Cadmium and mercury cause an oxidative stress-induced endothelial dysfunction

We investigated the ability of cadmium and mercury ions to cause endothelial dysfunction in bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cell monolayers. Exposure of monolayers for 48 h to metal concentrations greater than 3–5 μM produced profound cytotoxicity (increased lactate dehydrogenase leakage), a permeability barrier failure, depletion of glutathione and ATP and almost complete inhibition of the activity of key thiol enzymes, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). In contrast, metal concentrations less than 1–2 μM induced increases in glutathione and thiol-enzyme activities with minimal changes in LDH leakage, barrier function and ATP content. At shorter incubation times (24 h or less), high concentrations of cadmium caused glutathione induction rather than depletion. Thus, oxidative stress and cytotoxicity induced by lower concentrations of the metal ions stimulate compensatory responses, including increased synthesis of glutathione, which presumably preserved the activity of key thiol enzymes, however these responses were not sustainable at higher metal ion concentrations. We conclude, while high concentrations of heavy metals are cytotoxic, lower concentration induce a compensatory protective response, which may explain threshold effects in metal-ion toxicity.     

The anti-cancer drug, doxorubicin, causes oxidant stress-induced endothelial dysfunction

The anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) is toxic to target cells, but also causes endothelial dysfunction and edema, secondary to oxidative stress in the vascular wall. Thus, the mechanism of action of this drug may involve chemotoxicity to both cancer cells and to the endothelium. Indeed, we found that the permeability of monolayers of bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (BPAEC) to albumin was increased by approximately 10-fold above control, following 24-h exposure to clinically relevant concentrations of DOX (up to 1 microM). DOX also caused >4-fold increases in lactate dehydrogenase leakage and large decreases in ATP and reduced glutathione (GSH) in BPAECs, which paralleled the increases in endothelial permeability. A large part of the ATP loss could be attributed to DOX-induced hydrogen peroxide production which inhibited key thiol-enzymes, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH). Depletion of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) appeared to be a major factor leading to DOX-induced GSH depletion. At low concentrations, the sulfhydryl reagent, iodoacetate (IA), inhibited GAPDH, caused a decrease in ATP and increased permeability, without inhibiting G6PDH or decreasing GSH. These results, coupled with those of previous work on a related quinone, menadione, suggest that depletion of either GSH or ATP may lead independently to endothelial dysfunction during chemotherapy, contributing to the cardiotoxicity and other systemic side-effects of the drug.     

Contribution of mitochondrial GSH transport to matrix GSH status and colonic epithelial cell apoptosis

Previously, we showed that cellular glutathione/glutathione disulfide (GSH/GSSG) play an important role in apoptotic signaling, and early studies linked mitochondrial GSH (mtGSH) loss to enhanced cytotoxicity. The current study focuses on the contribution of mitochondrial GSH transport and mitochondrial GSH/GSSG status to apoptosis initiation in a nontransformed colonic epithelial cell line, NCM460, using menadione (MQ), a quinone with redox cycling bioreactivity, as a model of oxidative challenge. Our results implicate the semiquinone radical in MQ-mediated apoptosis, which was associated with marked oxidation of the mitochondrial soluble GSH and protein-bound thiol pools, mitochondria-to-cytosol translocation of cytochrome c, and activation of caspase-9. MQ-induced apoptosis was potentiated by inhibition of mtGSH uptake in accordance with exacerbated mitochondrial GSSG (mtGSSG) and protein-SSG and compromised mitochondrial respiratory activity. Moreover, cell apoptosis was prevented by N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) pretreatment, which restored cellular redox homeostasis. Importantly, mtGSH transport inhibition effectively blocked NAC-mediated protection in accordance with its failure to attenuate mtGSSG. These results support the importance of mitochondrial GSH transport and the mtGSH status in oxidative cell killing.     

