OBJECTIVETo evaluate the protective effects of recombinant human superoxide dismutase (rhSOD) in acute lung injury (ALI) following meconium aspiration.

METHODSThirty-two healthy male Sprage-Dawley rats were divided into two groups, 8 were used as control (saline group) by infusing 1 ml/kg saline through endotracheal tube; the other 24 rats were used to establish model of ALI by infusing 1 ml/kg of 20% human newborn meconium suspension through endotracheal tube, and then were randomized to 3 groups (8 each): meconium group with no administration of saline or rhSOD; meconium + saline group by infusing 1 ml/kg saline through endotracheal tube; meconium + rhSOD group by infusing 20 mg/kg rhSOD dissolved in 1 ml/kg saline through endotracheal tube. The rats were killed 24 h after treatment. The measurements included bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cell counts, protein, BALF protein/plasma protein (pulmonary permibility index, PPI), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), pulmonary myeloperoxidase (MPO) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malonyldialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) level. Lung injury score was also evaluated.

RESULTSCompared with the saline group, the rats in the meconium group had significantly increased BALF cell counts (4.04 +/- 1.01 vs. 0.53 +/- 0.19), protein (2.54 +/- 0.74 vs. 0.67 +/- 0.26), PPI (0.50 +/- 0.18 vs. 0.12 +/- 0.05), LDH (263.50 +/- 97.84 vs. 17.38 +/- 3.58), pulmonary MPO (1.49 +/- 0.22 vs. 0.62 +/- 0.16), MDA (3.30 +/- 0.85 vs. 1.40 +/- 0.35), NO (12.77 +/- 5.00 vs. 4.89 +/- 1.32) and lung injury score (9.88 +/- 2.10 vs. 2.25 +/- 1.04), P < 0.01 for all, whereas pulmonary SOD activity had no statistically significant differences (103.28 +/- 24.53 vs. 94.49 +/- 12.93, P > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between meconium + saline group and meconium group (all P > 0.05). Compared with the meconium + saline group, meconium + rhSOD group had decreased BALF cell counts (3.13 +/- 0.77 vs. 4.68 +/- 1.40, P < 0.01), LDH (162.63 +/- 76.90 vs. 273.75 +/- 111.83, P < 0.05), pulmonary MPO activity (1.23 +/- 0.28 vs. 1.54 +/- 0.24, P < 0.05), MDA (2.46 +/- 0.42 vs. 3.50 +/- 0.82, P < 0.01), NO level (9.17 +/- 2.34 vs. 13.04 +/- 4.38, P < 0.05), lung injury score (8.63 +/- 1.30 vs. 10.00 +/- 1.07, P < 0.05) and increased pulmonary SOD activity (134.45 +/- 23.30 vs. 106.79 +/- 17.77, P < 0.05), but there were no statistically significant differences in BALF protein and PPI between these two groups.

CONCLUSIONInflammation and lipid peroxidation might play important roles in the pathogenesis of ALI with meconium aspiration, a single early administration of 20 mg/kg rhSOD intratracheally can reduce lung damage in rats following meconium aspiration.

Acute Lung Injury ; drug therapy ; etiology ; pathology ; Administration, Inhalation ; Animals ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Disease Models, Animal ; Free Radical Scavengers ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Lung ; drug effects ; Male ; Meconium Aspiration Syndrome ; complications ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase ; administration & dosage

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) on islet beta cell function in hyperlipidemic rats and its mechanism.

METHODSFifty-nine male SD rats of 8 week old were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal diet group(NC, n=20), high fat diet group (HF, n=20) and NAC treated group (NAC, n=19, NAC 300 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) and high fat diet). At the end of 20 weeks, fasting serum insulin (Ins), glucose(Glu), malonaldehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were determined in plasma and pancreas tissue. The glucose infusion rate (GIR) was measured by euglycemic hyperinsulinemia clamp to evaluate the peripheral insulin resistance.Pancreatic islets were isolated and subjected to a perifusion medium containing 3.3 mmol/L glucose for 15 min, followed by 16.7 mmol/L glucose for 30 min, insulin content of perifusion medium was measured by RIA. The expressions of IRS-1, IRS-2, Glut-2 gene in islets were detected by real time PCR.

RESULTS(1)The insulin, glucose and MDA concentration in HF group were higher than those in NC group, but GSH levels in plasma and pancreas were lower. NAC intervention could reverse these effects. (2)The GIR was decreased significantly in HF group compared with NC group [(5.25 +/-1.2) Compared with (13.56 +/-1.7) mg x min(-1) x kg(-1), P<0.01], NAC intervention reversed these effect: GIR[(9.28 +/-1.50) Compared with (5.25 +/-1.2)mg x min(-1) x kg(-1), P<0.01]. (3) 16.7 mmol/L glucose increased the insulin secretion in the islet cells of the three groups, but the peak was lower in HF group. NAC intervention reversed these effects. (4) The gene expression of IRS-1 was significantly decreased by 42.3 % in HF group (P<0.05), and the expressions of IRS-2 and Glut-2 were decreased by 28.1% and 22.9% (P<0.05) compared with NC group. In contrast, the expressions of IRS-1, IRS-2, Glut-2 in NAC group increased by 40.2%, 30.2% and 19.1%, respectively than those in HF group.

CONCLUSIONNAC can reverse functional disorder of islet beta cells induced by high-fat-diet feeding. This antioxidant effect might be associated with upgrading gene expression of insulin signal transduction molecules in islet beta cells.

