Increased serum concentrations of conjugated diens and malondialdehyde in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

6-Gingerol alleviates placental injury in preeclampsia by inhibiting oxidative stress via BNIP3/LC3 signaling-mediated trophoblast mitophagy

Background and aims: Preeclampsia (PE) is the leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Apoptosis of trophoblast cells induced by oxidative stress is a principal reason of placental injury in PE. 6-Gingerol, an antioxidant from ginger, plays an important role in many disease models, but its effect on obstetric diseases has not been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of 6-gingerol against placental injury. Methods: In vitro hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model of HTR8/Svneo cells and preeclamptic mice model were established to simulate PE. The effects of 6-Gingerol on PE were evaluated by morphological detection, biochemical analysis, and Western blot. Results: We found that H/R treatment induced cell apoptosis, increased the production of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde and lactate dehydrogenase, and decreased superoxide dismutase in trophoblast. In addition, the polarization of mitochondrial membrane potential and the cellular calcium flux were also destroyed under H/R condition, which also activated BCL2-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) and provoked excessive mitophagy. Importantly, 6-Gingerol reversed these corrosive effects. Furthermore, the placenta damage in PE-like mouse caused by the cell apoptosis, oxidative stress and mitophagy was mitigated by 6-Gingerol. Conclusion: These findings suggest that 6-Gingerol exerts a protective effect against placental injury in PE by reducing oxidative stress and inhibiting excessive mitophagy caused by mitochondrial dysfunction.

Tissue-specific assessment of oxidative status: Wild boar as a case study

In recent decades, there has been a fast-growing interest in using biomarkers of oxidative stress (BOS) in conservation programs of many vertebrate species. Biomarkers of oxidative stress can be measured in different biological samples (e.g., body fluids and tissues). However, since comparisons of the same battery of BOS among tissues of the same individual are scarce in the literature, the chosen target tissues regularly rely on arbitrary decisions. Our research aimed to determine if the oxidative status of free-ranging wild boar (Sus scrofa) naturally infected with Mycobacterium spp (etiological agent of tuberculosis, TB), varies depending on the sample where it was quantified. We compared antioxidant p-nitrophenyl esterase activity (EA), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) concentrations, and total oxidative status (TOS) in serum, lung, spleen, kidney, and muscle of 63 wild boar hunter-harvested in central Spain. Biomarkers of oxidative stress in serum had higher concentrations than in other tissues. The poor agreement between serum and other tissues highlights the importance of running complete BOS assessments in the same fluid or tissue. Further, low concentrations of BOS in tissues of TB-affected individuals were observed, and significant differences between healthy and sick boar were only detected in the serum of individuals developing mild TB and in the muscle of individuals with mild or severe disease status. However, all organs from wild boars affected with mild TB were not in oxidative imbalance compared to healthy control animals, suggesting that wild boars may cope well with TB. Our data indicate that serum and other tissues can be used as BOS in field conservation programs to monitor wildlife population health. Still, context-specific validations are needed to determine the most appropriate samples to use.

Effect of Ginger on Inflammatory Diseases

Ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and lupus erythematosus are some of common inflammatory diseases. These affections are highly disabling and share signals such as inflammatory sequences and immune dysregulation. The use of foods with anti-inflammatory properties such as ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) could improve the quality of life of these patients. Ginger is a plant widely used and known by its bioactive compounds. There is enough evidence to prove that ginger possesses multiple biological activities, especially antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about the bioactive compounds of ginger and their role in the inflammatory process and its signaling pathways. We can conclude that the compounds 6-shoagol, zingerone, and 8-shoagol display promising results in human and animal models, reducing some of the main symptoms of some inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. For lupus, 6-gingerol demonstrated a protective attenuating neutrophil extracellular trap release in response to phosphodiesterase inhibition. Ginger decreases NF-kβ in psoriasis, and its short-term administration may be an alternative coadjuvant treatment. Ginger may exert a function of supplementation and protection against cancer. Furthermore, when receiving chemotherapy, ginger may reduce some symptoms of treatment (e.g., nausea).

