Massive Production Of Reactive Oxygen Species Research Articles

Molecular Engineering of Electrosprayed Hydrogel Microspheres to Achieve Synergistic Anti-Tumor Chemo-Immunotherapy with ACEA Cargo.

Molecular engineering of drug delivering platforms to provide collaborative biological effects with loaded drugs is of great medical significance. Herein, cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1)- and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-targeting electrosprayed microspheres (MSs) are fabricated by loading with the CB1 agonist arachidonoyl 2'-chloroethylamide (ACEA) and producing ROS in a photoresponsive manner. The synergistic anti-tumor effects of ACEA and ROS released from the MSs are assessed. ACEA inhibits epidermal growth factor receptor signaling and altered tumor microenvironment (TME) by activating CB1 to induce tumor cell death. The MSs are composed of glycidyl methacrylate-conjugated xanthan gum (XGMA) and Fe3+, which form dual molecular networks based on a Fe3+-(COO-)3 network and a C═C addition reaction network. Interestingly, the Fe3+-(COO-)3 network can be disassembled instantly under the conditions of lactate sodium and ultraviolet exposure, and the disassembly is accompanied by massive ROS production, which directly injures tumor cells. Meanwhile, the transition of dual networks to a single network boosts the ACEA release. Together, the activities of the ACEA and MSs promote immunogenic tumor cell death and create a tumor-suppressive TME by increasing M1-like tumor-associated macrophages and CD8+ T cells. In summation, this study demonstrates strong prospects of improving anti-tumor effects of drug delivering platforms through molecular design.

Nodakenin attenuates cartilage degradation and inflammatory responses in a mice model of knee osteoarthritis by regulating mitochondrial Drp1/ROS/NLRP3 axis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative disease with few treatments. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Radix Angelicae biseratae (RAB) is commonly used to treat OA. Nodakenin (Nod) is one main coumarin active component in RAB and exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-apoptotic effects. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by mitochondria play a vital role in the pathogenesis of OA. We hypothesized that Nod might ameliorate cartilage degradation and inflammatory responses by regulating the mitochondrial Drp1/ROS/NLRP3 axis. With this, the effects of Nod on a mouse model of knee OA and activated primary chondrocytes were assessed. The results showed that Nod intervention improved bone volume, lowered trabecular separation, and increased trabecular number in the subchondral bone. Nod decreased the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) scores and increased collagen II-positive areas in the articular cartilage of the tibial plateau. Compared with OA mice, Nod-treated animals exhibited lower levels of inflammatory factors in the serum and synovitis of the knee joint. In vitro results indicated that Nod suppressed dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) phosphorylation and massive ROS production by Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated chondrocytes. Moreover, Nod inhibited the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines (COX 2, IL-1β, and TNF-α), nod-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, and matrix metalloproteinase 13 expression in activated chondrocytes. In conclusion, Nod attenuates cartilage degradation and inflammatory responses in mice with OA by regulating the mitochondrial Drp1/ROS/NLRP3 axis, suggesting its potential for OA therapy.

Sirtuin1 attenuates acute liver failure by reducing reactive oxygen species via hypoxia inducible factor 1α

