Quantification of thiols and disulfides

BACKGROUND

Disulfide bond formation is a key posttranslational modification, with implications for structure, function and stability of numerous proteins. While disulfide bond formation is a necessary and essential process for many proteins, it is deleterious and disruptive for others. Cells go to great lengths to regulate thiol-disulfide bond homeostasis, typically with several, apparently redundant, systems working in parallel. Dissecting the extent of oxidation and reduction of disulfides is an ongoing challenge due, in part, to the facility of thiol/disulfide exchange reactions.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

In the present account, we briefly survey the toolbox available to the experimentalist for the chemical determination of thiols and disulfides. We have chosen to focus on the key chemical aspects of current methodology, together with identifying potential difficulties inherent in their experimental implementation.

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS

While many reagents have been described for the measurement and manipulation of the redox status of thiols and disulfides, a number of these methods remain underutilized. The ability to effectively quantify changes in redox conditions in living cells presents a continuing challenge.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

Many unresolved questions in the metabolic interconversion of thiols and disulfides remain. For example, while pool sizes of redox pairs and their intracellular distribution are being uncovered, very little is known about the flux in thiol-disulfide exchange pathways. New tools are needed to address this important aspect of cellular metabolism. 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.

Oxidative status in ICU patients with septic shock

The aim of this pilot study was to investigate variability of oxidative stress during sepsis evolution. ICU patients with the diagnosis of septic shock were included. Thiobarbituric-acid reactive substances, total antioxidant capacity, protein carbonyls in plasma, reduced, oxidized glutathione and catalase activity in erythrocyte lysate were assessed in the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 8th day after sepsis appearance. A total of 17 patients were divided in two groups: survivors (n=7) and non-survivors (n=10). APACHE II was 11.5 ± 5.4 and 19.9 ± 4.97 in survivors and non-survivors respectively (p=0.005), while mean age and SOFA score at sepsis diagnosis, were similar between the two groups. GSH levels, catalase activity and protein carbonyls presented significant different course in time between survivors and non-survivors (p<0.05). Catalase activity was significantly higher in survivors (238.8 ± 51.5) than non-survivors (166.4 ± 40.2; p=0.005), while protein carbonyls levels were significantly lower in survivors (0.32 ± 0.09) than non-survivors (0.48 ± 0.16; p=0.036) on the 1st day. Yet, non-survivors exhibited a declining course in GSH levels during time, while GSH levels were maintained in survivors. Conclusively, a longstanding antioxidant deficiency in non-surviving patients was noted. This phenomenon was clearly prominent in patients' erythrocytes.

Protective effect of lycopene against ochratoxin A induced renal oxidative stress and apoptosis in rats

This study was designed to investigate the possible protective effect of lycopene against the renal toxic effects of OTA. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (<200 g, n=6) were treated with OTA (0.5 mg/kg/day) and/or lycopene (5 mg/kg/day) by gavage for 14 days. Histopathological examinations were performed and apoptotic cell death in both cortex and medulla was evaluated by TUNEL assay. Besides, biochemical parameters and activities of renal antioxidant selenoenzymes [glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1), thioredoxin reductase (TrxR)], catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD); concentrations of total glutathione (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured. OTA treatment was found to induce oxidative stress in rat kidney, as evidenced by marked decreases in CAT (35%) activity and GSH levels (44%) as well as increase in SOD activity (22%) vs control group. Furthermore, TUNEL analysis revealed a significant increase in the number of TUNEL-positive cells in cortex (49%) and medulla (75%) in OTA administrated group compared to control (p<0.05). Lycopene supplementation with OTA increased GPx1 activity and GSH levels, and decreased apoptotic cell death in both cortex and medulla vs. control. The results of this study showed that at least one of the mechanisms underlying the renal toxicity of OTA is oxidative stress and apoptosis is the major form of cell death caused by OTA. Besides, our data indicate that the natural antioxidant lycopene might be partially protective against OTA-induced nephrotoxicity and oxidative stress in rat.

Inhibition of hepatic methionine adenosyltransferase by peroxides contaminating parenteral nutrition leads to a lower level of glutathione in newborn Guinea pigs

Premature newborn infants on total parenteral nutrition (TPN) are at risk of oxidative stress because of peroxides contaminating TPN and low glutathione level. Low cysteine availability limits glutathione synthesis. In this population, the main source of cysteine derives from the hepatic conversion of methionine. The first enzyme of this conversion, methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT), contains redox-sensitive cysteinyl residues. We hypothesize that inhibition of MAT by peroxides contaminating TPN leads to a lower availability of cysteine for glutathione synthesis. At 3 days of life, animals were fitted with a jugular catheter for intravenous infusion. Four groups were compared by ANOVA (P<0.05): (1) Control, without surgery, fed regular chow; (2) Sham, fitted with an obstructed catheter, fed orally regular chow; (3) TPN, fed exclusively TPN (dextrose, amino acids, fat, vitamins) containing 350 μM peroxides; (4) H2O2, fed regular chow orally and infused with 350 μM H2O2. Four days later, MAT activity and glutathione in liver and blood were lower in TPN and H2O2 groups. The redox potential was more oxidized in blood and liver of the TPN group. In conclusion, peroxides generated in TPN inhibit methionine adenosyltransferase activity with, among consequences, a low level of glutathione and a more oxidized redox potential.