Oxidative stress and ER stress are related to severity of tubercular infection

To report the markers of oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in tuberculosis of differing severity. Ninety patients with tuberculosis, 30 each with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), Pott's spine (PS) and tuberculous meningitis (TBM) were included. The diagnosis and severity of the respective group was based on pre-defined criteria. Six-months outcome and complications (Hyponatremia, paradoxical worsening and Drug induced hepatitis(DIH)) were recorded. Serum Melanodehyde (MDA) , glutathione (GSH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), ER stress markers ATF-4,GRP-78 and CHOP, were measured using spectrophotometry and real time PCR. The oxidative and ER stress markers were correlated with different subgroups, severity of TBM, complications and outcome. The severity of TBM correlated with alteration in oxidative and ER stress markers. MDA was related to hyponatremia (P = 0.045), paradoxical worsening (P = 0.035) and DIH (P = 0.038), TAC correlated with paradoxical worsening (P = 0.047) and DIH (P = 0.015). In PS, MDA correlated with paradoxical worsening (P = 0.032) and DIH (P = 0.032); and in PTB, MDA correlated with hyponatremia (P = 0.025) and DIH (P = 0.037). Changes in stress marker levels were more marked in TBM compared to PS and PTB. Outcome of TBM correlated with MDA (P = 0.002), PS to MDA(P = 0.004), TAC(P = 0.05) CHOP(P = 0.004), GRP78(P = 0.001), ATF4(P = 0.045) and PTB to MDA(P = 0.0450), TAC(P = 0.014), CHOP(P = 0.025) and GRP78(P = 0.035). Oxidative and ER stress markers seem to be related to severity of TB, its complications and outcome.

Personalized profiles of antioxidant signaling pathway in patients with tuberculosis

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

The non-protein thiol glutathione is protective against infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and, together with the transcription factor NRF2 (the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2), plays a crucial role in counteracting MTB-induced redox imbalance. Many genes implicated in the antioxidant response belong to the NRF2-signalling pathway, whose central role in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis (TB) has been recently proposed.

METHODS

In this study, we measured GSH levels in blood of patients with active TB and analysed the individual NRF2-mediated redox profile, in order to provide additional tools for discriminating the pathologic TB state and addressing therapeutic interventions.

RESULTS

Our findings show a systemic individual modulation of GSH and NRF2 signaling pathway in patients with TB, with a "personalized" induction of NRF2-target genes.

CONCLUSION

This study can provide useful tools to monitor the course of the infection and address patients' treatment.

Thiol-disulphide homoeostasis as a novel oxidative stress biomarker in lung tuberculosis patient

AIMS OF STUDY

To compare a novel oxidative stress biomarker dynamic thiol/disulphide homoeostasis between patients with lung tuberculosis and healthy controls.

METHODS

Our study included 50 patients with active lung tuberculosis and 50 healthy controls. Serum thiol/disulphide was measured with a new automated spectrometric method developed and results were compared statistically.

RESULTS

We found that native and total thiol levels were significantly decreased in patients with lung tuberculosis, disulphide/native thiol and disulphide/total thiol levels were found to be higher in lung tuberculosis patients when compared with the control group. However, disulphide levels were higher in the control group than in the patient group.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results of this study, it can be said that oxidative stress is closely associated with lung tuberculosis pathogenesis. There is a need for new studies that will show the possible effects of oxidative stress on lung tuberculosis pathogenesis.

The cyclic nitroxide antioxidant 4-methoxy-TEMPO decreases mycobacterial burden in vivo through host and bacterial targets

Tuberculosis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by persistent infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The rise of antibiotic resistant strains necessitates the design of novel treatments. Recent evidence shows that not only is M. tuberculosis highly resistant to oxidative killing, it also co-opts host oxidant production to induce phagocyte death facilitating bacterial dissemination. We have targeted this redox environment with the cyclic nitroxide derivative 4-methoxy-TEMPO (MetT) in the zebrafish-M. marinum infection model. MetT inhibited the production of mitochondrial ROS and decreased infection-induced cell death to aid containment of infection. We identify a second mechanism of action whereby stress conditions, including hypoxia, found in the infection microenvironment appear to sensitise M. marinum to killing by MetT both in vitro and in vivo. Together, our study demonstrates MetT inhibited the growth and dissemination of M. marinum through host and bacterial targets.

