Biomedical subjects

M Aragno

Publications and source records attributed to M Aragno.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Overexpression of kidney neutral endopeptidase (EC 3.4.24.11) and renal function in experimental cirrhosis.

Neutral endopeptidase degrades atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and bradykinin and may generate endothelin-1 from big-endothelin. In advanced cirrhosis, sodium retention is accompanied by elevated plasma ANP levels, and infusion of ANP causes hypotension, but in normal humans increasing the concentration of ANP through the inhibition of neutral endopeptidase, localized in renal proximal tubule cells, causes natriuresis without any arterial pressure drop. The purpose of this study was the assessment of kidney neutral endopeptidase expression and responses to candoxatrilat (a specific inhibitor of this enzyme) in rats with CCl4-induced cirrhosis. Two groups of control rats (n = 5) were injected with vehicle or 3 mg/kg candoxatrilat. Three groups of cirrhotic rats with ascites (n = 10) received vehicle alone or 3 or 10 mg/kg candoxatrilat. In cirrhotic rats, Western blot analysis revealed a 170% increase in renal neutral endopeptidase protein content (P < 0.03), mainly in the proximal nephron and macula densa, and both candoxatrilat dosages increased plasma ANP levels, urinary volume, and urinary excretion of sodium, ANP, and cGMP compared with vehicle alone (all P < 0.03). Candoxatrilat (10 mg/kg) also reduced tubular solute-free water reabsorption (P < 0.03) in cirrhotic rats, but renal blood flow, arterial pressure, and plasma renin activity were unaffected. Neutral endopeptidase inhibition has natriuretic and aquaretic actions in cirrhosis without any effect on blood pressure and kidney perfusion due to a significant overexpression of this enzyme in renal cortex.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Frequency and diversity of nitrate reductase genes among nitrate-dissimilating Pseudomonas in the rhizosphere of perennial grasses grown in field conditions.

A total of 1246 Pseudomonas strains were isolated from the rhizosphere of two perennial grasses (Lolium perenne and Molinia coerulea) with different nitrogen requirements. The plants were grown in their native soil under ambient and elevated atmospheric CO2 content (pCO2) at the Swiss FACE (Free Air CO2 Enrichment) facility. Root-, rhizosphere-, and non-rhizospheric soil-associated strains were characterized in terms of their ability to reduce nitrate during an in vitro assay and with respect to the genes encoding the membrane-bound (named NAR) and periplasmic (NAP) nitrate reductases so far described in the genus Pseudomonas. The diversity of corresponding genes was assessed by PCR-RFLP on narG and napA genes, which encode the catalytic subunit of nitrate reductases. The frequency of nitrate-dissimilating strains decreased with root proximity for both plants and was enhanced under elevated pCO2 in the rhizosphere of L. perenne. NAR (54% of strains) as well as NAP (49%) forms were present in nitrate-reducing strains, 15.5% of the 439 strains tested harbouring both genes. The relative proportions of narG and napA detected in Pseudomonas strains were different according to root proximity and for both pCO2 treatments: the NAR form was more abundant close to the root surface and for plants grown under elevated pCO2. Putative denitrifiers harbored mainly the membrane-bound (NAR) form of nitrate reductase. Finally, both narG and napA sequences displayed a high level of diversity. Anyway, this diversity was correlated neither with the root proximity nor with the pCO2 treatment.

Carbon Dioxide↗

PubMed2005

Oxidative and nitrosative stress in brain mitochondria of diabetic rats.

Diabetic encephalopathy, characterized by impaired cognitive functions and neurochemical and structural abnormalities, may involve direct neuronal damage caused by intracellular glucose. The study assesses the direct effect of chronic hyperglycemia on the function of brain mitochondria, the major site of reactive species production, in diabetic streptozotocin (STZ) rats. Oxidative stress plays a central role in diabetic tissue damage. Alongside enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, both nitric oxide (NO) levels and mitochondrial nitric oxide synthase expression were found to be increased in mitochondria, whereas glutathione (GSH) peroxidase activity and manganese superoxide dismutase protein content were reduced. GSH was reduced and GSH disulfide (GSSG) was increased in STZ rats. Oxidative and nitrosative stress, by reducing the activity of complexes III, IV and V of the respiratory chain and decreasing ATP levels, might contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction. In summary, this study offers fresh evidence that, besides the vascular-dependent mechanisms of brain dysfunction, oxidative and nitrosative stress, by damaging brain mitochondria, may cause direct injury of neuronal cells.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

H2O2 and 4-hydroxynonenal mediate amyloid beta-induced neuronal apoptosis by activating JNKs and p38MAPK.

