulin resistance, and discusses the possibility of using Nrf2 as a therapeutic target in the clinic.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Hanqing Chen ◽  
Xiru Xu ◽  
Zhengqing Liu ◽  
Yong Wu

Hypertension is considered a risk factor for a series of systematic diseases. Known factors including genetic predisposition, age, and diet habits are strongly associated with the initiation of hypertension. The current study aimed to investigate the role of miR-22-3p in hypertension. In this study, we discovered that the miR-22-3p level was significantly decreased in the thoracic aortic vascular tissues and aortic smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Functionally, the overexpression of miR-22-3p facilitated the switch of ASMCs from the synthetic to contractile phenotype. To investigate the underlying mechanism, we predicted 11 potential target mRNAs for miR-22-3p. After screening, chromodomain helicase DNA-binding 9 (CHD9) was validated to bind with miR-22-3p. Rescue assays showed that the co-overexpression of miR-22-3p and CHD9 reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-22-3p mimics on cell proliferation, migration, and oxidative stress in ASMCs. Finally, miR-22-3p suppressed vascular remodeling and oxidative stress in vivo. Overall, miR-22-3p regulated ASMC phenotype switch by targeting CHD9. This new discovery provides a potential insight into hypertension treatment.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Bai ◽  
Xiaolu Wang ◽  
Song Zhao ◽  
Chunye Ma ◽  
Jiuwei Cui ◽  
...  

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) causes an unparalleled proportion of the global burden of disease and will remain the main cause of mortality for the near future. Oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathophysiology of cardiac disorders. Several studies have highlighted the cardinal role played by the overproduction of reactive oxygen or nitrogen species in the pathogenesis of ischemic myocardial damage and consequent cardiac dysfunction. Isothiocyanates (ITC) are sulfur-containing compounds that are broadly distributed among cruciferous vegetables. Sulforaphane (SFN) is an ITC shown to possess anticancer activities by bothin vivoand epidemiological studies. Recent data have indicated that the beneficial effects of SFN in CVD are due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. SFN activates NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a basic leucine zipper transcription factor that serves as a defense mechanism against oxidative stress and electrophilic toxicants by inducing more than a hundred cytoprotective proteins, including antioxidants and phase II detoxifying enzymes. This review will summarize the evidence from clinical studies and animal experiments relating to the potential mechanisms by which SFN modulates Nrf2 activation and protects against CVD.


2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takehiko Kujiraoka ◽  
Yasushi Satoh ◽  
Makoto Ayaori ◽  
Yasunaga Shiraishi ◽  
Yuko Arai-Nakaya ◽  
...  

Background Insulin signaling comprises 2 major cascades, the IRS/PI3K/Akt and Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathways. Many studies on the tissue-specific effects of the former pathway had been conducted, however, the role of the latter cascade in tissue-specific insulin resistance had not been investigated. High glucose/fatty acid toxicity, inflammation and oxidative stress, all of which are associated with insulin resistance, can activate ERK. Liver plays a central role of metabolism and hepatosteatosis (HST) is associated with vascular diseases. The aim of this study is to elucidate the role of hepatic ERK2 in HST, metabolic remodeling and endothelial dysfunction. Methods Serum biomarkers of vascular complications in human were compared between subjects with and without HST diagnosed by echography for regular medical checkup. Next, we created liver-specific ERK2 knockout mice (LE2KO) and fed them with a high-fat/high-sucrose diet (HFHSD) for 20 weeks. The histological analysis, the expression of hepatic sarco/endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca 2+ -ATPase 2 (SERCA2) and glucose-tolerance/insulin-sensitivity (GT/IS) were tested. Vascular superoxide production and endothelial function were evaluated with dihydroethidium staining and isometric tension measurement of aorta. Results The presence of HST significantly increased HOMA-IR, an indicator of insulin resistance or atherosclerotic index in human. HFHSD-fed LE2KO revealed a marked exacerbation in HST and metabolic remodeling represented by the impairment of GT/IS, elevated serum free fatty acid and hyperhomocysteinemia without changes in body weight, blood pressure and serum cholesterol/triglyceride levels. In the HFHSD-fed LE2KO, mRNA and protein expressions of hepatic SERCA2 were significantly decreased, which resulted in hepatic ER stress. Induction of vascular superoxide production and remarkable endothelial dysfunction were also observed in them. Conclusions Hepatic ERK2 revealed the suppression of hepatic ER stress and HST in vivo , which resulted in protection from vascular oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction. HST with hepatic ER stress can be a prominent risk of vascular complications by metabolic remodeling and oxidative stress in obese-related diseases.


