Oxidative Stress Produced by Hyperthyroidism Status Induces the Antioxidant Enzyme Transcription through the Activation of the Nrf-2 Factor in Lymphoid Tissues of Balb/c Mice

Figure 5

Phosphorylation of Nrf-2. (a) The expression of phosphorylated Nrf-2 and total Nrf-2, in lymph node and spleen cells of euthyroid and hyperthyroid mice, was quantified by western blot assays, using a specific antibody that recognizes the phosphorylation in the amino acid serine 40 of the transcription factor (phosphorylated Nrf-2) or a specific antibody that recognizes the fragment corresponding to a region within amino acids 108 and 413 of the transcription factor (total Nrf-2). Representative immunoblots of 3 independent experiments are shown. The bar graph shows the densitometric analysis of phosphorylated Nrf-2 bands relativized to total Nrf-2. differs significantly from the lymphoid cells of euthyroid mice with . (b) Nrf-2 localization in the cell nucleus was evaluated in lymph node and spleen cells of euthyroid and hyperthyroid mice by immunocytochemical analysis and confocal microscopy as described in Materials and Methods. The photographs are representative of 3 independent assays. The arrows indicate the cytoplasmic region marked in green corresponding to Nrf-2 not translocated to the nucleus.

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