Amyloid beta peptides (Abeta) may be neurotoxic during the progression of Alzheimer's disease by eliciting oxidative stress. Exposure of neuronally differentiated SK-N-BE cells to Abeta(25-35) fragment as well as to full-length Abeta(1-40) and Abeta(1-42) induces early and time-dependent generation of oxidative stress that has been evaluated by carefully monitoring generation of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and fluorescent chromolipids. Abeta treatment also results in the activation of c-Jun aminoterminal kinases (JNKs) and p38(MAPK) and is followed by characteristic nuclear changes of apoptosis as evaluated by DAPI staining and TUNEL technique. To reproduce the relationships between oxidative stress and Abeta apoptosis we found that only the simultaneous administration of HNE and H(2)O(2), at concentrations similar to those generated within the first 3 h of Abeta exposure, can fully mimic Abeta-dependent activation of JNKs and p38(MAPK) and occurrence of apoptosis. Antioxidants such as alpha-tocopherol and N-acetylcysteine prevent completely either neuronal apoptosis or activation of JNKs and p38(MAPK) elicited by Abeta or by simultaneous HNE and H(2)O(2) addition. Finally, direct evidence that activation of these kinases is required for cell death induced by Abeta has been obtained by pretreating cell with specific inhibitors of JNKs and p38(MAPK). These results suggest the existence of a sequence of events in Abeta-induced apoptosis involving simultaneous generation of HNE and H(2)O(2) and oxidative stress-dependent activation of JNKs and p38(MAPK).

Aldehydes↗

PubMed2002

Statistical analysis of denaturing gel electrophoresis (DGE) fingerprinting patterns.

Technical developments in molecular biology have found extensive applications in the field of microbial ecology. Among these techniques, fingerprinting methods such as denaturing gel electrophoresis (DGE, including the three options: DGGE, TGGE and TTGE) has been applied to environmental samples over this last decade. Microbial ecologists took advantage of this technique, originally developed for the detection of single mutations, for the analysis of whole bacterial communities. However, until recently, the results of these high quality fingerprinting patterns were restricted to a visual interpretation, neglecting the analytical potential of the method in terms of statistical significance and ecological interpretation. A brief recall is presented here about the principles and limitations of DGE fingerprinting analysis, with an emphasis on the need of standardization of the whole analytical process. The main content focuses on statistical strategies for analysing the gel patterns, from single band examination to the analysis of whole fingerprinting profiles. Applying statistical method make the DGE fingerprinting technique a promising tool. Numerous samples can be analysed simultaneously, permitting the monitoring of microbial communities or simply bacterial groups for which occurrence and relative frequency are affected by any environmental parameter. As previously applied in the fields of plant and animal ecology, the use of statistics provides a significant advantage for the non-ambiguous interpretation of the spatial and temporal functioning of microbial communities.

Bacteria↗

PubMed2001

Oxidative stress and eicosanoids in the kidneys of hyperglycemic rats treated with dehydroepiandrosterone.

Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of chronic diabetic complications. Normoglycemic and streptozotocin-diabetic rats were treated with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) (4 mg/d per rat) for 3 weeks. At the end of treatment, hydroxynonenal, hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acids and antioxidant levels, as well as Na/K-ATPase activity and membrane fatty acids composition were evaluated in kidney homogenates. Chronic hyperglycemia caused a marked increase of both hydroxynonenal and lipoxygenase pathway products and a drop in both GSH levels and membrane Na/K-ATPase activity. DHEA treatment restored the antioxidant levels to close to the control value and considerably reduced hydroxynonenal and hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid levels. Moreover, DHEA counteracted the detrimental effect of hyperglycemia on membrane function: the drop of Na/K-ATPase activity in diabetic animals was significantly inhibited by DHEA treatment. These results show that DHEA reduces oxidative stress and the consequent increase of lipoxygenase pathway products induced by experimental diabetes in rat kidney; they also suggest that, by reducing the inflammatory response to oxidative stress, DHEA treatment might delay the progression of diabetic kidney disease.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Oxidative derangement in rat synaptosomes induced by hyperglycaemia: restorative effect of dehydroepiandrosterone treatment.

