1,4-Naphthoquinones: From Oxidative Damage to Cellular and Inter-Cellular Signaling

Molecules

Lars-Oliver Klotz²  Xiaoqing Hou¹ 

[1] Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, 2055 Katz Group Centre for Pharmacy and Health Research, 11361 87Ave, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada;Department of Nutrigenomics, Institute of Nutrition, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Dornburger Str. 29, 07743 Jena, Germany

关键词: oxidative stress;    redox cycling;    NQO1;    Nrf2;    epidermal growth factor receptor;    protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTP);    gap junction;    connexin;   

DOI  :  10.3390/molecules190914902

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Naphthoquinones may cause oxidative stress in exposed cells and, therefore, affect redox signaling. Here, contributions of redox cycling and alkylating properties of quinones (both natural and synthetic, such as plumbagin, juglone, lawsone, menadione, methoxy-naphthoquinones, and others) to cellular and inter-cellular signaling processes are discussed: (i) naphthoquinone-induced Nrf2-dependent modulation of gene expression and its potentially beneficial outcome; (ii) the modulation of receptor tyrosine kinases, such as the epidermal growth factor receptor by naphthoquinones, resulting in altered gap junctional intercellular communication. Generation of reactive oxygen species and modulation of redox signaling are properties of naphthoquinones that render them interesting leads for the development of novel compounds of potential use in various therapeutic settings.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.