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Biomedical subjects

H Sies

Publications and source records attributed to H Sies.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Nitric oxide-mediated inhibition of androgen receptor activity: possible implications for prostate cancer progression.

Chronic inflammation increases the risk of cancer and many cancers, including prostate cancer, arise at sites of chronic inflammation. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is an enzyme dominantly expressed during inflammatory reactions. Although synthesis of high amounts of nitric oxide (NO) by iNOS has been demonstrated in pathophysiological processes, such as acute or chronic inflammation, autoimmune diseases or tumorigenesis, the role of iNOS activity in most of these diseases is poorly understood. Analysing prostate cancer biopsies by immunohistochemistry we found iNOS protein expression in tumor cells strongly paralleled by nitrotyrosine suggesting that iNOS is fully active. In vitro, NO inhibits androgen receptor-dependent promoter activity and prostate specific antigen production as well as DNA-binding activity of the androgen receptor (AR) in a concentration-dependent manner. Inhibition of the activity of androgen receptor-dependent reporter constructs is neither owing to diminished AR protein levels nor owing to an inhibition of its nuclear import. In addition, NO inhibits the proliferation of androgen receptor-positive prostate cancer cells significantly more efficiently than proliferation of androgen receptor-negative prostate cancer cells. In summary, our findings suggest that intratumoral iNOS activity favors development of prostate cancer cells that are able to proliferate androgen receptor-independently, thereby promoting prostate tumor progression.

Androgen Receptor Antagonists↗
PubMed2003

Lycopene oxidation product enhances gap junctional communication.

Carotenoids as well as their metabolites and oxidation products stimulate gap junctional communication (GJC) between cells, which is thought to be one of the protective mechanisms related to cancer-preventive activities of these compounds. Increased intake of lycopene by consumption of tomatoes or tomato products has been epidemiologically associated with a diminished risk of prostate cancer. Here, we report a stimulatory effect of a lycopene oxidation product on GJC in rat liver epithelial WB-F344 cells. The active compound was obtained by complete in vitro oxidation of lycopene with hydrogen peroxide/osmium tetroxide. For structural analysis high performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, ultraviolet/visible-, and infrared spectrophotometry were applied. The biologically active oxidation product was identified as 2,7,11-trimethyl-tetradecahexaene-1,14-dial. The present data indicate a potential role of lycopene degradation products in cell signaling enhancing cell-to-cell communication via gap junctions.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

(-)-Epicatechin inhibits nitration and dimerization of tyrosine in hydrophilic as well as hydrophobic environments.

The flavanol (-)-epicatechin is known to protect against peroxynitrite-induced nitration and oxidation reactions. This study investigated the protection afforded by (-)-epicatechin against both these reaction types on one target molecule, the aminoacid tyrosine, in a hydrophilic milieu as well as with a lipophilic tyrosine derivative, N-t-BOC l-tyrosine tert-butyl ester (BTBE), bound to liposomes. The flavanol efficiently attenuated both tyrosine nitration and tyrosine dimerization (which is based on an initial oxidation reaction) and was active in the hydrophilic and hydrophobic systems at similar IC(50) values, approximately 0.02-0.05 mol (-)-epicatechin/mol peroxynitrite. Related procyanidin oligomers of different chain-length (dimer to octamer) were also tested for their protective properties, and exhibited protection that, on a monomer basis, was in the same order of magnitude as those for (-)-epicatechin.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed2001

The 5-aminolevulinic acid-induced porphyrin biosynthesis in benign and malignant cells of the skin.

In fluorescence diagnosis and photodynamic therapy of neoplastic tissues 5-aminolevulinic acid is used to synthesize endogenous porphyrins as photosensitizers. The efficacy of neoplastic tissues to fluorescence diagnosis and photodynamic therapy is thought to be dependent on the total level of intralesional formed porphyrins. The available profiles of porphyrin metabolites in normal and in neoplastic cell lines after administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid vary considerably. Thus, this is the first in-vitro study which compares the porphyrin biosynthesis in normal skin cells (HaCaT, fibroblasts) with melanoma cells (Bro, SKMel-23, SKMel-28). After incubation with 1 mM 5-aminolevulinic acid, kinetics of porphyrin levels and metabolites were determined in the cells and the corresponding supernatants. Exogenous 5-aminolevulinic acid induced porphyrin formation in all cells with maximum values after an incubation period of 16-36 h. Increase of porphyrin levels varied from 10- to 80-fold (SKMel-28>HaCaT>fibroblasts>SKMel-23>>Bro) with minimum 1.5 times higher levels of porphyrins in the supernatants than in the cells. In cells and supernatants protoporphyrin and coproporphyrin were the predominantly formed porphyrin metabolites. Metastatic melanoma cells (SKMel-23, SKMel-28) accumulated much higher porphyrin levels than primary melanoma cells (Bro). In conclusion, by optimizing the treatment modalities, especially the light source, topical photodynamic therapy (PDT) could become a treatment alternative of melanoma metastases in progressive disease.