Central nervous system damage in diabetes is caused by both cerebral atherosclerosis and the detrimental effect of chronic hyperglycaemia on nervous tissue. Hyperglycaemia is the primer of a series of cascade reactions causing overproduction of free radicals. There is increasing evidence that these reactive molecules contribute to neuronal tissue damage. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has been reported to possess antioxidant properties. This study evaluates the oxidative status in the synaptosomal fraction isolated from the brain of streptozotocin-treated rats and the antioxidant effect of DHEA treatment on diabetic rats. Hydroxyl radical generation, hydrogen peroxide content, and the level of the reactive oxygen species was increased (P<0.05) in synaptosomes isolated from streptozotocin-treated rats. The derangement of the oxidative status was confirmed by a low level of reduced glutathione and alpha-tocopherol. DHEA treatment (4 mg per day for 3 weeks, per os) protected the synaptosomes against oxidative damage: synaptosomes from diabetic DHEA-treated rats showed a significant decrease in reactive species (P<0.05) and in the formation of end products of lipid peroxidation, evaluated in terms of fluorescent chromolipid (P<0.01). Moreover, DHEA treatment restored the unsaturated fatty acid content of the membrane and the reduced glutathione and alpha-tocopherol levels to normal levels and restored membrane NaK-ATPase activity close to control levels. The results demonstrate that DHEA supplementation greatly reduces oxidative damage in synaptosomes isolated from diabetic rats and suggest that this neurosteroid may participate in protecting the integrity of synaptic membranes against hyperglycaemia-induced damage.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

NT2 neurons, a classical model for Alzheimer's disease, are highly susceptible to oxidative stress.

We have tested undifferentiated NT2 cells as well as differentiated NT2 neurons (NT2N) for vulnerability to oxidative stress, lipid composition and antioxidant pattern. NT2N, but not NT2 cells, are highly susceptible to oxidative stress elicited by different classic pro-oxidant stimuli. In particular, NT2N cells undergo a high level of oxidative decomposition of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of membrane phospholipids, as evaluated by monitoring generation of thiobarbituric reactive substances, 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) and chromolipid fluorescent adducts. NT2N cells exhibit low levels of natural antioxidants such as glutathione (GSH) and alpha-tocopherol and of antioxidant enzymatic activities such as Se-dependent GSH peroxidase and catalase. Accordingly, a direct correlation between lipid peroxidation and irreversible cell damage is suggested by prevention of NT2N cell death by alpha-tocopherol.

Alzheimer Disease↗

PubMed2000

Dehydroepiandrosterone prevents lipid peroxidation and cell growth inhibition induced by high glucose concentration in cultured rat mesangial cells.

The oxidative stress induced by high glucose concentration contributes to tissue damage associated with diabetes, including renal injury. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), the major secretory product of the human adrenal gland, has been shown to possess a multi-targeted antioxidant activity which is also effective against lipid peroxidation induced by high glucose. In this study we evaluated the effect of DHEA on the growth impairment which high glucose concentration induces in cultured rat mesangial cells. Primary cultures of rat mesangial cells were grown for 10 days in media containing either normal (i.e. 5.6 mmol/l) or high (i.e. 30 mmol/l) concentrations of glucose, without or with DHEA at different concentrations. The impairment of cell growth induced by high glucose was reversed by 100 nmol/l and 500 nmol/l DHEA, which had no effect on mesangial cells cultured in media containing glucose at the normal physiological concentration (5.6 mmol/l). In high-glucose cultured mesangial cells, DHEA also attenuated the lipid peroxidation, as measured by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) generation and 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) concentration, and preserved the cellular content of reduced glutathione as well as the membrane Na+/K+ ATPase activity. The data further support the protective effect of DHEA against oxidative damage induced by high glucose concentrations, and bring into focus its possible effectiveness in preventing chronic complications of diabetes.

Aldehydes↗

PubMed2000

Dehydroepiandrosterone prevents oxidative injury induced by transient ischemia/reperfusion in the brain of diabetic rats.

