Biomedical subjects

Raquel Bridi

Publications and source records attributed to Raquel Bridi.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

A chemically-induced acute model of maple syrup urine disease in rats for neurochemical studies.

We report a chemically-induced model of maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) in 10- and 30-day-old rats produced by subcutaneous administration of a branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) pool along with the analyses of plasma and brain amino acid levels by HPLC at 0-120 min after administration. We observed an increase of plasma leucine (Leu), isoleucine (Ile) and valine (Val) concentrations in both 10- and 30-day-old rats. These increases were accompanied by a concomitant reduction of plasma concentrations of methionine (Met), phenylalanine (Phe), tyrosine (Tyr), histidine (His), alanine (Ala), lysine (Lys), and ornithine (Orn) in 10-day-old rats and of Met, Phe, Tyr, tryptophan (Trp), and Orn in 30-day-old rats. These results are similar to those observed in MSUD patients during crises, when plasma levels of large neutral amino acids (LNAA) are also reduced when BCAA concentrations are increased. In the brain, increased concentrations of Leu, Ile and Val were achieved in 10-day-old rats at all times after injection. In contrast, no differences in cerebral concentrations of BCAA were observed in 30-day-old rats. In conclusion, the present MSUD model, using 10- rather than 30-day-old rats, has a similar amino acid profile to that of MSUD untreated patients and is suitable to investigate the mechanisms of brain damage characteristic of this disorder.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed2005

alpha-keto acids accumulating in maple syrup urine disease stimulate lipid peroxidation and reduce antioxidant defences in cerebral cortex from young rats.

Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is an inherited neurometabolic disorder caused by deficiency of branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complex activity which leads to tissue accumulation of the branched-chain alpha-keto acids (BCKAs) alpha-ketoisocaproic acid (KIC), alpha-ketoisovaleric acid (KIV) and alpha-keto-beta-methylvaleric acid (KMV) and their respective amino acids. Neuropathologic findings characteristic of the disease are cerebral edema and atrophy, whose pathophysiology is poorly known. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro effect of BCKAs on various parameters of oxidative stress, namely chemiluminescence (CL), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBA-RS), total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP), total antioxidant reactivity (TAR), and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in cerebral cortex of 30-day-old rats. The major effects observed were with KIC, which significantly increased CL and TBA-RS measurements, decreased TRAP and TAR values, and markedly inhibited GPx activity. KMV and KIV increased CL and decreased TRAP and TAR values. In contrast, these compounds did not affect CAT and SOD activities. Taken together, it was shown that: the BCKAs studied stimulated lipid peroxidation and reduced the brain antioxidant defences, suggesting an increased production of free radicals. In case the in vitro effects here detected also occur in vivo in MSUD, it can be presumed that oxidative stress might contribute, at least in part, to the brain damage found in the affected patients.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Benzophenones from Hypericum carinatum.

Two new benzophenones were isolated from the leaves of Hypericum carinatum. Their structures were established on the basis of 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses and mass spectrometry as cariphenone A (6-benzoyl-5,7-dihydroxy-2,2,8-trimethyl-2H-chromene) (1) and cariphenone B (8-benzoyl-5,7-dihydroxy-2,2,6-trimethyl-2H-chromene) (2). Five known compounds, the phloroglucinol derivative uliginosin B (3), 1-eicosanol, sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol, were also characterized. Compounds 1-3 were evaluated for their total antioxidant capacity through a total radical-trapping parameter assay. Only compound 1 showed moderate antioxidant activity, exhibiting inhibition of chemiluminescence similar to that of quercetin at the same concentration.

Antioxidants↗

PubMed2005

Evaluation of the mechanisms involved in leucine-induced oxidative damage in cerebral cortex of young rats.

Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is a metabolic disorder caused by the deficiency of the activity of the mitochondrial enzyme complex branched-chain L-2-keto acid dehydrogenase. The metabolic block results in tissue and body fluid accumulation of the branched-chain amino acids leucine (Leu), isoleucine and valine, as well as of their respective alpha-keto acids. Neurological sequelae are usually present in MSUD, but the pathophysiologic mechanisms of neurotoxicity are still poorly known. It was previously demonstrated that Leu elicits oxidative stress in rat brain. In the present study we investigated the possible mechanisms involved in Leu-induced oxidative damage. We observed a significant attenuation of Leu-elicited increase of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBA-RS) measurement when cortical homogenates were incubated in the presence of the free radical scavengers ascorbic acid plus trolox, dithiothreitol, glutathione, and superoxide dismutase, suggesting a probable involvement of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals in this effect. In contrast, the use of Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester or catalase (CAT) did not affect TBA-RS values. We also demonstrated an inhibitory effect of Leu on the activities of the antioxidant enzymes CAT and gluthathione peroxidase, as well as a significant reduction in the membrane-protein thiol content from mitochondrial enriched preparations. Furthermore, dichlorofluorescein levels were increased although not significantly by Leu. Taken together, our present data indicate that an unbalance between free radical formation and inhibition of critical enzyme activities may explain the mechanisms involved in the Leu-induced oxidative damage.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Induction of oxidative stress in rat brain by the metabolites accumulating in maple syrup urine disease.

Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is an inherited disorder caused by deficiency of branched-chain L-2-keto acid dehydrogenase complex activity. Affected patients present severe brain dysfunction manifested as convulsions, coma, psychomotor delay and mental retardation. However, the underlying mechanisms of these neurological findings are virtually unknown. In this study, we tested the in vitro effect of L-leucine, L-isoleucine and L-valine, the amino acids accumulating in MSUD, on the lipid peroxidation parameters chemiluminescence and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBA-RS), as well as on total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP) and total antioxidant reactivity (TAR) in cerebral cortex from 30-day-old rats. L-Leucine significantly increased chemiluminescence and TBA-RS measurements and markedly decreased TRAP and TAR values. L-Isoleucine increased chemiluminescence and decreased TRAP measurements, but TAR and TBA-RS levels were not altered by the amino acid. Finally, TRAP measurement was diminished by L-valine. The results indicate a stimulation of lipid peroxidation and a reduction of brain capacity to efficiently modulate the damage associated with an increased production of free radicals by the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) accumulated in MSUD. It is therefore tempting to speculate that oxidative stress may be implicated in the brain damage found in MSUD patients.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed2002

Experimental hyperphenylalaninemia provokes oxidative stress in rat brain.

Tissue accumulation of L-phenylalanine (Phe) is the biochemical hallmark of human phenylketonuria (PKU), an inherited metabolic disorder clinically characterized by mental retardation and other neurological features. The mechanisms of brain damage observed in this disorder are poorly understood. In the present study we investigated some oxidative stress parameters in the brain of rats with experimental hyperphenylalaninemia. Chemiluminescence, total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were measured in the brain of the animals. We observed that chemiluminescence is increased and TRAP is reduced in the brain of hyperphenylalaninemic rats. Similar data were obtained in the in vitro experiments using Phe at various concentrations. CAT activity was significantly inhibited by Phe in vitro and in vivo, whereas GSH-Px activity was reduced in vivo but not in vitro and SOD activity was not altered by any treatment. The results indicate that oxidative stress may be involved in the neuropathology of PKU. However, further studies are necessary to confirm and extend our findings to the human condition and also to determine whether an antioxidant therapy may be of benefit to these patients.

Animals↗