Exploring the regulatory effects of phenol-related compounds on the activation of redox-sensitive transcription factors

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K10364
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 57060:Surgical dentistry-related
• Research Institution: Meikai University
• Principal Investigator: Murakami Yukio 明海大学, 歯学部, 教授 (00286014)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: レドックス / 酸化還元 / 転写因子 / 抗酸化剤 / フェノール関連化合物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the regulatory effects of antioxidant phenol-related compounds such as eugenol and bis-eugenol, as well as tetracycline (TC), which has a phenol ring in its structure and can be excited by visible light, on the production of inflammatory bioactive substances and activation of redox-sensitive transcription factors in LPS-stimulated cultured cells. When TC was irradiated with visible light, it exhibited a strong anti-inflammatory effect, and induced hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. We found that, among the antioxidant phenol-related compounds, bis-eugenol was predominant in inducing HO-1 expression, which led to marked activation of the transcription factor Nrf2. It was suggested that the anti-inflammatory effect of antioxidant phenol-related compounds might be attributable to not only inflammation-related transcription factors, but also enhancement of the electrophile/antioxidant response element transcription system.

Free Research Field

口腔診断学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

酸化還元感受性転写因子であるNF-κB、Nrf2等は炎症や酸化ストレスで活性化され、生活習慣病を引き起こす素因になると考えられており、その活性制御の不良により炎症性疾患や悪性新生物が発症する。それゆえ、今回の研究成果は抗酸化性を有するフェノール関連化合物等の酸化還元感受性転写因子の活性化調節のメカニズムの一端を解明し光線化学療法（PDT）や創薬に重要な役割を果たすと考える。昨今の天然資源の健康食品や医薬品への応用が報じられている中で、転写因子活性化調節作用を担うフェノール関連化合物を始めとした抗酸化性化合物を探査することはPDTを含めた多くの難治性口腔疾患の新たな治療を導くものと考えられる。