Thyroid hormone-induced cytosol-to-nuclear translocation of rat liver Nrf2 is dependent on Kupffer cell functioning

Abstract

L-3,3′,5-triiodothyronine (T3) administration upregulates nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in rat liver, which is redox-sensitive transcription factor mediating cytoprotection. In this work, we studied the role of Kupffer cell respiratory burst activity, a process related to reactive oxygen species generation and liver homeostasis, in Nrf2 activation using the macrophage inactivator gadolinium chloride (GdCl3; 10mg/kg i.v. 72h before T3 [0.1mg/kg i.p.]) or NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin (1.5mmol/L added to the drinking water for 7 days before T3), and determinations were performed 2 h after T3. T3 increased nuclear/cytosolic Nrf2 content ratio and levels of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), catalytic subunit of glutamate cysteine ligase, and thioredoxin (Western blot) over control values, proteins whose gene transcription is induced by Nrf2. These changes were suppressed by GdCl3 treatment prior to T3, an agent-eliciting Kupffer-cell depletion, inhibition of colloidal carbon phagocyt