植物化合物调控微量营养素稳态代谢的研究进展

微量营养素主要指微量元素及维生素,它们在体内的平衡对维护细胞的正常功能至关重要。最新研究结果提示:一些具有生物活性的植物化合物在体内以多种精密方式有效调控微量营养素稳态代谢,因而可能在微量营养素失衡引发的氧化损伤、炎症反应、免疫失调以及贫血等相关疾病中发挥一定的保护作用。总结国内外近年植物化合物调控微量营养素代谢的研究成果、相关分子机制及有效干预途径,旨在为深入研发植物化合物的预治微量营养素代谢失衡相关疾病方面提供科学依据。     

环境污染物对水生生物产生氧化压力的分子生物标志物

为了能够建立一种简单、快速、准确的环境污染监测预警体系，人们进行了广泛的研究，其中有关环境污染物对分子生物标志物的影响已成为研究热点。生物体内的氧自由基和其它活性氧分子（ROS）对组织和细胞成分造成的伤害，称之为氧化压力，环境中的有毒物质能够对生物体产生不同程度的氧化压力。生物体内的强氧化剂或体外因素（如环境污染物）引起的强氧化物与抗氧化防御系统之间的平衡能够用于评估环境压力对生物体产生影响的程度，尤其适合于评估不同种化学物质引起氧化损伤的程度。这些抗氧化防御系统及其对氧化压力的敏感性在环境毒物学研究中占有非常重要的地位，大量研究结果表明：过渡金属、多环芳烃、有机氯和有机磷农药、多氯联苯、二氧芑和其它异型物质都能够对生物体产生氧化压力。这些有毒物质能够引起各种有害影响，如对膜脂、DNA和蛋白产生损伤；改变抗氧化酶的活性等。总结了这种氧化压力的研究进展情况，并讨论了这些分子生物标志物在水生生物中的应用。     

维生素C的促氧化作用

维生素C(又名L-抗坏血酸)是一种熟知的人体必需的微量营养元素,具有多种生物功能(如抗氧化作用、参与细胞间质的合成,对基因表达和蛋白质功能的调控作用等);近年来,其促氧化作用逐渐引起人们的重视,因为该作用可引起DNA氧化性损伤,并对细胞的增殖和凋亡起到一定的影响。虽然这为维生素C的临床新用途提供了更广泛的前景,但是,这也提示对于一个正常人而言,维生素C的摄入必须适量。     

超离心法及其在放射损伤研究中的应用

超离心机是研究高分子化合物如生物大分子蛋白质、核酸和病毒等的一个重要工具。在分析方面主要用以测定这些生物大分子的沉降系数与分子量。在制备方面可用以分离这些生物大分子和有关的亚细胞成分。在研究电离辐射对细胞原发损伤的规律时,观察射线对生物大分子的损伤和亚细胞成分的破坏,及其对生化功能的影响等问题,超离     

过氧亚硝酸根与细胞信号转导

生物系统中产生的过氧亚硝酸根(peroxynitrite,ONOO-)具有强氧化性,能够损伤多种生物大分子,产生细胞毒性。细胞通过激活信号通路产生应激反应,其中包括蛋白质酪氨酸激酶(PTK)依赖的多种路径,而ONOO-通过硝化或氧化作用调节酪氨酸的磷酸化。酪氨酸残基的硝化能直接影响酪氨酸的磷酸化,而磷酸酶的氧化将导致酪氨酸磷酸化/去磷酸化平衡的改变,ONOO-激活细胞信号转导通路的作用机制对认识其生理病理功能具有重要意义。     

玉米维生素A生物强化研究进展和展望

维生素A对机体细胞分化、免疫功能、视觉感受等多个生理过程发挥重要作用。维生素A缺乏(vitamin A deficiency,VAD)是世界五大微量营养素缺乏问题之一,全球每年有25万~50万儿童因维生素A缺乏患夜盲症,我国尤其欠发达地区也深受其影响。主要作物的生物强化是解决微量营养素缺乏最经济有效的手段之一。在回顾了维生素A对人体的重要功能、全球维生素A缺乏的现状的基础上,现重点综述了玉米维生素A强化的研究进展,并探讨了玉米维生素A生物强化面临的挑战和需要重点关注的问题。     

