Synergism among oxidants, proteinases, phospholipases, microbial hemolysins, cationic proteins, and cytokines

A striking similarity exists between the pathogenetic properties of group A streptococci and those of activated mammalian professional phagocytes (neutrophils, macrophages). Both types of cells are endowed by the ability to adhere to target cells; to elaborate oxidants, hydrolases, and membrane-active agents (hemolysins, phospholipases); and to freely invade tissues and destroy cells. From the evolutionary point of view, streptococci might justifiably be considered the forefathers of "modern" leukocytes. Our earlier findings that synergy between a streptococcal hemolysin (streptolysin S, SLS) and a streptococcal thiol-dependent proteinase and between cytotoxic antibodies+complement and streptokinase-activated plasmin readily killed tumor cells, led us to hypothesize that by analogy to the pathogenetic mechanisms of streptococci, the mechanisms of tissue destruction initiated by activated leukocytes in inflammatory sites, as well as in tissues undergoing episodes of ischemia and reperfusion, might also be the result of the synergistic effects among leukocyte-derived oxidants, phospholipases, proteinases, cytokines, and cationic proteins. The current report extends our previous synergy studies with endothelial cells to two additional cell types--monkey kidney epithelial cells and rat beating heart cells. Monolayers of 51Cr-labeled cells that had been treated by combinations of sublytic amounts of hydrogen peroxide (generated either by glucose oxidase, xanthine-xanthine oxidase, or by paraquat) and with sublytic amounts of a variety of membrane-active agents (streptolysin S, phospholipases A2 and C, lysophosphatides, histone, chlorhexidine) were killed in a synergistic manner (double synergy). Crystalline trypsin markedly enhanced cell killing by combinations of oxidant and the membrane-active agents (triple synergy). Injury to the cells was characterized by the appearance of large membrane blebs that detached from the cells and floated freely in the media, looking like lipid droplets. Cytotoxicity induced by the various combinations of agonists was depressed, to a large extent, by scavengers of hydrogen peroxide (catalase, dimethyl thiourea, and by Mn2+) but not by SOD or by deferoxamine. When cationic agents were employed together with hydrogen peroxide, polyanions (heparin, polyanethole sulfonate) were also found to inhibit cell killing. It is proposed that in order to effectively combat the deleterious toxic effects of leukocyte-derived agonists on cells and tissues, antagonistic "cocktails" comprised of cationized catalase, cationized SOD, dimethylthiourea, Mn(2+)+glycine, proteinase inhibitors, putative inhibitors of phospholipases, and polyanions might be concocted. The current literature on synergistic phenomena pertaining to mechanisms of cell and tissue injury in inflammation is selectively reviewed.

The reductive capacity index of saliva obtained from donors of various ages

The reducing ability of saliva is decreased with donor age as indicated by cyclic voltammetry measurements of saliva. It has been shown that saliva possesses a strong reducing power that is influenced by the induction of oxidative stress. The exact capacity of saliva to cope with oxidative stress has never been studied in detail. We used a new approach to detect the role of oxidative stress on saliva. This approach included the detection of the total reducing capacity of the saliva without determination of the exact concentration of a specific reducing compound present in the saliva. Induction of oxidative stress resulted in a significant change in the reductive capacity detected. Measurements of the reducing potential of saliva revealed that there is a correlation between the donor age and the reductive capacity observed. Also, saliva obtained from donors in various disease states have shown a significant change in the potential recorded, as compared to controls. The possible use of this method as a diagnostic tool in various diseases is discussed.

The biological reductive capacity of tissues is decreased following exposure to oxidative stress: a cyclic voltammetry study of irradiated rats

The reductive capacity of rat tissue homogenates and body fluids was determined by cyclic voltammetric measurements. The reductive capacity of rat lung, liver and kidney homogenates was significantly reduced four days after total body gamma-ray irradiation with 5.5 Gy as compared to controls. In parallel, reduced ability of the irradiated organ homogenates to scavenge hydroxyl radicals and to destroy hydrogen peroxide was recorded. However, no difference in their superoxide dismutase activity was found. The possible use of cyclic voltammetry as a method for qualitative evaluation of the ability of biological tissues to cope with oxidative stress is discussed.

The SOD like activity of copper:carnosine, copper:anserine and copper:homocarnosine complexes

Carnosine, anserine and homocarnosine are natural compounds which are present in high concentrations (2-20 mM) in skeletal muscles and brain of many vertebrates. We have demonstrated in a previous work that these compounds can act as antioxidants, a result of their ability to scavenge peroxyl radicals, singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radicals. Carnosine and its analogues have been shown to be efficient chelating agents for copper and other transition metals. Since human skeletal muscle contains one-third of the total copper in the body (20-47 mmol/kg) and the concentration of carnosine in this tissue is relatively high, the complex of carnosine:copper may be of biological importance. We have studied the ability of the copper:carnosine (and other carnosine derivatives) complexes to act as superoxide dismutase. The results indicate that the complex of copper:carnosine can dismute superoxide radicals released by neutrophils treated with PMA in an analogous mechanism to other amino acids and copper complexes. Copper:anserine failed to dismute superoxide radicals and copper:homocarnosine complex was efficient when the cells were treated with PMA or with histone-opsonized streptococci and cytochalasine B. The possible role of these compounds to act as physiological antioxidants that possess superoxide dismutase activity is discussed.