Aminolevulinic Acid↗
PubMed2001

Analysis of lipophilic antioxidants in human serum and tissues: tocopherols and carotenoids.

Tocopherols and carotenoids are naturally occurring lipophilic micronutrients, suggested to play a role in the prevention of several degenerative diseases. Thus, methods for the quantification of these nutrients in human samples have been developed during recent years. Blood and tissue levels of tocopherols and carotenoids are influenced by a variety of parameters related to disease, age, diet and lifestyle. This review summarizes general aspects of chromatographic analysis of tocopherols and carotenoids in human samples and deals with information on the outcome of human studies, in which such measurements were applied.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed2001

Stimulation of gap junctional intercellular communication by thalidomide and thalidomide analogs in human fetal skin fibroblasts (HFFF2) and in rat liver epithelial cells (WB-F344).

Gap junction channels maintain cell-cell communication and are essential for the coordination of tissues, playing a pivotal role in embryonal development. Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC), studied here in human fetal skin fibroblasts (HFFF2) and in rat liver epithelial cells (WB-F344), was almost doubled upon exposure to thalidomide (10 microM) in the presence of NADH or NADPH (20 microM). Neither in HFFF2 nor in WB-F344 cells did any detectable alteration in GJIC occur with the thalidomide analog EM 16 (10 microM), known as a non-teratogenic compound. The thalidomide analog EM 364 (10 microM) increased GJIC without prior metabolic activation. It is suggested that GJIC modification may be related to the pharmacological and toxicological properties of thalidomide.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors↗
PubMed2001

Opposite roles of selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase-1 in superoxide generator diquat- and peroxynitrite-induced apoptosis and signaling.

Oxidative injuries including apoptosis can be induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in aerobic metabolism. We determined impacts of a selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX1) on apoptosis induced by diquat (DQ), a ROS (superoxide) generator, and peroxynitrite (PN), a potent RNS. Hepatocytes were isolated from GPX1 knockout (GPX1-/-) or wild-type (WT) mice, and treated with 0.5 mm DQ or 0.1-0.8 mm PN for up to 12 h. Loss of cell viability, high levels of apoptotic cells, and severe DNA fragmentation were produced by DQ in only GPX1-/- cells and by PN in only WT cells. These two groups of cells shared similar cytochrome c release, caspase-3 activation, and p21(WAF1/CIP1) cleavage. Higher levels of protein nitration were induced by PN in WT than GPX1-/- cells. Much less and/or slower cellular GSH depletion was caused by DQ or PN in GPX1-/- than in WT cells, and corresponding GSSG accumulation occurred only in the latter. In conclusion, it is most striking that, although GPX1 protects against apoptosis induced by superoxide-generator DQ, the enzyme actually promotes apoptosis induced by PN in murine hepatocytes. Indeed, GSH is a physiological substrate for GPX1 in coping with ROS in these cells.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Epicatechin selectively prevents nitration but not oxidation reactions of peroxynitrite.

The flavanol (-)-epicatechin has been found to protect against damage inflicted by peroxynitrite, an inflammatory intermediate. Here, epicatechin was tested in systems of increasing complexity. The compound efficiently protected against nitration of protein tyrosine residues by peroxynitrite (IC(50) approximately 0.02 mol epicatechin/mol peroxynitrite). However, at epicatechin concentrations completely preventing nitration of tyrosine by peroxynitrite, protection against the oxidative inactivation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase or soybean lipoxygenase-1 was marginal (IC(50) > 1 mol epicatechin/mol peroxynitrite), approximately two orders of magnitude less. Likewise, epicatechin was relatively ineffective against oxidation of thiols in cell lysates, and against the oxidation of 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein in cultured cells. The activation of the kinases Akt/protein kinase B, ERK1/2 and p38-MAPK by peroxynitrite in murine aorta endothelial cells was not altered by epicatechin, suggesting that activation of these kinases is due to processes other than tyrosine nitration.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Macular pigments lutein and zeaxanthin as blue light filters studied in liposomes.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are the predominant carotenoids in the human macula lutea. Epidemiological data suggest that an increased intake of a lutein-rich diet correlates with a diminished risk for age-related macular degeneration, a major cause of impaired vision in the elderly. Filtering of blue light has been proposed as a possible mechanism of protection. Here, the blue light filter efficacy of carotenoids was investigated in unilamellar liposomes loaded in the hydrophilic core space with a fluorescent dye, Lucifer yellow, excitable by blue light. Carotenoids were incorporated into the lipophilic membrane. Fluorescence emission in carotenoid-containing liposomes was lower than in carotenoid-free controls when exposed to blue light, indicating a filter effect. Filter efficacy was in the order lutein > zeaxanthin > beta-carotene > lycopene. Some of the difference in blue light filter efficacy of carotenoids is attributable to differences in extinction coefficients, and a major further contribution is suggested to be related to the orientation of the incorporated molecules in the liposomal membrane.