OxyR介导的细菌氧化胁迫应答调控机制研究进展

OxyR属于LysR型转录因子家族的氧化胁迫调控蛋白,是细菌抵抗氧化胁迫压力的重要调控因子。OxyR能够通过调控过氧化氢酶和过氧化物酶等抗氧化基因的表达清除H₂O₂、参与铁代谢控制胞内过氧化物的产生以及修复生物大分子氧化损伤,从而抵抗氧化胁迫。OxyR的基因表达调控功能依赖于其还原态和氧化态之间的转变,改变调控蛋白对下游基因调控区的亲和能力。氧化态OxyR识别启动子区的结合序列,激活或抑制过氧化氢酶等基因的表达。还原态和氧化态的转换依赖于在氧化状态下分子间二硫键的形成。本文综述了近年来细菌OxyR调控基因表达的最新研究进展,有助于深入理解OxyR在细菌抵抗氧化胁迫的作用方式,为相关致病菌的防治奠定分子基础。     

Nrf2/ARE通路在抗病原生物感染中的作用研究进展

氧化应激反应是病原生物感染并致病的重要环节,病原生物感染可诱导宿主细胞产生大量的活性氧(ROS)或直接激活Nrf2/ARE通路,产生一系列保护性蛋白,保护宿主细胞抵抗氧化应激损伤。转录因子NF-E2相关因子2(Nrf2)是宿主细胞调节抗氧化应激的一种关键转录因子,可与抗氧化反应元件(ARE)相互作用,诱导抗氧化酶/Ⅱ相解毒酶基因的表达,从而在细胞保护防御中发挥重要作用。Nrf2的表达活性与病原生物感染密切相关,对N rf2/ARE通路在抗病原生物感染中的最新研究进展进行了综述。     

植物活性氧的产生及其作用和危害

活性氧(ROS)是一类由O2转化而来的自由基或具有高反应活性的离子或分子。植物消耗的O2约有1%在叶绿体、线粒体、过氧化物酶体等多种亚细胞单位中被转化成了ROS。ROS有益或有害取决于它在植物体内的浓度。低浓度的ROS作为第二信使能在植物细胞信号转导途径中介导多种应答反应,高浓度的ROS则引起生物大分子的氧化损伤甚至细胞死亡。植物体内ROS产生和清除之间的平衡十分重要,并由一套有效的酶促和非酶促抗氧化系统来监控。该文主要系统介绍了植物ROS的种类、产生部位、在信号转导中的作用及其对植物细胞造成的主要伤害等方面的研究进展,为利用基因工程手段来提高植物对环境胁迫的抗性提供信息和思路。     

运动与衰老:线粒体功能和氧化还原的调控

衰老与线粒体功能衰退和氧化还原失衡紧密相关。随着年龄的增加,肌肉线粒体的DNA丰度和蛋白质的合成不断的下降,线粒体代谢过程中的副产物自由基增加导致脂质,蛋白质和核酸等大分子的氧化损伤不断累积。衰老相关的线粒体功能的下降和氧化还原失衡影响运动功能,导致胰岛素抵抗和神经退行性疾病,因而对于调节寿命起到重要的作用。因而线粒体可能是决定寿命的重要因素。大量研究证实长期运动训练可以很大程度预防和改善衰老相关疾病,其机制可能是通过促进线粒体生成和激活内源性抗氧化防御体系而提高线粒体功能和调控氧化还原平衡。因此,长期的运动训练预防衰老相关疾病和提高老年人的生命质量很可能是通过调控线粒体功能和氧化还原平衡而发挥作用。     

Terrein reduces age‐related inflammation induced by oxidative stress through Nrf2/ERK1/2/HO‐1 signalling in aged HDF cells

