The possible importance of the cation-binding site for the oxidative modification of liver 5'-nucleotidase

Carbon tetrachloride-induced nephrotoxicity and DNA damage in rats

In this study, the protective effects of vanillin were evaluated against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced kidney damages in Wistar albino rats. CCl4 (1 ml/kg, intraperitoneally [i.p.]) caused a significant induction of renal disorder, oxidative damage and DNA fragmentation as evidenced by increased plasma creatinine, urea and uric acid levels, increased lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde [MDA]) and protein carbonyl. Furthermore, glutathione levels, catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione transferase and glutathione peroxidase activities were significantly decreased. A smear without ladder formation on agarose gel was also shown, indicating random DNA degradation. Pretreatment of rats with vanillin (150 mg/kg/day, i.p.), for 3 consecutive days before CCl4 injection, protected kidney against the increase of MDA and degradation of membrane proteins compared to CCl4-treated rats and exhibited marked prevention against CCl4-induced nephropathology, oxidative stress and DNA damage. Kidney histological sections showed glomerular hypertrophy and tubular dilatation in CCl4-treated rats, however, in vanillin pretreated rats, these histopathological changes were less important and present a similar structure to that of control rats. These data indicated the protective role of vanillin against CCl4-induced nephrotoxicity and suggested its significant contribution of these beneficial effects.

Evaluation of the Acetone and Aqueous Extracts of Mature Stem Bark of Sclerocarya birrea for Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties

We assayed the antimicrobial activity of acetone and aqueous extracts of the stem bark of Sclerocarya birrea on some selected bacteria and fungi species including; Streptococcus pyogenes, Plesiomonas shigelloides, Aeromonas hydrophila, Salmonella typhimurium, Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida glabrata, Trichosporon mucoides, and Candida krusei using both agar well diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays. Based on the levels of activity, the acetone extract was examined for total polyphenolic content, radical scavenging and antioxidant activities. Total phenols of the extract were determined spectrophotometrically. The antioxidant activity was determined by the DPPH, ABTS and reducing power. All the bacteria and fungi species were susceptible to the plant extracts. The acetone extract was the most active for the bacterial species with MIC (0.156–0.625 mg/mL) while the aqueous extract was the most active for the fungi species with MIC (0.3125–1.25 mg/mL). The polyphenolic compounds were found as 27.2 mg/g tannic acid equivalent, 25.2 mg/g quercetin equivalent, 9.1 mg/g quercetin equivalent for phenols, flavonoid and flavonols respectively. The acetone extract exhibited a remarkable ability to scavenge radicals, strong reducing ability and a potential source of natural antioxidants. Both the acetone and aqueous extracts of S. birrea may provide a target for drug discovery.

Evaluation of the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective properties of vanillin in carbon tetrachloride-treated rats

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of vanillin are considered as important forces in the protection against liver injury and fibrosis. This study investigated the protective effects of vanillin against carbon tetrachoride (CCl(4))-induced hepatotoxicity in rat. Pretreatment with vanillin prior the administration of CCl(4) significantly prevented the decrease of protein synthesis and the increase in plasma alanine (ALT) and aspartate (AST) aminotransferases. Furthermore, it inhibited hepatic lipid peroxidation (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PCO) formation and attenuated the (CCl(4))-mediated depletion of antioxidant enzyme catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and glutathione level (GSH) in the liver. In addition, vanillin markedly attenuated the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and prevented CCl(4)-induced hepatic cell alteration and necrosis, as indicated by liver histopathology. These findings suggest that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of vanillin against CCl(4)-induced acute liver injury may involve its ability to block CCl(4)-generated free radicals.

Monitoring the effects of exposure to lead and cadmium in working and living environment through standard biochemical blood parameters and liver endonucleases activity

Heavy metals as pollutants in the working and living environment are a serious health and environmental problem because they are toxic, non-biodegradable, accumulate in living systems and have a long half-life in soil. Sources of lead contamination are combustion products in the chemical industry and metallurgy, industrial waste water, landfills, traffic etc. Lead enters into the body via the food chain and drinking water. In the body lead is deposited in the liver, kidneys, brain and mineral tissues. Excretion of lead causes damage to the epithelial cells of certain organs. High level exposure to cadmium is usually the result of environmental pollution by human activities. Exposure to cadmium can lead to acute and chronic tissue damage of various organs, including liver and kidneys in humans and in animals. In this paper we analyzed the effects of lead and cadmium exposure, in working and living environment, on the model system of experimental animals, particularly the activity of certain liver enzymes, acid and alkaline DNase, and standard biochemical blood parameters. The study showed that lead and cadmium significantly affect the protein content, red blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit, and the activity of liver enzymes. This harmful effect of this toxic metal can be reduced by the supplements.

