Peroxiredoxin1 (Prdx1) is an antioxidant enzyme belonging to the peroxiredoxin family of proteins. Prdx1 catalyzes the reduction of H2O2 and alkyl hydroperoxide and plays an important role in different biological processes. Prdx1 also participates in various age-related diseases and cancers. In this study, we investigated the role of Prdx1 in pronephros development during embryogenesis. Prdx1 knockdown markedly inhibited proximal tubule formation in the pronephros and significantly increased the cellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which impaired primary cilia formation. Additionally, treatment with ROS (H2O2) severely disrupted proximal tubule formation, whereas Prdx1 overexpression reversed the ROS-mediated inhibition in proximal tubule formation. Epistatic analysis revealed that Prdx1 has a crucial role in retinoic acid and Wnt signaling pathways during pronephrogenesis. In conclusion, Prdx1 facilitates proximal tubule formation during pronephrogenesis by regulating ROS levels.

Antioxidant capacity and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity of the aqueous methanolic extract of Rhus javanica were investigated in vitro. The antioxidant properties was measured by radical scavenging assays using DPPH and ABTS+ radicals. The AChE inhibitory efficacy of R. javanica was tested by Ellman's assay and the total phenolic content was determined using a spectrophotometric method. All tested samples showed a dose-dependent AChE inhibitory and radical scavenging activities. In particularly, ethyl acetate (EtOAc)-soluble portion from the methanolic extract of R. javanica showed significantly higher inhibitory activity than other organic solvent soluble-portions in an AChE and radical scavenging assay systems. These results suggest that R. javanica may be possess potential benefits which might be useful in development of antioxidant and anti-alzheimer's disease ingredient.