Glutathione-related enzyme activities in testis of patients with malignant diseases

Evaluation of antioxidant enzyme levels, oxidative stress markers and serum prolidase activity in testicular cancer

INTRODUCTION

Testicular cancer is a significant malignancy affecting males, and understanding the underlying biochemical changes associated with the disease is essential for improved management and treatment strategies. Prolidase enzyme, has been implicated in various disease processes. The assessment of serum prolidase activity and its relationship with testicular cancer can provide valuable insights into the pathophysiology of the disease. The objective of this study was to investigate serum prolidase activity, oxidative stress markers, and antioxidant enzyme levels in patients with testicular cancer and evaluate their potential associations, aiming to enhance our understanding of the biochemical alterations and potential implications for testicular cancer management.

METHODS

A total of 33 male patients diagnosed with testicular cancer were included, along with 35 age-matched male volunteers as the control group. Serum samples were collected and stored at -20°C until analysis. The measurement of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and prolidase levels was performed.

RESULTS

The findings demonstrated significantly elevated serum prolidase activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in testicular cancer patients compared to the control group (all, p < 0.05). Conversely, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) levels were significantly lower in testicular cancer patients (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

In this study, serum prolidase activity and biochemical markers associated with oxidative stress were investigated in testicular cancer patients. Oxidative stress markers and serum prolidase activity were found to be elevated in testicular cancer. Long-term prospective studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of antioxidant use in cancer treatment.

Serum prolidase activity, oxidative stress, and antioxidant enzyme levels in patients with renal cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

Prolidase is a member of the matrix metalloproteinase family. It plays a vital role in collagen turnover, matrix remodeling, and cell growth. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases, including cancers. Oxidative stress can cause tumor angiogenesis and may be carcinogenic. However, the relationship between antioxidant capacity and various cancers has been researched in several clinical trials. In our study, we aimed to identify serum prolidase activity, oxidative stress, and antioxidant enzyme levels in patients with renal tumors and to evaluate their relationships with each other.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 37 male patients with renal cell cancer and with a mean age of 56.28 ± 3.1 were included in the study. The control group comprising 36 male patients (mean age 56.31 ± 2.9) was randomly selected among the volunteers. Serum samples for measurement of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and prolidase levels were kept at -20°C until they were used.

RESULTS

Serum prolidase activity and MDA levels were significantly higher in renal cancer patients than in controls (all, p < 0.05), while SOD, GSHPx, and GST levels were significantly lower (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that increased prolidase seems to be related to increased oxidative stress along with decreased antioxidant levels in renal cancer.

Antioxidative Enzyme Activities and Lipid Peroxidation in Children with Inflammatory Endothelial Injury

During the inflammatory process endothelial cells are activated and a proadherent ability is assumed. The synthesis of reactive oxygen metabolites, which follows the immunological processes, can cause oxidative damage to endothelial cells leading to the clinical expression of disease including a variety of skin manifestations. In this study the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase) and the malondialdehyde concentration were examined in 36 children with inflammation-mediated damage to microvascular endothelial cells. On the basis of clinical manifestations the studied children were divided into 4 groups (1st group-macular skin manifestations, 2nd group-maculo-papular skin manifestations, 3rd group-papular skin manifestations, 4th group- erythematous skin manifestations). All the examined children showed symptoms of inflammation (mainly respiratory tract infections) with leukocytosis and monocytosis before actual skin manifestations took place. Superoxide dismutase activity was significantly decreased in three groups of patients, except in the group with erythematous skin manifestations. Catalase activity was significantly increased in all the groups compared to the control group. The values of malondialdehyde were significantly increased in the groups of children with maculo-papular and erythematous skin manifestations. The results have confirmed the presence of a changed antioxidant enzyme pattern indicating oxidative stress during inflammatory endothelial cells injury. Malondialdehyde was not an adequate parameter in its evaluation.

Differential expression of glutathione-S-transferase isoenzymes in various types of anemia in Taiwan

BACKGROUND

Published reports concerning the expression of GST in various anemias including aplastic, hemolytic, iron deficiency and thalassemia anemia has been insufficient. We improved the conventional GST assay by incorporating a chloroform treatment to remove the interference of hemoglobin and evaluated the altered expression of GSTs in various anemias in Taiwan.

METHODS

We incorporated a chloroform treatment to eliminate the interference of hemoglobin. Erythrocyte total GST and isoenzymes activities from 35 control subjects and 125 subjects of various anemias, including aplastic, hemolytic, iron deficiency and thalassemia anemias were measured spectrophotometrically.

RESULTS

Chloroform treatment did not significantly affect GST activities in erythrocytes of control subjects while the activities of erythrocyte total GST and alpha-GST were significantly increased in all anemic patients (P<0.001). The expression of mu-GST was significantly decreased, although at a less extent, in cases of aplastic, iron deficiency and thalassemia anemia (P<0.05), but pi-GST was not physiologically different in various types of anemia.

CONCLUSION

The determination of changes in erythrocyte GST activity is a promising indicator of oxidative stress conditions that occur in various types of anemia. Measurement of GST activity might be useful for the evaluation of prophylactic treatment in trials of antioxidant strategies.

The levels of plasma and salivary antioxidants in the patient with recurrent aphthous stomatitis

BACKGROUND

Despite plenty of research, the cause of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) remains obscure. It has been proposed that, the aetiological factors such as local trauma, smoking, vitamin deficiencies and viral infections lead to aphthae formation via final common pathway based on increased oxidative stress. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) alterations in plasma and saliva, and in addition uric acid (UA) in saliva, in patients with RAS and healthy controls.

