Total antioxidant/oxidant status in meningism and meningitis

The objective of this study was to investigate the antioxidant/oxidant status of serum and cerebrospinal fluid in children with meningismus and acute bacterial meningitis. Twenty-three children (age range, 0.75 to 9 years) with fever and meningeal signs that required analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid, but no cytologic or biochemical evidence of meningitis in their serum and cerebrospinal fluid, constituted the meningismus group. Thirty-one children (age range, 0.5 to 10 years) with acute bacterial meningitis constituted the meningitis group. Twenty-nine healthy children (age range, 0.5 to 11 years) were recruited as control subjects. Antioxidant status (ascorbic acid, albumin, thiol, uric acid, total bilirubin, total antioxidant capacity, catalase and ceruloplasmin concentrations) and oxidant status (lipid hydroperoxide and total oxidant status) were measured. The serum antioxidant status was lower, and oxidant status levels higher in both meningitis and meningismus subjects than in the control children (P < 0.001). Cerebrospinal fluid oxidant status was lower in the meningitis group than in the meningismus group (P < 0.05). These results indicate that serum antioxidant status was lower, and serum oxidant status was higher in children in the meningismus and meningitis groups, whereas cerebrospinal fluid oxidant status was higher in the meningismus group than in the meningitis group.

The clinical significance of cerebrospinal fluid lipid peroxides in central nervous system disease

Forty-four dogs were referred to our hospital presenting with neurological symptoms such as seizure or paraparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed abnormal results in 21 (abnormal MRI group) and normal results in 23 dogs (normal MRI group). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (normal MRI group, n = 22; abnormal MRI group, n = 21) and serum lipid peroxide (LP) concentrations (normal MRI group, n = 11; abnormal MRI group, n = 15) were measured in a number of these dogs, and revealed a significant difference in the CSF/serum LP values (normal MRI group, n = 10; abnormal MRI group, n = 14) between the abnormal and the normal MRI groups (t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test p < 0.05). No other significant differences were observed. CSF/serum LP values exceeding 1.0 were exhibited in 10 of 14 dogs (71%) in the abnormal MRI group, and in 1 of 10 dogs (10%) in the normal MRI group. In the remaining animals, 4 dogs of the abnormal MRI group showed CSF/serum values lower than 1.0, 3 dogs had morphological abnormalities but no abnormal MRI signals in the central nervous system, and 1 dog had an abnormal MRI signal but no pathological abnormality. In the CSF analysis, 3 of 16 dogs (19%) of the abnormal MRI groupshowed abnormal cell counts and/or protein content. We conclude that the CSF/serum LP value can be used for the detection of neurological lesions such as oedema, inflammation and tumour.

Markers of glutamatergic neurotransmission and oxidative stress associated with tardive dyskinesia

OBJECTIVE

Tardive dyskinesia is a movement disorder affecting 20%-40% of patients treated chronically with neuroleptic drugs. The dopamine supersensitivity hypothesis cannot account for the time course of tardive dyskinesia or for the persistence of tardive dyskinesia and the associated structural changes after neuroleptics are discontinued. The authors hypothesized that neuroleptics enhance striatal glutamatergic neurotransmission by blocking presynaptic dopamine receptors, which causes neuronal damage as a consequence of oxidative stress.

METHOD

CSF was obtained from 20 patients with schizophrenia, 11 of whom had tardive dyskinesia. Markers for oxidative stress, including superoxide dismutase, lipid hydroperoxide, and protein carbonyl groups, and markers for excitatory neurotransmission, including N-acetylaspartate, N-acetylaspartylglutamate, aspartate, and glutamate, were measured in the CSF specimens. Patients were also rated for tardive dyskinesia symptoms with the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale.

RESULTS

Tardive dyskinesia patients had significantly higher concentrations of N-acetylaspartate, N-acetylaspartylglutamate, and aspartate in their CSF than patients without tardive dyskinesia when age and neuroleptic dose were controlled for. The significance of the higher levels of protein-oxidized products associated with tardive dyskinesia did not pass Bonferroni correction, however. Tardive dyskinesia symptoms correlated positively with markers of excitatory neurotransmission and protein carbonyl group and negatively with CSF superoxide dismutase activity.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that there are elevated levels of oxidative stress and glutamatergic neurotransmission in tardive dyskinesia, both of which may be relevant to the pathophysiology of tardive dyskinesia.