2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koichi Murano ◽  
Hirofumi Ogino ◽  
Tomofumi Okuno ◽  
Tomohiro Arakawa ◽  
Hitoshi Ueno

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Lopez-Delacalle ◽  
Christian J Silva ◽  
Teresa C Mestre ◽  
Vicente Martinez ◽  
Barbara Blanco-Ulate ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTAdverse environmental conditions have a devastating impact on plant productivity. In nature, multiple abiotic stresses occur simultaneously, and plants have evolved unique responses to cope against this combination of stresses. Here, we coupled genome-wide transcriptional profiling and untargeted metabolomics with physiological and biochemical analyses to characterize the effect of salinity and heat applied in combination on the metabolism of tomato plants. Our results demonstrate that this combination of stresses causes a unique reprogramming of metabolic pathways, including changes in the expression of 1,388 genes and the accumulation of 568 molecular features. Pathway enrichment analysis of transcript and metabolite data indicated that the proline and ascorbate pathways act synchronously to maintain cellular redox homeostasis, which was supported by measurements of enzymatic activity and oxidative stress markers. We also identified key transcription factors from the basic Leucine Zipper Domain (bZIP), Zinc Finger Cysteine-2/Histidine-2 (C2H2) and Trihelix families that are likely regulators of the identified up-regulated genes under salinity+heat combination. Our results expand the current understanding of how plants acclimate to environmental stresses in combination and unveils the synergy between key cellular metabolic pathways for effective ROS detoxification. Our study opens the door to elucidating the different signaling mechanisms for stress tolerance.HIGHLIGHTSThe combination of salinity and heat causes a unique reprogramming of tomato metabolic pathways by changing the expression of specific genes and metabolic features.Proline and ascorbate pathways act synchronously to maintain cellular redox homeostasisKey transcription factors from the basic Leucine Zipper Domain (bZIP), Zinc Finger Cysteine-2/Histidine-2 (C2H2) and Trihelix families were identified as putative regulators of the identified up-regulated genes under salinity and heat combination.


2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zi-Qi Liao ◽  
Yi-Nong Jiang ◽  
Zhuo-Lin Su ◽  
Hai-Lian Bi ◽  
Jia-Tian Li ◽  
...  

Patients with cancer who receive doxorubicin (DOX) treatment can experience cardiac dysfunction, which can finally develop into heart failure. Oxidative stress is considered the most important mechanism for DOX-mediated cardiotoxicity. Rutaecarpine (Rut), a quinazolinocarboline alkaloid extracted from Evodia rutaecarpa was shown to have a protective effect on cardiac disease. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of Rut in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and explore the underlying mechanism. Intravenous injection of DOX (5 mg/kg, once a week) in mice for 4 weeks was used to establish the cardiotoxic model. Echocardiography and pathological staining analysis were used to detect the changes in structure and function in the heart. Western blot and real-time PCR analysis were used to detect the molecular changes. In this study, we found that DOX time-dependently decreased cardiac function with few systemic side effects. Rut inhibited DOX-induced cardiac fibrosis, reduction in heart size, and decrease in heart function. DOX-induced reduction in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH), enhancement of malondialdehyde (MDA) was inhibited by Rut administration. Meanwhile, Rut inhibited DOX-induced apoptosis in the heart. Importantly, we further found that Rut activated AKT or nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) which further upregulated the antioxidant enzymes such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and GSH cysteine ligase modulatory subunit (GCLM) expression. AKT inhibitor (AKTi) partially inhibited Nrf-2, HO-1, and GCLM expression and abolished the protective role of Rut in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. In conclusion, this study identified Rut as a potential therapeutic agent for treating DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by activating AKT.


2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. e921-e921 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Tanigawa ◽  
C H Lee ◽  
C S Lin ◽  
C C Ku ◽  
H Hasegawa ◽  
...  

