Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 10
Stress Response Profiles in Human Fibroblasts Exposed
to Heat Shock or Oxidative Stress
Christina Bak Pedersen and Niels Gregersen
Abstract
The upregulation of stress proteins is an important step in the cellular defense against various endogenous
and exogenous stressors, and the stress response systems are therefore essential to cell maintenance and
survival. In order to evaluate the cellular capability to cope with exogenous stressors, we investigated
stress response profiles in cultured human fibroblasts exposed to short-term heat shock or oxidative
stress. Quantitative PCR analysis as well as Western blotting demonstrated a specific upregulation of
Hsp70 mRNA and protein after heat shock, while heme oxygenase 1 (HO1 or Hsp32) mRNA and pro-
tein was specifically upregulated following H
2
O
2
-induced oxidative stress. Hsp70 and HO1 should there-
fore be considered as useful biomarkers for acute heat stress and oxidative stress, respectively. Moreover,
the results indicate that the expression of Hsp70 and HO1 in response to exogenous stressors may be
regulated through different mechanisms.
Key words:
Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), Heme oxygenase 1 (HO1), Heat shock, Oxidative
stress, Quantitative PCR, Western blotting
1. Introduction
All living cells are recurrently subjected to a variety of chronic and
acute stress conditions, including elevated temperature, exercise,
caloric restriction, heavy metals, infection, genetic variations, and
ageing (
1-4
). In order to adapt to such adverse circumstances,
eukaryotic cells have developed a network of defense mechanisms
which detect and respond to the different kinds of stressors (
3, 5
).
The heat shock response, which is currently the most extensively
studied cellular stress response system, results in the induction of
genes encoding molecular chaperones, proteases and other pro-
teins involved in the protection against stress-induced cellular
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