Immunocytochemical localization of D-amino acid oxidase in rat brain

d-amino acid oxidase (d-AAO) is a peroxisomal flavoenzyme, the physiological substrate and the precise function of which are still unclear. We have investigated D-AAO distribution in rat brain, by immunocytochemistry, with an affinity-purified polyclonal antibody. Immunoreactivity occurred in both neuronal and glial cells, albeit at different densities. Glial immunostaning was strongest in the caudal brainstem and cerebellar cortex, particularly in astrocytes, Golgi-Bergmann glia, and tanycytes. Hindbrain neurons were generally more immunoreactive than those in the forebrain. Immunopositive forebrain cell populations included mitral cells in the olfactory bulb, cortical and hippocampal neurons, ventral pallidum, and septal, reticular thalamic, and paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei. Within the positive regions, not all the neuronal populations were equally immunoreactive; for example, in the thalamus, only the reticular and anterodorsal nuclei showed intense labelling. In the hindbrain, immunopositivity was virtually ubiquitous, and was especially strong in the reticular formation, pontine, ventral and dorsal cochlear, vestibular, cranial motor nuclei, deep cerebellar nuclei, and the cerebellar cortex, especially in Golgi and Purkinje cells.     

Protective role of D-amino acid oxidase against Staphylococcus aureus infection

D-Amino acid oxidase (DAO) is a hydrogen peroxide-generating enzyme that uses a D-amino acid as a substrate. We hypothesized that DAO may protect against bacterial infection, because hydrogen peroxide is one of the most important molecules in the antibacterial defense systems in mammals. We show here that DAO suppressed the growth of Staphylococcus aureus in a manner that depended on the concentration of DAO and D-amino acid in vitro. Addition of catalase abolished the bacteriostatic activity of DAO. Although DAO plus D-Ala showed less bactericidal activity, addition of myeloperoxidase (MPO) greatly enhanced the bactericidal activity of DAO. Furthermore, DAO was able to utilize bacterial lysate, which contains D-Ala derived from peptidoglycan; this could produce hydrogen peroxide with, in the presence of myeloperoxidase, formation of hypochlorous acid. This concerted reaction of DAO and MPO led to the bactericidal action. In vivo experiments showed that DAO(-/-) (mutant) mice were more susceptible to S. aureus infection than were DAO(+/+) (wild-type) mice. These results suggest that DAO, together with myeloperoxidase, may play an important role in antibacterial systems in mammals.     

Pathogenic effects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-linked mutation in D-amino acid oxidase are mediated by D-serine

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neuromuscular disease characterized by selective loss of motor neurons leading to fatal paralysis. We previously reported a coding mutation in D–amino acid oxidase (R199W DAO) associated with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. DAO metabolizes D-serine, a co-agonist at the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor. We investigated the mechanisms mediating the pathogenic effects of R199W DAO on motor neuron survival and showed that expression of glial R199W DAO is sufficient to induce apoptosis in cocultured motor neurons and this is sensitive to 5,7-dichloro-4-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxylic acid, an N-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptor antagonist selective for the D-serine/glycine site. R199W DAO activates protein aggregation and autophagy, which is also sensitive to this antagonist. Using immunocytochemistry, we showed that D-serine and DAO were abundant in spinal cord motor neurons and depleted in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In summary, the toxic effects of R199W DAO on motor neurons can be mediated directly by expression in motor neurons or by astrocytes in coculture, R199W DAO promotes autophagy and its pathogenic effects are at least in part mediated via the N-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptor.     

NADPH oxidase mediated oxidative stress in hepatic fibrogenesis

NADPH oxidase (NOX) is a multicomponent enzyme complex that generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) in response to a wide range of stimuli. ROS is involved as key secondary messengers in numerous signaling pathways, and NADPH oxidases complex has been increasingly recognized as key elements of intracellular signaling of hepatic fibrogenesis. In the liver, NADPH oxidase is functionally expressed both in the phagocytic form and in the non-phagocytic form. The non-phagocytic NADPH oxidase complex is structurally and functionally similar to the phagocytic NADPH, resulting in reduction of molecular oxygen to generate superoxide. There are six homologous NOX proteins in the non-phagocytic forms of NADPH oxidase. An emerging concept is that both phagocytic and nonphagocytic NADPH oxidase components in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) mediate hepatic fibrosis, suggesting its potential role as a pharmacological target for anti-fibrotic therapy. The molecular components and signaling pathways of various NADPH oxidase homologues that are critical for the fibrotic activity in HSCs need to be more clearly identified.     

