Zinc-histidine complex protects cultured cortical neurons against oxidative stress-induced damage

The levels of zinc in the brain are directly affected by dietary zinc and deficiency has been associated with alcohol withdrawal seizures, excitotoxicity, impaired learning and memory and an accelerated rate of dysfunction in aged brain. Although zinc is essential for a healthy nervous system, high concentrations of zinc are neurotoxic, thus it is important to identify the most effective forms of zinc for treatment of conditions of the central nervous system. Accumulating evidence suggests that zinc-histidine complex (Zn(His)(2)) has greater biological potency and enhanced bioavailability compared with other zinc salts and also has antioxidant potential. Therefore, in this study we investigated the ability of zinc-histidine to protect cultured cortical neurons against hydrogen peroxide-induced damage. Pre-treating neurons for 18 h with subtoxic concentrations of zinc-histidine (5-25 microM) improved neuronal viability and strongly inhibited hydrogen peroxide-induced (75 microM, 30 min) cell damage as assessed by MTT turnover and morphological analysis 24h later. Low concentrations of zinc-histidine were more neuroprotective than zinc chloride. There was evidence of an anti-apoptotic mechanism of action as zinc-histidine inhibited hydrogen peroxide-induced caspase-3 activation and c-jun-N-terminal kinase phosphorylation. In summary, zinc supplementation with zinc-histidine protects cultured neurons against oxidative insults and inhibits apoptosis which suggests that zinc-histidine may be beneficial in the treatment of diseases of the CNS associated with zinc deficiency.     

Borneol administration protects primary rat hepatocytes against exogenous oxidative DNA damage

Experimental evidences suggest that most essential oils possess a wide range of biological and pharmacological activities that may protect tissues against oxidative damage. In this study, we investigated DNA-protective effect of borneol, a component of many essential oils, against oxidative DNA damage induced in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. Borneol was added to drinking water of Sprague-Dawley rats and DNA resistance against oxidative agents was compared in hepatocytes originated from control and borneol-treated rats. Oxidative stress induced by visible light-excited methylene blue (MB/VL) or 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquionone (DMNQ) resulted in increased levels of DNA lesions measured by the modified single cell gel electrophoresis. Borneol (17 or 34 mg/kg body weight) added to drinking water of rats for 7 days reduced the level of oxidative DNA lesions induced in their hepatocytes by MB/VL or DMNQ. To explain the increased resistance of DNA towards oxidative stress, we measured the base-excision repair (BER) capacity in liver cell extracts of control and borneol-supplemented rats on DNA substrate of HepG2 cells containing oxidative damage. Our results showed that administration of borneol in drinking water had no effect on incision activity of hepatocytes isolated from supplemented rats. The spectrophotometric assessment of enzymatic antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and the flow cytometric assessment of total intracellular glutathione (iGSH) in primary hepatocytes of borneol-supplemented rats showed no changes in SOD and GPx activities but higher iGSH content particularly in hepatocytes of higher borneol dose (34 mg/kg) supplemented rats in comparison to control animals. Despite the fact that borneol had no effect either on BER of oxidative DNA damage or on the levels of antioxidant enzymes and manifested no reducing power and radicals scavenging activity, it increased significantly the level of non-enzymatic antioxidant iGSH which could reduce the oxidative DNA lesions induced by MB/VL or DMNQ.     

中成药甘舒胶囊对抗氧化应激诱导的肝细胞损伤

目的探讨中药甘舒胶囊对抗氧化应激损伤的肝细胞保护作用。方法在Chang肝细胞建立氧化应激(H2O2)损伤的实验模型,应用甲氮甲唑蓝(MTT)检测法。PI染色流式细胞仪(FCM)及Hoechst 33258染色法等检测甘舒对抗H2O2诱导Chang肝细胞的细胞毒性及凋亡的细胞保护作用。结果H2O2呈浓度依赖性地降低Chang肝细胞的存活率;在自身不影响Chang肝细胞存活率的浓度(1～100μg/ml)范围内,甘舒呈浓度依赖性地对抗300μmol/L和400μmol/LH2O2对肝细胞存活率的抑制作用;另方面,在0～800μmol/L浓度范围内,H2O2呈浓度依赖性地增加Chang肝细胞的凋亡率;100μg/ml、500μg/ml和1mg/ml的甘舒本身不影响肝细胞的凋亡率,但却能显著地抑制300μmol/LH2O2诱导的肝细胞凋亡。结论中药甘舒胶囊具有抗氧化应激作用,可显著对抗氧化应激(H2O2)诱导的肝细胞损伤。     

