2002 年 48 巻 6 号 p. 477-482
The increased expression of quinone reductase (OR) has been associated with anticarcinogenic processes. The aim of this study was to explore the roles of the cruciferous vegetable-derived indoles, indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and indolo[3, 2-b]carbazole (ICZ), on the regulation of OR in both murine (Hepa-1) and human (HepG2) hepatoma cells. The results indicate that ICZ enhanced OR activity in both Hepa-1 and HepG2 cells, whereas its parent compound, I3C, had no significant effect on the induction of OR. Moreover, the ICZ-induced OR activity showed a higher response and expressed a more-significant dose-response in Hepa-1 cells. OR mRNA expression as analyzed by RT-PCR demonstrated a pattern similar to that of the enzyme activity. In conclusion, I3C did not show an enhancement effect on OR activity, but its acidic derivative, ICZ, increased the expression of OR mRNA, which then caused the augmentation of OR activity in Hepa-1 and HepG2 cells.
