Synergy between sulforaphane and selenium in the up-regulation of thioredoxin reductase and protection against hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death in human hepatocytes

Li, Dan, Wang, Wei, Shan, Yujuan, Barrera, Lawrence N., Howie, Alexander F., Beckett, Geoffrey J., Wu, Kun and Bao, Yongping (2012) Synergy between sulforaphane and selenium in the up-regulation of thioredoxin reductase and protection against hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death in human hepatocytes. Food Chemistry, 133 (2). pp. 300-307. ISSN 1873-7072

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Abstract

Dietary isothiocyanates and selenium are chemopreventive agents and potent inducers of antioxidant enzymes. It has been previously shown that sulforaphane and selenium have a synergistic effect on the upregulation of thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrxR-1) in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. In this paper, further evidence is presented to show that sulforaphane and selenium synergistically induce TrxR-1 expression in immortalised human hepatocytes. Sulforaphane was found to be more toxic toward hepatocytes than HepG2 cells with IC50 = 25.1 and 56.4 µM, respectively. Sulforaphane can protect against hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death and this protection was enhanced by co-treatment with selenium. Using siRNA to knock down TrxR-1 or Nrf2, sulforaphane (5 µM)-protected cell viability was reduced from 73% to 46% and 34%, respectively, suggesting that TrxR-1 is an important enzyme in protection against hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death. Sulforaphane-induced TrxR-1 expression was positively associated with significant levels of Nrf2 translocation into the nucleus, but co-treatment with selenium showed no significant increase in Nrf2 translocation. Moreover, MAPK (ERK, JNK and p38) and PI3K/Akt signalling pathways were found to play no significant role in sulforaphane-induced Nrf2 translocation into the nucleus. However, blocking ERK and JNK signalling pathways decreased sulforaphane-induced TrxR-1 mRNA by about 20%; whereas blocking p38 and PI3K/AKT increased TrxR-1 transcription. In summary, a combination of sulforaphane and selenium resulted in a synergistic upregulation of TrxR-1 that contributed to the enhanced protection against free radical-mediated oxidative damage in human hepatocytes.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Metabolic Health Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Nutrition and Preventive Medicine Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Cancer Studies Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Lifespan Health
Depositing User:	Rhiannon Harvey
Date Deposited:	07 Feb 2012 15:59
Last Modified:	06 Feb 2025 01:32
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/36919
DOI:	10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.01.026

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