Alpinia protocatechuic acid protects against oxidative damage in vitro and reduces oxidative stress in vivo

In this study, the neuroprotective effects of Alpinia protocatechuic acid (PCA), a phenolic compound isolated from the dried fruits of Alpinia Oxyphylla Miq. was found. The protective effect of Alpinia PCA against H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage on PC12 cells was investigated by measuring cell viability via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. Rats were injected intraperitoneally with Alpinia PCA at a dose of 5 mg/kg per day for 7 days, behavioral testing was performed in Y-maze. In order to make clear the neuroprotective mechanism of Alpinia PCA, the activities of endogenous antioxidants and the content of lipid peroxide in brain were assayed. The results proved that Alpinia PCA significantly prevented the H₂O₂-induced reduction in cell survival, improved the cognition of aged rats, reduced the content of lipid peroxide, increased the activity of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. All these suggested that Alpinia PCA was a potential neuroprotective agent and its neuroprotective effects were achieved at least partly by promoting endogenous antioxidant enzymatic activities and inhibiting free radical generation.     

Resveratrol protects against inorganic arsenic-induced oxidative damage and cytoarchitectural alterations in female mouse hippocampus

Prolonged inorganic arsenic (iAs) exposure is widely associated with brain damage particularly in the hippocampus via oxidative and apoptotic pathways. Resveratrol (RES) has gained considerable attention because of its benefits to human health. However, its neuroprotective potential against iAs-induced toxicity in CA1 region of hippocampus remains unexplored.Therefore, we investigated the neuroprotective efficacy of RES against arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃)-induced adverse effects on neuronal morphology, apoptotic markers and oxidative stress parameters in mouse CA1 region (hippocampus).Adult female Swiss albino mice of reproductive maturity were orally exposed to either As₂O₃ (2 and 4 mg/kg bw) alone or in combination with RES (40 mg/kg bw) for a period of 45 days. After animal sacrifice on day 46, the perfusion fixed brain samples were used for the observation of neuronal morphology and studying the morphometric features. While the freshly dissected hippocampi were processed for biochemical estimation of oxidative stress markers and western blotting of apoptosis-associated proteins.Chronic iAs exposure led to significant decrease in Stratum Pyramidale layer thickness along with reduction in cell density and area of Pyramidal neurons in contrast to the controls. Biochemical analysis showed reduced hippocampal GSH content but no change in total nitrite (NO) levels following iAs exposure. Western blotting showed apparent changes in the expression levels of Bax and Bcl-2 proteins following iAs exposure, however the change was statistically insignificant. Contrastingly, iAs +RES co-treatment exhibited substantial reversal in morphological and biochemical observations.Together, these findings provide preliminary evidence of neuroprotective role of RES on structural and biochemical alterations pertaining to mouse hippocampus following chronic iAs exposure.     

Ferritin induction protects cortical astrocytes from heme-mediated oxidative injury

Hemin is released from hemoglobin after CNS hemorrhage and may contribute to its cytotoxic effect. In a prior study, we demonstrated that heme oxygenase-1 induction protected murine cortical astrocytes from hemoglobin toxicity. Since heme metabolism releases iron, this observation suggested that these cells are able to effectively sequester and detoxify free iron. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that astrocytes increased ferritin synthesis after exposure to heme-bound iron, and that this induction protected cells from subsequent exposure to toxic concentrations of hemin. Incubation with low micromolar concentrations of hemin, hemoglobin, or ferrous sulfate increased ferritin expression, as detected on immunoblots stained with a polyclonal antibody that was raised against horse spleen ferritin. Time course studies demonstrated an increase in ferritin levels within 2 h. Weak and scattered cellular staining was detected by immunohistochemistry in control, untreated cultures, while diffuse immunoreactivity was observed in cultures exposed to heme-bound iron. An enhanced ferritin band was detected on immunoblots from cultures that were treated with purified apoferritin, consistent with astrocytic ferritin uptake. Immunoreactivity after apoferritin treatment was not altered by concomitant treatment with cycloheximide. Pretreatment with apoferritin protected astrocytes from hemin toxicity in a concentration-dependent fashion between 1 and 4 mg/ml. At the highest concentration, cell death due to a 6-h exposure to 30 microM hemin was decreased by about 85%. A protective effect was also produced by induction of endogenous ferritin with nontoxic concentrations of ferrous sulfate, hemoglobin, or hemin. These results suggest that cortical astrocytes respond to exogenous heme-bound or free iron by rapidly increasing ferritin synthesis. The combined action of heme oxygenase-1 and ferritin may be a primary astrocytic defense against heme-mediated injury.     