Pharmaceutical Cocrystal Formation of Pyrazinamide with 3-Hydroxybenzoic Acid: A Terahertz and Raman Vibrational Spectroscopies Study

Vibrational modes of pyrazinamide (PZA), 3-hydroxybenzoic acid (3-hBA), and their cocrystal were characterized using terahertz time-domain (THz-TDS) and Raman vibrational spectroscopic techniques. In experimental THz spectra, the cocrystal has characteristic absorption bands at around 0.81, 1.47, and 1.61 THz, respectively, meanwhile the raw materials are absolutely different in this region. Raman spectra also show similar results about differences between the cocrystal and corresponding starting parent materials. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to simulate both optimized structures and vibrational modes of the cocrystal formed between PZA and 3-hBA. The vibrational modes of such cocrystal are assigned through comparing the simulation DFT frequency results with experimental vibrational spectra. The calculation of the theoretical THz spectrum shows that the hydrogen bonding effect established between H11⁻N12⁻H13 and the carboxyl group -COOH makes contributions to the formation of absorption peaks in 0.49, 0.62, 0.83, and 1.61 THz, which agrees pretty well with experimental results. The theoretical Raman result also matches well with experimental observations. The results provide a fundamental benchmark for the study of pharmaceutical cocrystal formation and also inter-molecular hydrogen bonding interactions between active pharmaceutical ingredients and various cocrystal coformers based on Raman and terahertz vibrational spectroscopic techniques combined with theoretical simulations.

Dietary Intake of Antioxidant Vitamins and Carotenoids and Risk of Developing Active Tuberculosis in a Prospective Population-Based Cohort Study

Antioxidants may protect against oxidative stress, which is associated with tuberculosis (TB) disease. However, direct evidence for a protective association between dietary antioxidants and TB incidence in humans has been lacking. The relationship between intake of antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, C, D, and E) and individual carotenoids (α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, and lutein) and TB incidence was examined in the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a prospective cohort study of 63,257 adults aged 45-74 years enrolled during 1993-1998. Baseline intake of these antioxidants was estimated using a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire including questions on use of dietary supplements. After an average of 16.9 years of follow-up, 1,186 incident active TB cases were identified among cohort participants. Compared with the lowest quartile, reduced risk of active TB was observed for the highest quartile of vitamin A intake (hazard ratio = 0.71, 95% confidence interval: 0.59, 0.85; P-trend < 0.01) and β-carotene intake (hazard ratio = 0.76, 95% confidence interval: 0.63, 0.91; P-trend < 0.01), regardless of smoking status. Lower TB risk was seen for vitamin C intake among current smokers only. Other vitamins and carotenoids were not associated with TB risk. These results suggest that vitamin C may reduce TB risk among current smokers by ameliorating oxidative stress, while vitamin A and β-carotene may have additional antimycobacterial properties.

Oxidative Stress Markers in Tuberculosis and HIV/TB Co-Infection

INTRODUCTION

Dysfunction of redox homeostasis has been implicated in many pathological conditions. An imbalance of pro- and anti-oxidants have been observed in Tuberculosis (TB) and its co-morbidities especially HIV/AIDS. The pro inflammatory milieu in either condition aggravates the physiological balance of the redox mechanisms. The present study therefore focuses on assessing the redox status of patients suffering from TB and HIV-TB co-infection.

AIM

To assess the oxidative stress markers in the HIV-TB and TB study cohort.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The current prospective study was conducted in Haffkine Institute, Parel, Maharashtra, India, during January 2013 to December 2015. Blood samples from 50 patients each suffering from active TB and HIV-TB co-infection were collected from Seth G.S.Medical College and KEM Hospital Mumbai and Group of Tuberculosis Hospital, Sewree Mumbai. Samples were processed and the experiments were carried out at the Department of Biochemistry, Haffkine Institute. Samples from 50 healthy volunteers were used as controls. Serum was assessed for pro-oxidant markers such as Nitric Oxide (NO), Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Species (TBARS), C-Reactive Protein (CRP), superoxide anion. Antioxidant markers such as catalase and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) were assessed. Total serum protein, was also assessed.

RESULTS

Among the pro-oxidants, serum NO levels were decreased in TB group while no change was seen in HIV-TB group. TBARS and CRP levels showed significant increase in both groups; superoxide anion increased significantly in HIV-TB group. Catalase levels showed decreased activities in TB group. SOD activity significantly increased in HIV-TB but not in TB group. The total serum proteins were significantly increased in HIV-TB and TB groups. The values of Control cohort were with the normal reference ranges.

