Abstract

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), derived from various plant sources, has been shown to ameliorate ischemia/reperfusion injury in vivo, and this has been attributed to its ability to reduce oxidative stress. Here we investigated the cytoprotection of CAPE against menadione-induced oxidative stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) to evaluate potential gene expression involvement. CAPE exhibited dose-dependent cytoprotection of HUVEC. A gene screen with microarrays was performed to identify the potential cytoprotective gene(s) induced by CAPE. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) was highly upregulated by CAPE and this was confirmed with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting. Inhibition of HO-1 activity using the HO-1 inhibitor tin protoporphyrin IX (SnPPIX), resulted in loss of cytoprotection. Carbon monoxide, one of HO-1 catabolic products appeared to play a small role in CAPE protection. Caffeic acid, a potential metabolite of CAPE with similar free radical scavenging ability, however, didn't show any cytoprotective effect nor induce HO-1. These findings suggest an important role of HO-1 induction in CAPE cytoprotection against oxidant stress, which may not relate to CAPE structural antioxidant activity nor to its traditional enzymatic activity in decomposing heme but to a yet to be determined activity.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.