Effects of glutathione depletion on gluconeogenesis in isolated hepatocytes

Glutathione-depleted hepatocytes, by incubation with diethylmaleate (DEM) or phorone (2,6-dimethyl-2,5-heptadiene-4-one), i.e., substrates of the GSH S-transferases (EC 2.5.1.18), showed rates of gluconeogenesis from various precursors significantly lower than controls; however the rate of glucose synthesis from fructose was similar to that of controls. Isolated hepatocytes from rats pretreated with those substrates 1 h before isolation to deplete hepatic glutathione (GSH) also showed a decrease of the rate of gluconeogenesis from lactate plus pyruvate. Incubation of hepatocytes with L-buthionine sulfoximine, a specific inhibitor of gamma-glutamyl-cysteine synthetase (EC 6.3.2.2), resulted in a decreased rate of gluconeogenesis from lactate plus pyruvate only when GSH values were lower than 1 mumol/g cells. Freeze-clamped livers from GSH-depleted rats showed a higher concentration of malate and glycerol 3-phosphate, indicating that GSH depletion probably affects phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activities. Several indicators of cell viability, such as lactate dehydrogenase leakage, malondialdehyde accumulation, ATP concentration, or urea synthesis from different precursors, were not affected by GSH depletion under the experimental conditions used here. Besides, the GSH/GSSG ratio remained unchanged in all cases.     

Potential Role of Cerebral Glutathione in the Maintenance of Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity in Rat

Using the model of glutathione (GSH) depletion, possible role of GSH in the maintenance of blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity was evaluated in rats. Administration (ip) of GSH depletors, diethyl maleate (DEM, 1–4 mmol/kg), phorone (2–3 mmol/kg) and 2-cyclohexene-1-one (CHX, 1 mmol/kg), to male adults was found to deplete brain and liver GSH and increase the BBB permeability to micromolecular tracers (sodium fluorescein and [¹⁴C]sucrose) in a dose-dependent manner at 2h. However, BBB permeability to macromolecular tracers such as horseradish peroxidase and Evan's blue remained unaltered. It was also shown that observed BBB permeability dysfunction was associated with brain GSH depletion. A lower magnitude of BBB increase in rat neonates, as compared to adults, indicated a possible bigger role of GSH in the BBB function of mature brain. The treatment with N-acetylcysteine, methionine and GSH provided a partial to full protection against DEM-induced brain (microvessel) GSH depletion and BBB dysfunction; however, the treatment with -tocopherol, ascorbic acid and turmeric were not effective. Our studies showed that cerebral GSH plays an important role in maintaining the functional BBB integrity.     

Cytochrome P450 2E1 metabolically activates propargyl alcohol: propiolaldehyde-induced hepatocyte cytotoxicity

Pargyline, an antihypertensive agent and monoamine oxidase inhibitor, induces hepatic GSH depletion and hepatotoxicity in vivo in rats [E.G. De Master, H.W. Sumner, E. Kaplan, F. N. Shirota, H.T. Nagasawa, Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 65 (1982) 390-401]. Propargyl alcohol (2-propyn-1-ol), because of its structural similarity to allyl alcohol, was thought to be activated by alcohol dehydrogenase. However, it is a poor substrate compared to allyl alcohol and it was therefore proposed that propargyl alcohol-induced liver injury involved metabolic activation by catalase/H(2)O(2) [E.G. De Master, T. Dahlseid, B. Redfern, Chem. Res. Toxicol. 7 (1994) 414-419]. In the following we showed that; (1) propargyl alcohol-induced cytotoxicity was markedly enhanced in CYP 2E1-induced hepatocytes and prevented by various CYP 2E1 inhibitors but was only slightly affected when alcohol dehydrogenase was inhibited with methylpyrazole/DMSO or when catalase was inactivated with azide or aminotriazole, (2) hepatocyte GSH depletion preceded cytotoxicity and was inhibited by cytochrome P450 inhibitors but not by catalase/alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitors. GSH conjugate formation during propargyl alcohol metabolism by microsomal mixed function oxidase in the presence of GSH was also prevented by anti-rat CYP 2E1 or CYP 2E1 inhibitors, (3) cytotoxicity was prevented when lipid peroxidation was inhibited with antioxidants, desferoxamine (ferric chelator) or dithiothreitol. Propargyl alcohol-induced cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species formation were markedly increased in GSH-depleted hepatocytes. All of this evidence suggests that propargyl alcohol-induced cytotoxicity involves metabolic activation by CYP 2E1 to form propiolaldehyde that causes hepatocyte lysis as a result of GSH depletion and lipid peroxidation.     