Puerarin protects the rat liver against oxidative stress-mediated DNA damage and apoptosis induced by lead

Puerarin (PU), a natural flavonoid, has been reported to have many benefits and medicinal properties. In this study, we valuated the protective effect of puerarin against lead-induced oxidative DNA damage and apoptosis in rat liver. A total of forty male Wistar rats (8-week-old) was divided into 4 groups: control group; lead-treated group (500 mg Pb/l as the only drinking fluid); lead + puerarin treated group (500 mg Pb/l as the only drinking fluid plus 400 mg PU/kg bwt intra-gastrically once daily); and puerarin-treated group (400 mg PU/kg bwt intra-gastrically once daily). The experimental period was lasted for 75 successive days. Our data showed that puerarin significantly effectively improved the lead-induced histology changes in rat liver and decreased the serum ALT and AST activities in lead-treated rats. Puerarin markedly restored Cu/Zn-SOD, CAT and GPx activities and the GSH/GSSG ratio in the liver of lead-treated rat. Furthermore, the increase of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine induced by lead was effectively suppressed by puerarin. The enhanced caspase-3 activity in the rat liver induced by lead was also inhibited by puerarin. TUNEL assay showed that lead-induced apoptosis in rat liver was significantly inhibited by puerarin, which might be attributed to its antioxidant property. In conclusion, these results suggested that puerarin could protect the rat liver against lead-induced injury by reducing ROS production, renewing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and decreasing DNA oxidative damage.     

Manuka honey protects middle-aged rats from oxidative damage

OBJECTIVE:

This study aimed to determine the effect of manuka honey on the oxidative status of middle-aged rats.

METHOD:

Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into young (2 months) and middle-aged (9 months) groups. They were further divided into two groups each, which were either fed with plain water (control) or supplemented with 2.5 g/kg body weight of manuka honey for 30 days. The DNA damage level was determined via the comet assay, the plasma malondialdehyde level was determined using high performance liquid chromatography, and the antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase) were determined spectrophotometrically in the erythrocytes and liver. The antioxidant activities were measured using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and ferric reducing/antioxidant power assays, and the total phenolic content of the manuka was analyzed using UV spectrophotometry and the Folin-Ciocalteu method, respectively.

RESULTS:

Supplementation with manuka honey reduced the level of DNA damage, the malondialdehyde level and the glutathione peroxidase activity in the liver of both the young and middle-aged groups. However, the glutathione peroxidase activity was increased in the erythrocytes of middle-aged rats given manuka honey supplementation. The catalase activity was reduced in the liver and erythrocytes of both young and middle-aged rats given supplementation. Manuka honey was found to have antioxidant activity and to have a high total phenolic content. These findings showed a strong correlation between the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity.

CONCLUSIONS:

Manuka honey reduces oxidative damage in young and middle-aged rats; this effect could be mediated through the modulation of its antioxidant enzyme activities and its high total phenolic content. Manuka honey can be used as an alternative supplement at an early age to improve the oxidative status.     