CONCLUSION

In the present study, we found the presence of oxidative stress to be profound in the TB and HIV-TB co-infection population.

Tea Drinking and Its Association with Active Tuberculosis Incidence among Middle-Aged and Elderly Adults: The Singapore Chinese Health Study

Experimental studies showed that tea polyphenols may inhibit growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, no prospective epidemiologic study has investigated tea drinking and the risk of active tuberculosis. We investigated this association in the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a prospective population-based cohort of 63,257 Chinese aged 45–74 years recruited between 1993 and 1998 in Singapore. Information on habitual drinking of tea (including black and green tea) and coffee was collected via structured questionnaires. Incident cases of active tuberculosis were identified via linkage with the nationwide tuberculosis registry up to 31 December 2014. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the relation of tea and coffee consumption with tuberculosis risk. Over a mean 16.8 years of follow-up, we identified 1249 incident cases of active tuberculosis. Drinking either black or green tea was associated with a dose-dependent reduction in tuberculosis risk. Compared to non-drinkers, the hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) was 1.01 (0.85–1.21) in monthly tea drinkers, 0.84 (0.73–0.98) in weekly drinkers, and 0.82 (0.71–0.96) in daily drinkers (p for trend = 0.003). Coffee or caffeine intake was not significantly associated with tuberculosis risk. In conclusion, regular tea drinking was associated with a reduced risk of active tuberculosis.

Neopterin and oxidative stress markers in the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis

BACKGROUND

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) often presents with nonspecific signs and symptoms. Further the paucibacillary nature of extrapulmonary specimens and irregular distribution of bacilli lower the sensitivity of conventional diagnostic methods making EPTB, a diagnostic dilemma.

OBJECTIVE

To study neopterin, protein carbonyl and malondialdehyde (MDA) in EPTB.

METHODS

Sixty nine clinically confirmed cases with an equal number of age and sex matched healthy controls were enrolled. Ziehl-Neelsen staining for acid fast bacilli and culture on Lowenstein-Jensen medium were performed on all the extrapulmonary specimens. Serum neopterin and protein carbonyl levels were estimated using commercial ELISA kits. Malondialdehyde was determined by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances.

RESULTS

Serum neopterin, protein carbonyl and MDA levels were significantly discriminative for cases of EPTB from healthy controls (p < 0.05). Levels of all the three biomarkers under study significantly differed between culture as well as smear positive and negative cases. A positive correlation between neopterin and protein carbonyl was seen among the cases.

CONCLUSIONS

So far few studies have integrated combination of validated host biomarkers for active disease in EPTB. Our study suggests the potential diagnostic role of neopterin, protein carbonyl and MDA in EPTB.

Oxidative Stress in Wild Boars Naturally and Experimentally Infected with Mycobacterium bovis

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS-RNS) are important defence substances involved in the immune response against pathogens. An excessive increase in ROS-RNS, however, can damage the organism causing oxidative stress (OS). The organism is able to neutralise OS by the production of antioxidant enzymes (AE); hence, tissue damage is the result of an imbalance between oxidant and antioxidant status. Though some work has been carried out in humans, there is a lack of information about the oxidant/antioxidant status in the presence of tuberculosis (TB) in wild reservoirs. In the Mediterranean Basin, wild boar (Sus scrofa) is the main reservoir of TB. Wild boar showing severe TB have an increased risk to Mycobacterium spp. shedding, leading to pathogen spreading and persistence. If OS is greater in these individuals, oxidant/antioxidant balance in TB-affected boars could be used as a biomarker of disease severity. The present work had a two-fold objective: i) to study the effects of bovine TB on different OS biomarkers (namely superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalasa (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)) in wild boar experimentally challenged with Mycobacterium bovis, and ii) to explore the role of body weight, sex, population and season in explaining the observed variability of OS indicators in two populations of free-ranging wild boar where TB is common. For the first objective, a partial least squares regression (PLSR) approach was used whereas, recursive partitioning with regression tree models (RTM) were applied for the second. A negative relationship between antioxidant enzymes and bovine TB (the more severe lesions, the lower the concentration of antioxidant biomarkers) was observed in experimentally infected animals. The final PLSR model retained the GPX, SOD and GR biomarkers and showed that 17.6% of the observed variability of antioxidant capacity was significantly correlated with the PLSR X’s component represented by both disease status and the age of boars. In the samples from free-ranging wild boar, however, the environmental factors were more relevant to the observed variability of the OS biomarkers than the TB itself. For each OS biomarker, each RTM was defined as a maximum by one node due to the population effect. Along the same lines, the ad hoc tree regression on boars from the population with a higher prevalence of severe TB confirmed that disease status was not the main factor explaining the observed variability in OS biomarkers. It was concluded that oxidative damage caused by TB is significant, but can only be detected in the absence of environmental variation in wild boar.