Hydrogen-peroxide-scavenging systems within pea chloroplasts

The subcellular distribution of ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase (EC 1.6.4.2) in pea leaves was compared with that of organelle markers. Enzyme distribution was found to be similar to that of the chloroplast enzyme NADPH-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.13). Isolated chloroplasts showed a close correlation between intactness and the percentage of enzyme activity recovered. Chloroplasts of 85% intactness were found to contain a high proportion of leaf dehydroascorbate reductase activity (EC 1.8.5.1), 10% of leaf glutathione and 30% of leaf ascorbate. These results are discussed in relation to the potential role of chloroplast antioxidant systems in plant resistance to environmental and other stress conditions.Abbreviations GSH reduced glutathione - GSSG oxidized glutathione - NADPH-GPD glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase - SOD superoxide dismutase     

Glutathione dependent metabolism and detoxification of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal.

The involvement of glutathione (GSH) dependent processes in the detoxification of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4HNE) was investigated using Chinese hamster fibroblasts and clonogenic cell survival. GSH reacted, in a dose-dependent fashion, with 4HNE in phosphate buffer at pH 6.5, leading to the disappearance of 4HNE. The addition of glutathione transferase activity (GST) facilitated a more rapid disappearance of 4HNE but the reaction was still dependent on the concentration of GSH. When cell cultures were exposed to the reaction mixtures, 4HNE cytotoxicity was also reduced in a manner which was dependent on the concentration of GSH. When 2.16- or 1.08-mM GSH were incubated in phosphate buffer with 1.08-mM 4HNE in the presence or absence of GST, then mixed with media and placed on cells for 1 h, the cytotoxicity associated with exogenous exposure to free 4HNE was abolished. GSH depletion (greater than 90%) using buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) was accomplished in control (HA1) and H2O2-resistant variants derived from HA1. GSH depletion resulted in enhanced cytotoxicity of 4HNE in all cell lines. This BSO-induced sensitization to 4HNE cytotoxicity was accompanied by a significant reduction in the ability of cells to metabolize 4HNE. The magnitude of the sensitization to 4HNE toxicity caused by GSH depletion was similar to the magnitude of the reduction in the ability of cells to metabolize 4HNE. These results support the hypothesis that GSH and GST provide a biologically significant pathway for protection against aldehydic by-products of lipid peroxidation.     

Proteomic identification of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase as an inhibitory target of hydrogen peroxide in Arabidopsis.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is now recognised as a key signalling molecule in eukaryotes. In plants, H2O2 is involved in regulating stomatal closure, gravitropic responses, gene expression and programmed cell death. Although several kinases, such as oxidative signal-inducible 1 (OXI1) kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinases are known to be activated by exogenous H2O2, little is known about the proteins that directly react with H2O2. Here, we utilised a proteomic approach, using iodoacetamide-based fluorescence tagging of proteins in conjunction with mass spectrometric analysis, to identify several proteins that might be potential targets of H2O2 in the cytosolic fraction of Arabidopsis thaliana, the most prominent of which was cytosolic glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (cGAPDH; EC 1.2.1.12). cGAPDH from Arabidopsis is inactivated by H2O2 in vitro, and this inhibition is reversible by the subsequent addition of reductants such as reduced glutathione (GSH). It has been suggested recently that Arabidopsis GAPDH has roles outside of its catalysis as part of glycolysis, while in other systems this includes that of mediating reactive oxygen species (ROS) signalling. Here, we suggest that cGAPDH in Arabidopsis might also have such a role in mediating ROS signalling in plants.     