This study investigated whether multiple bioactivity of terrein such as anti‐inflammatory and anti‐oxidant inhibits age‐related inflammation by promoting an antioxidant response in aged human diploid fibroblast (HDF) cells. HDF cells were cultured serially for in vitro replicative senescence. To create the ageing cell phenotype, intermediate stage (PD31) HDF cells were brought to stress‐induced premature senescence (SIPS) using hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Terrein increased cell viability even with H₂O₂ stress and reduced inflammatory molecules such as intracellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1), cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2), interleukin‐1beta (IL‐1β) and tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α). Terrein reduced also phospho‐extracellular kinase receptor1/2 (p‐EKR1/2) signalling in aged HDF cells. SIPS cells were attenuated for age‐related biological markers including reactive oxygen species (ROS), senescence associated beta‐galactosidase (SA β‐gal.) and the aforementioned inflammatory molecules. Terrein induced the induction of anti‐oxidant molecules, copper/zinc‐superoxide defence (Cu/ZnSOD), manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) in SIPS cells. Terrein also alleviated reactive oxygen species formation through the Nrf2/HO‐1/p‐ERK1/2 pathway in aged cells. The results indicate that terrein has an alleviative function of age‐related inflammation characterized as an anti‐oxidant. Terrein might be a useful nutraceutical compound for anti‐ageing. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vitamin E and selenium administration as a modulator of antioxidant defense system: biochemical assessment and modification

Exposure of cells to ionizing radiation leads to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are associated with radiation-induced cytotoxicity. Because of the serious damaging potential of ROS, cells depend on the elaboration of the antioxidant defense system (AODS), both enzymatic and nonenzymatic oxidant defense mechanisms. The deficiency in important components of the endogenous AODS leads to the accumulation of oxidative stress inducing oxidative damage. The antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase are key intracellular antioxidants in the metabolism of ROS. In the current study, we investigated the potential role of these antioxidant enzymes in radioresistance during the evaluation of the compensatory role of some exogenous micronutrients against oxidative stress Animals were categorized into eight groups, receiving vitamin E (α-tocopherol) and/or selenium (Se) with or without whole-body γ-irradiation (6.5 Gy). The results indicate that antioxidant pretreatments before irradiation may have some beneficial effects against irradiation-induced injury. The results also indicate that selenium and vitamin E act alone and in an additive fashion as radioprotecting agents. The results further suggest that selenium confers protection in part by inducing or activating cellular free-radical scavenging systems and by enhancing peroxide breakdown, whereas vitamin E appears to confer its protection by an alternate complementary mechanism.     

枸杞多糖抗氧化作用的研究

目的:研究枸杞粗多糖(Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharide,LBP)在小鼠体内的抗氧化作用。方法:用高(400mg/kg.d)、中(200mg/kg.d)、低(100mg/kg.d)剂量的枸杞粗多糖生理盐水溶液对D-半乳糖(100mg/kg.d)之衰老模型小鼠和正常小鼠灌胃。结果:枸杞粗多糖能较显著(P0.01)提高小鼠血清、肝脏及脑组织中SOD活性,降低MDA含量;极显著(P0.01)提高正常小鼠常压耐缺氧能力和游泳抗疲劳能力;此外小鼠的脾指数和胸腺指数均得到显著提高,表明枸杞粗多糖对提高小鼠的机体免疫水平具有重要的促进作用。结论:枸杞粗多糖对小鼠具有显著的抗氧化、抗衰老作用。     

Helicobacter pylori defense against oxidative attack

Helicobacter pylori is a microaerophilic, gram-negative pathogen of the human stomach. Despite the chronic active gastritis that develops following colonization, H. pylori is able to persist unharmed in the stomach for decades. Much of the damage caused by gastric inflammation results from the accumulation of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species within the stomach environment, which can induce oxidative damage in a wide range of biological molecules. Without appropriate defenses, this oxidative damage would be able to rapidly kill nearby H. pylori, but the organism employs a range of measures, including antioxidant enzymes, biological repair systems, and inhibitors of oxidant generation, to counter the attack. Despite the variety of measures employed to defend against oxidative injury, these processes are intimately interdependent, and any deficiency within the antioxidant system is generally sufficient to cause substantial impairment of H. pylori viability and persistence. This review provides an overview of the development of oxidative stress during H. pylori gastritis and examines the methods the organism uses to survive the resultant damage.     

The challenges of using fluorescent probes to detect and quantify specific reactive oxygen species in living cells

Background

Small molecule fluorescent probes are vital tools for monitoring reactive oxygen species in cells.

Scope of review

The types of probe available, the extent to which they are specific or quantitative and complications in interpreting results are discussed.