BACKGROUNDThe occurrence and development of acute liver failure (ALF) is closely related to a series of inflammatory reactions, such as the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is a key factor that regulates oxygen homeostasis and redox, and the stability of HIF-1α is related to the ROS level regulated by Sirtuin (Sirt) family. The activation of Sirt1 will lead to a powerful antioxidant defense system and therapeutic effects in liver disease. However, little is known about the relationship between HIF-1α and Sirt1 in the process of ALF and the molecular mechanism.AIMTo investigate whether HIF-1α may be a target of Sirt1 deacetylation and what the effects on ALF are.METHODSMice were administrated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/D-gal and exposed to hypoxic conditions as animal model, and resveratrol was used as an activator of Sirt1. The cellular model was established with L02 cells stimulated by LPS. N-acetyl-L-cysteine was used to remove ROS, and the expression of Sirt1 was inhibited by nicotinamide. Western blotting was used to detect Sirt1 and HIF-1α activity and related protein expression. The possible signaling pathways involved were analyzed by immunofluorescent staining, co-immunoprecipitation, dihydroethidium staining, and Western blotting.RESULTSCompared with mice stimulated with LPS alone, the expression of Sirt1 decreased, the level of HIF-1α acetylation increased in hypoxic mice, and the levels of carbonic anhydrase 9 and Bcl-2-adenovirus E1B interacting protein 3 increased significantly, which was regulated by HIF-1α, indicating an increase of HIF-1α activity. Under hypoxia, the down-regulation of Sirt1 activated and acetylated HIF-1α in L02 cells. The inhibition of Sirt1 significantly aggravated this effect and the massive production of ROS. The regulation of ROS was partly through peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha or AMP-activated protein kinase. Resveratrol, a Sirt1 activator, effectively relieved ALF aggravated by hypoxia, the production of ROS, and cell apoptosis. It also induced the deacetylation of HIF-1α and inhibited the activity of HIF-1α.CONCLUSIONSirt1 may have a protective effect on ALF by inducing HIF-1α deacetylation to reduce ROS.

Efficient organics heterogeneous degradation by spinel CuFe2O4 supported porous carbon nitride catalyst: Multiple electron transfer pathways for reactive oxygen species generation

Facilitating reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation is an effective way to promote the heterogeneous catalytic efficiency for organics removal. However, the metal leaching in metal-based catalysts and the low activity of non-metallic materials restrict ROS production. In this work, the purpose was achieved by loading a small amount of spinel CuFe2O4 onto porous carbon nitride substrate. The synthesized CuFe2O4@O–CN composite first to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS), which produce a plenty of ROS (•OH, SO4•− and 1O2) for organics removal, leading to highly oxidation for diverse organics. Through the comparative analysis of the surface composition before and after reaction, we found that the interface multi-electron transfer routs, including surface Cu(II)/Cu(I), Fe(III)/Fe(II) and their cross interaction, participated in the redox cycle, giving rise to the rapid and massive production of ROS, so that DMPO and TEMP were instantly oxidized in electron paramagnetic resonance (ESR) detection. Importantly, the carrier of porous O–CN, which acted as the electron transfer mediator, not only favors PMS adsorption via surface –OH, but also facilitates the conversion between different metal species. As a result, the CuFe2O4@O–CN/PMS system can remove 99.1% BPA and achieve 52.6% mineralization under optimized conditions. Thus, this study not only sheds light on the tailored design of heterogeneous catalyst for organics removal and elucidates the interfacial catalytic mechanisms for PMS activation.

Reductant‐Free Synthesis of MnO2 Nanosheet‐Decorated Hybrid Nanoplatform for Magnetic Resonance Imaging‐Monitored Tumor Microenvironment‐Responsive Chemodynamic Therapy and Near‐Infrared‐Mediated Photodynamic Therapy

Recently, the therapeutic efficacy of reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) involving laser irradiation or chemodynamic therapy (CDT) has been limited by low laser penetration depth and insufficient O2 supply in PDT and modest ROS production in CDT. To address these, a facile “reductant‐free reduction” strategy is developed to construct a smart tumor microenvironment (TME)/near‐infrared dual‐responsive hybrid nanoplatform, consisting of up‐conversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) in the micellar core and MnO2 nanosheets on the organosilica shell, via the self‐assembly of block copolymer and followed by a sol−gel process. The conversion capability of UCNPs improves laser penetration of visible light for initiating the photodynamic process. The degradation of MnO2 nanosheets in the TME rich in acid H2O2 achieves continuous O2 supply for enhanced PDT. Following degradation of MnO2, the endogenous antioxidant glutathione (GSH) is significantly depleted and hydroxyl radicals (•OH) are simultaneously produced though CDT, together inducing massive production of ROS. More importantly, Mn2+ released from MnO2 decomposition serves as a T1‐weighted MR contrast agent, providing an easy monitor for the CDT process. This hybrid MnO2/Ce6@UPOMs nanoplatform could be used for MRI‐monitored tumor therapy of TME‐responsive CDT and NIR‐mediated PDT.