Hypoxia increases glutathione redox cycle and protects rat lungs against oxidants

Preexposure to hypoxia increased survival and lung reduced glutathione-to-oxidized glutathione ratios (GSH/GSSG) and decreased pleural effusions in rats subsequently exposed to continuous hyperoxia. In addition, lungs from hypoxia-preexposed rats developed less acute edematous injury (decreased lung weight gains and lung lavage albumin concentrations) than lungs from normoxia-preexposed rats when isolated and perfused with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generated by xanthine oxidase (XO) or glucose oxidase (GO). In contrast, when perfused with elastase or exposed to a hydrostatic left atrial pressure challenge, lungs isolated from hypoxia-preexposed rats developed the same acute edematous injury as lungs from normoxia-preexposed rats. The mechanism by which hypoxia preexposure conferred protection against H2O2 appeared to depend on hexose monophosphate shunt (HMPS)-dependent increases in lung glutathione redox cycle activity. First, before perfusion with GO, lungs from hypoxia-preexposed rats had increased glutathione peroxidase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (but not catalase or glutathione reductase) activities compared with lungs from normoxia-preexposed rats. Second, after perfusion with GO, lungs from hypoxia-preexposed rats had increased H2O2 reducing equivalents, as reflected by increased GSH/GSSG and NADPH/NADPH+, compared with lungs from normoxia-preexposed rats. Third, pretreatment of rats with an HMPS inhibitor, (6-aminonicotinamide) or a glutathione reductase inhibitor, [1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea] prevented hypoxia-conferred protection against H2O2-mediated acute edematous injury in isolated lungs. These findings suggest that increased detoxification of H2O2 by glutathione redox cycle and HMPS-dependent mechanisms contributes to tolerance to hyperoxia and resistance to H2O2 of lungs from hypoxia-preexposed rats.     

Glutathione-dependent reductive stress triggers mitochondrial oxidation and cytotoxicity

To investigate the effects of the predominant nonprotein thiol, glutathione (GSH), on redox homeostasis, we employed complementary pharmacological and genetic strategies to determine the consequences of both loss- and gain-of-function GSH content in vitro. We monitored the redox events in the cytosol and mitochondria using reduction-oxidation sensitive green fluorescent protein (roGFP) probes and the level of reduced/oxidized thioredoxins (Trxs). Either H(2)O(2) or the Trx reductase inhibitor 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB), in embryonic rat heart (H9c2) cells, evoked 8 or 50 mV more oxidizing glutathione redox potential, E(hc) (GSSG/2GSH), respectively. In contrast, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) treatment in H9c2 cells, or overexpression of either the glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL) catalytic subunit (GCLC) or GCL modifier subunit (GCLM) in human embryonic kidney 293 T (HEK293T) cells, led to 3- to 4-fold increase of GSH and caused 7 or 12 mV more reducing E(hc), respectively. This condition paradoxically increased the level of mitochondrial oxidation, as demonstrated by redox shifts in mitochondrial roGFP and Trx2. Lastly, either NAC treatment (EC(50) 4 mM) or either GCLC or GCLM overexpression exhibited increased cytotoxicity and the susceptibility to the more reducing milieu was achieved at decreased levels of ROS. Taken together, our findings reveal a novel mechanism by which GSH-dependent reductive stress triggers mitochondrial oxidation and cytotoxicity.     

Mammalian small stress proteins protect against oxidative stress through their ability to increase glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and by maintaining optimal cellular detoxifying machinery

The protective activity of small stress proteins (sHsp) against H2O2-mediated cell death in the highly sensitive murine L929 fibroblast has been analyzed. We report here that the human Hsp27- and murine Hsp25-mediated rise in glutathione (GSH) levels as well as the maintenance of this redox modulator in its reduced form was directly responsible for the protection observed at the level of cell morphology and mitochondrial membrane potential. sHsp expression also buffered the increase in protein oxidation following H2O2 treatment and protected several key enzymes against inactivation. In this case, however, the protection necessitated both an increase in GSH and the presence of sHsp per se since the pattern of protection against protein oxidation mediated by a simple GSH increase was different from that induced by sHsp expression. Among the enzymes analyzed, we noticed that sHsp significantly increased glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity and to a lesser extent glutathione reductase and glutathione transferase activities. Moreover, an increased GSH level was observed in G6PD-overexpressing L929 cell clones. Taken together our results suggest that sHsp protect against oxidative stress through a G6PD-dependent ability to increase and uphold GSH in its reduced form and by using this redox modulator as an essential parameter of their in vivo chaperone activity against oxidized proteins.     