D-amino acid oxidase (DAO) genotype and mood symptomatology in schizophrenia

A series of genetic studies have identified the D-amino acid oxidase (DAO) gene as potentially contributing to schizophrenia susceptibility. An interacting gene, D-amino acid oxidase activator (DAOA) has also been implicated and it has been suggested that variation at these genes may influence the efficiency of glutamate gating at N-methyl-D-aspartate-type (NMDA) receptors. However, recent data suggests that DAOA may influence susceptibility to mood episodes across the spectrum of psychotic disorders rather than contributing to a specific psychosis phenotype. The aim of this study was to determine whether risk variation at DAO is similarly associated with affective or other clinical symptoms in psychosis. We have previously reported association between risk variation at DAO and schizophrenia in an Irish case-control sample. In this study we investigated the relationship between a defined genetic risk variant at DAO and PANSS-derived clinical symptom factors in a sample of 249 patients using principal component and Kruskal-Wallis analyses. Carriers of the DAO risk variant scored significantly higher on the 'depression/anxiety' factor than non-carriers (H=9.02, d.f.=2, p=0.01). These data suggest a potential role for DAO in susceptibility to depressive symptoms in schizophrenia, but a more general role for DAO in affective disorders cannot be excluded.     

The post-exercise oxidative stress is depressed by acetylsalicylic acid

In order to assess whether oxidative stress occurs after fatiguing dynamic contractions of a small forearm muscle group, we estimated the kinetics of changes in some of its biomarkers (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances or TBARS; plasma reduced ascorbic acid or RAA; erythrocyte reduced glutathione or GSH). We also tested the hypothesis that acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) may compete with endogenous radical targets, attenuating the post-exercise oxidative stress. Seven male subjects successively performed a 3-min dynamic handgrip exercise with the dominant and then the contralateral forearm. Blood samples were taken from an antecubital vein in each exercising forearm. Biochemical analyses, including the concentration measurements of lactic acid, potassium, and oxidative stress markers were performed at rest and then during the 30-min period of recovery following each exercise. The same day, exercises were repeated after ingestion of a single dose (10 mg/kg) of ASA, and the same exercises were performed after a 3-day ASA treatment (30 mg/kg/day). In control condition, the changes in TBARS, RAA and GSH were already significant immediately after the end of the forearm exercise. They culminated after 5 min, and control values were recovered by a 30-min rest period. We verified that repeated bouts failed to alter the post-exercise variations. ASA did not modify the lactic acid production significantly, though the 3-day ASA treatment significantly reduced the efflux of potassium (-74%, P < 0.05), and the post-exercise variations of TBARS (-45%, P < 0.01), RAA (-44%, P < 0.01) and GSH (-48%, P < 0.01). These results suggest that the dynamic handgrip exercise is a good model for studying the post-exercise oxidative stress and also that ASA seems to offer an efficient protection against oxidative stress and the changes in membrane permeability to potassium.     

Mechanisms of cell death in oxidative stress

Reactive oxygen or nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) generated endogenously or in response to environmental stress have long been implicated in tissue injury in the context of a variety of disease states. ROS/RNS can cause cell death by nonphysiological (necrotic) or regulated pathways (apoptotic). The mechanisms by which ROS/RNS cause or regulate apoptosis typically include receptor activation, caspase activation, Bcl-2 family proteins, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Various protein kinase activities, including mitogen-activated protein kinases, protein kinases-B/C, inhibitor-of-I-kappaB kinases, and their corresponding phosphatases modulate the apoptotic program depending on cellular context. Recently, lipid-derived mediators have emerged as potential intermediates in the apoptosis pathway triggered by oxidants. Cell death mechanisms have been studied across a broad spectrum of models of oxidative stress, including H2O2, nitric oxide and derivatives, endotoxin-induced inflammation, photodynamic therapy, ultraviolet-A and ionizing radiations, and cigarette smoke. Additionally ROS generated in the lung and other organs as the result of high oxygen therapy or ischemia/reperfusion can stimulate cell death pathways associated with tissue damage. Cells have evolved numerous survival pathways to counter proapoptotic stimuli, which include activation of stress-related protein responses. Among these, the heme oxygenase-1/carbon monoxide system has emerged as a major intracellular antiapoptotic mechanism.     

