Pseudo malonaldehyde activity in the thiobarbituric acid test

Antagonistic joint toxicity assessment of two current-use phthalates with waterborne copper in liver of Carassius auratus using biochemical biomarkers

Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) are two kinds of widely-used phthalates, whereas Cu (II) is a common valence state of copper. They have been ubiquitously detected in the aquatic environment, but information on their joint toxicity on aquatic organisms is scarce. In this study, we evaluated the combined effects of copper and these two phthalates to the goldfish (Carassius auratus) by detecting the antioxidant responses in liver after exposure for 7 and 21 days. The exposure concentrations were in a range relevant to their levels in the natural aquatic environment. The results indicated that DBP, DEHP and Cu (II) can affect the antioxidant status in fish liver, evidenced by the significant alterations of antioxidant defenses (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione) and malondialdehyde. Antagonistic effects were found in the joint toxicity of Cu (II) and DBP or DEHP using the integrated biomarker response (IBR) index. These findings have important implications in the risk assessments of phthalates mixed with some heavy metals in the aquatic environment.

Role of p38 MAPK pathway in induction of iNOS expression in neutrophils and peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity

PURPOSE

The aim of the present study was to assess the role of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in the induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and the production of NO by neutrophils (polymorphonuclear neutrophils [PMNs]) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

PMNs and PBMCs were isolated from 24 patients with SCC. The expression of iNOS and phospho-p38 MAPK was estimated by Western blotting. Total NO was measured in the cell supernatants and serum using the Griess method. The generation of superoxide anion radicals by the cells was estimated using the cytochrome-c reduction test. The cyclic guanosine monophosphate level in the cell supernatants and plasma was assessed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit, and the concentrations of malonyldialdehyde in serum were assessed using a thiobarbituric acid method.

RESULTS

The results of the present study of patients with stage II and III disease showed lowered expression of iNOS and phospho-p38 MAPK in PMNs and PBMCs. Moreover, in these patients, a lower production of NO by PMNs and PBMCs was observed. However, the opposite relationship was observed between the expression of phospho-p38 MAPK and iNOS in the leukocytes of patients with stage IV disease. The concentration of total NO in the PMN and PBMC supernatants of patients with advanced disease stages did not differ from that of the control group. In all the patients with SCC, a lowered ability of neutrophils to generate superoxide anion radicals and an increased production of cyclic guanosine monophosphate by PMNs and PBMCs was confirmed. Furthermore, a greater concentration of cyclic guanosine monophosphate was found in the plasma and total NO in the serum of patients with stage IV disease compared with the levels in the control group. A greater concentration of malonyldialdehyde in the serum of all patients compared with that in the control group was also observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that in the leukocytes of patients with stage II and III SCC, the p38 MAPK pathway performs an essential role in the induction of iNOS expression, and the process of lipid peroxidation is not dependent on NO. In contrast, in patients with advanced-stage SCC, iNOS expression did not seem to be linked with the p38 MAPK pathway, and NO directly influenced the process of lipid peroxidation.

Placental release/retention in cows and its relation to peroxidative damage of macromolecules

The disturbances in metabolic pathways reflected in clinical symptoms of illnesses may be connected, among others, with the imbalance between production and neutralization of reactive oxygen species. One of such illnesses may be the retention of fetal membranes in cows. The levels of reactive oxygen species can be measured directly or estimated indirectly by the determination of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidative defence systems. The determination of parameters indicating the intensity of peroxidative processes of lipids, proteins and nucleic acids caused by reactive oxygen species is also useful. This review examined the available literature regarding peroxidative processes of lipids, proteins and nucleic acids caused by reactive oxygen species as well as parameters indicating its intensity. All information relates the importance of proper and improper placental release in cows.

Determination of plasma protein-bound malondialdehyde by derivative spectrophotometry

We describe a method for the measurement of protein-bound malondialdehyde with the thiobarbituric acid reaction in human plasma using second-derivative spectrophotometry. Calibration was done by spectrum height measurement from the baseline at 532 nm. The data were compared with those obtained by using conventional absorbance and fluorimetric measurements. The results were linear from 0.2 to 80 mumol/l and the detection limit was 0.19 mumol/l. Within-run and between-run precision, evaluated by analysing pooled normal plasma, were 8 and 14% respectively. The method was tested for the influence of bilirubin, haemoglobin, glucose, urea, uric acid, sucrose and N-acetyl-neuraminic acid which interfered in the colorimetric method but not in the technique proposed here. The mean (+/-SD) malondialdehyde concentration determined in 59 healthy blood donors with the new assay was 0.34 (+/-0.14) mumol/l. This assay procedure could represent an alternative to high-performance liquid chromatography for the measurement of malondialdehyde in biological media.