Cytochrome P450 2E1 metabolically activates propargyl alcohol: propiolaldehyde-induced hepatocyte cytotoxicity

Pargyline, an antihypertensive agent and monoamine oxidase inhibitor, induces hepatic GSH depletion and hepatotoxicity in vivo in rats [E.G. De Master, H.W. Sumner, E. Kaplan, F. N. Shirota, H.T. Nagasawa, Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 65 (1982) 390–401]. Propargyl alcohol (2-propyn-1-ol), because of its structural similarity to allyl alcohol, was thought to be activated by alcohol dehydrogenase. However, it is a poor substrate compared to allyl alcohol and it was therefore proposed that propargyl alcohol-induced liver injury involved metabolic activation by catalase/H₂O₂ [E.G. De Master, T. Dahlseid, B. Redfern, Chem. Res. Toxicol. 7 (1994) 414–419]. In the following we showed that; (1) propargyl alcohol-induced cytotoxicity was markedly enhanced in CYP 2E1-induced hepatocytes and prevented by various CYP 2E1 inhibitors but was only slightly affected when alcohol dehydrogenase was inhibited with methylpyrazole/DMSO or when catalase was inactivated with azide or aminotriazole, (2) hepatocyte GSH depletion preceded cytotoxicity and was inhibited by cytochrome P450 inhibitors but not by catalase/alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitors. GSH conjugate formation during propargyl alcohol metabolism by microsomal mixed function oxidase in the presence of GSH was also prevented by anti-rat CYP 2E1 or CYP 2E1 inhibitors, (3) cytotoxicity was prevented when lipid peroxidation was inhibited with antioxidants, desferoxamine (ferric chelator) or dithiothreitol. Propargyl alcohol-induced cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species formation were markedly increased in GSH-depleted hepatocytes. All of this evidence suggests that propargyl alcohol-induced cytotoxicity involves metabolic activation by CYP 2E1 to form propiolaldehyde that causes hepatocyte lysis as a result of GSH depletion and lipid peroxidation.     

Studies on the activation of the heme-stabilized translational inhibitor of reticulocyte lysates by oxidized glutathione and NADPH depletion

The translational inhibition produced by addition of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) to hemin-containing reticulocyte lysates and the accompanying phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of the polypeptide chain initiation factor eIF-2 can be prevented or reversed by NADPH generators, including glucose 6-phosphate, deoxyglucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate, NADPH itself, and also by dithiols, e.g., dithiothreitol, but not by reduced glutathione (GSH) or other monothiols, e.g., 2-mercaptoethanol. The same is true of the inhibition caused by addition of glutamate dehydrogenase, alpha-ketoglutarate, and NH4+, which may be entirely due to NADPH depletion via the reaction.     

Effect of glutathione depletion on the cytotoxicity of xenobiotics and induction of single-strand DNA breaks by ionizing radiation in isolated hamster round spermatids

The role of glutathione (GSH) in cellular protection mechanisms in round spermatids from hamsters was studied. Isolated spermatids were largely depleted of GSH by treating the cells for 2 h with the GSH conjugating agent diethyl maleate (DEM). This treatment resulted in a 90% decrease of the cellular GSH content, but did not affect the ATP content. Exposure of isolated spermatids to cumene hydroperoxide (CHP), a compound which is detoxicated by the GSH redox cycle, showed that the cytotoxicity of the peroxide was markedly potentiated by GSH depletion of the cells. The cytotoxicity was reflected by the cellular ATP content. A decrease of the ATP content of the GSH-depleted spermatids was observed at 5-6-fold lower CHP concentrations, as compared to control cells. An increased cytotoxicity in GSH-depleted cells was also observed using 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), which is a reactive compound that is detoxicated by glutathione conjugation. The induction of single-strand DNA breaks by gamma radiation was 3-5-fold higher in GSH-depleted spermatids as compared to control cells. This radiation-induced damage was estimated under hypoxic conditions (500 p.p.m. O2 in N2). GSH depletion did not affect the repair of single-strand DNA breaks following the irradiation. The present results indicate that cellular GSH has an important function in the defence mechanisms of round spermatids against peroxides, electrophilic xenobiotics and radiation-induced DNA damage.     