Immune Cell Regulatory Pathways Unexplored as Host-Directed Therapeutic Targets for Mycobacterium tuberculosis: An Opportunity to Apply Precision Medicine Innovations to Infectious Diseases

The lack of novel antimicrobial drugs in development for tuberculosis treatment has provided an impetus for the discovery of adjunctive host-directed therapies (HDTs). Several promising HDT candidates are being evaluated, but major advancement of tuberculosis HDTs will require understanding of the master or "core" cell signaling pathways that control intersecting immunologic and metabolic regulatory mechanisms, collectively described as "immunometabolism." Core regulatory pathways conserved in all eukaryotic cells include poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs), sirtuins, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. Critical interactions of these signaling pathways with each other and their roles as master regulators of immunometabolic functions will be addressed, as well as how Mycobacterium tuberculosis is already known to influence various other cell signaling pathways interacting with them. Knowledge of these essential mechanisms of cell function regulation has led to breakthrough targeted treatment advances for many diseases, most prominently in oncology. Leveraging these exciting advances in precision medicine for the development of innovative next-generation HDTs may lead to entirely new paradigms for treatment and prevention of tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect of ginger in tuberculosis

BACKGROUND

Tuberculosis (TB) has reemerged to become the world's leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. Inflammatory cytokines play an important role during the course of the disease and may be responsible for tissue damage by lipid peroxidation. The study was aimed to explore the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect of ginger in pulmonary TB patients.

METHODS

A total of 69 pulmonary TB patients participated in a randomized and placebo-controlled study. The intervention group received 3 g of ginger extract daily for 1 month and placebo group was supplemented with starch capsule. Participants of both groups were taking standard antitubercular treatment during the study. The concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, ferritin and malondialdehyde (MDA) in blood samples were analyzed before and after the intervention by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for TNF alpha and ferritin and spectrophotometry for MDA.

RESULTS

Ginger supplementation significantly reduced the levels of TNF alpha, ferritin and MDA in ginger supplemented group in comparison to baseline. Ginger supplementation with antitubercular treatment significantly lowered TNF alpha, ferritin and MDA concentrations in comparison to control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Ginger was found to be effective as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant supplement along with anti-TB therapy as it possesses strong free radical scavenging property.

Chronic Periodontitis in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Oxidative Stress as a Common Factor in Periodontal Tissue Injury

INTRODUCTION

The prevalence of periodontitis is significantly higher among people with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Majority of tissue destruction in periodontitis is considered to be the result of an aberrant inflammatory/immune response to microbial plaque and involve prolonged release of reactive oxygen species (ROS). There is increased evidence for compromised antioxidant capacity in periodontal tissues and fluids which may be an added factor for tissue damage in periodontitis.

AIM

To study the possible role of Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant status in blood among chronic periodontitis patients with and without Type 2 Diabetes mellitus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study comprised of total 100 subjects among which 25 were normal healthy controls, 25 were gingivitis patients, 25 were chronic periodontitis patients (CP) and 25 were having chronic periodontitis with type 2 diabetes (CP with DM). ROS levels were determined as MDA (Malondialdehyde) and antioxidant status as plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC), vitamin C and erythrocyte Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activity.

RESULTS

There was significant increase in MDA levels in all the patient groups compared with healthy controls (p<0.05). The decrease in TAC, Vitamin C and SOD levels among CP with DM patients as compared to controls was highly significant (p<0.01). There was a positive correlation between the probing pocket depth and MDA levels among periodontitis patients with diabetes (r=0.566, p=0.003).

CONCLUSION

There is increased oxidative stress in chronic periodontitis with and without type 2 diabetes indicating a common factor involvement in tissue damage. More severe tissue destruction in periodontitis is associated with excessive ROS generation which is positively correlated in type 2 diabetic subjects.