Filtration↗
PubMed2001

Sulfur-to-nitrogen transnitrosation: transfer of nitric oxide from S-nitroso compounds to diethanolamine and the role of intermediate sulfur-to-sulfur transnitrosation.

S-Nitrosothiols are formed in vivo and are involved in NO signaling. We investigated the sulfur-to-nitrogen transnitrosation activity of S-nitrosocysteine, S-nitrosoglutathione, S-nitrosohomocysteine, S-nitrosocysteinylglycine and S-nitroso-N-acetylcysteine in their reaction with the secondary amine diethanolamine in vitro. The resulting N-nitrosodiethanolamine, a strong carcinogen, was formed in yields of up to 11% from S-nitrosocysteine and S-nitrosocysteinylglycine, whereas the transnitrosation activity of the other S-nitroso compounds was weak. However, the addition of L-cysteine to a solution of S-nitrosohomocysteine and diethanolamine accelerated the decomposition of S-nitrosohomocysteine and resulted in a significant formation of N-nitrosodiethanolamine accompanied by the intermediate generation of S-nitrosocysteine. Thus, reactive nitrosothiols can be formed from less reactive analogs via sulfur-to-sulfur transnitrosation. We suggest that this affects regulation of NO trafficking in vivo. The reaction provides an alternative mechanism for the generation of carcinogenic N-nitroso derivatives.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed2001

Protein oxidation and proteolysis by the nonradical oxidants singlet oxygen or peroxynitrite.

Exposure of proteins to oxidants leads to increased oxidation followed by preferential degradation by the proteasomal system. The role of the biologically occurring oxidants singlet oxygen and peroxynitrite in oxidation of proteins in living cells and enhanced degradation of these proteins was examined in this study. Subsequent to treatment of an isolated model protein, ferritin, with singlet oxygen or peroxynitrite, there was enhanced degradation by the isolated 20S proteasome. Treatment of clone 9 liver cells (normal liver epithelia) with two different singlet oxygen-generating systems or peroxynitrite leads to a concentration-dependent increase in cellular protein turnover. At high concentrations of these oxidants, the protein turnover decreases without significant loss of cell viability and proteasome activity. To compare the increase of intracellular protein turnover with that obtained with other oxidants, cells were exposed to hydrogen peroxide or xanthine/xanthine oxidase. The maximal increase in protein turnover was similar with the various oxidants. The oxidized protein moieties were removed by enhanced protein turnover. Removal of singlet oxygen- or peroxynitrite-damaged proteins is dependent on the proteasomal system, as suggested by the sensitivity to lactacystin. Our results provide evidence that the proteasomal system is able to selectively recognize and degrade proteins modified by singlet oxygen or peroxynitrite in vitro as well as in living cells.

Acetylcysteine↗
PubMed2001

Profiles of antioxidants in human plasma.

The profile of antioxidants in biological fluids and tissues may be helpful in assessing oxidative stress in humans. Plasma antioxidants can be decreased as compared to established normal values, in abnormal or subnormal conditions, for instance as a consequence of disease-related free radical production. Alternatively, plasma antioxidants may be below the normal range due to insufficient dietary supply. Therefore, the profile of antioxidants can be of use only in conjunction with other parameters of the oxidative stress status. This article examines the profiles of plasma antioxidants in oxidative stress-related conditions, e.g., diabetes and some other diseases, as well as smoking and smoking cessation.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed2001

Ebselen prevents early alcohol-induced liver injury in rats.