Antioxidant function of corneal ALDH3A1 in cultured stromal fibroblasts

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 3A1 (ALDH3A1) is highly expressed in epithelial cells and stromal keratocytes of mammalian cornea and is believed to play an important role in cellular defense. To explore a potential protective role against oxidative damage, a rabbit corneal fibroblastic cell line (TRK43) was stably transfected with the human ALDH3A1 and subjected to oxidative stress induced by H(2)O(2), mitomycin C (MMC), or etoposide (VP-16). ALDH3A1-transfected cells were more resistant to H(2)O(2,) MMC, and VP-16 compared to the vector-transfected cells. All treatments induced apoptosis only in vector-transfected cells, which was associated with increased levels of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE)-adducted proteins. Treatment with H(2)O(2) resulted in a rise in reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in all groups but was more pronounced in the ALDH3A1-expressing cells. Treatment with the DNA-damaging agents led to GSH depletion in control groups, although the depletion was significantly less in ALDH3A1-expressing cells. Increased carbonylation of ALDH3A1 but not significant decline in enzymatic activity was observed after all treatments. In conclusion, our results suggest that ALDH3A1 may act to protect corneal cells against cellular oxidative damage by metabolizing toxic lipid peroxidation products (e.g., 4-HNE), maintaining cellular GSH levels and redox balance, and operating as an antioxidant.     

Insulin regulation of glutathione and contractile phenotype in diabetic rat ventricular myocytes

Cardiovascular complications of diabetes mellitus involve oxidative stress and profound changes in reduced glutathione (GSH), an essential tripeptide that controls many redox-sensitive cell functions. This study examined regulation of GSH by insulin to identify mechanisms controlling cardiac redox state and to define the functional impact of GSH depletion. GSH was measured by fluorescence microscopy in ventricular myocytes isolated from Sprague-Dawley rats made diabetic by streptozotocin, and video and confocal microscopy were used to measure mechanical properties and Ca(2+) transients, respectively. Spectrophotometric assays of tissue extracts were also done to measure the activities of enzymes that control GSH levels. Four weeks after injection of streptozotocin, mean GSH concentration ([GSH]) in isolated diabetic rat myocytes was approximately 36% less than in control, correlating with decreased activities of two major enzymes regulating GSH levels: glutathione reductase and gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase. Treatment of diabetic rat myocytes with insulin normalized [GSH] after a delay of 3-4 h. A more rapid but transient upregulation of [GSH] occurred in myocytes treated with dichloroacetate, an activator of pyruvate dehydrogenase. Inhibitor experiments indicated that insulin normalized [GSH] via the pentose pathway and gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, although the basal activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was not different between diabetic and control hearts. Diabetic rat myocytes were characterized by significant mechanical dysfunction that correlated with diminished and prolonged Ca(2+) transients. This phenotype was reversed by in vitro treatment with insulin and also by exogenous GSH or N-acetylcysteine, a precursor of GSH. Our data suggest that insulin regulates GSH through pathways involving de novo GSH synthesis and reduction of its oxidized form. It is proposed that a key function of glucose metabolism in heart is to supply reducing equivalents required to maintain adequate GSH levels for the redox control of Ca(2+) handling proteins and contraction.     