肾小球系膜细胞与氧化应激

肾小球系膜细胞是最活跃的细胞固有成分,其在多种因素如高糖、血管紧张素-Ⅱ、醛固酮、机械牵拉、炎症反应、脂质沉积等刺激下表现为氧化应激(活性氧类产生过多和清除减少),促进肾小球硬化(包括糖尿病肾病)的发生和发展.干预治疗如噻唑烷二酮、血管紧张素转换酶抑制剂和血管紧张素Ⅱ受体阻滞剂、醛固酮受体拮抗剂、他汀类药物、抗氧化剂等...     

氧化应激反应激活成体干细胞增殖的作用机制

组织中存在能增殖、分化和自我更新的多能干细胞,氧化应激反应能诱导干细胞增殖,以满足组织的需求。文章简要分析了氧化应激反应刺激成体干细胞增殖可能的作用机制及其相关的信号通路。对深入了解干细胞的调节和组织功能紊乱的分子病因及进行干细胞治疗有重要的意义。     

Cellular distribution of D-serine, serine racemase and D-amino acid oxidase in the rat vestibular sensory epithelia

Glutamate is the main neurotransmitter at the synapses between sensory cells and primary afferents in the peripheral vestibular system. Evidence has recently been obtained demonstrating that the atypical amino acid D-serine is the main endogenous co-agonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in the CNS. We studied the distribution of D-serine and its synthesizing and degrading enzymes, serine racemase and d-amino acid oxidase in the rat vestibular sensory epithelium using immunocytochemistry. D-serine, serine racemase and D-amino acid oxidase were localized in the transitional cells, which are parasensory cells located between the sensory epithelium and the dark cells. The dark cells expressed only serine racemase. D-Serine was also detected in the supporting cells of the sensory epithelium. These cells, which are in close contact with glutamatergic synapses, express GLAST, a glial specific transporter for glutamate. They may have similar functions to glial cells in the CNS and thus expression of D-serine suggests a neuromodulator role for D-serine at the glutamatergic synapses in the peripheral vestibular system. Our data also indicate that the metabolism of D-serine is not restricted to glial cells suggesting that the amino acid may play an additional role in the peripheral nervous system.     

Attenuation of oxidative stress by syringic acid on acetaminophen-induced nephrotoxic rats

This study was aimed to evaluate the preventive efficacy of syringic acid (SA) on acetaminophen (APAP)-induced nephrotoxicity. Nephrotoxicity was induced in male Wistar albino rats by the administration of a single dose of 750?mg/kg APAP intraperitoneally. In this study, we evaluated the levels of renal markers, lipid peroxidation markers (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH)), enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant status, and histopathological changes of kidney. Our results show significant (P?<?0.05) increased levels of serum urea, uric acid, creatinine, and TBARS, LOOH in the kidney tissue. In addition, the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and reduced glutathione levels significantly (P?<?0.05) decreased in the kidney of APAP nephrotoxic rats. Moreover, histopathological observations also correlated with the biochemical findings to improved morphological changes including tubular epithelial degeneration, vacuolization, cell desquamation, and necrosis. Oral administration of SA (50?mg/kg body weight) to APAP rats for 6?days prevented the above biochemical and renal morphology changes and improved towards normalcy. These findings suggested that the protective effects of SA against APAP-induced kidney injuries might result from the amelioration of APAP-induced oxidative stress.     

花生四烯酸与氧化应激的研究进展

花生四烯酸(arachidonic acid, AA)是一种人体内含量最丰富、性质最活跃、分布最广泛的多不饱和必需脂肪酸,具有很强的生物活性,其代谢网络是炎症代谢网络的重要组成部分.AA不仅在炎症中发挥重要作用而且与氧化应激关系密切.对两者相互作用的研究能够更好地阐明疾病发生的机制,对病因探究及疾病治疗具有重要意义.     

Determination of free D-aspartic acid, D-serine and D-alanine in the brain of mutant mice lacking D-amino acid oxidase activity.

A simple and precise method for the simultaneous determination of free D-aspartic acid, D-serine and D-alanine in mouse brain tissues was established, using a reversed-phase HPLC system with widely used pre-column derivatizing reagents, o-phthaldialdehyde and N-t-butyloxycarbonyl-L-cysteine. With the present method, the contents of these three D-amino acids in hippocampus, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, pineal gland and medulla oblongata as well as cerebrum and cerebellum of mutant mice lacking D-amino-acid oxidase activity were determined and compared with those obtained for control mice. In both mice, extremely high contents of D-serine were observed in forebrain (100-400 nmol/g wet tissue), and the contents were small in pituitary and pineal glands. While, D-serine contents in cerebellum and medulla oblongata of mutant mice were about ten times higher than those in control mice. In contrast, D-alanine contents in mutant mice were higher than those in control mice in all brain regions and serum.     