Both chronic hyperglycemia and ischemia/reperfusion (IR) cause an imbalance in the oxidative state of tissues. Normoglycemic and streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats were subjected to bilateral carotid artery occlusion for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 60 min. Rats had either been treated with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) for 7, 14, or 21 days (2 or 4 mg/day per rat) or left untreated. Oxidative state, antioxidant balance, and membrane integrity were evaluated in isolated synaptosomes. IR increased the levels of reactive species and worsened the synaptic function, affecting membrane Na/K-ATPase activity and lactate dehydrogenase release in all rats. The oxidative imbalance was much severer when transient IR was induced in STZ-diabetic rats. DHEA treatment restored H2O2, hydroxyl radical, and reactive oxygen species to close to control levels in normoglycemic rats and significantly reduced the level of all reactive species in STZ-diabetic rats. Moreover, DHEA treatment counteracted the detrimental effect of IR on membrane integrity and function: the increase of lactate dehydrogenase release and the drop in Na/K-ATPase activity were significantly prevented in both normoglycemic and STZ-diabetic rats. The results confirm that DHEA, an adrenal steroid that is synthesized de novo by brain neurons and astrocytes, possesses a multitargeted antioxidant effect. They also show that DHEA treatment is effective in preventing both derangement of the oxidative state and neuronal damage induced by IR in experimental diabetes.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Isolation and characterization of highly thermophilic xylanolytic Thermus thermophilus strains from hot composts.

This is the first detailed report of xylanolytic activity in Thermus strains. Two highly thermophilic xylanolytic bacteria, very closely related to non-xylanolytic T. thermophilus strains, have been isolated from the hottest zones of compost piles. Strain X6 was investigated in more detail. The growth rate (optical density monitoring) on xylan was 0.404.h-1 at 75 degrees C. Maximal growth temperature was 81 degrees C. Xylanase activity was mainly cell-bound, but was solubilized into the medium by sonication. It was induced by xylan or xylose in the culture medium. The temperature and pH optima of the xylanases were determined to be around 100 degrees C and pH 6, respectively. Xylanase activity was fairly thermostable; only 39% of activity was lost after an incubation period of 48 h at 90 degrees C in the absence of substrate. Xylanolytic T. thermophilus strains could contribute to the degradation of hemicellulose during the thermogenic phase of industrial composting.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗

PubMed1999

An alternatively spliced form of CD79b gene may account for altered B-cell receptor expression in B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Several functional anomalies of B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells may be explained by abnormalities of the B-cell receptor (BCR), a multimeric complex formed by the sIg homodimer and the noncovalently bound heterodimer Igalpha/Igbeta (CD79a/CD79b). Because the expression of the extracellular Ig-like domain of CD79b has been reported to be absent in the cells of most CLL cases, we have investigated the molecular mechanisms that may account for this defect. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from 50 patients and two cell lines (MEC1, MEC2) obtained from the PBL of one of them were studied. MEC1, MEC2, and 75% of CLL cases did not express detectable levels of the extracellular Ig-like domain of CD79b, which was nevertheless present in greater than 80% CD19(+) cells from normal donors. In healthy subjects the expression of CD79b was equally distributed in CD5(+) and CD5(-) B-cell subsets. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of CD79b RNA from all patients and from MEC1 and MEC2 cell lines consistently yielded two fragments of different size (709 bp and 397 bp). The 709-bp band corresponds to CD79b entire transcript; the 397-bp band corresponds to an alternatively spliced form lacking exon 3 that encodes the extracellular Ig-like domain. Both fragments were also visible in normal PBL. The expression of the 397-bp fragment was increased in normal activated B cells, while no difference was seen between CD5(+) and CD5(-) B cells. To obtain a more accurate estimate of the relative proportions of the two spliced forms, a radioactive PCR was performed in 13 normal and 22 B-CLL samples and the results analyzed using a digital imager. The mean value of the CD79b to the CD79b internally deleted ratio was 0.64 +/- 0.20 SD in normal donors and 0.44 +/- 0.27 SD in B-CLL (P =.01). Direct sequencing of 397-bp RT-PCR products and of genomic DNA corresponding to exon 3 from MEC1, MEC2, their parental cells, and five fresh B-CLL samples did not show any causal mutation. Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis of exon 3 performed in 18 additional B-CLL cases showed a single abnormal shift corresponding to a TGT --> TGC polymorphic change at amino acid 122. We propose a role for the alternative splicing of CD79b gene in causing the reduced expression of BCR on the surface of B-CLL cells. As normal B cells also present this variant, the mechanism of CD79b posttranscriptional regulation might reflect the activation stage of the normal B cell from which B-CLL derives.

