Mechanisms of hormesis through mild heat stress on human cells.

In a series of experimental studies, it was shown that repetitive mild heat stress has antiaging hormetic effects on growth and various other cellular and biochemical characteristics of human skin fibroblasts undergoing aging in vitro. We have reported the hormetic effects of repeated challenge at the levels of maintenance of stress protein profile; reduction in the accumulation of oxidatively and glycoxidatively damaged proteins; stimulation of the proteasomal activities for the degradation of abnormal proteins; improved cellular resistance to ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, and ultraviolet-B rays; and enhanced levels of various antioxidant enzymes. Detailed analysis of the signal transduction pathways to determine alterations in the phosphorylation and dephosphorylation states of ERK, JNK, and p38 MAP kinases as a measure of cellular responsiveness to mild and severe heat stress is in progress. Furthermore, comparative studies using nonaging immortal cell lines, such as SV40-transformed human fibroblasts, spontaneous osteosarcoma cells, and telomerase-immortalized human bone marrow cells are also in progress for establishing differences in normal and cancerous cells for their responsiveness to mild and severe stresses.