Superoxide dismutase does protect the cultured rat cardiac myocytes against hypoxia/reoxygenation injury

The involvement of nuclear factor-κB in astroprotection against ischemia-reperfusion injury by ischemia-preconditioned neurons

Ischemic preconditioned (IP) neurons protect astrocytes against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced injury by inhibiting oxidative stress. However, the relevant mechanisms are unknown. Based on the role of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in cell survival and adaption to oxidative stress, we hypothesized that NF-κB might be associated with astroprotection induced by IP neurons via upregulation of antioxidant enzymes. Here, we investigated the effects of IP neurons on NF-κB activation, cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS), expression of antioxidant enzymes, erythropoietin (EPO), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), in the presence or absence of BAY11-7082 (an NF-κB inhibitor), anti-EPO, and anti-TNF-α antibodies, in astrocytes treated with or without I/R. We found that IP neurons could keep NF-κB activation at a relatively higher but beneficial level, and in turn, upregulated the activity of antioxidant enzymes and hence enhanced cell viability and reduced ROS in I/R treated astrocytes. The results collectively indicated that IP neurons are able to significantly inhibit the I/R-induced NF-κB overactivation, probably via EPO and TNF-α, being essential for IP neuron-induced astroprotection under the conditions of I/R. We concluded that NF-κB-mediated antioxidative stress is one of the mechanisms by which IP neurons protect astrocytes against I/R injury.

Humanin protects cortical neurons from ischemia and reperfusion injury by the increased activity of superoxide dismutase

The neuroprotective effects of superoxide dismutase (SOD) against hypoxia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and of humanin (HN) against toxicity by familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-related mutant SOD led us to hypothesize that HN might have a role to increase the activity of SOD, which might be involved in the protective effects of HN on neuron against Alzheimer's disease-unrelated neurotoxicities. In the present study, we found that 4 h ischemia and 24 h reperfusion induced a significant increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, malondialdehyde (MDA) formation and the number of karyopyknotic nuclei (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride nuclear dyeing) and a decrease in the number of Calcein-AM-positive living cells and cell viability. Pretreatment of the cells with HN led to a significant decrease in LDH release, MDA formation and the number of karyopyknotic nuclei, and an increase in the number of Calcein-AM-positive living cells and cell viability in neurons treated with I/R. We also found a significant decrease in SOD activity in neurons treated with I/R only, while pre-treatment with HN before I/R induced a significant increase in the activity of SOD as compared with the I/R group. Our findings implied that HN protects cortical neurons from I/R injury by the increased SOD activity and that the protective effect of HN on neurons against I/R is concentration-dependent.

EDARAVONE REDUCES MYOCARDIAL INFARCT SIZE AND IMPROVES CARDIAC FUNCTION AND REMODELLING IN RABBITS

1. In the present study, we investigated the effect of 3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one (edaravone), a free radical scavenger, on myocardial infarct (MI) size and cardiac function in an in vivo model of MI in rabbits. We further investigated the contribution of hydroxyl radicals, superoxide and nitric oxide (NO) to its effects. 2. Anaesthetized open-chest Japanese white male rabbits were subjected to 30 min coronary occlusion and 48 h reperfusion. The control group (n = 10) was injected with saline 10 min before reperfusion. The edaravone group (n = 10) was injected with a bolus of 3 mg/kg edaravone 10 min before reperfusion. The edaravone + N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) group (n = 5) was given 10 mg/kg, i.v., L-NAME 10 min before the administration of 3 mg/kg edaravone. The L-NAME group (n = 5) was given 10 mg/kg, i.v., L-NAME 20 min before reperfusion. Infarct size was measured using the triphenyl tetrazolium chloride method and is expressed as a percentage of area at risk. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography 14 days after infarction. 3. In another series of experiments, rabbits were subjected to 30 min coronary occlusion and 30 min reperfusion and myocardial interstitial 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA) and 2,5-DHBA levels, indicators of hydroxyl radical, were measured using a microdialysis technique. 4. Infarct size in the edaravone group was significantly reduced compared with that in the control group (27.4 +/- 6.8 vs 43.4 +/- 6.8%, respectively; P < 0.05). The edaravone-induced reduction of infarct size was abolished by pretreatment with L-NAME. Myocardial interstitial levels of 2,3-DHBA and 2,5-DHBA increased 20 and 30 min after ischaemia and peaked at 10 min reperfusion in the control group. Edaravone significantly inhibited the increase in 2,3-DHBA and 2,5-DHBA levels seen during reperfusion. Dihydroethidium staining showing in situ detection of superoxide was less intense in ischaemic myocardium in the edaravone-treated group compared with the control group. Edaravone improved cardiac function and left ventricular remodelling 14 days after infarction. 5. In conclusion, edaravone significantly reduces MI size and improves cardiac function and LV remodelling by decreasing hydroxyl radicals and superoxide in the myocardium and increasing the production of NO during reperfusion in rabbits.

