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Biomedical subjects

B Halliwell

Publications and source records attributed to B Halliwell.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

The antioxidant action of ketoconazole and related azoles: comparison with tamoxifen and cholesterol.

The azole antifungal drug ketoconazole was found to inhibit Fe(III)-ascorbate dependent lipid peroxidation using either rat liver microsomes or ox-brain phospholipid liposomes as the substrate. It also inhibited microsomal peroxidation induced by the Fe(III)-ADP/NADPH system. The related azoles, miconazole and clotrimazole, were much weaker inhibitors than ketoconazole. Ketoconazole was approximately equipotent with the triphenylethylene anticancer drug tamoxifen in the microsomal system and was almost as effective as 4-hydroxytamoxifen in the liposomal system. Ketoconazole introduced into phospholipid liposomes during their preparation inhibited Fe(III)-ascorbate induced lipid peroxidation to a greater extent than similarly introduced cholesterol, ergosterol or tamoxifen. Miconazole and clotrimazole were again poor inhibitors of lipid peroxidation in this system. These antioxidant effects of ketoconazole may be due to membrane stabilization in the systems used. The implications of our findings for the clinical applications of these drugs are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Acidosis-induced ischemic brain damage: are free radicals involved?

Substantial evidence exists that reactive oxygen species participate in the pathogenesis of brain damage following both sustained and transient cerebral ischemia, adversely affecting the vascular endothelium and contributing to the formation of edema. One likely triggering event for free radical damage is delocalization of protein-bound iron. The binding capacity for some iron-binding proteins is highly pH sensitive and, consequently, the release of iron is enhanced by acidosis. In this study, we explored whether enhanced acidosis during ischemia triggers the production of reactive oxygen species. To that end, enhanced acidosis was produced by inducing ischemia in hyperglycemic rats, with normoglycemic ones serving as controls. Production of H2O2, estimated from the decrease in catalase activity after 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (AT) administration, was measured in the cerebral cortex, caudoputamen, hippocampus, and substantia nigra (SN) after 15 min of ischemia followed by 5, 15, and 45 min of recovery, respectively (in substantia nigra after 45 min of recovery only). Free iron in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was measured after ischemia and 45 min of recovery. Levels of total glutathione (GSH + GSSH) in cortex and hippocampus, and levels of alpha-tocopherol in cortex, were also measured after 15 min of ischemia followed by 5, 15, and 45 min of recovery. The results confirm previous findings that brief ischemia in normoglycemic animals does not measurably increase H2O2 production in AT-injected animals. Ischemia under hyperglycemic conditions likewise failed to induce increased H2O2 production. No difference in free iron in CSF was observed between animals subjected to ischemia under hyper- and normoglycemic conditions. The moderate decrease in total glutathione or alpha-tocopherol levels did not differ between normo- and hyperglycemic animals in any brain region or at any recovery time. Thus, the results failed to give positive evidence for free radical damage following brief periods of ischemia complicated by excessive acidosis. However, it is possible that free radical production is localized to a small subcellular compartment within the tissue, thereby escaping detection. Also, the results do not exclude the possibility that free radicals are pathogenetically important after ischemia of longer duration.

Acidosis↗
PubMed1991

Oxygen free radicals and human diseases.

Free radicals and other reactive oxygen species are constantly formed in the human body. Many of them serve useful physiological functions, but they can be toxic when generated in excess and this toxicity is often aggravated by the presence of ions of such transition metals as iron or copper. Excess generation of reactive oxygen species within tissues can damage DNA, lipids, proteins and carbohydrates. Which of these is the most important target of damage depends upon the cell type subjected to the oxidative stress and upon how it is imposed.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMed1991

Drug antioxidant effects. A basis for drug selection?

