Apocynin protects against neurological damage induced by quinolinic acid by an increase in glutathione synthesis and Nrf2 levels.

Apocynin (APO) is a well-known NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibitor. However, several studies have reported its ability to increase glutathione (GSH) levels. Due to GSH is a major non-enzymatic antioxidant in brain, the aim of this study was to evaluate, in the striatum of control and quinolinic acid (QUIN) injected rats, the effect of APO administration on: (1) GSH levels, (2) activity of some enzymes involved in the GSH metabolism, and (3) nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) mRNA levels.

The microRNA biogenesis machinery: regulation by steroid hormones and alterations in cancer.

MicroRNAs are a class of non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. The major proteins of the canonical microRNA biogenesis pathway in human are: Drosha, DGCR8, DDX5, DDX17, Exportin 5, Dicer and Argonaute 2. Recent studies suggest that gene expression of some canonical microRNA biogenesis components could be regulated by steroid hormones.

Estrogens and human papilloma virus oncogenes regulate human ether-à-go-go-1 potassium channel expression.

Ether-à-go-go-1 (Eag1) potassium channels are potential tools for detection and therapy of numerous cancers. Here, we show human Eag1 (hEag1) regulation by cancer-associated factors. We studied hEag1 gene expression and its regulation by estradiol, antiestrogens, and human papillomavirus (HPV) oncogenes (E6/E7).

Ether a go-go potassium channels as human cervical cancer markers.

Ether a go-go (EAG) potassium channels display oncogenic properties. In normal tissues, EAG mRNA is almost exclusively expressed in brain, but it is expressed in several somatic cancer cell lines, including HeLa, from cervix. Antisense experiments against eag reduce cell proliferation in some cancer cell lines, and inhibition of EAG-mediated currents has been suggested to decrease cell proliferation in a melanoma cell line.