Mechanisms and modulation of neural cell damage induced by oxidative stress

Oxidative stress has been linked to several neurodegenerative disorders characterized by neuronal death. Apoptosis and necrosis are the two major forms of cell death that have been described in the nervous system, and stimuli inducing oxidative stress can cause both types of death, depending on the intensity and the duration of the insult. In the present article, we report on a series of studies from our laboratory describing the intracellular pathways activated by oxidative stress in differentiated neurons, such as cerebellar granule cells, and neural stem cells. Using in vitro/ex vivo experimental models, we have investigated whether the susceptibility to injuries can be affected by the occurrence of potential insults taking place during development. We have found that prenatal exposure to high levels of glucocorticoids renders neural cells, including stem cells, more sensitive to oxidative stress damage. Similar effects were seen after in utero exposure to methylmercury. The analysis of behavior has proven to be a sensitive tool to detect mild alterations induced by early stimuli that increase susceptibility to oxidative stress. Our findings contribute to the understanding of how early events may have long-term consequences by modifying intracellular processes that predispose the affected cells to dysfunction, which can be unmasked or worsen by subsequent exposure to further injuries.     

Cardiac oxidative stress and remodeling following infarction: role of NADPH oxidase

BackgroundThere is growing recognition that oxidative stress plays a role in the pathogeneses of myocardial repair/remodeling following myocardial infarction (MI). Nicotinamide adenine denucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase is a major source for cardiac reactive oxygen species production. Herein, we studied the importance of NADPH oxidase in development of cardiac oxidative stress and its induced molecular and cellular changes related to myocardial repair/remodeling.MethodsMI was created by coronary artery ligation in C57/BL (wild type) and NADPH oxidase (gp91^phox) knockout mice. Cardiac oxidative stress, inflammatory/fibrogenic responses, apoptosis, and hypertrophy were detected by in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), picrosirius red staining, and image analysis, respectively, at different stages post MI.ResultsIn wild-type mice with MI, and compared to sham-operated animals, we observed significantly increased gp91^phox and 3-nitrotyrosine, a marker of oxidative stress, in the infarcted myocardium; accumulated macrophages and myofibroblasts at the infarct site; abundant apoptotic myocytes primarily at border zones on Day 3; and numerous apoptotic inflammatory/myofibroblasts in the later stages. In addition, we detected significantly increased transforming growth factor β1, tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease 2, and type 1 collagen gene expression; continuously increasing collagen volume in the infarcted myocardium; and hypertrophy in noninfarcted myocardium. Compared to wild-type mice with MI, we did not observe significant difference in infarct size/thickness, cardiac hypertrophy, myocyte apoptosis, inflammatory/fibrogenic responses, as well as cardiac oxidative stress in gp91^phox knockout mice.ConclusionOur findings indicate that during NADPH oxidase deficiency, superoxide production can be compensated by other sources, which leads to cardiac oxidative stress and its related molecular/cellular events in the infarcted heart.     

Apelin-13对高尿酸诱导的脂肪细胞氧化应激的作用

目的:探讨apelin-13对高尿酸诱导的3T3-L1脂肪细胞氧化应激的作用及其机制。方法:3T3-L1脂肪细胞予以10 mg/dL尿酸刺激,部分细胞予以1μmol/L apelin-13预处理,以100μmol/L H₂O₂刺激的细胞为阳性对照。48 h后,流式细胞术检测活性氧族(ROS)含量,生化试剂盒检测细胞及培养液上清抗氧化酶[超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)和过氧化氢酶(CAT)]和促氧化酶NADPH氧化酶(NOX)的活性以及丙二醛(MDA)含量,real-time PCR法检测细胞局部肾素-血管紧张素系统(RAS)各组份血管紧张素原(AGT)、血管紧张素转化酶I(ACE1)、血管紧张素II 1型受体(AT1R)和AT2R及血管紧张素II 1型受体相关蛋(APJ)的mRNA表达水平,ELISA法检测细胞及培养液中血管紧张素II(AngⅡ)浓度。结果:10 mg/dL的尿酸明显降低3T3-L1脂肪细胞SOD、GSH-Px和CAT的活性,升高NOX的活性,增加MDA的含量,细胞内ROS的含量相应升高;apel...