Berberine Photo-Activation Potentiates Cytotoxicity in Human Astrocytoma Cells through Apoptosis Induction

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has recently attracted interest as an innovative and adjuvant treatment for different cancers including malignant gliomas. Among these, Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most prevalent neoplasm in the central nervous system. Despite conventional therapeutic approaches that include surgical removal, radiation, and chemotherapy, GBM is characterized by an extremely poor prognosis and a high rate of recurrence. PDT is a physical process that induces tumor cell death through the genesis and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by light energy interaction with a photosensitizing agent. In this contribution, we explored the potentiality of the plant alkaloid berberine (BBR) as a photosensitizing and cytotoxic agent coupled with a PDT scheme using a blue light source in human established astrocytoma cell lines. Our data mainly indicated for the combined BBR-PDT scheme a potent activation of the apoptosis pathway, through a massive ROS production, a great extent of mitochondria depolarization, and the sub-sequent activation of caspases. Altogether, these results demonstrated that BBR is an efficient photosensitizer agent and that its association with PDT may be a potential anticancer strategy for high malignant gliomas.

Salusin‑β participates in high glucose‑induced HK‑2 cell ferroptosis in a Nrf‑2‑dependent manner.

Ferroptosis is critically involved in the pathophysiology of diabetic nephropathy (DN). As a bioactive peptide, salusin-β is abundantly expressed in the kidneys. However, it is unclear whether salusin-β participates in the pathologies of diabetic kidney damage by regulating ferroptosis. The present study found that high glucose (HG) treatment upregulated the protein expressions of salusin-β in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Genetic knockdown of salusin-β retarded, whereas overexpression of salusin-β aggravated, HG-triggered iron overload, antioxidant capability reduction, massive reactive oxygen species production and lipid peroxidation in HK-2 cells. Mechanistically, salusin-β inactivated nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2 (Nrf-2) signaling, thus contributing to HG-induced ferroptosis-related changes in HK-2 cells. Notably, the protein expression of salusin-β was upregulated by ferroptosis activators, such as erastin, RSL3, FIN56 and buthionine sulfoximine. Pretreatment with ferrostatin-1 (a ferroptosis inhibitor) prevented the upregulated protein expression of salusin-β in HK-2 cells exposed to HG. Taken together, these results suggested that a positive feedback loop between salusin-β and ferroptosis primes renal tubular cells for injury in diabetes.

Western Diet Decreases the Liver Mitochondrial Oxidative Flux of Succinate: Insight from a Murine NAFLD Model.

Mitochondria play an essential role in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Previously, we found that succinate-activated respiration was the most affected mitochondrial parameter in mice with mild NAFLD. In this study, we focused on the role of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in NAFLD pathogenesis. To induce the progression of NAFLD to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), C57BL/6J mice were fed a Western-style diet (WD) or control diet for 30 weeks. NAFLD severity was evaluated histologically and the expression of selected proteins and genes was assessed. Mitochondrial respiration was measured by high-resolution respirometry. Liver redox status was assessed using glutathione, malondialdehyde, and mitochondrial production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Metabolomic analysis was performed by GC/MS. WD consumption for 30 weeks led to reduced succinate-activated respiration. We also observed decreased SDH activity, decreased expression of the SDH activator sirtuin 3, decreased gene expression of SDH subunits, and increased levels of hepatic succinate, an important signaling molecule. Succinate receptor 1 (SUCNR1) gene and protein expression were reduced in the livers of WD-fed mice. We did not observe signs of oxidative damage compared to the control group. The changes observed in WD-fed mice appear to be adaptive to prevent mitochondrial respiratory chain overload and massive ROS production.

Association of NQO2 With UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases Reduces Menadione Toxicity in Neuroblastoma Cells.