Free oxygen radicals--predictors of neonatal outcome following perinatal asphyxia

The study was undertaken to evaluate the role of free oxygen radicals in asphyxiated neonates. Thirty term neonates appropriate for gestational age and with severe birth asphyxia (Apgar score of 3 or less at 1 minute of life) formed the study subjects. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and lipid peroxidase (LPO) in the CSF of these neonates were estimated between 12 and 48 hrs of life. Enzyme estimation was performed by standard methods and the results were analysed statistically using Multivariate Logistic Regression analysis and non parametric tests namely Kruskal Wallis test and Wilcoxon's rank sum test. Out of the thirty babies, 14 were observed to be neurologically normal, 9 had significant morbidity and 7 died. The SOD levels ranged from 12.4 to 140 units/ml, GPx from 128 to 1933 nmol/min/dl, CPK from 2 to 2098 IU/dl and LPO from 5.4 to 30.8 umol/hr/dl. The SOD and GPx levels had an inverse relationship whereas rise in LPO and CPK levels were directly proportional to the extent of neurological damage and ultimate clinical outcome. CPK levels higher than 140 IU/ml were lethal and associated with 100% mortality whereas all normal neonates had CPK below 37 IU/ml. The levels of antioxidant enzymes can reliably and significantly predict mortality and morbidity whereas level of an enzyme cannot confidently confer normalcy. Hence antioxidant enzyme levels with a cut off value can be a useful marker and serve as a prognostic indicator in times to come.

Studies of lipid peroxidation products in cerebrospinal fluid and serum in multiple sclerosis and other conditions

Lipid peroxides were measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and sera from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) or other conditions and from control subjects. In serum, visible fluorescence, A240nm, and free and protein-bound thiobarbituric acid (TBA)-reactive substances were significantly greater in MS patients than in control subjects. No such differences were observed in CSF. There was no correlation between lipid peroxides and disease severity or relapse time. We observed a significant positive correlation between CSF protein-bound TBA-reactive substances and CSF protein, suggesting that production of the former depends on protein concentration. A significant negative correlation between free TBA-reactive substances in serum and ultraviolet fluorescence indicated that production of free TBA-reactive substances may be associated with decreased production of fluorescent lipid peroxides. This study provides evidence for increased lipid peroxidation in serum but not CSF from MS patients, suggesting that either there is no increase in CSF lipid peroxidation in MS patients or that CSF lipid peroxides are rapidly removed, possibly by binding to CSF proteins that can be reabsorbed into the blood.

[Cerebrospinal fluid lactate and peroxide compounds in young children with craniocerebral trauma]

The content of lactate and products of lipid peroxidation in the c. s. f. of infants with craniocerebral trauma was studied. The content of lactate and malonic dialdehyde in the c. s. f. was significantly increased, which correlated with the severity of the trauma. The results of the study make it possible to followup the course of the cerebral traumatic disease and the efficacy of the applied therapy and also may severe as prognostic criteria in evaluating the possible sequelae of the craniocerebral trauma.

Cerebrospinal fluid lipoperoxides quantified by liquid chromatography, and determination of reference values

Cerebrospinal fluid lipoperoxides, measured as the malondialdehyde-thiobarbituric acid (MDA-TBA) adduct, were quantified by adapting the plasma liquid-chromatographic method of Wong et al. (Clin Chem 1987;33:214-20) to cerebrospinal fluid. Reference values for spinal fluid specimens from 91 adults, ages 17 to 95 y, and 37 children, ages 8 d to 8 y, were determined. Their concentrations were not significantly different (P = 0.222), adults having a mean (and SD) of 0.11 (0.06) mumol and children 0.10 (0.04) mumol of MDA per liter. Their ranges were 0.02-0.26 and 0.04-0.21 mumol of MDA per liter, respectively. We found concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid to be increased in several central nervous system disorders, including seizures, cerebral infarction, alcoholic encephalopathy, and, perhaps, prematurity. The presence of other thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in cerebrospinal fluid stresses the importance of using highly specific techniques when lipoperoxides are measured in body fluids.

Free radical reaction and biological defense mechanism in the pathogenesis of prolonged vasospasm in experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage

The relationship between free radical reactions and the defense mechanisms against them was investigated in the pathogenesis of prolonged vasospasm following experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in dogs. The concentration of lipid peroxides in the cerebro spinal fluid (CSF) increased markedly up to the eighth day following SAH; the concentrations also rose in the arterial wall (p less than 0.01) and the gray matter of the temporal lobe where the subarachnoid blood clots were (p less than 0.01). On the other hand, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreased significantly up to the eighth day after SAH (p less than 0.01), and there was a gradual increase of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) in the CSF. In the arterial wall, there was a slight decrease in the activity of SOD, a significant decrease in the activity of GSH-px (p less than 0.01), and also a significant decrease in the concentration of glutathione (p less than 0.01) up to the eighth day following SAH. In conclusion, lipid peroxidation with insufficient biological defense mechanisms against it in the arterial wall, concomitant with that in the CSF, might take part in the genesis of prolonged vasospasm following SAH.