Major conclusions

Most commonly used probes (e.g. dihydrodichlorofluorescein, dihydrorhodamine) have some value in providing information on changes to the redox environment of the cell, but they are not specific for any one oxidant and the response is affected by numerous chemical interactions and not just increased oxidant generation. These probes generate the fluorescent end product by a free radical mechanism, and to react with hydrogen peroxide they require a metal catalyst. Probe radicals can react with oxygen, superoxide, and various antioxidant molecules, all of which influence the signal. Newer generation probes such as boronates act by a different mechanism in which nucleophilic attack by the oxidant on a blocking group releases masked fluorescence. Boronates react with hydrogen peroxide, peroxynitrite, hypochlorous acid and in some cases superoxide, so are selective but not specific. They react with hydrogen peroxide very slowly, and kinetic considerations raise questions about how the reaction could occur in cells.

General significance

Data from oxidant-sensitive fluorescent probes can provide some information on cellular redox activity but is widely misinterpreted. Recently developed non-redox probes show promise but are not generally available and more information on specificity and cellular reactions is needed. We do not yet have probes that can quantify cellular production of specific oxidants. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Current methods to study reactive oxygen species - pros and cons and biophysics of membrane proteins. Guest Editor: Christine Winterbourn.     

The broad spectrum of responses to oxidants in proliferating cells: a new paradigm for oxidative stress

Proliferating mammalian cells exhibit a broad spectrum of responses to oxidative stress, depending on the stress level encountered. Very low levels of hydrogen peroxide, e.g., 3 to 15 microM, or 0.1 to 0.5 micromol/10(7) cells, cause a significant mitogenic response, 25% to 45 % growth stimulation. Greater concentrations of H2O2, 120 to 150 microM, or 2 to 5 micromol/10(7) cells, cause a temporary growth arrest that appears to protect cells from excess energy use and DNA damage. After 4-6 h of temporary growth arrest, many cells will exhibit up to a 40-fold transient adaptive response in which genes for oxidant protection and damage repair are preferentially expressed. After 18 h of H2O2 adaptation (including the 4-6 h of temporary growth arrest) cells exhibit maximal protection against oxidative stress. The H2O2 originally added is metabolized within 30-40 min, and if no more is added the cells will gradually de-adapt, so that by 36 h after the initial H2O2 stimulus they have returned to their original level of H2O2 sensitivity. At H2O2 concentrations of 250 to 400 microM, or 9 to 14 micromol/10(7) cells, mammalian fibroblasts are not able to adapt but instead enter a permanently growth-arrested state in which they appear to perform most normal cell functions but never divide again. This state of permanent growth arrest has often been confused with cell death in toxicity studies relying solely on cell proliferation assays as measures of viability. If the oxidative stress level is further increased to 0.5 to 1.0 mM H2O2, or 15 to 30 micromol/10(7) cells, apoptosis results. This oxidative stress-induced apoptosis involves nuclear condensation, loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, degradation/down-regulation of mitochondrial mRNAs and rRNAs, and degradation/laddering of both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. At very high H2O2 concentrations of 5.0 to 10.0 mM, or 150 to 300 micromol/10(7) cells and above, cell membranes disintegrate, proteins and nucleic acids denature, and necrosis swiftly follows. Cultured cells grown in 20% oxygen are essentially preadapted or preselected to survive under conditions of oxidative stress. If cells are instead grown in 3% oxygen, much closer to physiological cellular levels, they are more sensitive to an oxidative challenge but exhibit far less accumulated oxidant damage. This broad spectrum of cellular responses to oxidant stress, depending on the amount of oxidant applied and the concentration of oxygen in the cell culture system, provides for a new paradigm of cellular oxidative stress responses.     

Overexpression of MsrA protects WI-38 SV40 human fibroblasts against H2O2-mediated oxidative stress

Proteins are modified by reactive oxygen species, and oxidation of specific amino acid residues can impair their biological functions, leading to an alteration in cellular homeostasis. Oxidized proteins can be eliminated through either degradation or repair. Repair is limited to the reversion of a few modifications such as the reduction of methionine oxidation by the methionine sulfoxide reductase (Msr) system. However, accumulation of oxidized proteins occurs during aging, replicative senescence, or neurological disorders or after an oxidative stress, while Msr activity is impaired. In order to more precisely analyze the relationship between oxidative stress, protein oxidative damage, and MsrA, we stably overexpressed MsrA full-length cDNA in SV40 T antigen-immortalized WI-38 human fibroblasts. We report here that MsrA-overexpressing cells are more resistant than control cells to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress, but not to ultraviolet A irradiation. This MsrA-mediated resistance is accompanied by a decrease in intracellular reactive oxygen species and is partially abolished when cells are cultivated at suboptimal concentration of methionine. These results indicate that MsrA may play an important role in cellular defenses against oxidative stress, by catalytic removal of oxidant through the reduction of methionine sulfoxide, and in protection against death by limiting, at least in part, the accumulation of oxidative damage to proteins.     

