Fragile X syndrome is due to mutation of the FMR1 gene. The most common mutation is an expansion of a CGG repeat in the 5' UTR that triggers dense DNA methylation and formation of a heterochromatin-like structure which lead to transcriptional silencing. In vitro experiments have identified several transcription factors, including Sp1, Nrf-1 and USF1/2, as potential regulators of normal FMR1 pro...

Polyamines and polyamine analogues have been demonstrated to modulate the transcription of various genes. Spermidine/spermine N(1)-acetyltransferase (SSAT) is transcriptionally regulated through the interaction of at least two trans-acting transcription factors, NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) and PMF-1 (polyamine modulated factor-1). Nrf-2 has previously been shown to regulate transcription of ...

BACKGROUND The role of airway inflammation and inflammation-induced oxidative stress in the pathogenesis and progression of chronic inflammatory airway diseases has received increasing attention in recent years. We investigated the potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects of esculentoside A (EsA), a saponin isolated from the Chinese herb Phytolacca esculenta, in comparison to dexam...

OBJECTIVE To better explore the relationship between parameters of glycemic control of T2DM in RRT, we studied 23 patients on hemodialysis (HD), 22 on peritoneal dialysis (PD), and compared them with 24 T2DM patients with normal renal function (NRF). MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed, on four consecutive days, 10 assessments of capillary blood glucose [4 fasting, 2 pre- and 4 postprandial (p...

Background Cardiotoxic side effects impose limits to the use of anti-tumour chemotherapeutic drugs such as doxorubicin (Dox). There is a need for cardioprotective strategies to prevent the multiple deleterious effects of Dox. Here, we examined the ability of administered fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), a cardioprotective protein that is synthesized as high and low molecular weight (Hi-, Lo-...

Nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1) is one of the key transcriptional activators for nuclear-coded genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and function as well as for many housekeeping genes. A transcriptional co-activator PGC-1 and its related family member PRC have previously been shown to interact with NRF-1 and co-activate NRF-1. We show here that NRF-1 can also directly interact with p...

Dendritic cells (DCs), which are highly proficient antigen-presenting cells, play a complex role in both the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. We tested the hypothesis that the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of atorvastatin may be partly mediated by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/transcription factor nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (PI3K/A...

Objective(s): Aspiration is a common cause of acute lung injury (ALI), which lacks an effective treatment. Inflammation and oxidative stress play key roles in ALI development. Silymarin is an active extract of Silybum marianum plant seeds (milk thistle). Silymarin has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects; however its role in aspiration induced ALI has not b...

Not really finished (nrf), a larval-lethal mutation in zebrafish generated by retroviral insertion, causes specific retinal defects. Analysis of mutant retinae reveals an extensive loss of photoreceptors and their precursors around the onset of visual function. These neurons undergo apoptosis during differentiation, affecting all classes of photoreceptors, suggesting an essential function of nr...