NO is known to induce expression of heme oxygenase-1, an antioxidant enzyme in blood vessels. We tested whether NO might modulate the endothelial NADPH oxidase function via heme oxygenase-1. In human microvascular endothelial cells, the NO donor DETA-NONOate (0.1 to 1 mmol/L) strongly induced expression of heme oxygenase-1 but not Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase. This was associated with a reduction...

Heme oxygenase-1 is an inducible cytoprotective gene, although its induction by environmental factors is not completely understood. This study aimed to ascertain if specific nutritive factors or related compounds influence heme oxygenase-1 expression. In HCT-116 cells, cadmium increased heme oxygenase-1 enzymatic activity. This effect of cadmium was weaker in cells made iron-deficient with the ...

The ability of antimony and antimony-containing parasiticidal agents to enhance the rate of heme degradation in liver and kidney was investigated. Trivalent antimony was shown to be an extremely potent inducer of heme oxygenase, the initial and rate-limiting enzyme in heme degradation, in both organs, whereas the pentavalent form was a weak inducer of this enzyme. The ability of antimony to ind...

Oxidative stress of human skin fibroblasts by treatment with ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation has been shown to lead to an increase in levels of the heme catabolizing enzyme heme oxygenase 1 [heme, hydrogen-donor:oxygen oxidoreductase (alpha-methene-oxidizing, hydroxylating), EC 1.14.99.3] and the iron storage protein ferritin. Here we show that human skin fibroblasts, preirradiated with UVA, sust...

Heme oxygenase 1 is induced by hemodynamic forces in vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells. We investigated the involvement of heme oxygenase 1 in flow (shear stress)-dependent remodeling. Two or 14 days after ligation of mesenteric resistance arteries, vessels were isolated. In rats, at 14 days, diameter increased by 23% in high-flow arteries and decreased by 22% in low-flow arteries co...

Two cDNA clones for rat heme oxygenase have been isolated from a rat spleen cDNA library in lambda gt11 by immunological screening using a specific polyclonal antibody. One of these clones has an insert of 1530 nucleotides that contains the entire protein-coding region. To confirm that the isolated cDNA encodes heme oxygenase, we transfected monkey kidney cells (COS-7) with the cDNA carried in ...

Heme oxygenase is an essential enzyme in heme catabolism that cleaves heme to form biliverdin, releasing carbon monoxide and iron. There are two isozymes of heme oxygenase: heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and heme oxygenase 2, each of which is encoded by a separate gene. It is noteworthy that HO-1 is inducible by various environmental factors, while heme oxygenase 2 is not. Here we have localized the h...

Heme oxygenase 1 is induced by hemodynamic forces in vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells. We investigated the involvement of heme oxygenase 1 in flow (shear stress)-dependent remodeling. Two or 14 days after ligation of mesenteric resistance arteries, vessels were isolated. In rats, at 14 days, diameter increased by 23% in high-flow arteries and decreased by 22% in low-flow arteries co...

BACKGROUND Previously, we reported that menadione activated rat, native heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2) and human recombinant heme oxygenase-2 selectively; it did not activate spleen, microsomal heme oxygenase-1. The purpose of this study was to explore some structure-activity relationships of this activation and the idea that redox properties may be an important aspect of menadione efficacy. METHODS...

Up-regulation of CD4+CD25+CD127low/- regulatory T cells (Tregs) is a new target in the treatment of asthma. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells can up-regulate CD4+CD25+CD127low/- regulatory T cells in vitro, meanwhile, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) plays an important role in the development and maintenance of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells. However the mechanism has not yet been adequately unders...