Low‐dose radiation prevents type 1 diabetes‐induced cardiomyopathy via activation of AKT mediated anti‐apoptotic and anti‐oxidant effects

We investigated whether low‐dose radiation (LDR) can prevent late‐stage diabetic cardiomyopathy and whether this protection is because of the induction of anti‐apoptotic and anti‐oxidant pathways. Streptozotocin‐induced diabetic C57BL/6J mice were treated with/without whole‐body LDR (12.5, 25, or 50 mGy) every 2 days. Twelve weeks after onset of diabetes, cardiomyopathy was diagnosed characterized by significant cardiac dysfunction, hypertrophy and histopathological abnormalities associated with increased oxidative stress and apoptosis, which was prevented by LDR (25 or 50 mGy only). Low‐dose radiation‐induced cardiac protection also associated with P53 inactivation, enhanced Nrf2 function and improved Akt activation. Next, for the mechanistic study, mouse primary cardiomyocytes were treated with high glucose (33 mmol/l) for 24 hrs and during the last 15 hrs bovine serum albumin‐conjugated palmitate (62.5 μmol/l) was added into the medium to mimic diabetes, and cells were treated with LDR (25 mGy) every 6 hrs during the whole process of HG/Pal treatment. Data show that blocking Akt/MDM2/P53 or Akt/Nrf2 pathways with small interfering RNA of akt, mdm2 and nrf2 not only prevented LDR‐induced anti‐apoptotic and anti‐oxidant effects but also prevented LDR‐induced suppression on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and fibrosis against HG/Pal. Low‐dose radiation prevented diabetic cardiomyopathy by improving cardiac function and hypertrophic remodelling attributed to Akt/MDM2/P53‐mediated anti‐apoptotic and Akt/Nrf2‐mediated anti‐oxidant pathways simultaneously.     

The role of microvesicles and its active molecules in regulating cellular biology

Cell‐derived microvesicles are membrane vesicles produced by the outward budding of the plasma membrane and released by almost all types of cells. These have been considered as another mechanism of intercellular communication, because they carry active molecules, such as proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. Furthermore, these are present in circulating fluids, such as blood and urine, and are closely correlated to the progression of pathophysiological conditions in many diseases. Recent studies have revealed that microvesicles have a dual effect of damage and protection of receptor cells. However, the nature of the active molecules involved in this effect remains unclear. The present study mainly emphasized the mechanism of microvesicles and the active molecules mediating the different biological effects of receptor cells by affecting autophagy, apoptosis and inflammation pathways. The effective ways of blocking microvesicles and its active molecules in mediating cell damage when microvesicles exert harmful effects were also discussed.     

Characterization of Photoactivated Singlet Oxygen Damage in Single-Molecule Optical Trap Experiments

Optical traps or “tweezers” use high-power, near-infrared laser beams to manipulate and apply forces to biological systems, ranging from individual molecules to cells. Although previous studies have established that optical tweezers induce photodamage in live cells, the effects of trap irradiation have yet to be examined in vitro, at the single-molecule level. In this study, we investigate trap-induced damage in a simple system consisting of DNA molecules tethered between optically trapped polystyrene microspheres. We show that exposure to the trapping light affects the lifetime of the tethers, the efficiency with which they can be formed, and their structure. Moreover, we establish that these irreversible effects are caused by oxidative damage from singlet oxygen. This reactive state of molecular oxygen is generated locally by the optical traps in the presence of a sensitizer, which we identify as the trapped polystyrene microspheres. Trap-induced oxidative damage can be reduced greatly by working under anaerobic conditions, using additives that quench singlet oxygen, or trapping microspheres lacking the sensitizers necessary for singlet state photoexcitation. Our findings are relevant to a broad range of trap-based single-molecule experiments—the most common biological application of optical tweezers—and may guide the development of more robust experimental protocols.