Raf inhibition protects cortical cells against beta-amyloid toxicity

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the main cause of dementia in the elderly. The discovery of new targets of therapeutic intervention is fundamental to the development of new drugs against AD pathology. Upregulation of cRaf-1 has been found post-mortem in the brains of AD patients. cRaf-1 is a cytosolic protein kinase that regulates neuronal survival and senescence. In this study, we investigated cRaf-1 in the brains of aged APPswe mice presenting AD-like pathology and whether Raf inhibitors protected cultured cortical cells against amyloid beta toxicity (Abeta). We found a dysregulation of cRaf-1 in the cortex of APPswe mice, which showed a 147% increase in the active form phosphorylated at serine 338 and a 40% decrease in the levels of the inactive form of cRaf-1, phospho-cRaf-1[Ser259]. Furthermore, treatment of primary cortical neurons with the cRaf-1 inhibitors, GW5074 or ZM336372, and the nuclear factor kappa B (NFkappaB) inhibitor SN50, protected cortical neurons against Abeta toxicity. Since Raf stimulates NFkappaB, we studied the effect of Raf inhibition on its activation by studying changes in NFkappaB phosphorylation at serine 276. Our results suggest that Raf inhibition with GW5074 is neuroprotective against Abeta toxicity through a mechanism that involves NFkappaB inhibition.     

Immunosuppressive treatment protects against angiotensin II-induced renal damage

Angiotensin (Ang) II promotes renal infiltration by immunocompetent cells in double-transgenic rats (dTGRs) harboring both human renin and angiotensinogen genes. To elucidate disease mechanisms, we investigated whether or not dexamethasone (DEXA) immunosuppression ameliorates renal damage. Untreated dTGRs developed hypertension, renal damage, and 50% mortality at 7 weeks. DEXA reduced albuminuria, renal fibrosis, vascular reactive oxygen stress, and prevented mortality, independent of blood pressure. In dTGR kidneys, p22phox immunostaining co-localized with macrophages and partially with T cells. dTGR dendritic cells expressed major histocompatibility complex II and CD86, indicating maturation. DEXA suppressed major histocompatibility complex II+, CD86+, dendritic, and T-cell infiltration. In additional experiments, we treated dTGRs with mycophenolate mofetil to inhibit T- and B-cell proliferation. Reno-protective actions of mycophenolate mofetil and its effect on dendritic and T cells were similar to those obtained with DEXA. We next investigated whether or not Ang II directly promotes dendritic cell maturation in vitro. Ang II did not alter CD80, CD83, and MHC II expression, but increased CCR7 expression and cell migration. To explore the role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha on dendritic cell maturation in vivo, we treated dTGRs with the soluble TNF-alpha receptor etanercept. This treatment had no effect on blood pressure, but decreased albuminuria, nuclear factor-kappaB activation, and infiltration of all immunocompetent cells. These data suggest that immunosuppression prevents dendritic cell maturation and T-cell infiltration in a nonimmune model of Ang II-induced renal damage. Ang II induces dendritic migration directly, whereas in vivo TNF-alpha is involved in dendritic cell infiltration and maturation. Thus, Ang II may initiate events leading to innate and acquired immune response.     

Acetaminophen protects against iron-induced cardiac damage in gerbils

There are few effective agents that safely remove excess iron from iron-overloaded individuals. Our goal was to evaluate the iron-removing effectiveness of acetaminophen given ip or orally in the gerbil iron-overload model. Male gerbils were divided into 5 groups: saline controls, iron-overloaded controls, iron-overloaded treated with ip acetaminophen, iron-overloaded treated with oral acetaminophen, and iron-overloaded treated with ipdeferoxamine. Iron dextran was injected iptwice/wk for 8 wk. Acetaminophen and deferoxamine treatments were given on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the same 8 wk and continued for 4 wk after completion of iron-overloading. Echocardiograms were performed after completion of the iron-overloading and drug treatments. Liver and cardiac iron contents were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Iron-overloaded controls had 232-fold and 16-fold increases in liver and cardiac iron content, respectively, compared to saline controls. In iron-overloaded controls, echocardiography showed cardiac hypertrophy, right and left ventricular distension, significant reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction (-22%), and fractional shortening (-31%) during systole. Treatments with acetaminophen (ip or oral) or deferoxamine (ip) were equally effective in reducing cardiac iron content and in preventing cardiac structural and functional changes. Both agents also significantly reduced excess hepatic iron content, although acetaminophen was less effective than deferoxamine. The results suggest that acetaminophen may be useful for treatment of iron-induced pathology.     

