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Biomedical subjects

L Packer

Publications and source records attributed to L Packer.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Alpha-lipoic acid supplementation prevents symptoms of vitamin E deficiency.

alpha-Lipoic acid, an essential cofactor in mitochondrial dehydrogenases, has recently been shown to be a potent antioxidant in vitro, as well as being capable of regenerating vitamin E in vitro. In this study, using a new animal model for rapid vitamin E deficiency in adult animals and a new technique for tissue extraction of oxidized and reduced alpha-lipoic acid, we examined the antioxidant action of alpha-lipoic acid in vivo. Vitamin E-deficient adult hairless mice displayed obvious symptoms of deficiency within five weeks, but if the diet was supplemented with alpha-lipoic acid the animals were completely protected. At five weeks on a vitamin E-deficient diet animals exhibited similar decreases in tissue vitamin E levels, whether supplemented or unsupplemented with alpha-lipoic acid: vitamin E levels in liver, kidney, heart, and skin decreased 70 to 85%; levels in brain decreased only 25%. These data show that there was no effect of alpha-lipoic acid supplementation on vitamin E tissue concentrations, arguing against a role for alpha-lipoic acid in regenerating vitamin E in vivo.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Alpha-lipoate can protect against glycation of serum albumin, but not low density lipoprotein.

Protein glycation may play a role in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. alpha-Lipoate (1,2-dithiolane-3-pentanoate) has been reported to prevent glycation and structural modification of bovine serum albumin (BSA). To elucidate the protective mechanism, we tested the effects of enantiomerism, thiol moiety and hydrophobicity of alpha-lipoate on glycation of BSA and low density lipoprotein (LDL). When BSA (1 mM) was incubated with 500 mM glucose in the presence of alpha-lipoate homologues or dihydrolipoate (6,8-dimercaptooctanoate, DHLA) at 37 degrees C for 72 h, both alpha-lipoate (racemic, R- and S-forms) and DHLA inhibited BSA glycation similarly, but tetranorlipoate (1,2-dithiolane-3-carboxylate) did not. However, under similar conditions, alpha-lipoate did not inhibit LDL glycation. Scatchard plot analysis demonstrated that 6 mol of alpha-lipoate bind to 1 mol of BSA with a formation constant of 8.7 x 10(4) M-1. Therefore, we concluded that alpha-lipoate protects BSA glycation by hydrophobic binding near the glycation sites of BSA.

Glycation End Products, Advanced↗
PubMed1994

The nitric oxide-scavenging properties of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761.

Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 was found to be a scavenger of nitric oxide in in vitro acellular systems, under physiological conditions. EGb 761 competed with oxyhemoglobin for reaction with nitric oxide generated during the interaction of hydroxylamine with Complex I of catalase. An EGb 761 dose-dependent decrease in the amount of nitrite formed in the reaction of oxygen with nitric oxide produced from solution of 5 mM sodium nitroprusside was also observed. These data implicate it as a potential therapeutic agent in conditions of altered production of nitric oxide.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Alpha-lipoic acid reduction by mammalian cells to the dithiol form, and release into the culture medium.

Lipoic acid has been reported recently to be an effective antioxidant in biological systems. It may act in vivo through reduction to its dithiol form, dihydrolipoic acid. Using a dual Hg/Au electrode, and HPLC with electrochemical detection, a method was developed which allowed simultaneous measurement of lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid, at nanomolar levels. (RS)-alpha-Lipoic acid was added to human cells in tissue culture (Jurkat T-lymphocytes and primary neonatal diploid fibroblasts). Lipoic acid was converted rapidly by the cells to dihydrolipoic acid, which accumulated in the cell pellet. Monitored over a 2-hr interval, dihydrolipoic acid was released, and several-fold more dihydrolipoic acid could be found in the medium than in the pellet.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed1994

Effects of alpha-lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid on expression of proto-oncogene c-fos.

