Astaxanthin Suppresses Cigarette Smoke-Induced Emphysema through Nrf2 Activation in Mice

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a key cellular defense mechanism against oxidative stress. Recent studies have shown that astaxanthin protects against oxidative stress via Nrf2. In this study, we investigated the emphysema suppression effect of astaxanthin via Nrf2 in mice. Mice were divided into four groups: control, smoking, astaxanthin, and astaxanthin + smoking. The mice in the smoking and astaxanthin + smoking groups were exposed to cigarette smoke for 12 weeks, and the mice in the astaxanthin and astaxanthin + smoking groups were fed a diet containing astaxanthin. Significantly increased expression levels of Nrf2 and its target gene, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), were found in the lung homogenates of astaxanthin-fed mice. The number of inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was significantly decreased, and emphysema was significantly suppressed. In conclusion, astaxanthin protects against oxidative stress via Nrf2 and ameliorates cigarette smoke-induced emphysema. Therapy with astaxanthin directed toward activating the Nrf2 pathway has the potential to be a novel preventive and therapeutic strategy for COPD. View Full-Text

Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; oxidative stress; astaxanthin; nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; heme oxygenase-1

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Kubo, H.; Asai, K.; Kojima, K.; Sugitani, A.; Kyomoto, Y.; Okamoto, A.; Yamada, K.; Ijiri, N.; Watanabe, T.; Hirata, K.; Kawaguchi, T. Astaxanthin Suppresses Cigarette Smoke-Induced Emphysema through Nrf2 Activation in Mice. Mar. Drugs 2019, 17, 673. https://doi.org/10.3390/md17120673

AMA Style

Kubo H, Asai K, Kojima K, Sugitani A, Kyomoto Y, Okamoto A, Yamada K, Ijiri N, Watanabe T, Hirata K, Kawaguchi T. Astaxanthin Suppresses Cigarette Smoke-Induced Emphysema through Nrf2 Activation in Mice. Marine Drugs. 2019; 17(12):673. https://doi.org/10.3390/md17120673

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kubo, Hiroaki, Kazuhisa Asai, Kazuya Kojima, Arata Sugitani, Yohkoh Kyomoto, Atsuko Okamoto, Kazuhiro Yamada, Naoki Ijiri, Tetsuya Watanabe, Kazuto Hirata, and Tomoya Kawaguchi. 2019. "Astaxanthin Suppresses Cigarette Smoke-Induced Emphysema through Nrf2 Activation in Mice" Marine Drugs 17, no. 12: 673. https://doi.org/10.3390/md17120673

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Astaxanthin Suppresses Cigarette Smoke-Induced Emphysema through Nrf2 Activation in Mice

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