Phytochemical screening and polyphenolic antioxidant activity of aqueous crude leaf extract of Helichrysum pedunculatum

We evaluated the in vitro antioxidant property and phytochemical constituents of the aqueous crude leaf extract of Helichrysum pedunculatum. The scavenging activity on superoxide anions, DPPH, H₂O₂, NO and ABTS; and the reducing power were determined, as well as the flavonoid, proanthocyanidin and phenolic contents of the extract. The extract exhibited scavenging activity towards all radicals tested due to the presence of relatively high total phenol and flavonoids contents. Our findings suggest that H. pedunculatum is endowed with antioxidant phytochemicals and could serve as a base for future drugs.

Lipid raft redox signaling platforms in endothelial dysfunction

In response to various stimuli, membrane lipid rafts (LRs) are clustered to aggregate or recruit NADPH oxidase subunits and related proteins in vascular endothelial cells (ECs), forming redox signaling platforms. These LR signaling platforms may play important roles in the normal regulation of endothelial function and in the development of endothelial dysfunction or injury under pathological conditions. This LR-mediated mechanism now takes center stage in cell signaling for the regulation of many cellular activities or cell function such as ECs redox signaling, phagosomal activity of phagocytes, and cell apopotosis of lymphocytes. This brief review summarizes current evidence that relates to the formation of LR redox signaling platforms and their features in ECs, the functional significance of these signaling platforms in mediating death receptor activation-induced endothelial dysfunction, and the mechanisms initiating or promoting the formation of these platforms. It is expected that information provided here will help readers to understand this new signaling mechanism and perhaps extend the LR signaling platform concept to other research areas related to death receptors, redox signaling, endothelial biology, and cell/molecular biology of the cardiovascular system.

Protective effect of interferon-alpha on the DNA- and RNA-degrading pathway in anti-Fas-antibody induced apoptosis

AIM

Fas membrane-associated polypeptide antigen is a receptor molecule responsible for apoptosis-mediated signals. In animal models of acute viral hepatitis, apoptosis of hepatocytes is mediated by Fas-death receptors; therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of interferon (IFN)-alpha on apoptotic markers and nuclease activity against different coding and non-coding single and double stranded RNAs during Fas-induced liver apoptosis.

METHODS

An in vivo experiment was performed with simultaneous administration of anti-Fas (CD95) antibodies and IFN-alpha, and an in vitro experiment was performed in hepatocyte cultures treated with anti-Fas antibodies and IFN-alpha.

RESULTS

Detection of apoptosis using Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide, Bcl-2 and Bax expression in hepatocyte cultures confirmed the appearance of early apoptotic events and progression toward late apoptosis after anti-Fas antibody treatment. IFN-alpha had a tendency to retard the apoptosis process in Fas-induced apoptosis by increasing the number of viable cells and decreasing the number of cells in late apoptosis, by increasing the percentage of Bcl-2 positive cells, by decreasing the percentage of Bax positive cells, and by decreasing the nuclease activity compared to the anti-Fas antibody treated group. Total DNA and RNA concentration was much reduced in the Fas group and DNA fragmentation assay provided evidence for increased DNA degradation. Enhanced nuclease activity against DNA, rRNA, poly(A), poly(C), poly(U), poly(I:C), and poly(A:U) was manifested in the anti-Fas antibody treated group, except for the inhibitory-bound alkaline RNase.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate that the RNA-degrading pathway in Fas-induced apoptosis can accelerate the liberation of the latent enzyme from the inhibitor complex. IFN-alpha prevented enormous, Fas-ligand induced degradation of all the substrates used in this experimental study, most probably due to similarities in the signal transduction pathways. Investigations of death receptor-induced apoptosis may lead to novel treatment combinations for patients with acute or chronic liver diseases.