The transcription factor AP-1 is an important human mediator of the cellular response to serum, growth factors, and phorbol esters such as 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13 acetate (TPA). The AP-1 complex consists of distinct protein heterodimers encoded by the proto-oncogene c-fos and c-jun mRNA whose gene expression can be induced by TPA, cyclic AMP and growth factors. Recent findings suggest an involvement of reactive oxygen species in the pathway of TPA and protein kinase C leading to expression of c-fos and c-jun mRNA. To investigate the role of reactive oxygen species we studied the effects of alpha-lipoic acid and dihydrolipoic acid (natural thiol antioxidants) on the expression of c-fos mRNA in human Jurkat T cells. When cells were preincubated with dihydrolipoic acid (0.2 mM) the expression of c-fos mRNA was suppressed at 30 min after stimulation of TPA (0.5 microM) whereas in the case of preincubation of alpha-lipoic acid (0.2 microM), the expression was enhanced at 30 min. These studies support the idea that superoxide anion radical plays a role in the expression of c-fos mRNA.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1994

The short-chain homologue of dihydrolipoic acid, tetranordihydrolipoate, protects against iron-induced lipid peroxidation in the aqueous phase.

Because iron is involved in catalysis of many biological oxidations, it is important to investigate new and novel antioxidants in terms of their effect on iron-catalyzed oxidations. We investigated the effect of dihydrolipoic acid (6,8-dimercaptooctanoic acid (DHLA)), its homologues (4,6-dimercaptohexanoic acid (bisnorDHLA) and 2,4-dimercaptobutanoic acid (tetranorDHLA)) and methyl 6,8-dimercaptooctanoate (methylDHLA) on Fe(II)-citrate-catalyzed lipid peroxide-dependent lipid peroxidation in lipid-dispersed and liposome systems. In the lipid-dispersed system, tetranorDHLA inhibited conjugated diene formation induced by Fe(II)-citrate. In the presence of tetranorDHLA, oxygen was consumed more rapidly in the reaction mixture than in the presence of the other compounds, but the oxidation rate of Fe(II)-citrate in the reaction mixture was slower than in the presence of the other compounds. This suggests that tetranorDHLA inhibited lipid peroxidation by the oxidation of tetranorDHLA itself at the site where the lipid was oxidized.

In Vitro Techniques↗
PubMed1994

Interactions between ubiquinones and vitamins in membranes and cells.

The interaction between ubiquinones and vitamin E was studied in the inner membranes of rat liver mitochondria, liposomes and human erythrocyte plasma membranes. Free radicals were produced by addition of exogenous oxidants, and their reaction with chromanols and ubiquinone was followed by ESR and HPLC. Membranes were made deficient in ubiquinone but sufficient in alpha-tocopherol and were reconstituted with added ubiquinone. With these membrane preparations it was shown that (i) in the inner mitochondrial membranes there is a requirements for ubiquinone in the enzymatic recycling of vitamin E; (ii) succinate-ubiquinone reductase incorporated in liposomes cannot protect vitamin E in the absence of ubiquinone and (iii) in human erythrocyte plasma membranes protection against the loss of vitamin E can be provided by NADH-cytochrome-b5-dependent enzymatic recycling. We conclude that ubiquinonols (ubisemiquinones) reduce vitamin E through electron transport.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Effects of natural antioxidant ginkgo biloba extract (EGB 761) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Recently, it was reported that Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761), which is known to have antioxidant properties, also has antiarrhythmic effects on cardiac reperfusion-induced arrhythmias. In the present study, effects of EGb 761 on cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury were investigated from the point of view of recovery of mechanical function as well as the endogenous antioxidant status of ascorbate. Isolated rat hearts were perfused using the Langendorff technique, and 40 min of global ischemia were followed by 20 min of reperfusion. EGb 761 improved cardiac mechanical recovery and suppressed the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) during reperfusion. Furthermore, EGb 761 diminished the decrease of myocardial ascorbate content after 40 min of ischemia and 20 min of reperfusion. Interestingly, EGb 761 also suppressed the increase of dehydroascorbate. These results indicate that EGb 761 protects against cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury and suggest that the protective effects of EGb 761 depend on its antioxidant properties.

Analysis of Variance↗