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Biomedical subjects

A Boveris

Publications and source records attributed to A Boveris.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Reduction of reperfusion injury with preoperative rapid intravenous infusion of taurine during myocardial revascularization.

To assess a possible free-radical scavenging action of taurine during coronary artery bypass grafting, 12 patients were randomly divided into two equal groups. One to 3 hours before surgery, they received a rapid intravenous infusion of either placebo (group 1) or taurine (5 gm) (group 2). During surgery, biopsy samples were taken before ischemia (preischemic samples) and after 10 minutes of reperfusion (reperfusion samples). Lipoperoxidation was determined by hydroperoxide-initiated chemiluminescence of heart homogenates, and myocardial cell damage was assessed by electron microscopy. The values for chemiluminescence in preischemic and reperfusion samples from group 1 were 7500 +/- 1600 and 18,600 +/- 4600 cpm/mg of protein, respectively (p less than 0.03). This difference was not observed in group 2 where the values were 10,050 +/- 2700 and 11,800 +/- 4200 cpm/mg of protein, for preischemic and reperfusion samples, respectively. The number of severely damaged mitochondria (grades 3 and 4) in reperfusion samples from group 1 increased significantly compared to preischemic samples (25 +/- 8% vs 12 +/- 3%, p less than 0.01). Conversely no differences were observed between the number of severely damaged mitochondria in reperfusion and preischemic samples from group 2 (8 +/- 3% vs 8 +/- 2%). The number of damaged and necrotic myocytes increased in group 1 after reperfusion from 22 +/- 9% to 34 +/- 10% (p less than 0.03) and from 10 +/- 7% to 26 +/- 20% (p = NS), respectively. No changes were observed between reperfusion and preischemic samples in group 2. Treatment with taurine seems to reduce lipoperoxidation and decrease cell damage at the time of reperfusion.

Biopsy

Reduction of myocardial damage by cloricromene during ischemia-reperfusion in the rabbit.

We studied the effect of cloricromene on myocardial damage during ischemia and reperfusion. The left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded in 20 rabbits and cloricromene (6.2 micrograms/kg/min) (n = 10) or placebo (n = 10) were continuously infused. After 10 minutes of occlusion, a first biopsy was obtained from the apex. After 30 minutes, the artery was reopened and after 10 minutes a second biopsy was taken. Both samples were used for chemiluminescence and electron microscopy. The group given placebo showed displacement of the ST segment throughout the ischemic period and arrhythmias during reperfusion; while, in the group given cloricromene, there were transient ST segment elevations in 5 animals, which reverted as the infusion was increased. The chemiluminescence values were 7100 +/- 1300 cpm/mg protein and 14900 +/- 2300 (p less than 0.01) for the first and second biopsies of the control group and 5900 +/- 900 and 6100 +/- 900 (NS) for the first and second biopsies of the cloricromene-treated group. In the group given placebo, the second biopsy showed early signs of irreversible myocyte injury and infarction, whereas samples from the group given cloricromene showed a preservation of myocyte architecture. During ischemia, the percentage of normal mitochondria was lower in the placebo group (p less than 0.0001); and, on reperfusion, the percentage of severely damaged mitochondria was increased in the placebo group (p less than 0.0001). The direct addition of cloricromene in vitro to myocardial homogenates did not reduce hydroperoxide-induced chemiluminescence.

Animals

Superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide metabolism in soybean embryonic axes during germination.

The total rate of mitochondrial O2- production in the presence of NADH as substrate increased from 200 to 1340 pmol/min per axis between 2 and 30 h of imbibition. The activities of the enzymes involved in hydroperoxide metabolism, e.g., superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase and glutathione and ascorbate peroxidases, markedly changed during the germination of soybean embryonic axes. Superoxide dismutase was the enzymatic activity affected the most during the initial stages of germination. Intracellular O2- steady-state concentration, calculated from the rate of O2- production and superoxide dismutase activity, showed a 2-fold increase from 2 x 10(-8) M to 4 x 10(-8) M in germination phase I, declined in phase II to 2 x 10(-8) M and remained constant over the rest of the incubation period. The reaction of H2O2 and luminol catalyzed by Co2+ was utilized to measure H2O2 diffused out of the soybean axes after 5 to 10 min of incubation. The catalase-sensitive luminol emission of diffusates prepared from axes previously imbibed from 2 to 30 h corresponded to a H2O2 intracellular steady-state concentration in the range of 0.3 to 0.9 microM. The activity of metal-containing antioxidant enzymes was determined in the extracellular fluid. Cell wall peroxidase activity increased from 10 to 300 mumol/min per mg protein and appears as a potentially important pathway for H2O2 utilization. Hydrogen peroxide metabolism in soybean embryonic axes during early inhibition appears to have the following main features: (a) mitochondrial membranes are the most important source of cytosolic O2- and H2O2; (b) H2O2 is regulated at a steady-state concentration of 0.3-0.9 microM; (c) catalase is the main enzyme in terms of H2O2 utilization; (d) H2O2 exo-diffusion is quantitatively important destiny of intracellular H2O2; and (e) extracellular peroxidase located at the cell wall affords an enzymatic system able to use diffused H2O2.