Antigens, CD↗

PubMed1999

Influence of an Elevated Atmospheric CO2 Content on Soil and Rhizosphere Bacterial Communities Beneath Lolium perenne and Trifolium repens under Field Conditions.

> Abstract The increase in atmospheric CO2 content alters C3 plant photosynthetic rate, leading to changes in rhizodeposition and other root activities. This may influence the activity, the biomass, and the structure of soil and rhizosphere microbial communities and therefore the nutrient cycling rates and the plant growth. The present paper focuses on bacterial numbers and on community structure. The rhizospheres of two grassland plants, Lolium perenne (ryegrass) and Trifolium repens (white clover), were divided into three fractions: the bulk soil, the rhizospheric soil, and the rhizoplane-endorhizosphere. The elevated atmospheric CO2 content increased the most probable numbers of heterotrophic bacteria in the rhizosphere of L. perenne. However, this effect lasted only at the beginning of the vegetation period for T. repens. Community structure was assessed after isolation of DNA, PCR amplification, and construction of cloned 16S rDNA libraries. Amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) and colony hybridization with an oligonucleotide probe designed to detect Pseudomonas spp. showed under elevated atmospheric CO2 content an increased dominance of pseudomonads in the rhizosphere of L. perenne and a decreased dominance in the rhizosphere of T. repens. This work provides evidence for a CO2-induced alteration in the structure of the rhizosphere bacterial populations, suggesting a possible alteration of the plant-growth-promoting-rhizobacterial (PGPR) effect.http://link.springer-ny.com/link/service/journals/00248/bibs/38n1p39.html

Journal Article↗

PubMed1999

MEC1 and MEC2: two new cell lines derived from B-chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in prolymphocytoid transformation.

We report the establishment and characterization of two cell lines, MEC1 and MEC2, that grew spontaneously on two subsequent occasions from the peripheral blood (PB) of a patient with B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) in prolymphocytoid transformation. The patient was EBV-seropositive, his leukemic cells were EBNA negative, but the spontaneously grown cell lines are EBNA-2 positive. In liquid culture MEC1 cells grow adherent to the vessel wall and as tiny clumps; MEC2 cells do not adhere and form large clumps. The doubling time of MEC1 is 40h and of MEC2 is 31h. Both cell lines express the same light (kappa) and heavy chains (mu, delta) as the fresh parental B-CLL cells at the same high intensity, share the expression of mature B cell markers (CD19, CD20, CD21, CD22), differ in the expression of CD23 and FMC7, are CD11a+, CD18+, CD44+, CD49d+, CD54+ and express at high levels both CD80 and CD86. CD5 is negative on MEC1 cells (as on the vast majority of parental cells) and it has been lost by MEC2 cells after several months of culture. The cells have a complex karyotype. The tumour origin of MEC1 and MEC2 has been demonstrated by Southern blot analysis of the IgH loci and by Ig gene DNA sequencing. They use the VH4 Ig family and have not undergone somatic mutations (94.8% homology with germline Ig gene 4-59). Cytofluorographic analysis and RT-PCR reveal that MEC1 and MEC2 overexpress Bcl-2 together with Bax, express large amounts of Bcl-xL and trace amounts of Bcl-xS.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1999

Liver AP-1 activation due to carbon tetrachloride is potentiated by 1,2-dibromoethane but is inhibited by alpha-tocopherol or gadolinium chloride.

Experimental acute intoxication by prooxidant haloalkanes produces marked stimulation of hepatic lipid peroxidation and cytolysis, which is followed by tissue regeneration. Our aim was to clarify the role of oxidative imbalance in the activation of the redox-sensitive transcription factor, activator protein-1 (AP-1), which is involved in tissue repair. Rats were poisoned with a very low concentration of carbon tetrachloride, given alone or in combination with another hepatotoxin, 1,2-dibromoethane, to provide varying extents of oxidative damage. The level of AP-1-DNA binding was analyzed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay on liver extracts, obtained from rats killed 6 h after poisoning. Stimulation of lipid peroxidation and AP-1 upregulation were already established when the hepatic damage due to carbon tetrachloride +/-1,2-dibromoethane was beginning to appear. Rat supplementation with the antioxidant vitamin E completely inhibited AP-1 upregulation, thus supporting a causative role of membrane lipid oxidation in the observed modulation of the transcription factor. Moreover, activation of Kupffer cells appears to be a crucial step in the increased AP-1 binding to DNA, the latter being largely prevented by gadolinium chloride, a macrophage-specific inhibitor.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Dehydroepiandrosterone protects tissues of streptozotocin-treated rats against oxidative stress.