METHODS

Thirty-two patients with RAS and 30 healthy controls were included into the study. The SOD, CAT, GSHPx and UA levels were measured in plasma and saliva in study and control groups.

RESULTS

In the RAS group, although the mean SOD (P<0.001) and CAT (P<0.05) levels of plasma were lower, GSHPx (P<0.001) levels were higher than control group. The salivary concentrations of the SOD (P<0.001), CAT (P<0.05) and GSHPx (P<0.001) in RAS group were entirely opposite to plasma concentrations. UA were not significant between RAS group and controls.

CONCLUSION

Since we found salivary SOD and CAT levels were high whereas plasma levels were low, it has been thought that, salivary defence mechanisms via antioxidant agents may be stimulated against to the ulcerous lesion. We consider that the organism might mobilize the antioxidant potential to the sites where they were needed. At this point, decrease of SOD and CAT levels in the plasma may be related to this shift. It is also thought that GSHPx secretion in the saliva may also be increased but the increase in its turnover may be responsible for the diminished activity.

Alpha-glutathione s-transferase (alpha-GST) release, an early indicator of carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity in the rat

1. The use of the cytoplasmic enzyme, alpha glutathione s-transferase (alpha-GST) as an early index of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) toxicity in the rat was investigated and compared with a standard enzyme, marker, aspartate aminotransferase (AST). The hepatotoxic effects of CCl4 in the rat were determined in a time and dose-response study. 2. Following CCl4 exposure, alpha-GST release was shown to be an earlier and more sensitive biomarker of hepatotoxicity than AST. 3. Significant increases in alpha-GST were detected 2 h after CCl4 exposure. Using the enzyme marker AST, this early hepatotoxic injury went undetected. At 6 and 16 h, alpha-GST was also a more sensitive indicator of hepatotoxicity than AST. 4. alpha-GST release was significantly increased at a dose of 5 microliters/kg, the lowest concentration of CCl4 administered and clearly responded in a dose-dependent manner with increasing doses of CCl4. In contrast, release of AST did not reach statistical significance until a dose of 25 microliters/kg. 5. Thus, these findings indicate that alpha-GST is a more sensitive and more accurate reflector of CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity than AST.

Activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase enzymes in cancerous and non-cancerous human kidney tissues

The activities of superoxide dismutases (total, cytoplasmic and mitochondrial) and glutathione peroxidase were measured in 10 cancerous and 10 non-cancerous adjacent human kidney tissues. Total (T-SOD) and cytoplasmic (Cu, Zn-SOD) superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were found lower in cancerous tissues compared with those of non-cancerous ones. However, no difference was found between the mitochondrial (Mn-SOD) superoxide dismutase activities of the tissues. Similarly, no differences were observed between the enzyme activity values of the tissues at stage I-II and III-IV renal cancer. In correlation analysis the positive relation found between Cu, Zn-SOD and GSH-Px enzymes in the non-cancerous tissues was found to be absent in the cancerous ones. The results suggest that enzymatic free radical defense mechanism is significantly reduced in the cancerous human kidney tissues due to depressed Cu, Zn-SOD and GSH-Px activities.

Impaired enzymatic antioxidant defense mechanism in cancerous human thyroid tissues

The activities of total superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) enzymes were measured in cancerous and non-cancerous adjacent tissues from 15 patients with follicular thyroid cancer containing single nodule. SOD and GSH-Px activities were found lower but malondialdehyde levels higher in cancerous tissues compared with those of noncancerous ones. However, no difference was found between CAT activities of the tissues. Activity decrease of GSH-Px enzyme in cancerous tissue was greater than that of SOD enzyme. Results suggested that enzymatic free radical defense system was significantly impaired and lipid peroxidation increased in the cancerous human thyroid tissues.

Developmental aspects of Bufo bufo embryo glutathione transferases

The expression of glutathione transferase isoenzymes has been studied during the development of Bufo bufo embryo. By analysing the GSH-affinity purified materials in terms of substrate specificities, SDS-PAGE pattern, HPLC elution profile, we conclude that, up to stage 22, no significant changes in the expression of glutathione transferases isoenzymes occurred during Bufo bufo embryo development. At stage 25 the distribution of glutathione transferases was found to be slightly different from those of all other foregoing stages. A marked decrease of embryonic glutathione transferases subunits with a parallel appearance of new structurally and immunologically different subunits was noted in toad liver and kidney. Toad ovary continued to express embryonic glutathione transferase subunits.

Purification and characterization of the major glutathione transferase from adult toad (Bufo bufo) liver

Five forms of glutathione transferase (GST) were resolved from the cytosol of adult common toad (Bufo bufo) liver by GSH-affinity chromatography followed by isoelectric focusing. The major enzyme (GST-7.64; 55% of total activity bound to the column) has a pI value of 7.64, is composed of two subunits each with a molecular mass of 23 kDa, and has the N-terminal amino acid residue blocked. GST-7.64 has also been characterized with respect to amino acid composition, substrate specificity, inhibition characteristics, c.d. spectra and immunological reactivity. The N-terminal sequence of some peptides obtained after tryptic digestion has also been determined. All together the results obtained suggest that the major toad liver GST is distinct from any known GST, including microbial, plant and mammalian GSTs.

Serum selenium level in patients with colorectal cancer

Serum selenium levels were determined by fluorometric procedure in 37 patients of both sexes suffering from colorectal cancer. The diagnosis was verified with histopathological examination during surgical treatment. The values found were 46.8 +/- 11.2 micrograms/L. The control group consisted of 230 healthy persons from the same environment as the group of patients. The values found were 64.2 +/- 11.5 micrograms/L. The results of this study are compared with the results of the other research groups analyzing the level of selenium in colorectal cancer.