UNLABELLED Chemical regulation of macrophage function is one key strategy for developing host-directed adjuvant therapies for tuberculosis (TB). A critical step to develop these therapies is the identification and characterization of specific macrophage molecules and pathways with a high potential to serve as drug targets. Using a barcoded lentivirus-based pooled short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) libra...

β-lapachone, a major component in an ethanol extract of Tabebuia avellanedae bark, is a promising potential therapeutic drug for various tumors, including lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In the first part of this study, we found that apoptotic cell death induced in lung cancer cells by high concentrations of β-lapachone was mediated by increased activation of ...

Oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) due to insufficient blood circulation can decrease cancer cell survival and proliferation in solid tumors. OGD increases the intracellular [AMP]/[ATP] ratio, thereby activating the AMPK. In this study, we have investigated the involvement of NQO1 in OGD-mediated AMPK activation and cancer cell death. We found that OGD activates AMPK in an NQO1-dependent mann...

We conducted a hospital-based case-control study of 814 lung cancer patients and 1123 controls to examine the association of the NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) gene polymorphism with lung cancer susceptibility. Using PCR-RFLP genotyping assay techniques, we analyzed DNA samples to detect the variant forms of the NQO1 gene in exon 6 on chromosome 16q. We examined the relationship betwe...

Cataract is multi-factorial eye disease identified by the disturbance of the transparent ocular lens. There is significant evidence suggesting oxidative damage as a major cause of initiation and progression of numerous diseases including cataracts. NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1; OMIM: 125860) and catalase (CAT, OMIM: 115500) are antioxidant enzymes that prevent cells from oxidative str...

Oxidant pollutants such as diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) can initiate and exacerbate airway allergic responses through enhanced IgE production. These effects are especially pronounced in individuals in whom phase II antioxidant enzyme responses are impaired. We confirmed that DEPs and DEP extracts (DEPX) can act directly on B lymphocytes and showed that DEPX could enhance IgH epsilon germline...

Aims: With the purpose of investigating the association between NQO1 and ESR1 polymorphisms and the susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and providing scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of the disease, this case-control study was designed. Methods: The genotypes of NQO1, ESR1 gene polymorphisms were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length po...

1. Abstract 2. Introduction 2.1. Estrogen receptor (ER) bioactivity in breast cancer cells 2.2. ER alpha and beta 2.3. Antiestrogens and the regulation of ER bioactivity in breast cancer cells 2.4. Detoxifying enzymes and chemoprotection against cancer 2.5. Regulation of the expression of detoxifying enzymes 2.6. Metabolism of estrogens 2.7. Role of estrogen metabolites in carcinogenesis 3. Reg...

Inducers of phase II detoxifying enzymes have been studied as chemopreventive agents for a variety of cancers. Phase II detoxifying enzymes may play a significant role in preventing carcinogen-induced colon cancer at the initiation and post-initiation stage, but the contribution of NAD(P) H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) to this effect remains unclear. Using the carcinogen-induced colon cancer...

Monocytes play a central role in the immunopathological effects of sepsis. This role is mediated by production of the cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-1beta. The transcription factor NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) regulates innate immune responses in various experimental disease models. Presently, the role of Nrf2-regulated genes in LPS-treated human monocytes is not well defined. Herein we show that ...