The balance between detoxification and toxicity is linked to enzymes of the drug metabolism Phase I (cytochrome P450 or oxidoreductases) and phase II conjugating enzymes (such as the UGTs). After the reduction of quinones, the product of the reaction, the quinols—if not conjugated—re-oxidizes spontaneously to form the substrate quinone with the concomitant production of the toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS). Herein, we documented the modulation of the toxicity of the quinone menadione on a genetically modified neuroblastoma model cell line that expresses both the quinone oxidoreductase 2 (NQO2, E.C. 1.10.5.1) alone or together with the conjugation enzyme UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT1A6, E.C. 2.4.1.17), one of the two UGT isoenzymes capable to conjugate menadione. As previously shown, NQO2 enzymatic activity is concomitant to massive ROS production, as previously shown. The quantification of ROS produced by the menadione metabolism was probed by electron-paramagnetic resonance (EPR) on cell homogenates, while the production of superoxide was measured by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) on intact cells. In addition, the dysregulation of the redox homeostasis upon the cell exposure to menadione was studied by fluorescence measurements. Both EPR and LCMS studies confirmed a significant increase in the ROS production in the NQO2 overexpressing cells due to the fast reduction of quinone into quinol that can re-oxidize to form superoxide radicals. However, the effect of NQO2 inhibition was drastically different between cells overexpressing only NQO2 vs. both NQO2 and UGT. Whereas NQO2 inhibition decreases the amount of superoxide in the first case by decreasing the amount of quinol formed, it increased the toxicity of menadione in the cells co-expressing both enzymes. Moreover, for the cells co-expressing QR2 and UGT the homeostasis dysregulation was lower in presence of menadione than for the its counterpart expressing only QR2. Those results confirmed that the cooperation of the two enzymes plays a fundamental role during the cells’ detoxification process. The fluorescence measurements of the variation of redox homeostasis of each cell line and the detection of a glucuronide form of menadiol in the cells co-expressing NQO2 and UGT1A6 enzymes further confirmed our findings.

Continuous inertial cavitation evokes massive ROS for reinforcing sonodynamic therapy and immunogenic cell death against breast carcinoma

Intratumoral immunosuppressive microenvironment (ISM) remains the dominant limitation to disable oncological immunotherapy such as immunogenic cell death (ICD). To resolve the immune escape, a sonodynamic therapy (SDT)-based nanoplatform featuring continuous CO2 bubbling has been engineered to enforce continuous ultrasound-triggered inertial cavitation (UIC) for augmenting ROS production. Systematic in vitro and in vivo results demonstrate that the continuous UIC expedites massive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), consequently enabling multiple enhancements of SDT under only one administration. More significantly, the highly-accumulative ROS arising from continuous UIC have been demonstrated to induce robust ICD that is typically represented by more antigen exposure and presentation, augmented DCs maturation and more activated effector CD8+ T cells infiltration in vitro &in vivo. Concurrently, the most ISM alleviation via releasing more pro-inflammatory cytokines and facilitating pro-tumorigenic M2-like macrophage polarization into anti-tumorigenic M1-like counterparts is accompanied, enabling immune escape blockade. Contributed by the significant ISM alleviation and massive ROS production for enhancing SDT and ICD, such SDT-based composite nanoplatforms harvest the most substantially enhanced inhibitory consequences against primary and metastatic tumors, which, thus, provide a profound attribute for T cell-based immunotherapy against tumor.

Free Radical Production and Oxidative Stress in Lung Tissue of Patients Exposed to Sulfur Mustard: An Overview of Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms.

Sulfur mustard (SM) is a chemical alkylating compound that primary targets lung tissue. It causes a wide variety of pathological effects in respiratory system such as chronic bronchitis, bronchiolitis obliterans, necrosis of the mucosa and inflammation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pulmonary fibrosis. However, molecular and cellular mechanisms for these pathologies are still unclear. Oxidative stress (OS) induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is likely a significant mechanism by which SM leads to cell death and tissues injury. SM can trigger various molecular and cellular pathways that are linked to ROS generation, OS, and inflammation. Hypoxia-induced oxidative stress, reduced activity of enzymatic antioxidants, depletion of intercellular glutathione (GSH), decreased productivity of GSH-dependent antioxidants, mitochondrial dysfunction, accumulation of leukocytes and proinflammatory cytokines, and increased expression of ROS producing-related enzymes and inflammatory mediators are the major events in which SM leads to massive production of ROS and OS in pulmonary system. Therefore, understanding of these molecules and signaling pathways gives us valuable information about toxicological effects of SM on injured tissues and the way for developing a suitable clinical treatment. In this review, we aim to discuss the possible mechanisms by which SM induces excessive production of ROS, OS, and antioxidants depletion in lung tissue of exposed patients.

