Essential role of Nrf2 in keratinocyte protection from UVA by quercetin.

Article Details

Citation

Kimura S, Warabi E, Yanagawa T, Ma D, Itoh K, Ishii Y, Kawachi Y, Ishii T

Essential role of Nrf2 in keratinocyte protection from UVA by quercetin.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009 Sep 11;387(1):109-14. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.06.136. Epub 2009 Jul 1.

PubMed ID
19576171 [ View in PubMed
]
Abstract

Much of the cell injury caused by ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation is associated with oxidative stress. Quercetin is a major natural polyphenol that is known to protect cells from UVA-induced damage. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism of this protection. Quercetin pretreatment strongly suppressed UVA-induced apoptosis in human keratinocyte HaCaT cells, markedly increased protein levels of the transcription factor Nrf2, induced the expression of antioxidative genes, and dramatically reduced the production of reactive oxygen species following UVA irradiation. Importantly, these beneficial effects were greatly attenuated by downregulating Nrf2 expression. Thus, quercetin protects cells from UVA damage mainly by elevating intracellular antioxidative activity via the enhanced accumulation of a transcription factor for antioxidant genes, Nrf2.