Up-regulation of HO-1 by Nrf2 activation protects against palmitic acid-induced ROS increase in human neuroblastoma BE(2)-M17 cells.

Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in neurons. Extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK)/nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a ROS response pathway. Therefore, high ROS is always accompanied by increase of HO-1, an anti-oxidative enzyme; but it remains unknown why there is no significant reduction of ROS with the increase of HO-1 in SFAs-treated neurons.