Abstract Oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are associated with diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular complications, inflammation and neurodegeneration. Cellular defense systems must work constantly to control ROS levels and to prevent their accumulation. We report here that the Jun dimerization protein 2 (JDP2) has a critical role as a cofactor for transcription factors nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and small Maf protein family K (MafK) in the regulation of the antioxidant-responsive element (ARE) and production of ROS. Chromatin immunoprecipitation–quantitative PCR (qPCR), electrophoresis mobility shift and ARE-driven reporter assays were carried out to examine the role of JDP2 in ROS production. JDP2 bound directly to the ARE core sequence, associated with Nrf2 and MafK (Nrf2–MafK) via basic leucine zipper domains, and increased DNA-binding activity of the Nrf2–MafK complex to the ARE and the transcription of ARE-dependent genes. In mouse embryonic fibroblasts from Jdp2-knockout (Jdp2 KO) mice, the coordinate transcriptional activation of several ARE-containing genes and the ability of Nrf2 to activate expression of target genes were impaired. Moreover, intracellular accumulation of ROS and increased thickness of the epidermis were detected in Jdp2 KO mice in response to oxidative stress-inducing reagents. These data suggest that JDP2 is required to protect against intracellular oxidation, ROS activation and DNA oxidation. qPCR demonstrated that several Nrf2 target genes such as heme oxygenase-1, glutamate–cysteine ligase catalytic and modifier subunits, the notch receptor ligand jagged 1 and NAD(P)H dehydrogenase quinone 1 are also dependent on JDP2 for full expression. Taken together, these results suggest that JDP2 is an integral component of the Nrf2–MafK complex and that it modulates antioxidant and detoxification programs by acting via the ARE.


mSphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guanghui Kong ◽  
Yubin Chen ◽  
Yizhen Deng ◽  
Dinan Feng ◽  
Liqun Jiang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors are widespread in eukaryotes, including plants, animals, fungi, and oomycetes. However, the functions of bZIPs in oomycetes are rarely known. In this study, we identified a bZIP protein possessing a special bZIP-PAS structure in Peronophythora litchii, named PlBZP32. We found that PlBZP32 is upregulated in zoospores, in cysts, and during invasive hyphal growth. We studied the functions of PlBZP32 using the RNAi technique to suppress the expression of this gene. PlBZP32-silenced mutants were more sensitive to oxidative stress, showed a lower cyst germination rate, and produced more sporangia than the wild-type strain SHS3. The PlBZP32-silenced mutants were also less invasive on the host plant. Furthermore, we analyzed the activities of extracellular peroxidases and laccases and found that silencing PlBZP32 decreased the activities of P. litchii peroxidase and laccase. To our knowledge, this is the first report that the functions of a bZIP-PAS protein are associated with oxidative stress, asexual development, and pathogenicity in oomycetes. IMPORTANCE In this study, we utilized the RNAi technique to investigate the functions of PlBZP32, which possesses a basic leucine zipper (bZIP)-PAS structure, and provided insights into the contributions of bZIP transcription factors to oxidative stress, the production of sporangia, the germination of cysts, and the pathogenicity of Peronophythora litchii. This study also revealed the role of PlBZP32 in regulating the enzymatic activities of extracellular peroxidases and laccases in the plant-pathogenic oomycete.


PPAR Research ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Polvani ◽  
Mirko Tarocchi ◽  
Andrea Galli

Peroxisome-proliferator activator receptorγ(PPARγ) is a nuclear receptor of central importance in energy homeostasis and inflammation. Recent experimental pieces of evidence demonstrate that PPARγis implicated in the oxidative stress response, an imbalance between antithetic prooxidation and antioxidation forces that may lead the cell to apoptotic or necrotic death. In this delicate and intricate game of equilibrium, PPARγstands out as a central player devoted to the quenching and containment of the damage and to foster cell survival. However, PPARγdoes not act alone: indeed the nuclear receptor is at the point of interconnection of various pathways, such as the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), Wnt/β-catenin, and forkhead box proteins O (FOXO) pathways. Here we reviewed the role of PPARγin response to oxidative stress and its interaction with other signaling pathways implicated in this process, an interaction that emerged as a potential new therapeutic target for several oxidative-related diseases.


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