Sodium nitroprusside and peroxynitrite effect on hepatic DNases: an in vitro and in vivo study

Background

It has been documented that nitric oxide (NO) donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and authentic peroxynitrite are capable of promoting apoptosis in a number of different cell types. Various endonucleases have been proposed as candidates responsible for the internucleosomal cleavage of the genomic DNA observed during apoptosis, but the main effect is attributed to the alkaline-DNases (Mg²⁺- and caspase-dependent) and acid-DNase. The aim of this study was to examine an in vivo and in vitro possibility for alkaline- and acid-DNases to be activated by SNP and peroxynitrite.

Results

The effect on liver tissue alkaline and acid DNase activity together with the markers of tissue and plasma oxidative and nitrosative stress (lipid peroxidation, SH group content, carbonyl groups and nitrotyrosine formation) was investigated in plasma and liver tissue. The activity of liver alkaline DNase increased and that of acid DNase decreased after in vivo treatment with either SNP or peroxynitrite. A difference observed between the in vivo and in vitro effect of oxide donor (i.e., SNP) or peroxynitrite upon alkaline DNase activity existed, and it may be due to the existence of the "inducible" endonuclease. After a spectrophotometric scan analysis of purified DNA, it was documented that both SNP and peroxynitrite induce various DNA modifications (nitroguanine formation being the most important one) whereas DNA fragmentation was not significantly increased.

Conclusion

Alkaline DNase activation seems to be associated with the programmed destruction of the genome, leading to the fragmentation of damaged DNA sites. Thus, the elimination of damaged cells appears to be a likely factor in prevention against mutation and carcinogenesis.

Antioxidants modulate adenosine metabolism in rat mesangial cells cultured under high glucose conditions

Glomerular mesangial cells play a major role in glomerular hemodynamics, considered also as antigen-presenting cells participating in immune response. Mesangial dysfunction and proliferation are typical lesions of diabetic glomerulopathy. Adenosine, a local hormone, produced by mesangial cells is a metabolic regulator of renal blood flow, capable of decreasing glomerular filtration rate (GFR), exerting immunosuppressive, antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory properties. Since it was well established that antioxidants confer protection against increased oxidative stress that occurs in diabetes, the effect of captopril, reduced glutathione and melatonin on adenosine metabolism was investigated. Glomerular mesangial cells obtained from collagenase treated glomeruli, isolated from renal cortex of Sprague-Dowley rats, were grown under high glucose conditions (30 mmol/L) as a model of diabetic microenvironment. The activity of adenosine metabolizing enzymes: 5'-nucleotidease (5'-NU) responsible for its production and adenosine deaminase (ADA) responsible for its degradation were investigated. Hyperglycemic conditions led to decreased adenosine production via 5'-NU and decreased removal via ADA. Captopril, given in therapeutic concentration induced enzyme activities in normoglycemic conditions and restored hyperglycemia-induced decrease. In order to investigate if the presence of SH groups may be responsible for this improvement, the cells were exposed to reduced glutathione, and it exerted almost equal effect, given in physiological and higher concentrations. Melatonin increased 5'-NU activity only in physiological glucose conditions. Presented results confirm potential renoprotective effect of SH-group containing antioxidant supplementation during diabetes in restoring adenosine metabolism.

Oxidative stress enhances the production and actions of adenosine in the kidney

The purpose of this study was to determine whether superoxide anions (O.) activate 5'-nucleotidase (5'-ND), thereby increasing the production of renal adenosine and regulating renal function. Using HPLC analysis, we found that incubation of renal tissue homogenate with the O. donor KO(2) doubled adenosine production and increased the maximal reaction velocity of 5'-ND from 141 to 192 nmol. min(-1). mg protein(-1). The O.-generating system, xanthine/xanthine oxidase increased the maximal reaction velocity of 5'-ND from 122 to 204 nmol. min(-1). mg protein(-1). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) with catalase produced a concentration-dependent reduction of 5'-ND activity in renal tissue homogenate, while the SOD inhibitor diethyldithiocarbamic acid significantly increased 5'-ND activity. Inhibition of disulfide bond formation by thioredoxin or thioredoxin reductase significantly decreased xanthine/xanthine oxidase-induced activation of renal 5'-ND. In in vivo experiments, inhibition of SOD by diethyldithiocarbamic acid (0.5 mg. kg(-1). min(-1) iv) enhanced renal vasoconstriction induced by endogenously produced adenosine and increased renal tissue adenosine concentrations under control condition and in ischemia and reperfusion. We conclude that oxidative stress activates 5'-ND and increases adenosine production in the kidney and that this redox regulatory mechanism of adenosine production is important in the control of renal vascular tone and glomerular perfusion.