Chronic hyperglycemia in diabetes determines the overproduction of free radicals, and evidence is increasing that these contribute to the development of diabetic complications. It has recently been reported that dehydroepiandrosterone possesses antioxidant properties; this study evaluates whether, administered daily for three weeks per os, it may provide antioxidant protection in tissues of rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Lipid peroxidation was evaluated on liver, brain and kidney homogenates from diabetic animals, measuring both steady-state concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and fluorescent chromolipids. Hyperglycemic rats had higher thiobarbituric acid reactive substances formation and fluorescent chromolipids levels than controls. Dehydroepiandrosterone-treatment (4 mg/day for 3 weeks) protected tissues against lipid peroxidation: liver, kidney and brain homogenates from dehydroepiandrosterone-treated animals showed a significant decrease of both thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and fluorescent chromolipids formation. The effect of dehydroepiandrosterone on the cellular antioxidant defenses was also investigated, as impaired antioxidant enzyme activities were considered proof of oxygen-dependent toxicity. In kidney and liver homogenates, dehydroepiandrosterone treatment restored to near-control values the cytosolic level of reduced glutathione, as well as the enzymatic activities of superoxide-dismutase, glutathione-peroxidase, catalase. In the brain, only an increase of catalase activity was evident (p < .05), which reverted with dehydroepiandrosterone treatment. The results demonstrate that DHEA treatment clearly reduces oxidative stress products in the tissues of streptozotocin-treated rats.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Protective effect of dehydroepiandrosterone against lipid peroxidation in a human liver cell line.

OBJECTIVE: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a widely studied steroid hormone with multi-functional properties. Reports suggest that some of the many activities of DHEA are due to its protective effect against lipid peroxidation. Nevertheless, the antioxidant properties of DHEA are still the subject of debate. The aim was to evaluate whether its two opposed effects on lipid peroxidation reported in the literature may be dependent on schedule and doses used. METHODS: Chang liver cells, a line derived from normal human liver, were grown in media containing either no steroids (control) or DHEA at concentrations ranging from 0.1 micromol/l to 50 micromol/l. At specific times, cultures were halted and cells received a pro-oxidant stimulus (cumene (CuOOH) 0.5 mmol/l), at which time cell viability (by trypan blue staining and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) concentration (spectrophotometrical assay) were evaluated. RESULTS: At concentrations ranging from 0.1 micromol/l to 1 micromol/l, DHEA protects Chang liver cells against lipid peroxidation and/or death induced by cumene. This effect disappears if the concentration is increased to 10 micromol/l; at higher concentrations (50 micromol/l) a pro-oxidant/cytotoxic effect of DHEA appears. CONCLUSIONS: DHEA exhibits two opposed effects on lipid peroxidation; depending on its concentration it acts either to limit or to induce oxidative stress. The threshold concentration at which the pro-oxidant activity of DHEA prevails is not far in excess of that having an antioxidant effect. Either effect of DHEA on lipid peroxidation is only evident after a 'lag-phase'.

Benzene Derivatives↗

PubMed1998

Oxygen free radical scavenger properties of dehydroepiandrosterone.

The microsomes from dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-supplemented animals are good hydroxyl radical scavengers, as demonstrated through electron spin resonance and deoxyribose degradation. The ability of DHEA-supplemented microsomes to react with superoxide radical was also demonstrated through the inhibition of nitroblue-tetrazolium reduction determined by superoxide radicals produced in a hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase system. DHEA-enriched microsomes, obtained from acutely DHEA-treated rats, become resistant to iron-dependent lipid peroxidation triggered by H2O2/FeSO4 and ascorbate/FeSO4. The direct addition of DHEA to microsomes from untreated rats failed to prevent iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, even if the microsomes were preincubated with DHEA for up to 15 min, indicating that in vivo transformation is required before antioxidant action can be exerted.

Animals↗