利福平对鱼藤酮处理的大鼠多巴胺神经元的保护作用

目的：观察利福平对鱼藤酮诱导帕金森病大鼠模型多巴胺神经元的保护作用以及对α-突触核蛋白形成和聚集的抑制作用。方法: 持续3周给SD大鼠背部皮下注射鱼藤酮（1.5 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）以诱导其黑质多巴胺神经元丢失的同时，应用利福平（30 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）灌胃给药，并通过对大鼠进行行为学、黑质病理学、TH和α-突触核蛋白的免疫活性以及蛋白量的表达情况等方面的检测以证明利福平对帕金森病动物模型多巴胺神经元具有保护作用，对α-突触核蛋白的形成和聚集具有抑制作用。结果: 低剂量长期背部皮下注射鱼藤酮可诱导SD大鼠出现行为学、黑质病理学、TH及α-突触核蛋白的免疫活性和蛋白量的表达情况的改变，而应用利福平灌胃后这些变化均显著减少。结论: 利福平对鱼藤酮帕金森病大鼠模型的多巴胺神经元具有保护作用，此作用与其对模型中α-突触核蛋白的形成和聚集的抑制作用密切相关。     

Short-term levosimendan treatment protects rat testes against oxidative stress

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of short-term levosimendan exposure on oxidant/antioxidant status and trace element levels in the testes of rats under physiological conditions. Twenty male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into two groups of 10 animals each. Group 1 was not exposed to levosimendan and served as control. Levosimendan (12 µg/kg) diluted in 10 mL 0.9% NaCl was administered intraperitoneally to group 2. Animals of both groups were sacrificed after 3 days and their testes were harvested for the determination of changes in tissue oxidant/antioxidant status and trace element levels. Tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) was significantly lower in the levosimendan group (P < 0.001) than in the untreated control group and superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels were significantly higher in the levosimendan group (P < 0.001). Carbonic anhydrase, catalase and GSH levels were not significantly different from controls. Mg and Zn levels of testes were significantly higher (P < 0.001) and Co, Pb, Cd, Mn, and Cu were significantly lower (P < 0.001) in group 2 compared to group 1. Fe levels were similar for the two groups (P = 0.94). These results suggest that 3-day exposure to levosimendan induced a significant decrease in tissue MDA level, which is a lipid peroxidation product and an indicator of oxidative stress, and a significant increase in the activity of an important number of the enzymes that protect against oxidative stress in rat testes.     

Protection of human neutrophils against oxidative damage

This report reviews some of our work on the relative importance of the glutathione redox system and catalase in protecting human neutrophils in vitro against hydrogen peroxide, generated either by these cells during phagocytosis or artificially in the medium by an enzyme system.Neutrophils deficient in glutathione reductase were rapidly inactivated during phagocytosis, unless protected by scavengers of oxidative products in the medium. In contrast, normal neutrophils remained functionally active. Thus, despite the presence of a normal catalase activity, a defect in the glutathione system totally impairs the protection of neutrophils against their own metabolic products. In catalase-inhibited or catalase-deficient neutrophils, no damage was observed during phagocytosis. We conclude that the glutathione redox system is the most important protection system against damage by oxidative products of neutrophils.During incubation of neutrophils with glucose + glucose oxidase, an extracellular system that generates hydrogen peroxide, we found that both catalase and the glutathione redox system were needed for adequate protection against oxidative injury. Apparently, this extracellular stress cannot be efficiently dealth with by the glutathione system alone: co-operation with catalase is needed in this situation. Under certain conditions, oxidative damage was observed even when the level of reduced glutathione was still relatively high, indicating that perhaps catalase and glutathione each protect different cell structures, and that both systems are needed together for the preservation of the total cell function.     

Short-term calorie restriction protects against renal senescence of aged rats by increasing autophagic activity and reducing oxidative damage

To explore the effect of short-term calorie restriction (CR) on renal aging, 8-week CR with 60% of the food intake of the ad libitum group was administered in 25-month-old male Sprague–Dawley rats. Aged rats subjected to short-term CR had lower body weight, level of triglycerides and ratio of urine protein to urine creatinine, respectively. Short-term CR blunted the increased glomerular volume, the degree of fibrosis, p16 and the positive rate of senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining of the kidneys in old ad libitum group. Light chain 3/Atg8 as an autophagy marker exhibited a marked decline in aged kidneys, which was increased by short-term CR. The levels of p62/SQSTM1 and polyubiquitin aggregates, which were increased in older kidneys, were blunted by short-term CR. Short-term CR retarded the level of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, a marker of mitochondrial DNA oxidative damage. Moreover, we found an increased level of SIRT1 and AMPK, and a decreased level of mTOR in aged kidneys after short-term CR. These results suggested that short-term CR could be considered as a potential intervention for retardation of renal senescence by increasing autophagy and subsequently reducing oxidative damage. Three master regulators of energy metabolism, SIRT1, AMPK and mTOR are associated with these effects.     

