Lipophilic Compound-Mediated Gene Expression and Implication for Intervention in Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)-Related Diseases: Mini-review

• Main Authors: Yukiko K. Nakamura, Stanley T. Omaye
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2010-07-01
• Series: Nutrients
• Subjects: antioxidant; reactive oxygen species (ROS); atherosclerosis; conjugated linoleic acid (CLA); vitamin E (or α-tocopherol); peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ); nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/2/7/725/

In addition to exhibiting antioxidant properties, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and vitamin E may modulate gene expression of endogenous antioxidant enzymes. Depending on cellular microenvironments, such modulation reflects either antioxidant or prooxidant outcomes. Although epidemiological/experimental studies have indicated that CLA and vitamin E have health promoting properties, recent findings from clinical trials have been inconclusive. Discrepancies between the results found from prospective studies and recent clinical trials might be attributed to concentration-dependent cellular microenvironment alterations. We give a perspective of possible molecular mechanisms of actions of these lipophilic compounds and their implications for interventions of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related diseases.