Acetylcysteine ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Dietary Fats ; administration & dosage ; Free Radical Scavengers ; pharmacology ; Hyperlipidemias ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Insulin Resistance ; Islets of Langerhans ; drug effects ; secretion ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects

OBJECTIVEToxic metal ions have been implicated in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO). Metallothionines (MT) and plant flavonoids have been reported in the intervention against oxidative damage. We investigated the effect of zinc induced MT and green tea polyphenol (GTP) in reducing the oxidative responses induced by nickel and platinum.

METHODSZinc (10 mg/kg b. wt, sc) was administered to rats twice at a gap of 24 hrs and GTP (10 mg/100 mL in drinking water) was fed ad libitum for 8 days. Nickel chloride (150 umol/kgb.wt, ip) and cisplatin (50 mumol/kg b.wt, sc) was administered to rats 24 h after Zn or GTP pre-treatment. Animals of all the groups were sacrificed 16 hrs after treatment and biochemical markers for toxicity were monitored.

RESULTSZinc or GTP pre-treatment caused significant protection against nickel or cisplatin enhanced mortality in rats, and reduction in lipid peroxidation and NO.

CONCLUSIONIt is proposed that inhibition of ROS and NO by GTP and zinc may prove useful as a selective pharmacological agent in the amelioration of metal toxicity.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Biomarkers ; Cisplatin ; administration & dosage ; toxicity ; Flavonoids ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Free Radical Scavengers ; pharmacology ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Metallothionein ; metabolism ; Mortality ; Nickel ; administration & dosage ; toxicity ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Phenols ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Polyphenols ; Rats ; Tea ; chemistry ; Time Factors ; Zinc ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo observe the antioxidative effect of Safflor Yellow (SY).

METHODHydroxyl radical scavenge effect of SY was tested with 1,10-phenanthroline-Fe2+ oxidative assay. Lipid peroxidation of mouse liver suspension was measured with thiobarbituric acid colorimetry technique. Hemocytocatheresis was determined with colorimetry.

RESULTHydroxyl radical could be scavenged by 1.39 to 3.42 g x L(-1) SY dose dependently. Mouse liver suspension peroxidation was inhibited by 77.8 to 776.1 mg x L(-1) SY dosage dependently. Hemocytocatheresis was attenuated by 37.1 to 297.1 mg x L(-1) SY dose dependently.

CONCLUSIONSY is an antioxidative part of Carthamus tinctorius.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Carthamus tinctorius ; chemistry ; Chalcone ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Flowers ; chemistry ; Free Radical Scavengers ; pharmacology ; Hydroxyl Radical ; metabolism ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rabbits

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEHirsutanol A is a novel sesquiterpene compound purified from fungus chondrostereum sp in Sarcophyton tortuosum. Its pharmacologic effect has not been reported yet. This study aimed to investigate cytotoxic effect of Hirsutanol A on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and its mechanism.

METHODSHep3B cells were treated with different concentrations of Hirsutanol A. Cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay. The protein expression of LC3 was determined by Western blot. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was monitored by flow cytometry.

RESULTSHirsutanol A significantly inhibited proliferation of Hep3B cells with 50% inhibition concentrations (IC50) of 14.54, 6.71, and 3.59 micromol/L when exposed to Hirsutanol A for 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. Incubation of Hep3B cells with Hirsutanol A markedly increased the level of ROS and the autophagy marker MAP-LC3 conversion from type I to type II. Pre-incubation with an antioxidant N-acetyl cystein (NAC) decreased the level of ROS, and reduced MAP-LC3 I-II conversion, and suppressed cell death. Blocking autophagy with a specific autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA), the cytotoxic effect of this compound was attenuated.

CONCLUSIONHirsutanol A has potent cytotoxic effect, and can induce autophagic cell death via increasing ROS production.

Acetylcysteine ; pharmacology ; Adenine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Agaricales ; chemistry ; Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Autophagy ; drug effects ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Death ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Free Radical Scavengers ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; metabolism ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Sesquiterpenes ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

PURPOSE: To study the effect of systemic administration of phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN) on the degeneration of photoreceptor cells in rd mice. METHODS: PBN was injected intraperitoneally into FVB/rd mice on postnatal days (P) 5 to 14 (group A), and P10 to 18 (group B). At days P14, 16, 18, 20 and 27, morphological changes and apoptosis were analyzed by staining with hematoxylin and eosin or DAPI. The effect of PBN on apoptosis was analyzed in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells by the measurement of caspase-3 activity. RESULTS: In control and group B mice, the outer nuclear layer (ONL) of the retina was composed of 8-10 rows at P12, and rapidly decreased to one row at P18. In group A mice, the ONL was preserved with 5-7 rows at P18, and decreased to one row at P22. PBN inhibited caspase-3 activity in cultured RPE cells. CONCLUSIONS: PBN delayed, but did not block, the degeneration of photoreceptor cells in rd mice. PBN may exert its inhibitory effect during the early phase of photoreceptor cell degeneration.
Retinal Degeneration/*drug therapy/metabolism/pathology ; Pigment Epithelium of Eye/drug effects/metabolism/pathology ; Photoreceptors, Vertebrate/drug effects/metabolism/*pathology ; Nitrogen Oxides/*administration & dosage/pharmacokinetics/therapeutic use ; Neuroprotective Agents/*administration & dosage/pharmacokinetics/therapeutic use ; Mice ; Male ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Free Radical Scavengers/*administration & dosage/pharmacokinetics/therapeutic use ; Follow-Up Studies ; Female ; Enzyme Precursors/metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Cells, Cultured ; Caspases/metabolism ; Caspase 3 ; Apoptosis/drug effects ; Animals