Chunk #23 — Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration Related to Alcohol’s Effects on Neuroimmune Signaling in the Brain — Role of NADPH Oxidase and Oxidative Stress
One innate immune gene induced by ethanol and LPS is NADPH oxidase, a multi-subunit enzyme that catalyzes the formation of the reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide, and thereby increases oxidative stress. NADPH oxidase first was characterized as a phagocytic oxidase in monocytes, where it was hypothesized to contribute to the oxidation of infectious agents. The superoxide produced by NADPH oxidase can increase NF-κB transcription, thereby creating another amplifying loop of proinflammatory signaling (see figure 1). More recent studies have found that there are multiple genes and forms of NADPH oxidase.