Oxidants have been shown to be involved in alcohol-induced liver injury. Moreover, 2-phenyl-1,2-benzisoselenazole-3(2H)-one (ebselen), an organoselenium compound and glutathione peroxidase mimic, decreases oxidative stress and protects against stroke clinically. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that ebselen protects against early alcohol-induced liver injury in rats. Male Wistar rats were fed high-fat liquid diets with or without ethanol (10-16 g/kg/d) continuously for up to 4 weeks using the intragastric enteral feeding protocol developed by Tsukamoto and French. Ebselen (50 mg/kg twice daily, intragastrically) or vehicle (1% tylose) was administered throughout the experiment. Mean urine ethanol concentrations were not significantly different between treatment groups, and ebselen did not affect body weight gains or cyclic patterns of ethanol concentrations in urine. After 4 weeks, serum ALT levels were increased significantly about 4-fold over control values (37 +/- 5 IU/l) by enteral ethanol (112 +/- 7 IU/l); ebselen blunted this increase significantly (61 +/- 8 IU/l). Enteral ethanol also caused severe fatty accumulation, mild inflammation, and necrosis in the liver (pathology score: 4.3 +/- 0.3). In contrast, these pathological changes were blunted significantly by ebselen (pathology score: 2.5 +/- 0.4). While there were no significant effects of either ethanol or ebselen on glutathione peroxidase activity in serum or liver tissue, ebselen blocked the increase in serum nitrate/nitrite caused by ethanol. Furthermore, ethanol increased the activity of NF-kappaB over 5-fold, the number of infiltrating neutrophils 4-fold, and the accumulation of 4-hydroxynonenal over 5-fold. Ebselen blunted all of these effects significantly. These results indicate that ebselen prevents early alcohol-induced liver injury, most likely by preventing oxidative stress, which decreases inflammation.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed2001

Even after UVA-exposure will nitric oxide protect cells from reactive oxygen intermediate-mediated apoptosis and necrosis.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a pivotal role in UVA-induced cell damage. As expression of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is a normal response of human skin to UV radiation we examined the role of nitric oxide (NO) as a protective agent during or even after UVA1- or ROS-exposure against apoptosis or necrosis of rat endothelial cells. When added during or up to 2 h subsequent to UVA1 or ROS exposure the NO-donor S-nitroso-cysteine (SNOC) at concentrations from 100-1000 microM significantly protects from both apoptosis as well as necrosis. The NO-mediated protection strongly correlates with complete inhibition of lipid peroxidation (sixfold increase of malonedialdehyde formation in untreated versus 1.2-fold with 1 mM SNOC). NO-mediated protection of membrane function was also shown by the inhibition of cytochrome c leakage in UVA1 treated cells, a process not accompanied by alterations in Bax and Bcl-2 protein levels. Thus, the experiments presented demonstrate that NO exposure during or even after a ROS-mediated toxic insult fully protects from apoptosis or necrosis by maintaining membrane integrity and function.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

High efficiency of 5-aminolevulinate-photodynamic treatment using UVA irradiation.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is being used clinically for the treatment of skin cancers. One concept of delivering the employed photosensitizer directly to target cells is to stimulate cellular synthesis of sensitizers such as porphyrins. ALA (5-aminolevulinate) is applied as a precursor of porphyrins which then serve as endogenous photosensitizers. Upon irradiation, reactive oxygen species, predominantly singlet oxygen, are generated, leading to cell death. ALA-PDT using red light (550-750 nm) is known to lead to the activation of stress kinases, such as c-Jun-N-terminal kinase and p38. These kinases are also activated by UVA (320-400 nm), whose biological effects are mediated in part by singlet oxygen. In the present study, the efficiency of a combination of both treatment strategies, ALA-PDT and UVA, in cytotoxicity and activation of stress kinases was investigated taking human skin fibroblasts as a model. Compared with the commonly used ALA-PDT with red light (LD(50) = 13.5 J/cm(2)), UVA-ALA-PDT was 40-fold more potent in killing cultured human skin fibroblasts (LD(50) = 0.35 J/cm(2)) and still 10-fold more potent than ALA-PDT with green light (LD(50) = 4.5 J/cm(2)). Its toxicity relied on the formation of singlet oxygen, as was shown employing modulators of singlet oxygen lifetime. In line with these data, strong activation of the stress kinase p38 was obtained in ALA-pretreated cells irradiated with UVA at doses two orders of magnitude lower than necessary for a comparable activation of p38 by UVA in control cells. Taken together, these data suggest UVA-ALA-PDT as a potentially interesting new approach in the photodynamic treatment of skin diseases.

Aminolevulinic Acid↗