Down-regulation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ coactivator 1α induces oxidative stress and toxicity of 1-(4-Chlorophenyl)-benzo-2,5-quinone in HaCaT human keratinocytes.

Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) is a transcriptional coactivator that is known to regulate oxidative stress response by enhancing the expression of antioxidant genes. We have shown previously that 1-(4-Chlorophenyl)-benzo-2,5-quinone (4-ClBQ), a quinone-metabolite of 4-monochlorobiphenyl (PCB3) induces oxidative stress and toxicity in human skin keratinocytes, and breast and prostate epithelial cells. In this study, we investigate whether PGC-1α regulates oxidative stress and toxicity in 4-ClBQ treated HaCaT human keratinocytes. Results showed significant down-regulation in the expression of PGC-1α and catalase in 4-ClBQ treated HaCaT cells. Down-regulation of PGC-1α expression was associated with 4-ClBQ induced increase in the steady-state levels of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and toxicity. Overexpression of pgc-1α enhanced the expression of catalase and suppressed 4-ClBQ induced increase in cellular ROS levels and toxicity. These results suggest that pgc-1α mediates 4-ClBQ induced oxidative stress and toxicity in HaCaT cells presumably by regulating catalase expression.