Catalase

Melanin content and hydroperoxide metabolism in human melanoma cells.

Human melanoma cells were grown to exponential and stationary phases showing melanin contents of 4.2 +/- 0.3 and 11.3 +/- 0.6 micrograms/10(6) cells, respectively. The cells were separated in four subpopulations by a Percoll gradient; the subpopulation of density 1.07 (g/ml) was the most enriched in pigmented cells and produced 28 and 58% of the cells in exponential and stationary phases, respectively. Melanoma cells had similar superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities in exponential and stationary phases. Moreover melanoma cells exhibited a higher catalase activity in the stationary phase: whole homogenate and cytosol activities were 7.0 +/- 0.3 and 10.8 +/- 0.6 U/mg protein, whereas in exponential phase the activities were 4.9 +/- 0.1 and 7.6 +/- 0.3 U/mg protein for whole homogenate and cytosol, respectively. The intracellular H2O2 steady-state concentration was 3.3 +/- 0.2 and 2.1 +/- 0.2 microM H2O2 for exponential and stationary phases, respectively. The spontaneous chemiluminescence of the two culture phases was 169 +/- 27 cps/10(6) cells (exponential) and 78 +/- 24 cps/10(6) cells (stationary). The cytotoxicity of H2O2 generated extracellularly by glucose oxidase was determined after 60 min of exposure. IC50 values for exponential and stationary cell cultures were 0.9 and 2.4 mU/ml of glucose oxidase, respectively. The increased catalase activities in the stationary phase as compared with the exponential phase are consistent with the decreased intracellular H2O2, with the decreased spontaneous chemiluminescence, and with the increased resistance to exogenous H2O2.

Catalase

Hydroperoxide-initiated chemiluminescence: an assay for oxidative stress in biopsies of heart, liver, and muscle.

Hydroperoxide-initiated chemiluminescence was standardized as a microassay to evaluate the occurrence of oxidative stress in human biopsies. Samples of 10 to 50 mg of rat liver or heart were homogenized, diluted in reaction medium, added with tert-butyl hydroperoxide, and assayed for chemiluminescence in a liquid scintillation counter in the out-of-coincidence mode. Optimal conditions for the assay were: 0.3 to 1.2 mg/mL of homogenate protein in 120 mM KCl, 30 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.4), and 3 mM tert-butyl hydroperoxide at 30 degrees C. In these conditions, maximal chemiluminescence values were 550 +/- 30 and 1100 +/- 40 cps/mg protein, for liver and heart homogenates, respectively. Liver and heart homogenates were subjected to in vitro oxidative stresses such as supplementation with organic hydroperoxide or with enzymatic systems generating superoxide anion or hydrogen peroxide. Chemiluminescence was higher in the poststress samples than in the control ones. The ratio: poststress chemiluminescence/control chemiluminescence (B/A) was about 1.4 or higher for both tissues. Human heart biopsies were utilized to investigate the occurrence of oxidative stress after clinical situations associated to ischemia-reperfusion. B/A ratios were 2.1 +/- 0.4, 1.4 +/- 0.1, and 2.8 +/- 0.4 for human heart, liver, and skeletal muscle, respectively.

Animals

Betamethasone effects on paraquat lung toxicity.

1. Betamethasone (1 mg/ml) was administered i.v. to adult Wistar rats 3 h before paraquat injection (30 mg/ml) and various parameters of lung function were studied to determine the effect of an anti-inflammatory drug in paraquat lung toxicity. 2. Rats treated with both drugs showed not only increases in spontaneous lung chemiluminescence (90%), malondialdehyde formation (40%), migration of PMN cells to the lungs (450%) and lung wet wt (20%), but also the survival times were decreased to 25% at day 7. 3. The data indicate that betamethasone exacerbates the toxic effects of paraquat. The mechanism can be explained in terms of inhibition of phospholipase A2 activity, which may increase the accumulation of hydroperoxide, produced by paraquat redox cycling upon lipid membranes.

Animals

Inhibition of microsomal lipid peroxidation by alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol acetate.

