Hydrogen peroxide-induced liver cell necrosis is dependent on AP-1 activation

Yang Xu, Cynthia Bradham, David A. Brenner, Mark J. Czaja

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

46 Scopus citations

Abstract

To determine whether intracellular signaling events involved in apoptosis may also mediate necrosis, the role of the transcription factor AP- 1 was investigated in a hepatoma cell model of cellular necrosis induced by oxidant stress. Treatment of the human hepatoma cell line HuH-7 with H2O2 caused dose-dependent necrosis as determined by light microscopy fluorescent staining, and an absence of DNA fragmentation. H2O2 treatment led to increases in c-fos and c-jun mRNA levels, Jun nuclear kinase activity, and AP-1 DNA binding. AP-1 transcriptional activity measured with an AP-1-driven luciferase reporter gene was also increased. To determine whether this AP-1 activation contributed to H2O2-induced cell necrosis, HuH-7 cells were stably transfected with an antisense c-jun expression vector. Cells expressing antisense c-jun had decreased levels of AP-1 activation and significantly increased survival after H2O2 exposure. These data indicate that AP-1 activation occurs during oxidant-induced cell necrosis and contributes to cell death, Necrosis is therefore not always a passive process but may involve the activation of intracellular signaling pathways similar to those that mediate apoptosis.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)G795-G803
JournalAmerican Journal of Physiology - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology
Volume273
Issue number4 36-4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1997

Keywords

  • Apoptosis
  • C-fos
  • C-jun
  • Hepatoma cell

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physiology
  • Hepatology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Physiology (medical)

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