Moderate wine consumption protects against hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA damage

We have tested the hypothesis that moderate wine drinking canprotect somatic cells against the DNA-damaging effect of hydrogenperoxide which is an endogenous source of reactive oxygen metabolites.In this preliminary investigation, four male volunteers wereplaced on a plantpolyphenol- free (PPF) diet to ensure thatthe wine provided was the only main source of plant phenoliccompounds. After 48 h on the PPF diet the volunteers were requiredto consume 300 ml of red or white wine and blood samples collected1, 3, 8 and 24 h post-consumption while still on a PPF diet.Plasma was isolated from the blood samples and stored frozenfor subsequent assays. In the subsequent assays, fresh lymphocytesfrom each donor were incubated in their corresponding plasmafrom the various intervention time-points for 30 min. The capacityof the plasma to prevent damage to DNA in lymphocytes by hydrogenperoxide was assessed using the cytokinesis-block micronucleustechnique. The data from this preliminary investigation indicatedthat there was a strong inhibition (>70%) of hydrogen peroxide-inducedmicronucleated cells by the plasma samples from the blood collected1 h after consumption of wine as compared to plasma samplesfrom blood immediately before the consumption of wine. Thisprotective effect was apparent for both red and white wine althoughstatistical significance (P = 0.0068) was achieved only in thewhite wine intervention. A higher degree of statistical significance(P = 0.0008) was achieved when the data for samples followingthe consumption of red and white wine were combined. There wasno difference in the hydrogen-peroxide-induced micronucleatedcell frequency when comparing results immediately before startingon the PPF diet, before consumption of wine, 8 h after or 24h after wine consumption. The hydrogen peroxide-induced micronucleatedcell frequency in cells incubated with plasma from blood collected3 h after wine consumption was intermediate to that observedfor plasma after 1 and 8 h after wine intake. The protectiveeffect of plasma against DNA damage cannot be readily explainedby the red wine content of phenolic compounds because resultsfor red wine were similar to those for white wine even thoughwhite wine had a much lower level of total polyphenols. A possibleexplanation could be that alcohol, glycerol and ascorbate inwine together with specific wine phenolic compounds that arealso equally present in red and white wine (e.g. hydroxycinnamates)may have contributed to the observed protection of nuclear materialfrom hydrogen peroxide-derived reactive oxygen metabolites.This explanation is supported by data from in vitro experimentsshowing that incubation of lymphocytes either with alcohol orwine stripped of phenolic compounds resulted in a statisticallysignificant (P < 0.05) dose-related reduction (up to 87%reduction) in hydrogen peroxide-induced micronucleated cellfrequency. ³To whom correspondence should be addressed     

Wnt3a减轻黑素细胞iMC65氧化应激损伤

目的探讨Wnt3a对氧化应激损伤的i MC65黑素细胞的保护作用及机制。方法将黑素细胞分成对照组,Wnt3a组,H2O2处理组,Wnt3a干预组,750μmol/L的H2O2作用模拟黑素细胞的氧化应激损伤。MTT实验检测细胞活性,流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡率和细胞产生活性氧(ROS),荧光素酶报告基因检测Nrf2/ARE通路的激活,Western blot检测Nrf2/ARE通路的相关蛋白表达。结果与对照组相比,H2O2处理组的细胞活性明显下降(P0.01),凋亡比率明显上升(P0.01),ROS的产生明显增加(P0.01)。而Wnt3a干预组能显著缓解H2O2处理组细胞活性的降低(P0.05)、降低凋亡比率(P0.05),减少ROS的产生(P0.05)。Wnt3a也能上调Nrf2和HO-1蛋白水平的表达。结论 Wnt3a可以保护氧化应激状态下的黑素细胞,其机制可能与激活Nrf2/ARE有关。     