1. The antioxidant effects of alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol acetate were assayed for the (a) oxygen uptake, (b) chemiluminescence and (c) malondialdehyde formation, of tert-butyl hydroperoxide-supplemented rat liver microsomes. 2. Oxygen uptake was inhibited 60% by both alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol acetate with the half-maximal effect at 5 nmol tocopherol/mg protein. Chemiluminescence and malondialdehyde formation were equally inhibited 35% by both tocopherols with half-maximal effects at 2 nmol tocopherol/mg protein. 3. The rate of O2 uptake by tocopherol-supplemented microsomes was dependent on O2 concentration. A 60% inhibition by 5 nmol tocopherol/mg protein at 0.2 mM O2 is decreased to 5% inhibition at 0.6 mM O2. 4. The inhibition of O2 uptake, chemiluminescence and malondialdehyde formation indicate that both alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol acetate have similar effects as free radical traps in the hydrophobic domain of biomembranes. The different inhibition observed at different O2 concentrations indicate competition between vitamin E and O2 by unoxygenated lipid radicals.

Animals

Alcohol-induced oxidative stress in rat liver.

1. Livers from rats treated acutely with ethanol showed increased chemiluminescence, malondialdehyde production, and diene formation. Previous administration of (+)-cyanidanol-3 completely abolished acute ethanol-induced chemiluminescence. 2. Rats fed alcohol liquid diets for 3 weeks showed significant increases in microsomal and mitochondrial malondialdehyde formation, and in microsomal H2O2 and O2-. generation. 3. Rats fed a solid basal diet plus ethanol solution for 12 weeks also showed increased microsomal production of O2-. and increased content of microsomal cytochrome P-450. Hydroperoxide-induced chemiluminescence was higher in homogenates, mitochondria and microsomes from ethanol-treated rats than from controls. Vitamins E and A were more effective inhibitors of hydroperoxide-stimulated chemiluminescence in liver homogenates from ethanol-treated rats than from control animals. 4. Results are consistent with peroxidative stress leading to increased lipid peroxidation in liver of rats fed ethanol both acutely and after long-term dosing.

Animals

Chemiluminescence of Acanthamoeba castellanii.

1. Chemiluminescence of Acanthomoeba castellanii in the presence of O2 was of similar intensity in organisms harvested early or late during exponential growth [when cyanide (1 mM) stimulates or inhibits respiration respectively]. 2. Cyanide (up to 1.5 mM) stimulated photoemission in both types of organism by 250--300 photons/s per 10(7) cells above the value observed under aerobic conditions. 3. 'Dibromothymoquinone' (2,5-dibromo-6-isopropyl-3-methyl-p-benzoquinone) (up to 80 microM) further increased chemiluminescence. 4. Similar responses were also demonstrated in whole homogenates and in subcellular fractions; 36% of the chemiluminescence was provided by a fraction sedimenting at 100000g-min, and 20% in that fraction that was non-sedimentable at 200000g-min. 5. Mitochondrial substrates (succinate, 2-oxoglutarate, NADH) in the presence or absence of ADP and Pi or peroxisomal substrates (glycollate, urate or ethanol) gave no increases in light emission by whole homogenates or in any of the fractions. 6. It is suggested that reactions responsible for production of chemiluminescence are those primarily producing superoxide anions and leading to lipid peroxidation and singlet-oxygen formation. Photoemission enhancement and superoxide dismutase inhibition showed similar cyanide concentration-dependencies.

Amoeba

Effect of beta-lapachone on superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide production in Trypanosoma cruzi.

Addition of beta-lapachone, an o-naphthoquinone endowed with trypanocidal properties to respiring Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes induced the release of O2- and H2O2 from the whole cells to the suspending medium. The same beta-lapachone concentration (4 micron) that released H2O2 at maximal rate completely inhibited T. cruzi growth in a liquid medium. The position isomer, alpha-lapachone, did not stimulate O2- and H2O2 release, and did not inhibit epimastigote growth. beta-Lapachone was able to stimulate H2O2 production by the epimastigote homogenate in the presence of NADH as reductant. The same effect was observed with the mitochondrial fraction supplemented with NADH, where beta-lapachone enhanced the generation of O2- and H2O2 4.5- and 2.5-fold respectively. beta-Lapachone also increased O2- and H2O2 production (2.5 and 2-fold respectively) by the microsomal fraction with NADPH as reductant. Cyanide-insensitive NADH and NADPH oxidation by the mitochondrial and microsomal fractions (quinone reductase activity) was stimulated to about the same extent by beta-lapachone. alpha-Lapachone was unable to increase O2- and H2O2 production and quinone reductase activity of the mitochondrial and microsomal fractions.

Animals