A free radical is any species capable of independent existence that contains one or more unpaired electrons. Free radical reactions have been implicated in the pathology of more than 50 human diseases. Radicals and other reactive oxygen species are formed constantly in the human body, both by deliberate synthesis (e.g. by activated phagocytes) and by chemical side-reactions. They are removed by enzymic and nonenzymic antioxidant defence systems. Oxidative stress, occurring when antioxidant defences are inadequate, can damage lipids, proteins, carbohydrates and DNA. A few clinical conditions are caused by oxidative stress, but more often the stress results from the disease. Sometimes it then makes a significant contribution to the disease pathology, and sometimes it does not. Several antioxidants are available for therapeutic use. They include molecules naturally present in the body [superoxide dismutase (SOD), alpha-tocopherol, glutathione and its precursors, ascorbic acid, adenosine, lactoferrin and carotenoids] as well as synthetic antioxidants [such as thiols, ebselen (PZ51), xanthine oxidase inhibitors, inhibitors of phagocyte function, iron ion chelators and probucol]. The therapeutic efficacy of SOD, alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid in the treatment of human disease is generally unimpressive to date although dietary deficiencies of the last two molecules should certainly be avoided. Xanthine oxidase inhibitors may be of limited relevance as antioxidants for human use. Exciting preliminary results with probucol (antiatherosclerosis), ebselen (anti-inflammatory), and iron ion chelators (in thalassaemia, leukaemia, malaria, stroke, traumatic brain injury and haemorrhagic shock) need to be confirmed by controlled clinical trials. Clinical testing of N-acetylcysteine in HIV-1-positive subjects may also be merited. A few drugs already in clinical use may have some antioxidant properties, but this ability is not widespread and drug-derived radicals may occasionally cause significant damage.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Mechanism of inhibition of lipid peroxidation by tamoxifen and 4-hydroxytamoxifen introduced into liposomes. Similarity to cholesterol and ergosterol.

The anticancer drug tamoxifen when introduced into phospholipid liposomes during their preparation inhibited Fe(III)-ascorbate induced lipid peroxidation to a greater extent than similarly introduced cholesterol. Ergosterol was equipotent with tamoxifen, but much less effective than 4-hydroxytamoxifen. Possible mechanisms underlying these effects are discussed in relation to structural mimicry of the sterols by these triphenylethylene drugs as membrane stabilizers against lipid peroxidation.

Cholesterol↗
PubMed1990

Modification of bases in DNA by copper ion-1,10-phenanthroline complexes.

Damage to the bases in DNA by the cupric ion-1,10-phenanthroline complex was investigated. Ten base products in DNA were identified and quantitated by the use of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with selected-ion monitoring. DNA damage by the cupric ion-1,10-phenanthroline complex required the presence of a reducing agent such as ascorbic acid or mercaptoethanol. Products identified were typical hydroxyl radical induced products from the pyrimidines and purines in DNA, well-known from previous studies using various hydroxyl radical producing systems such as ionizing radiation, hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase, or hydrogen peroxide in the presence of transition metal ions. Product formation was not significantly inhibited by typical scavengers of hydroxyl radical such as mannitol and sodium formate, but there was partial inhibition by dimethyl sulfoxide. Catalase substantially decreased formation of base products, and added hydrogen peroxide stimulated it, indicating the hydrogen peroxide dependency of DNA base damage. Superoxide dismutase afforded only a partial reduction in product yields in systems containing ascorbic acid. On the basis of the types of base products formed, the hydrogen peroxide dependency of product formation, and a previous report suggesting that DNA damage is due to a diffusible species [Williams, L. D., Thivierge, J., & Goldberg, I. H. (1988) Nucleic Acids Res. 16, 11607-11615], we propose that DNA base damage is caused by hydroxyl radical.

Catalase↗
PubMed1990

The antioxidants of human extracellular fluids.

The antioxidants in the aqueous phase of human plasma include ceruloplasmin, albumin (the protein itself and possibly also albumin-bound bilirubin), ascorbic acid, transferrin, haptoglobin, and hemopexin. Assays that attempt to answer the question "what is the most important antioxidant?" are compared, it being concluded that the answer is different depending on the nature of the prooxidant stress imposed in the assay.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed1990

Action of biologically-relevant oxidizing species upon uric acid. Identification of uric acid oxidation products.