Curcumin activates defensive genes and protects neurons against oxidative stress

Spices and herbs often contain active phenolic substances endowed with potent antioxidative properties. We had previously shown that curcumin, the yellow pigment in curry, strongly induced HO-1 expression and activity in rat astrocytes. In the CNS, HO-1 has been reported to operate as a fundamental defensive mechanism for neurons exposed to an oxidant challenge. Treatment of astrocytes with curcumin upregulated expression of HO-1 protein at both cytoplasmic and nuclear levels, as shown by immunofluorescence analysis under laser-scanning confocal microscopy. A significant expression of quinone reductase and glutathione S transferase, two members of phase II detoxification enzymes, was found in astrocytes exposed to 5-15 microM curcumin. Moreover, the effects of curcumin on HO-1 activity were explored in cultured hippocampal neurons. Elevated expression of HO-1 mRNA and protein were detected after 6 h incubation with 5-25 microM curcumin. Higher concentrations of curcumin (50-100 microM) caused a substantial cytotoxic effect with no change in HO-1 protein expression. Interestingly, pre-incubation (18 h) with curcumin resulted in an enhanced cellular resistance to glucose oxidase-mediated oxidative damage; this cytoprotective effect was considerably attenuated by zinc protoporphyrin IX, an inhibitor of heme oxygenase activity. This study gives additional support to the possible use of curcumin as a dietary preventive agent against oxidative stress-related diseases.     

Sigma 1 receptor stimulation protects against oxidative damage through suppression of the ER stress responses in the human lens

Stimulation of sigma-1 receptors is reported to protect against oxidative stress. The present study uses cells and tissue from the human lens to elucidate the relationship between the sigma 1 receptor, ER stress and oxidative stress-induced damage. Exposure of the human lens cell line FHL124 to increasing concentrations of H₂O₂ led to reduced cell viability and increased apoptosis. In response to 30 μM H₂O₂, levels of the ER stress proteins BiP, ATF6 and pEIF2α were significantly increased within 4 h of exposure. Expression of the sigma 1 receptor was markedly increased in response to H₂O₂. Application of 10 and 30 μM (+)-pentazocine, a sigma 1 receptor agonist, significantly inhibited the H₂O₂ induced cell death. (+)-Pentazocine also suppressed the oxidative stress induced reduction of pro-caspase 12 and suppressed the induction of the ER stress proteins BiP and EIF2α. When applied to cultured human lenses, (+)-pentazocine protected against apoptotic cell death, LDH release and against H₂O₂ induced opacification. These data demonstrate that stimulation of the sigma 1 receptor provides significant protection from oxidative damage and is, therefore, a putative therapeutic approach to delay the onset of diseases that may be triggered by oxidative damage, including cataract formation.     

Bombycis corpus extract (BCE) protects hippocampal neurons against excitatory amino acid-induced neurotoxicity

Bombycis corpus (BC) or Bombyx Batryticatus, a batryticated silkworm and white-stiff silkworm, is a drug consisting of the dried larva of silkworm, Mobyz mori L., dead and stiffened due to the infection of Beauveria (Bals.) Vuill. In a previous paper (Kim et al., Pharmacol. Res., 43, 12-16, 2001), BC was shown to protect amyloid-beta-induced cytotoxicity. In the present study, we have found that BCE can prevent or reduce the neurotoxic actions in the hippocampus of the glutamate agonists N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) in vitro or alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) and kainic acid in vitro. Pre-treatment with BCE (0, 1, 2, 5, and 10 microg/ml for 6-8 h) protected primary hippocampal cultures from embryonic day 18 (E18) embryos against NMDA-induced toxicity (0.1, 1, 10, and 50 nM/ml). BCE added either with NMDA (1 mM) or 1 h later had lesser, but still significant, protective actions. BCE also reduced NMDA-induced toxicity (1 mM). BCE (10 microg/ml) protected cultured neurons against the neurotoxic actions of either AMPA (25 microM) or kainic acid (1 mM) as well. Because the release of glutamate has been implicated in the neural damage after cerebral ischemia and other neural insults, these results suggest that BCE may contribute significantly to protect human brain to such damage.