Smokeless tobacco consumption impedes metabolic, cellular, apoptotic and systemic stress pattern: A study on Government employees in Kolkata, India

Smokeless tobacco (SLT) remains a threat amongst a large population across the globe and particularly in India. The oral use of tobacco has been implicated to cause physiological stress leading to extreme toxicological challenge. The study included 47 SLT-users and 44 non-users providing a spectrum of pathophysiological, clinico-biochemical, antioxidant parameters, cell cycle progression study of PBMC and morphological changes of red blood cells (RBC). The expressions of p53, p21, Bax, Bcl-2, IL-6, TNF- α, Cox-2, iNOS were analyzed from thirteen representative SLT-users and twelve non-users. Difference in CRP, random glucose, serum cholesterol, TG, HLDL-C, LDL-C, VLDL-C, neutrophil count, monocyte count, ESR, SOD (PBMC) and TBARS (RBC membrane) were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05) between the studied groups. The current study confers crucial insight into SLT mediated effects on systemic toxicity and stress. This has challenged the metabolic condition leading to a rise in the inflammatory status, increased apoptosis and RBC membrane damage. The above findings were substantiated with metabolic, clinical and biochemical parameters. This is possibly the first ever in-depth report and remains an invaluable document on the fatal effects of SLT.

Effects of α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid in the severity and management of traumatic brain injury in albino rats

Background:

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is accompanied by substantial accumulation of biomarkers of oxidative stress and depletion of antioxidants reserve which initiate chain reactions that damage brain cells. The present study investigated the role of ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol on the severity and management of TBI in rats.

Materials and Methods:

Wistar rats were subjected to closed head injury using an accelerated impact device. Rats were administered 45 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg body weight of ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol or a combination of the two vitamins for 2 weeks pre- and post injury. Blood and brain tissue homogenates were analyzed for vitamin C, vitamin E, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and creatine kinase activities.

Results:

The results indicated that TBI caused significant (P < 0.05) decreased in vitamins C and E levels in the blood and brain tissue of TBI-untreated rats. The activities of superoxide dismutase in TBI rats were markedly reduced when compared with non traumatized control and showed a tendency to increased following supplementation with vitamins C and E. Supplementation of the vitamins significantly (P < 0.05) reduced malondialdehyde in the treatment groups compared with the TBI-untreated group.

Conclusion:

The study indicated that pre and post treatment with ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol reduced oxidative stress induced by brain injury and effectively reduced mortality rate in rats.

A study of serum malondialdehyde and cytokine in tuberculosis patients

INTRODUCTION

Tuberculosis (TB) is a common and a deadly infectious disease which is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculi. Inflammatory cytokines play an important role during the course of the disease and they may be responsible for tissue damage which is caused by lipid peroxidation.

METHOD

The present study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry and patients were selected from Department of TB and Chest Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences and also from Manorama Raje Tuberculosis Hospital, Indore. 32 healthy controls and 35 pulmonary TB patients were compared initially for their serum Malondialdehyde (MDA) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF α) levels. Serum TNF α and MDA levels were correlated.

RESULT

TNF α and MDA levels in serum were significantly increased (p<0.001) in pulmonary tuberculosis patients as compared to those of controls. Increased Serum TNF α was positively correlated to MDA levels and it was found to be statistically not significant (correlation coefficient r =0.282,p> 0.05 ).

CONCLUSION

The present study supports the view that there may be a link between lipid peroxidation and cytokine response and relative roles of cytokines and lipid peroxidation in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis.

Breath tests in respiratory and critical care medicine: from research to practice in current perspectives

Today, exhaled nitric oxide has been studied the most, and most researches have now focused on asthma. More than a thousand different volatile organic compounds have been observed in low concentrations in normal human breath. Alkanes and methylalkanes, the majority of breath volatile organic compounds, have been increasingly used by physicians as a novel method to diagnose many diseases without discomforts of invasive procedures. None of the individual exhaled volatile organic compound alone is specific for disease. Exhaled breath analysis techniques may be available to diagnose and monitor the diseases in home setting when their sensitivity and specificity are improved in the future.