Uric acid is an end-product of purine metabolism in Man, and has been suggested to act as an antioxidant in vivo. Products of attack upon uric acid by various oxidants were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Hypochlorous acid rapidly oxidized uric acid, forming allantoin, oxonic/oxaluric and parabanic acids, as well as several unidentified products. HOCl could oxidize all these products further. Hydrogen peroxide did not oxidize uric acid at detectable rates, although it rapidly oxidized oxonic acid and slowly oxidized allantoin and parabanic acids. Hydroxyl radicals generated by hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase or Fe2(+)-EDTA/H2O2 systems also oxidized uric acid to allantoin, oxonic/oxaluric acid and traces of parabanic acid. Addition of ascorbic acid to the Fe2(+)-EDTA/H2O2 system did not increase formation of oxidation products from uric acid, possibly because ascorbic acid can 'repair' the radicals resulting from initial attack of hydroxyl radicals upon uric acid. Mixtures of methaemoglobin or metmyoglobin and H2O2 also oxidized uric acid: allantoin was the major product, but some parabanic and oxonic/oxaluric acids were also produced. Caeruloplasmin did not oxidize uric acid under physiological conditions, although simple copper (Cu2+) ions could, but this was prevented by albumin or histidine. The possibility of using oxidation products of uric acid, such as allantoin, as an index of oxidant generation in vivo in humans is discussed.

Allantoin↗
PubMed1990

Antioxidant defenses in the ground squirrel Citellus citellus. 1. A comparison with the rat.

The antioxidant defenses of the liver, erythrocytes, blood plasma, and interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) of male ground squirrels were compared with those of male rats kept under identical conditions and fed the same diet. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate, vitamin E, catalase, glutathione, and enzymes of glutathione metabolism were measured. In general, antioxidant defenses in erythrocytes were lower in ground squirrels than in rats. The same was true in liver, except that catalase-specific activity was higher. In IBAT, ascorbate, vitamin E, catalase, and glutathione reductase were higher than in rat and more of the SOD activity present was cyanide-insensitive (MnSOD). It is suggested that IBAT in ground squirrels may need a relatively greater antioxidant defense because of its important role in thermogenesis, especially in reawakening from hibernation. No major differences in antioxidant defenses between male and female ground squirrels were observed, except that the SOD activity of IBAT was higher in females.

Adipose Tissue, Brown↗
PubMed1990

Antioxidant defenses in the ground squirrel Citellus citellus. 2. The effect of hibernation.

In spring and autumn, the ground squirrel Citellus citellus is awake and active but in winter it usually hibernates. Reawakening from hibernation involves intense metabolic activity in the interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT). The IBAT of hibernation animals showed significant increases in the activities of superoxide dismutase (both copper-zinc and manganese-containing enzymes), glutathione peroxidase, and in the amount of ascorbate present. Glutathione peroxidase also increased in the liver, as did ascorbate in the plasma. These changes were not merely a consequence of exposure to low environmental temperatures. It is proposed that antioxidant defenses are increased in the IBAT of ground squirrels at the onset of hibernation in order to protect the tissue from reactive oxygen species generated as a result of the intense metabolic activity sustained by this tissue during reawakening.

Adipose Tissue, Brown↗
PubMed1990

The measurement and mechanism of lipid peroxidation in biological systems.

The basic chemistry of the propagation of lipid peroxidation reactions has been known for years, but the mechanism of initiation of this process in biological membrane systems is still uncertain. Currently available assays for measuring peroxidation are reviewed--the more specific the assay used, the less peroxide is found in healthy human tissues and body fluids. Lipid peroxidation can arise as a consequence of tissue injury in many disease states and may sometimes contribute significantly to worsening the tissue injury.

Free Radicals↗