Elucidation of the mechanism of selenoprotein glutathione peroxidase (GPx)-catalyzed hydrogen peroxide reduction by two glutathione molecules: a density functional study

The mechanism of the hydrogen peroxide reduction by two molecules of glutathione catalyzed by the selenoprotein glutatione peroxidase (GPx) has been computationally studied. It has been shown that the first elementary reaction of this process, (E-SeH) + H(2)O(2) --> (E-SeOH) + H(2)O (1), proceeds via a stepwise pathway with the overall barrier of 17.1 kcal/mol, which is in good agreement with the experimental barrier of 14.9 kcal/mol. During reaction 1, the Gln83 residue has been found to play a key role as a proton acceptor, which is consistent with experiments. The second elementary reaction, (E-SeOH) + GSH --> (E-Se-SG) + HOH (2), proceeds with the barrier of 17.9 kcal/mol. The last elementary reaction, (E-Se-SG) + GSH --> (E-SeH) + GS-SG (3), is initiated with the coordination of the second glutathione molecule. The calculations clearly suggest that the amide backbone of the Gly50 residue directly participates in this reaction and the presence of two water molecules is absolutely vital for the reaction to occur. This reaction proceeds with the barrier of 21.5 kcal/mol and is suggested to be a rate-determining step of the entire GPx-catalyzed reaction H(2)O(2) + 2GSH --> GS-SG + 2H(2)O. The results discussed in the present study provide intricate details of every step of the catalytic mechanism of the GPx enzyme and are in good general agreement with experimental findings and suggestions.     

Beneficial effect of (-)schisandrin B against 3-nitropropionic acid-induced cell death in PC12 cells

Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by the dysfunction of mitochondrial energy metabolism, which is associated with the functional impairment of succinate dehydrogenase (mitochondrial complex II), and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH). Treatment with 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP), a potent irreversible inhibitor of succinate dehydrogenase, replicates most of the pathophysiological features of HD. In the present study, we investigated the effect of (-)schisandrin B [(-)Sch B, a potent enantiomer of schisandrin B] on 3-NP-induced cell injury in rat differentiated neuronal PC12 cells. The 3-NP caused cell necrosis, as assessed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, and mitochondrion-dependent cell apoptosis, as assessed by caspase-3 and caspase-9 activation, in differentiated PC12 cells. The cytotoxicity induced by 3-NP was associated with a depletion of cellular reduced glutathione (GSH) as well as the activation of redox-sensitive c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway and the inhibition of PDH. (-)Sch B pretreatment (5 and 15 μM) significantly reduced the extent of necrotic and apoptotic cell death in 3-NP-challenged cells. The cytoprotection afforded by (-)Sch B pretreatment was associated with the attenuation of 3-NP-induced GSH depletion as well as JNK activation and PDH inhibition. (-)Sch B pretreatment enhanced cellular glutathione redox status and ameliorated the 3-NP-induced cellular energy crisis, presumably by suppressing the activated JNK-mediated PDH inhibition, thereby protecting against necrotic and apoptotic cell death in differentiated PC12 cells.     

The relative effectiveness of .OH, H2O2, O2-, and reducing free radicals in causing damage to biomembranes. A study of radiation damage to erythrocyte ghosts using selective free radical scavengers

The relative effectiveness of oxidizing (.OH, H2O2), ambivalent (O2-) and reducing free radicals (e- and CO2-) in causing damage to membranes and membrane=bound glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase of resealed erythrocyte ghosts has been determined. The rates of damage to membrane-bound glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (R(enz)) were measured and the rates of damage to membranes (R(mb)) were assessed by measuring changes in permeability of the resealed ghosts to the relatively low molecular weight substrates of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Each radical was selectively isolated from the mixture produced during gamma-irradiation, using appropriate mixtures of scavengers such as catalase, superoxide dismutase and formate. .OH, O2- and H2O2 were approximately equally effective in inactivating membrane-bound glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, while e- and CO2- were the least effective. R(enz) values of O2- and H2O2 were 10-times and of .OH 15-times that of e-. R(mb) values were quite similar for e- and H2O2 (about twice that of O2-), while that of .OH was 3-times that of O2-. Hence, with respect to R(mb): .OH greater than e- = H2O2 greater than O2-, and with respect to R(enz): .OH greater than O2- = H2O2 much greater than e-. The difference between the effectiveness of the most damaging and the least damaging free radicals was more than 10-fold greater in damage to the enzyme than to the membranes. Comparison between H2O2 added as a chemical reagent and H2O2 formed by irradiation showed that membranes and membrane-bound glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase were relatively inert to reagent H2O2 but markedly susceptible to the latter.