Assessment of lipid peroxidation associated with lung damage induced by oxidative stress. In vivo and in vitro studies

The lung thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBA-RS) content and the amount of ethane exhaled, two potential markers of the lipid peroxidation process, were measured in rats following intratracheal administration of chemicals stimulating the production of free radicals, i.e. paraquat, phorbol myristate acetate and ferrous ions. Five hours after treatment, autopsy revealed gross pulmonary damage but the lung TBA-RS and the ethane exhalation were not different from control animals. On the contrary, a large increase in ethane production was observed 2 hr after intraperitoneal administration of the hepatotoxic carbon tetrachloride. In vitro, incubation of lung and liver homogenates from control rats with ferrous iron led to the development of a lipid peroxidation process in both tissues but the accumulation of TBA-RS and ethane was much lower with homogenates from lung as compared to liver tissue. Those results suggest that the lung may be more resistant than the liver to the initiation and/or propagation of a lipid peroxidation process. The possibility that others markers than ethane and TBA-RS are more appropriate to detect this process in the lung must also be considered.

A comparative evaluation of thiobarbituric acid methods for the determination of malondialdehyde in biological materials

A comparative evaluation was made of the conventional spectrophotometric procedure and three published high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) procedures for the determination of malondialdehyde (MDA) as the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) derivative when applied to liver, fish meal, serum, and urine. Except for urine, spectrophotometric analysis overestimated MDA content. Purification of the TBA-MDA complex obtained from liver and fish meal on reverse phase cartridges was found to entail a loss of complex bound to residual peptides in the trichloracetic acid (TCA) extract. Mincing as opposed to homogenizing liver samples led to a doubling of values for MDA content. Hexanal was a major TBA reactant, in addition to MDA, in all the samples. Acid hydrolysis and heat were necessary for the release of MDA bound to the amino groups of proteins and other amino compounds. Methods for free MDA have limited application to biological materials except short term in vitro preparations such as peroxidizing microsomes, in which free MDA accumulates. On the basis of these and other observations, a modified HPLC procedure for the determination of MDA as the TBA-MDA complex is proposed.

Lipid peroxidation and tumor growth: an inverse relationship

Lipid peroxidation may play a very important role in cell proliferation especially those of tumors. Secondary products of lipid peroxidation may interact in an inhibitory manner with various cell processes and/or cycle phases that are essential for cell division resulting in a decreased tumor growth rate by killing actively dividing cells of the growth fraction and probably increasing cell loss. The inhibitory or static action of diets containing elevated levels of fish oil on tumor growth may be via lipid peroxidation control over cell proliferation.

Interpretation of the thiobarbituric acid reactivity of rat liver and brain homogenates in the presence of ferric ion and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

The thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reactivity of rat liver and brain homogenates was characterized to elucidate what kinds of aldehyde species contributed to the reactivity. Characteristic pH dependence of the reactivity with a maximum at around pH 3 and marked enhancement of the reactivity by t-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BuOOH) and ferric ion were similar to those of alkadienals. The amounts of aldehyde species, including alkadienals determined as 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazones, were high enough to account for the enhanced reactivity. The reactivity was inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) but not completely, suggesting the presence of malonaldehyde whose reactivity was not affected by EDTA. The amounts of malonaldehyde determined as 1-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)pyrazole could account for a part of the reactivity in the presence of EDTA. Hence, the TBA reactivity of liver and brain homogenates at around pH 3 in the presence of t-BuOOH and ferric ion may be accounted for by alkadienals and malonaldehyde and that in the presence of EDTA by malonaldehyde.

Maintenance of left ventricular function (90%) after twenty-four-hour heart preservation with deferoxamine

During 24-h in vitro heart preservation and reperfusion, irreversible tissue damage occurs caused by reactive oxygen intermediates, such as superoxide radicals, singlet oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, hydroperoxyl, hydroxyl radicals, as well as the peroxynitrite radical. Reduction of the related oxidative damage of reperfused ischemic tissue by free radical scavengers and metal chelators is of primary importance in maintaining heart function. We assessed whether deferoxamine (DFR) added to a cardioplegia solution decreased free radical formation during 24-h cold (5 degrees C) heart preservation and normothermic reperfusion (37 degrees C) in the Langendorff isolated perfused rat heart. The deferoxamine treated hearts were significantly (p less than .001) better preserved than the control hearts after 24 h of preservation with regard to recovery of left ventricular diastolic pressure, contractility (+dP/dt), relaxation (-dP/dt), creatine kinase release, and lipid peroxidation. DFR preserved cell membrane integrity and maintained 93% of left ventricular contractility. The evidence suggests that DFR reduces lipid peroxidation damage by reducing free radical formation and thereby maintaining normal coronary perfusion flow and myocardial function.

UVA-induced lipid peroxidation in cultured human fibroblasts

The UVA irradiation of cultured human fibroblasts leads to the formation and to the release of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in the supernatant. The major thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance is identified by fluorescence spectroscopy and HPLC, as malondialdehyde or malondialdehyde-forming substances under the thiobarbituric acid assay conditions. Malondialdehyde formation strongly suggests a UVA-induced lipid peroxidation. Lipid peroxidation is also supported by the inhibitory effect of D,L-alpha-tocopherol, the well-known chain breaking antioxidant, by the additional malondialdehyde formation in the dark after the photooxidative stress and by membrane damage revealed by lactate dehydrogenase leakage.