Biological defence mechanism in the pathogenesis of prolonged cerebral vasospasm in the patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms

We examined the relationship between the biological protective mechanisms of scavengers and free radicals that are elicited by subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in the pathogenesis of prolonged vasospasm following ruptured intracranial aneurysm. The study included 25 patients treated by early surgery (within 72 hours after SAH). Lipid peroxides concentrations and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured. The concentration of lipid peroxides increased significantly more (p less than 0.05) during the first 4 days after SAH in patients with symptomatic vasospasm than in those without. Patients with symptomatic vasospasm had a marked decrease in SOD activity on Days 3 and 4 followed by a gradual decrease, whereas the patients without spasm showed little change (difference between the groups, p less than 0.05). There was a significant difference in catalase activity reversal to SOD activity, but no difference in GSH-px activity. Thus, correlation was close between the increased lipid peroxides concentration and the decrease in SOD activity in CSF (p less than 0.05), suggesting an important mechanism in the pathogenesis of vasospasm.

Lipid peroxidation products and antioxidant proteins in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid from multiple sclerosis patients

Lipid peroxidation (LPx) products were measured as thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TS) and lipid-soluble fluorescent pigments (FP) in both plasma and CSF from MS patients and controls. Although no significant changes were found in MS plasma, we report here for the first time increases in both TS and FP in MS CSF (p less than 0.05 and p less than 0.01, respectively, compared with patients with other neurological diseases), indicating that increased LPx in CNS may be a feature of MS. Levels of transferrin were normal but caeruloplasmin (CP), a major antioxidant plasma protein, was significantly raised in MS patients (p less than 0.01) and this may represent an adaptive response to increased oxidative challenge. Neither of these proteins was detectable in CSF using radial immunodiffusion. There was no significant correlation between the severity or duration of the disease nor the period since the last relapse and either LPx products or CP suggesting that the changes observed in this work are not simply the direct result of demyelination and tissue damage.

[Comparative analysis of the concentrations of lipid peroxidation products in the cerebral cortex, cerebrospinal fluid and peripheral blood during epileptic activity]

The development of focal or generalized epileptic activity (EA) in the rat brain cortex leads to the augmentation in the content of lipid peroxidation (LPO) products in the EA area (crude synaptosomes), diene conjugates, TBA-active products (products reacting with 2-thiobarbituric acid), and Schiff bases. LPO activation in the brain cortex during EA leads both to an increase in the level of Schiff bases in the cerebrospinal fluid and to a dramatic rise in the level of diene conjugates and Schiff bases in peripheral blood plasma.

Identification of 5-hydroxy eicosatetraenoic acid in cerebrospinal fluid after subarachnoid hemorrhage

To detect and identify lipid peroxides in the CFS following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), CSF samples were obtained sequentially from 10 patients who developed typical vasospasm and were analyzed by HPLC and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. One of the peaks appearing on the 7th day after SAH was identified as 5-hydroxy eicosatetraenoic acid. On HPLC, an identical peak was detected in samples from other SAH patients. The results gave unequivocal evidence that peroxides of arachidonic acid are present in the CSF following SAH, and a correlation between them and the occurrence of vasospasm seemed likely. The hypothesis that lipid peroxides are involved in the genesis of vasospasm deserves further investigation.

[Lipid peroxidation in the blood and spinal fluid of patients with craniocerebral injuries]

The content of the products of lipid peroxide oxidation in the plasma of blood flowing from the brain was higher in patients with moderate and severe craniocerebral injury than in patients with no marked functional and metabolic disorders. The concentration of these products in the cerebrospinal fluid was still higher. In patients with severe craniocerebral injury there was also an increase in the content of free fatty acids in blood flowing from the brain and in the content of ferrous iron ions in the cerebrospinal fluid. The intensification of the processes of lipid peroxide oxidation in the brain may play an essential role in determining the severity of the traumatic damage.

[Cerebral vasospasm and lipid peroxidation--lipid peroxides in the cerebrospinal fluid after subarachnoid hemorrhage]

The relationship between lipid peroxides in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the occurrence of cerebral vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) was evaluated by analyzing CSF with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Hydroperoxy eicosatetraenoic acids (HPETEs) and hydroxy eicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs) were synthesized by the treatment of arachidonic acid with hydrogen peroxide and cupric chloride. The retention time of these HPETEs and HETEs were determined on HPLC. The position of oxydation occurred was determined after methylation, reduction and trimethyl silylation using GC-MS. Thus the elucidation of positional isomers of HPETEs and HETEs was made possible by the retention time on HPLC. The supernant of CSF after SAH was adjusted to pH 3.0 and then absorbed to octadecyl silyl silica column. The eluted fraction with 15% ethanol-water from octadecyl silyl silica column was analyzed by HPLC detecting at 238 nm. No peak was observed on HPLC at the region of HPETEs and HETEs in the CSF obtained from healthy person. In SAH patients, several peaks were recognized in accordance with the occurrence of cerebral vasospasm. One of the peaks was identified as 5-HETE by HPLC and GC-MS. In 10 SAH patients, semi-quantitative analysis of 5-HETE in the CSF was performed by measuring the height of the peak identified as 5-HETE on HPLC. The close correlation was recognized between the occurrence of cerebral vasospasm and the appearance of 5-HETE in the CSF. The results of the present study suggest that lipid peroxidation is involved in the pathogenesis of chronic vasospasm after SAH.