Gene expression profile of oxidative stress and antioxidant defense in lung tissue of patients exposed to sulfur mustard

Sulfur mustard (SM) is a potent alkylating agent that targets several organs, especially lung tissue. Although pathological effects of SM on mustard lung have been widely considered, molecular and cellular mechanisms for these pathologies are poorly understood. We investigated changes in expression of genes related to oxidative stress (OS) and antioxidant defense caused by SM in lung tissue of patients. We performed gene expression profiling of OS and antioxidant defense in lung tissue samples from healthy controls (n=5) and SM-exposed patients (n=6). Changes in gene expression were measured using a 96-well RT2 Profiler ™PCR Array: Human Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Defense, which arrayed 84 genes functionally involved in cellular OS response. 47 (55.95%) genes were found to be significantly upregulated in patients with mustard lung compared with controls (p<0.05), whereas 7 (8.33%) genes were significantly downregulated (p<0.05). Among the most upregulated genes were OS responsive-1 (OXSR1), forkhead box M1 (FOXM1), and glutathione peroxidase-2 (GPX2), while metallothionein-3 (MT3) and glutathione reductase (GSR) were the most downregulated genes. Expression of hypoxia-induced genes (CYGB and MB), antioxidants and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-producing genes were significantly altered, suggesting an increased oxidative damage in mustard lungs. Mustard lungs were characterized by hypoxia, massive production of ROS, OS, disruption of epithelial cells, surfactant dysfunction, as well as increased risk of lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis. Oxidative stress induced by ROS is the major mechanism for direct effect of SM exposure on respiratory system. Antioxidant treatment may improve the main features of mustard lungs.

Susceptibility of brown adipocytes to pro-inflammatory cytokine toxicity and reactive oxygen species.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) cells have a very high oxidative capacity. On the other hand, in obesity and obesity-related diabetes, levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines are elevated, which might promote BAT dysfunction and consequently impair carbohydrate metabolism and thereby exacerbate cellular dysfunction and promote diabetes progression. Therefore, the antioxidative enzyme status of a brown adipocyte cell line and its susceptibility towards pro-inflammatory cytokines, which participate in the pathogenesis of diabetes, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were analysed. Mature brown adipocytes exhibited significantly higher levels of expression of mitochondrially and peroxisomally located antioxidative enzymes compared with non-differentiated brown adipocytes. Pro-inflammatory cytokines induced a significant decrease in the viability of differentiated brown adipocytes, which was accompanied by a massive ROS production and down-regulation of BAT-specific markers, such as uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) and β-Klotho. Taken together, the results strongly indicate that pro-inflammatory cytokines cause brown adipocyte dysfunction and death through suppression of BAT-specific proteins, especially of UCP-1 and β-Klotho, and consequently increased oxidative stress.

Oxidative Stress during HIV Infection: Mechanisms and Consequences.

It is generally acknowledged that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play crucial roles in a variety of natural processes in cells. If increased to levels which cannot be neutralized by the defense mechanisms, they damage biological molecules, alter their functions, and also act as signaling molecules thus generating a spectrum of pathologies. In this review, we summarize current data on oxidative stress markers associated with human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection, analyze mechanisms by which this virus triggers massive ROS production, and describe the status of various defense mechanisms of the infected host cell. In addition, we have scrutinized scarce data on the effect of ROS on HIV-1 replication. Finally, we present current state of knowledge on the redox alterations as crucial factors of HIV-1 pathogenicity, such as neurotoxicity and dementia, exhaustion of CD4+/CD8+ T-cells, predisposition to lung infections, and certain side effects of the antiretroviral therapy, and compare them to the pathologies associated with the nitrosative stress.

The effect of mitochondrially targeted anticancer agents on mitochondrial (super)complexes.