Neuroprotective role of Z-ligustilide against forebrain ischemic injury in ICR mice

Radix Angelica sinensis, known as Danggui in Chinese, has been used to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in Traditional Chinese Medicine for a long time. Modern phytochemical studies showed that Z-ligustilide (LIG) is the main lipophilic component of Danggui. In this study, we examined whether LIG could protect ischemia/reperfusion-induced brain injury by minimizing oxidative stress and anti-apoptosis. Transient forebrain cerebral ischemia (FCI) was induced by the bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion for 30 min. LIG was intraperitoneally injected to ICR mice at the beginning of reperfusion. As determined via 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining at 24 h following ischemia, the infarction volume in the FCI mice treated without LIG (22.1 +/- 2.6%) was significantly higher than that in the FCI mice treated with 5 mg/kg (11.8 +/- 5.2%) and 20 mg/kg (2.60 +/- 1.5%) LIG (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). LIG treatment significantly decreased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased the activities of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the ischemic brain tissues (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01 vs. FCI group). In addition, LIG provided a great increase in Bcl-2 expression as well as a significant decrease in Bax and caspase-3 immunoreactivities in the ischemic cortex. The findings demonstrated that LIG could significantly protect the brain from damage induced by transient forebrain cerebral ischemia. The antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties of LIG may contribute to the neuroprotective potential of LIG in cerebral ischemic damage.

Protective effect of edaravone against hypoxia-reoxygenation injury in rabbit cardiomyocytes

1 We examined whether edaravone (Eda), a clinically available radical scavenger, directly protects cardiomyocytes from ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, and whether the timing of its application is critical for protection. 2 Cardioprotective effects of edaravone were tested in the modified cell-pelleting model of ischemia and under exogenous oxidative stress (hydrogen peroxide: H2O2) in isolated adult rabbit ventricular cells. Cell death and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were detected using propidium iodide (PI) and DCFH-DA, respectively. These parameters were evaluated objectively using flow cytometory. 3 Hypoxia and reoxygenation aggravated the proportion of dead cells from 32.2+/-1.8% (Baseline) to 51.3+/-2.7% (Control). When 15 microm edaravone was applied either throughout the entire experiment (Through) or only at reoxygenation (Reox), cell death was significantly reduced to 39.9+/-1.8% (P<0.01 vs Control) and 43.3+/-2.5% (P<0.05 vs Control), respectively. In contrast, when edaravone was applied 10 min after reoxygenation, its protective effect disappeared. Cardioprotection by edaravone was more remarkable than that afforded by other free radical scavengers, such as ascorbate and superoxide dismutase (SOD). There is a positive correlation between the cardioprotective effect of edaravone and the extent of ROS reduction. 4 Edaravone blunted the H2O2-induced changes in electrical properties, and significantly prolonged the time to contracture induced by H2O2 in single ventricular myocytes. 5 Taken together, edaravone directly protects cardiomyocytes from I/R injury by attenuating ROS production, even when applied at the time of reoxygenation, suggesting that edaravone could be a potent cardioprotective therapeutic agent against hypoxia-reoxygenation injury.

Genistein protects primary cortical neurons from iron-induced lipid peroxidation

Neuroprotective role of isoflavones in particular genistein might be resulted from their antioxidant activities in addition to their estrogenic actions. In the present study, we investigated effect of genistein on iron-induced free radical reaction in cultured cortical neurons. Thiobarbituric-acid-reactive species (TBARS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured after incubation of the cells with different concentrations of genistein in the absence or presence of iron (12.5 microM) for 24 h. Genistein at 100 microM significantly reduced the iron-induced TBARS, implying that genistein has an inhibitory role on iron-induced lipid peroxidation. Also, genistein (100 microM) led to a relatively higher SOD level than that in iron treatment although no significant difference was found. The findings imply that the antioxidative effect of genistein is partly associated with its neuroprotective function.

Hydrogen peroxide enhances iron-induced injury in isolated heart and ventricular cardiomyocyte in rats

To explore the cardiac effects of iron with or without hydrogen peroxide, the isolated perfused rat heart and enzymatically isolated ventricular cardiomyocyte were used. It was shown that treatment with cell-permeable iron (Fe-HQ) for 10 min reduced the contractile amplitude and velocity and end diastolic cell length in the cardiomyocyte and increased the contents of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) in the coronary effluent and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the myocardium. The left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), +/-dP/dtmax, and heart rate and coronary flow are showed a biphasic phase, an increase at first followed by a decline. Treatment with hydrogen peroxide for 10 min following Fe-HQ augmented the effect of iron with an increase in coronary LDH and CK release and myocardial MDA content, and decrease in LVDP, +/-dP/dtmax and heart rate. Perfusion of reduced glutathione with hydrogen peroxide counteracted these effects of Fe-HQ and hydrogen peroxide while dimethyl sulfoxide had no effect on the injury induced by Fe-HQ and hydrogen peroxide in the isolated rat heart. This suggests that augmentation of myocardial injury as a result of an increase in intracellular iron by hydrogen peroxide might involve the dysfunction of sulfydryl group containing proteins but not the hydroxyl radicals.

Antihypertensive drug therapy and antioxidant enzyme mRNA levels in spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats

Previous studies have shown that chronic treatment of SHR (spontaneously hypertensive) rats with the antihypertensive drugs captopril, hydralazine and terazosin results in changes in the specific activities of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase, catalase and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase in liver and myocardium. In order to determine if these changes were caused by alterations in the levels of the mRNAs for these enzymes, the tissue levels of the antioxidant enzyme mRNAs have been measured. In myocardium, all three drug treatments increased Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase mRNA but decreased glutathione peroxidase mRNA levels, and in liver, all three drugs changed glutathione peroxidase mRNA levels. In comparison to untreated SHR animals, the levels of all three mRNAs were altered in the myocardium, but not in the liver, of normotensive WKY rats. Comparisons of mRNA levels with tissue enzyme specific activities suggest that tissue antioxidant enzyme expression is, in most cases, regulated by antihypertensive drugs through transcriptional control mechanisms.