Liver homeostasis is achieved by the removal of diseased and damaged hepatocytes and their coordinated replacement to maintain a constant liver cell mass. Cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, and toxic drug effects can all trigger apoptosis in the liver as a means of removing the unwanted cells, and the Fas "death receptor" pathway comprises a major physiological mechanism by which this occurs. The susc...

............................................................................................................. v List of publications ............................................................................................ vi Table of contents .............................................................................................. vii Abbreviations ........................................

In this study, methoxylated flavonoids and volatile constitutions of Agrostis gigantea Roth (Poaceae) were investigated for the first time. The flavonoids were identified by spectroscopic methods (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, COSY, NOSEY, TCOSY, and HMBC). The volatile constitutions of aerial parts and seeds were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Two methoxylated flavonoids, luteoli...

BACKGROUND Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor associated with gastric carcinogenesis. 3,3'-Diindolylmethane (DIM) is a relatively non-toxic selective AhR modulator. This study was to detect the effects of DIM on gastric cancer cell growth. METHODS Gastric cancer cell SGC7901 was treated with DIM at different concentrations (0,10,20,30,40,50 μmol/L) with...

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) form a heterodimeric transcription factor upon binding a wide variety of environmental pollutants, including 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). AHR target gene activation can be repressed by estrogen and estrogen-like compounds. In this study, we demonstrate that a significant component of...

Antenatal glucocorticoid administration is used in cases of fetuses at risk to be born prematurely to enhance fetal pulmonary surfactant production and prevent infant respiratory distress syndrome. The CYP1A1 is the most important xenobiotic-metabolizing cytochrome P450 enzyme in the human placenta. Importantly, CYP1A1 generates reactive species and its placental activity is elevated in smoking...

For more than 30 years, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor [Ah receptor (AHR)] has been extensively scrutinized as the cellular receptor for numerous environmental contaminants, including polychlorinated dioxins, dibenzofurans, and biphenyls. Recent evidence argues that this description is incomplete and perhaps myopic. Ah receptor orthologs have been demonstrated to mediate diverse endogenous funct...

In this study, methoxylated flavonoids and volatile constitutions of Agrostis gigantea Roth (Poaceae) were investigated for the first time. The flavonoids were identified by spectroscopic methods (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, COSY, NOSEY, TCOSY, and HMBC). The volatile constitutions of aerial parts and seeds were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Two methoxylated flavonoids, luteoli...

AIMS Doxorubicin (DOX) is a highly effective chemotherapeutic agent; however, cumulative dose-dependent cardiotoxicity is a significant side effect of this therapy. Because DOX is a polyaromatic hydrocarbon, we hypothesized that it will be metabolized by the activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-activated transcription factor that is involved in the metabolism of numerous ...

A stochastic model of nuclear receptor-mediated transcription was developed based on activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD) and subsequent binding the activated AHR to xenobiotic response elements (XREs) on DNA. The model was based on effects observed in cells lines commonly used as in vitro experimental systems. Following ligand binding, th...