The mitochondrial respiratory chain is organized into dynamic high molecular weight complexes that associate to form supercomplexes. The function of these SCs is to minimize the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated during electron transfer within them and to efficiently transfer electrons to complex IV. These supra-molecular structures as well as whole mitochondria are stress-responsive and respond to mitochondrially targeted anti-cancer agent by destabilization and induction of massive production of ROS leading to apoptosis. We have recently developed mitochondrially targeted anti-cancer agents epitomized by the mitochondrially targeted analogue of the redox-silent compound vitamin E succinate, which belongs to the group of agents that kill cancer cells via their mitochondria-destabilizing activity, referred to as mitocans. To understand the molecular mechanism of the effect of such agents, the use of native blue gel electrophoresis and clear native electrophoresis coupled with in-gel activity assays, are methods of choice. The relevant methodology is described in this chapter.

Post-translational modifications disclose a dual role for redox stress in cardiovascular pathophysiology.

Although some of the redox changes that occur in biological components may result in deleterious events, this process has recently been tackled as a modulatory event. Advances in our understanding regarding the role of some oxidative/nitrosative reactions revealed that proteins can be structurally and functionally modified by chemical reactions, an epigenetic event known as post-translational modification (PTM). PTMs can function as an "on-off switch" for signaling cascades, and are dependent on the specific generation of redox components such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO). NO-driven modifications regulate a wide range of cellular processes and have been highlighted as an epigenetic event that protects proteins from proteolytic degradation. On the other hand, ROS-driven modifications are implicated in cell damage in a number of pathological conditions, especially in the cardiovascular system. Therefore, while mitochondrial uncoupling yields the massive production of ROS in the heart, some cellular redox-sensitive pathways trigger PTMs that may play a cardioprotective role. In this review, we present an overview of the oxidative/nitrosative milieu in cardiac pathologies and address the role of the main redox-driven PTMs as epigenetic events in cardioprotection, as well as its regulatory function in cardiomyocyte signaling. Improved understanding of the role of these PTMs in cardiovascular disease can help direct some approaches for future clinical research regarding health risk assessment, as well as inform strategies for disease treatment and prevention.

Yeast cytotoxic sensitivity to the antitumour agent β-lapachone depends mainly on oxidative stress and is largely independent of microtubule- or topoisomerase-mediated DNA damage

β-Lapachone (β-lap) is a promising antitumour drug currently undergoing clinical trials. Although it is known that β-lap generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), its actual mechanism of action is still controversial. Especially important is to determine whether concomitant DNA or microtubule damage is the key target of its antitumour properties and whether DNA damage is mediated by topoisomerases as previously suggested. Here, we have searched for determinants of β-lap cytotoxicity in the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae through a mechanism-driven approach whereby several pathways of the DNA and microtubule integrity responses, as well as the anti-oxidant response, were downregulated and the outcome of β-lap treatment examined. We also included in the analysis several β-lap derivatives expected to modify drug bioavailability and activity. We found that neither topoisomerase II nor microtubules contributed to yeast sensitivity to β-lap and its equitoxic derivative 3-bromo-β-lapachone. Instead, we found that oxidative and related environmental stresses were primarily responsible for toxicity. Accordingly, Yap1, the central transcription factor in the antioxidant response in yeast, together with several components involved in stress tolerance (i.e., Snf1 and Hog1) and chromatin remodelling (i.e., the SWR1 and RSC complexes), played major roles in protection against β-lapachone. Critically, we show that dioxygen enhanced toxicity and that ROS scavengers protected cells from it. Furthermore, we show that both quinones resulted in cell death in a manner which cytologically resembled apoptosis/necrosis. We thus conclude that β-lap is toxic to yeast through massive ROS production that either directly kills the cells or else triggers programmed cell death.

