Natural products exhibit substantial impacts in the field of anti-hypoxic traetment. Hypoxia can cause altitude sickness and other negative effect on the body. Headache, coma, exhaustion, vomiting and, in severe cases, death are some of the clinical signs. Currently, hypoxia is no longer just a concern in plateau regions; it is also one of the issues that can not be ignored by urban residents. This review covered polysaccharides, alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, peptides and traditional Chinese compound prescriptions as natural products to protect against hypoxia. The active ingredients, effectiveness and mechanisms were discussed. The related anti-hypoxic mechanisms involve increasing the hemoglobin (HB) content, glycogen content and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content, removing excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), reducing lipid peroxidation, regulating the levels of related enzymes in cells, protecting the structural and functional integrity of the mitochondria and regulating the expression of apoptosis-related genes. These comprehensive summaries are beneficial to anti-hypoxic research and provide useful information for the development of anti-hypoxic products.
Humans ; Biological Products/therapeutic use* ; Hypoxia/metabolism* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Adenosine Triphosphate/metabolism* ; Alkaloids

Oxidative stress is caused by the imbalance between the generation of free radicals/reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the antioxidant defense systems, which can activate various transcription factors and affect their transcriptional pathways. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the occurrence and development of leukemia and is closely related to the treatment and prognosis of leukemia. The standard chemotherapy strategies for the pre-treatment of leukemia have many drawbacks. Hence, the usage of antioxidants and oxidants in the treatment of leukemia is being explored and has been preliminarily applied. This article reviews the research progress of oxidative stress and leukemia. In addition, the application of antioxidants treatment in leukemia has been summarized.
Antioxidants/therapeutic use* ; Humans ; Leukemia/drug therapy* ; Oxidative Stress ; Reactive Oxygen Species

Antioxidants ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy ; Persistent Fetal Circulation Syndrome ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism

During the previous years, with the emerging of nanotechnology, the enormous capabilities of nanoparticles have drawn great attention from researchers in terms of their potentials in various aspects of pharmacology. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria), considered as one of the most widely used nanomaterials, due to its tempting catalytic antioxidant properties, show a promising potential in diverse disorders, such as cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS), cancer, neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases. Overwhelming generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) during cerebral ischemia and reperfusion periods is known to aggravate brain damage via sophisticated cellular and molecular mechanisms, and therefore exploration of the antioxidant capacities of nanoceria becomes a new approach in reducing cerebral ischemic injury. Furthermore, utilizing nanoceria as a drug carrier might display the propensity to overcome limitations or inefficacy of other conceivable neuroprotectants and exhibit synergistic effects. In this review, we emphasize on the principle features of nanoceria and current researches concerning nanoceria as a potential therapeutic agent or carrier in improving the prognosis of CIS.
Antioxidants ; therapeutic use ; Brain Ischemia ; drug therapy ; Cerium ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Neuroprotective Agents ; therapeutic use ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Reactive Nitrogen Species ; metabolism ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Stroke ; drug therapy ; pathology

Free radicals are a group of charged atoms, molecules or ions with strong biological activity, which play an important role in pathogenesis of cancers and many other diseases. Free radicals are produced and consumed by a serial of chain reactions. Free radicals can activate pro-oncogenes, impact the signal transduction about the apoptosis, survival and proliferation of tumor cells modify the key enzymes or proteins functions, and might cause carcinogenesis. Meanwhile, free radicals damage the tissues and organs and bring about a variety of pathological changes. On the other hand, free radicals are involved in the effects of some anti-leukemic drugs as intermediates or functional substances.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Free Radicals ; metabolism ; Humans ; Leukemia ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Reactive Nitrogen Species ; metabolism ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism

Metabolic cardiovascular disease is a type of disease which almost caused by body carbohydrate and lipid metabolism dysfunction. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a typical metabolic disease. It not only lead to the insulin resistance but also related to atherosclerosis. Oxidative stress is produced by the reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS). Oxidative stress and its consequence events play important roles in atherosclerosis (AS). Mitochondria are both sources and targets of reactive oxygen and/or nitrogen species (ROS/RNS), and there is growing evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction may be relevant intermediate mechanism by which cardiovascular risk factors lead to the formation of vascular lesions. Several cardiovascular risk factors are demonstrated causes of mitochondrial damage. This review starts with excessive ROS/RNS-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. The authors emphasize the relationship among axis of excessive ROS/RNS-mitochondrial dysfunction-apoptosis-atherosclerosis. They also introduce several traditional Chinese medicines such as Ophiopogon japonicus, butin, Panax ginseng, Pueraria lobata, Solanum lyratum and so on in the treatment of relevant diseases through anti-ROS/RNS mechanism. Moreover, the TCMs also can anti-cancer and anti-fatigue,which show the speciality of TCMs different from the single effect of classical western medicines.
Animals ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mitochondria ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Reactive Nitrogen Species ; metabolism ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism

Oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases, including atherosclerosis and fatty liver diseases, and consequently the role of antioxidants in the prevention and treatment of such diseases has received much attention. In particular, the effects of vitamin E, the most important lipophilic radical-scavenging antioxidant, have been investigated extensively. Many in vitro, animal, and epidemiological studies have reported positive results, but large-scale randomized controlled intervention studies and meta-analyses have produced inconsistent and often disappointing results. In the present review article, the role and action of vitamin E are discussed, with consideration of the factors that determine the outcome of vitamin E treatment. Vitamin E should benefit subjects experiencing oxidative stress due to free radicals when administered at the correct time and for an appropriate duration.
Animals ; Antioxidants/adverse effects/*therapeutic use ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxidation/*drug effects ; Oxidative Stress/*drug effects ; Reactive Oxygen Species/*metabolism ; Vitamin E/adverse effects/*therapeutic use

Increased generation of ROS causes the lipid oxidation of the membrane of spermatozoa, but antioxidant vitamins play an important role in reproduction and help clear away ROS and protect the sperm membrane from lipid oxidation. This review focused on the effect of antioxidant vitamins on male reproduction and in the treatment of male infertility.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Ascorbic Acid ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; drug therapy ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Male ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; adverse effects ; Reproduction ; drug effects ; Vitamin A ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Vitamin E ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

Rosacea is a common chronic cutaneous disorder that primarily occurs on the convex surfaces of the central face and is often characterized by exacerbations and remissions. A case of a 52-yr-old woman visited our clinic in February 2008 complaining typical features of rosacea including multiple pinhead to rice-sized erythematous papules. We applied various conventional treatments including topical benzoyl peroxide and metronidazole as well as oral metronidazole, isotretinoin, and doxycycline. The lesions were not controlled but were rather aggravated by complications from these treatments. Therefore, we prescribed oral azithromycin, which has anti-inflammatory effects and reduces reactive oxygen species. Ten weeks after the administration of oral azithromycin, 500 mg per day for 2 weeks, the lesions had mostly disappeared and no specific side effects related to the azithromycin were noted. Oral azithromycin dosing 500 mg/day for 2 weeks is effective for treatment of intractable rosacea.
Administration, Oral ; Azithromycin/administration & dosage/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Erythema/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Rosacea/diagnosis/*drug therapy ; Skin Diseases/drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo observe the harmful effects of oxygen free radicals and the protective roles of Tiopronin in severely scalded rats after delayed fluid resuscitation.

METHODSRats inflicted with 30% III degree scald on the back were employed as the model. They were divided into delayed resuscitation (D) and Tiopronin treatment (T) groups. The changes in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malonyldialdehyde (MDA) in plasma and subeschar fluid were determined at 24 to 48 postburn hours (PBHs) by means of electron spin resonance (ESR) technique and other routine methods. And the pathomorphological changes in the heart, liver, kidneys and small intestine, and changes in the blood biochemical indices were simultaneously determined. Normal rats were taken as control group (N).

RESULTSThe plasma SOD level was was lower than that in N group, while the MDA content in plasma and subeschar fluid in D group was much higher than that in N group. Changes in all the blood biochemical and internal organ pathomorphology were more obvious in the D group. on the other hand, the rat plasma SOD level in T group increased obviously (P < 0.01) while the MDA contents was decreased in T group (P < 0.05) when compared with those rats of D group. In addition, the internal organ pathomorphology and blood biochemical indices were improved evidently in T group.

CONCLUSIONOxidative stress injury was evoked in severely scalded rats after delayed fluid resuscitation, and it could be protected to some extent by Tiopronin.

Animals ; Burns ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Female ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; blood ; Oxidative Stress ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood ; Tiopronin ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use