Antioxidant activity of carnosine, homocarnosine, and anserine present in muscle and brain

Carnosine, homocarnosine, and anserine are present in high concentrations in the muscle and brain of many animals and humans. However, their exact function is not clear. The antioxidant activity of these compounds has been examined by testing their peroxyl radical-trapping ability at physiological concentrations. Carnosine, homocarnosine, anserine, and other histidine derivatives all showed antioxidant activity. All of these compounds showing peroxyl radical-trapping activity were also electrochemically active as reducing agents in cyclic voltammetric measurements. Furthermore, carnosine inhibited the oxidative hydroxylation of deoxyguanosine induced by ascorbic acid and copper ions. Other roles of carnosine, such as chelation of metal ions, quenching of singlet oxygen, and binding of hydroperoxides, are also discussed. The data suggest a role for these histidine-related compounds as endogenous antioxidants in brain and muscle.

Cytoplasmic membrane is the target organelle for transition metal mediated damage induced by paraquat in Escherichia coli

Bacterial survival indicates that copper or iron is an essential mediator in paraquat toxicity in Escherichia coli [Kohen, R., & Chevion, M. (1985) Free Radical Res. Commun. 1, 79-88; Korbashi, P., Kohen, R., Katzhendler, J., & Chevion, M. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 12472-12476]. In this study we have identified the cytoplasmic membrane as a target organelle in metal-mediated paraquat toxicity and have demonstrated the complete correlation of the membrane damage with the levels of adventitious copper (or iron). The extent of membrane damage was related by use of four parameters: (a) the level of cellular ATP, (b) the level of cellular potassium, (c) the cellular capacity to accumulate and retain radiolabeled leucine, and (d) the cellular integrity as reflected by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Exposure of bacterial cells to a combination of paraquat and copper caused a marked decline in parameters a, b, and c. This decline was found to occur in parallel with, or even to precede, the sharp loss of survival of E. coli under the same conditions. Likewise, TEM micrographs clearly indicated alterations in cellular structure that possibly reflect sites of detachment of the cytoplasmic membrane from the bacterial capsule. In contradistinction, copper alone or paraquat alone could not bring about similar changes in cellular structure. These findings are in accord with the suggested site-specific metal-mediated Haber-Weiss mechanism for paraquat toxicity and support our notion that specific chelators of transition metals could reduce or prevent the biological deleterious effects of this herbicide.

Iron enhancement of ascorbate toxicity

Iron has been shown to enhance ascorbate-induced damage to both acetylcholine esterase and E. coli B in a manner analogous to previous studies with ascorbate and copper ions. It is suggested that the mechanism of damage entails interaction of iron with biological macromolecules, followed by its reduction by ascorbate. Subsequently, the iron (II) could participate in generating hydroxyl radicals from hydrogen peroxide via the Fenton reaction, which in turn, could damage biomolecules in a site-specific and multiple hit fashion. The high abundance of iron in biological systems, especially in certain storage disorders, may indicate an important toxicological role of the combination of iron and ascorbate.

Iron mediates paraquat toxicity in Escherichia coli

The role of iron ions in paraquat toxicity was studied in bacterial system. We show that addition of ferrous iron led to an enhancement of the bacterial killing, whereas addition of chelating agents, such as nitrilotriacetate and desferrioxamine, markedly reduced, up to a total abolishment, the toxic effects. The calculated rates of bacterial killing are proportional to both paraquat and iron concentrations, and conform to the rate equation: dN/dt = -k[paraquat] [Fe2+]. The killing constant for iron, k, is 24-fold smaller than the corresponding value for copper. Mannitol, an OH. scavenger, has a partial protective effect: 15-35% at concentrations range of 1-50 mM, respectively. Histidine, on the other hand, provided a more efficient protection that may be due to a combination of various effects. Induction of endogenous superoxide dismutase and catalase provided partial protection (about 25%). These findings, together with an earlier study on the role of copper in paraquat toxicity (Kohen, R., and Chevion, M. (1985) Free Rad. Res. Commun. 1, 79-88) indicate that transition metals play a central catalytic role in the production of the deleterious effects of paraquat, probably by redox cycling and producing OH. via the site-specific Fenton reaction.

Quantitation of single- and double-strand DNA breaks in vitro and in vivo

This communication describes a rapid and convenient procedure for quantitation of strand breaks in bacterial DNA, both in vitro and in vivo, using agarose gel electrophoresis. The electrophoretic determination of single strand breaks is carried out in alkaline medium, followed by renaturation of the gel and intercalation of the fluorescent dye, ethidium bromide. Double-strand breaks are determined by electrophoresis in neutral medium containing the dye. The distribution of DNA fragment sizes, the determination of the number-average molecular weight, the quantitation of the average number of DNA breaks per molecule, and the ratio between the single- and double-strand breaks are evaluated from microdensitometric scanning of the gels. The application of this analysis to damage caused by a combination of ascorbate and copper is demonstrated.

Transition metals potentiate paraquat toxicity

The involvement of transition metal ions in paraquat toxicity was studied in bacterial model system. We show that the addition of micromolar, or lower, concentrations of copper dramatically enhanced the rate of bacterial inactivation. In contrast, the addition of chelating agents totally eliminated the killing of E. coli. No inactivation was observed under anaerobic exposure to paraquat, both in the absence and presence of copper. However, in the presence of copper, the anaerobic addition of hydrogen peroxide resulted in complete restoration of inactivation as under aerobiosis. Paraquat either produces superoxide ions or directly reduces bound copper ions in a catalytic mode. The reduced cuprous complexes react with hydrogen peroxide to locally form hydroxyl radicals (OH.) which are probably responsible for the deleterious effects. This study indicates the involvement of a site-specific metal-mediated Haber-Weiss mechanism in paraquat toxicity. It is in agreement with earlier observations that copper unusually enhance biological damage induced by either superoxide or ascorbate.