Moderate extracellular acidification inhibits capsaicin-induced cell death through regulating calcium mobilization, NF-κB translocation and ROS production in synoviocytes

We previously show the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) in primary synoviocytes from collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats. Capsaicin and lowered extracellular pH from 7.4 to 5.5 induce cell death through TRPV1-mediated Ca2+ entry and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. However, under the pathological condition in rheumatoid arthritis, the synovial fluid is acidified to a moderate level (about pH 6.8). In the present study, we examined the effects of pH 6.8 on the TRPV1-mediated cell death. Our finding is different or even opposite from what was observed at pH 5.5. We found that the moderate extracellular acidification (from pH 7.4 to 6.8) inhibited the capsaicin-induced Ca2+ entry through attenuating the activity of TRPV1. In the mean time, it triggered a phospholipse C (PLC)-related Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. The nuclear translocation of NF-κB was found at pH 6.8, and this also depends on PLC activation. Moreover, the capsaicin-evoked massive ROS production and cell death were depressed at pH 6.8, both of which are dependent on the activation of PLC and NF-κB. Taken together, these results suggested that the moderate extracellular acidification inhibited the capsaicin-induced synoviocyte death through regulating Ca2+ mobilization, activating NF-κB nuclear translocation and depressing ROS production.

Potential roles of PI3K/Akt and Nrf2–Keap1 pathways in regulating hormesis of Z-ligustilide in PC12 cells against oxygen and glucose deprivation

Many phytochemicals may ameliorate neurological disorders through a hormetic mechanism. The aim of this study was to characterize the hormetic role of Z-ligustilide in PC12 cells against oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) induced cell death. We examined the interactions of Z-ligustilide with the pro-survival signals mediated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and transcription factor nuclear factor-erythroid 2 p45-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathways. We also investigated the effect of Z-ligustilide on the intracellular redox signaling system involving reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione (GSH). Z-ligustilide not only triggered stress response by causing ROS formation and transient GSH depletion, but also activated survival-promoting signals via cross-talking of PI3K and Nrf2 pathways. A key finding was that Z-ligustilide preconditioning protected PC12 cells from OGD-induced injury either at a low concentration for a prolonged period of time or at a high concentration for a short period of time. Presumably, mild preconditioning stimulated moderate ROS production, but effectively activated hormetic signals and induced stress responsive genes. In contrast, higher concentrations of Z-ligustilide could be toxic over a prolonged period of time due to massive ROS production. These results suggest that the effect of Z-ligustilide may be regulated by a biphasic hormetic mechanism involving initial induction of oxidative stress and subsequent activation of stress response gene expression.

Propofol Attenuates the Decrease of Dynamic Compliance and Water Content in the Lung by Decreasing Oxidative Radicals Released from the Reperfused Liver

Remote pulmonary injuries after hepatic reperfusion are frequently caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced damage. The choice of anesthetics may affect the balance between oxidants and antioxidants, and propofol, a commonly used anesthetic, has an antioxidant effect. In this study, we developed a model to study pulmonary function with hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) manipulation, with the aim of defining remote pulmonary dysfunction after hepatic reperfusion and determining if propofol affects this dysfunction by altering ROS production from the liver or lungs. Adult male rats weighing 160-250 g were randomly divided into four groups according to the type of surgery (sham or I/R) and the anesthetic administered (pentobarbital or propofol). To induce I/R, the portal vein and hepatic artery to the left and medial lobes of the liver were clamped. All of the measurements were done after 5 h of reperfusion, after 45 min of ischemia. Pulmonary function after hepatic I/R was determined by dynamic compliance, resistance and wet-to-dry ratio, and by histopathology. Hepato-cellular injuries were confirmed by alanine aminotransferase, whereas ROS production was measured from the inferior vena cava, jugular vein, and carotid artery. Products of lipid peroxidation, thiobarbiturate acid reactive substances and malondialdehyde, were measured in lung and hepatic tissues. Remote lung injury after hepatic I/R was shown by a significant decrease of Cdyn, and increases in resistance and the wet-to-dry ratio. ROS production was significantly increased and was highest in samples from the inferior vena cava. Thiobarbiturate acid reactive substances and malondialdehyde in the liver and serum alanine aminotransferase were significantly increased only in the I/R+pentobarbital group. All of the changes were significantly attenuated in the I/R+ propofol group (P=0.05). With propofol infusion, there was decreased ROS production from the reperfused liver, with less hepato-cellular injury, followed by well-maintained pulmonary function. Remote pulmonary dysfunction and reperfusion injury in the liver were demonstrated in our rat model, as well as massive ROS production and lipid peroxidation. Propofol infusion attenuated remote pulmonary injury by lessening oxidative injury from the reperfused liver.