Malonaldehyde determination in tissues and biological fluids by ion-pairing high-performance liquid chromatography

A method for the analysis of malonaldehyde by ion pairing high-performance liquid chromatography is described. The method is direct; no thiobarbiturate chromogen formation is required, and sample preparation is simple. After deproteinization with 50% ethanol and removal of particulate by centrifugation samples were passed through a small silica amino column to remove contaminants. Diluted samples (20 microL) were injected onto an octadecylsilane column (25 cm x 4.6 mm ID, 5 micron) which is eluted with 30 mM sodium phosphate buffer, pH 6.5 containing 30% ethanol and 1 mM tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide. Detection was accomplished by monitoring absorbance at 267 nm. The lower limit for reliable quantification was 5 pmol per injection. The method has been successfully applied to the quantification of malonaldehyde present in plasma, urine and tissues of rats kept under different dietary conditions as well as after in vivo treatment with CCl4 and iron-dextran. The method was also applied to the quantification of malonaldehyde during liver microsomal lipid peroxidation and was compared to the thiobarbituric acid test.

1,2-Dimethylhydrazine-induced alterations in lipid peroxidation in preneoplastic and neoplastic colonic tissues

To determine whether alterations in lipid peroxidation existed in the preneoplastic and neoplastic colonic tissues of animals treated with the procarcinogen 1,2-dimethylhydrazine, rats were injected subcutaneously with this agent (20 mg/kg body weight per week) or diluent for 5, 10, 15 and 26 weeks. At each of these time periods, animals from both groups were sacrificed, their distal colonic mucosa and/or tumors harvested, and examined and compared with respect to malondialdehyde and lipofuscin-like pigments levels. Additionally, at 26 weeks, the fatty acid composition of microsomes prepared from control, 'uninvolved' and tumor colonic tissues were analyzed and compared. The results of these experiments demonstrated that: (1) the levels of these products of lipid peroxidation were similar in the distal colons of all animals at 5 and 10 weeks; (2) at 15 weeks, however, lipid peroxidation was decreased in the distal colons of animals treated with dimethylhydrazine; (3) at 26 weeks, the levels of these products of lipid peroxidation remained lower in dimethylhydrazine-treated distal 'uninvolved' colonic mucosa and was, moreover, markedly decreased in colonic tumors; and (4) at this latter time period, differences in the fatty acid composition between tumor, 'uninvolved' and control tissues were found. These differences, however, did not appear to underlie the changes noted in the lipid peroxidation products seen in these tissues. Taken together, these findings suggest that alterations in lipid peroxidation may be involved in the colonic malignant transformation process in this experimental model.

A modified tetramethylbenzidine method for measuring lipid hydroperoxides

A simple and sensitive spectrophotometric method for measuring lipid peroxides and peroxides in general is described. The method was developed by modifying an existing method based on the peroxidase activity of hemoglobin with tetramethylbenzidine as the electron donor. The modifications resulted in much improved sensitivity and reproducibility. With the modified method lipid peroxides as low as 2 nmol can be measured, a high sensitivity compared with other spectrophotometric methods. The absorbance is linear over a wide range of concentrations. It is suggested that this modified method in combination with the commonly used thiobarbituric acid method will give a better quantitation of lipid peroxidation.

The action of hydrogen peroxide on the formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive material from microsomes, liposomes or from DNA damaged by bleomycin or phenanthroline. Artefacts in the thiobarbituric acid test

Incubation of rat-liver microsomes, previously azide-treated to inhibit catalase, with H2O2 caused a loss of cytochrome P-450 but not of cytochrome b5. This loss of P-450 was not prevented by scavengers of hydroxyl radical, chain-breaking antioxidants or metal ion-chelating agents. Application of the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay to the reaction mixture suggested that H2O2 induces lipid peroxidation, but this was found to be due largely or completely to an effect of H2O2 on the TBA assay. By contrast, addition of ascorbic acid and Fe(III) to the microsomes led to lipid peroxidation and P-450 degradation: both processes were inhibited by chelating agents and chain-breaking antioxidants, but not by hydroxyl radical scavengers. H2O2 inhibited ascorbate/Fe(III)-induced microsomal lipid peroxidation, but part of this effect was dues to an action of H2O2 in the TBA test itself. H2O2 also decreased the colour measured after carrying out the TBA test upon authentic malondialdehyde, tetraethoxypropane, a DNA-Cu2+/o-phenanthroline system in the presence of a reducing agent, ox-brain phospholipid liposomes in the presence of Fe(III) and ascorbate, or a bleomycin-ion iron/DNA/ascorbate system. Caution must be used in interpreting the results of TBA tests upon systems containing H2O2.