Modulatory effect of sesamol on DOCA-salt-induced oxidative stress in uninephrectomized hypertensive rats

The present study was undertaken to investigate the antihypertensive and antioxidant effects of sesamol on uninephrectomized deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt-induced hypertensive rats. Hypertension was induced in surgically single-kidney-removed (left) adult male albino Wistar rats, weighing 180–200 g, by injecting DOCA (25 mg/kg BW) subcutaneously twice a week for 6 weeks, with saline instead of tap water for drinking. Rats were treated with three different doses of sesamol (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg BW) post-orally by gavage daily for 6 weeks. Hypertension was revealed by increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure and the toxicity of DOCA-salt was determined using hepatic marker enzymes, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phospatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase; and, lipid peroxidative markers, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, lipid hydroperoxides and conjugated dienes were assayed. The activities of enzymatic antioxidants, superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase and the levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E and reduced glutathione) were evaluated in erythrocytes, plasma and tissues. Post-oral administration of sesamol at the dosage of 50 mg/kg BW remarkably decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure, hepatic marker enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation products and also enhanced the antioxidant activity. The biochemical observations were also supported by histopathological examinations of the rat liver, kidney and heart sections. These results suggest that sesamol possesses antihypertensive and antioxidant effects.

In vivo anti-hyperglycemic and antioxidant potentials of ethanolic extract from Tecomella undulata

This study was undergone to evaluate the in-vivo anti-hyperglycemic and antioxidant potential of ethanolic extract of leaves of Tecomella undulata Seem. on streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced type 2 diabetic rats. Type 2 diabetes was induced by single intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) of 60 mg/kg streptozotocin, 15 minutes after the i.p administration of 110 mg/kg body weight of nicotinamide. The extract has shown significant blood glucose lowering effect in the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The blood glucose level, cholesterol, glycogen contents, glycosylated hemoglobin, and antioxidant parameters (Malondialdehyde and Glutathione level) were estimated from the blood plasma by using standard kits to demonstrate the hypoglycemic and antioxidant effect in treated animals. The data showed that the extract have significant influence on the above biochemical parameters. Thus ethanolic fraction of the plant Tecomella undulata can be used as new candidate for antihyperglycemic and antioxidant.

Uptake and accumulation of oxidized low-density lipoprotein during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in guinea pigs

The typical host response to infection of humans and some animals by M. tuberculosis is the accumulation of reactive oxygen species generating inflammatory cells into discrete granulomas, which frequently develop central caseous necrosis. In previous studies we showed that infection of immunologically naïve guinea pigs with M. tuberculosis leads to localized and systemic oxidative stress that results in a significant depletion of serum total antioxidant capacity and the accumulation of malondialdehyde, a bi-product of lipid peroxidation. Here we show that in addition, the generation of excessive reactive oxygen species in vivo resulted in the accumulation of oxidized low density lipoproteins (OxLDL) in pulmonary and extrapulmonary granulomas, serum and lung macrophages collected by bronchoalveolar lavage. Macrophages from immunologically naïve guinea pigs infected with M. tuberculosis also had increased surface expression of the type 1 scavenger receptors CD36 and LOX1, which facilitate the uptake of oxidized host macromolecules including OxLDL. Vaccination of guinea pigs with Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) prior to aerosol challenge reduced the bacterial burden as well as the intracellular accumulation of OxLDL and the expression of macrophage CD36 and LOX1. In vitro loading of guinea pig lung macrophages with OxLDL resulted in enhanced replication of bacilli compared to macrophages loaded with non-oxidized LDL. Overall, this study provides additional evidence of oxidative stress in M. tuberculosis infected guinea pigs and the potential role OxLDL laden macrophages have in supporting intracellular bacilli survival and persistence.

Evidence for oxidative stress and defective antioxidant response in guinea pigs with tuberculosis

The development of granulomatous inflammation with caseous necrosis is an important but poorly understood manifestation of tuberculosis in humans and some animal models. In this study we measured the byproducts of oxidative stress in granulomatous lesions as well as the systemic antioxidant capacity of BCG vaccinated and non-vaccinated guinea pigs experimentally infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In non-vaccinated guinea pigs, oxidative stress was evident within 2 weeks of infection as measured by a decrease in the serum total antioxidant capacity and blood glutathione levels accompanied by an increase in malondialdehyde, a byproduct of lipid peroxidation, within lesions. Despite a decrease in total and reduced blood glutathione concentrations, there was an increase in lesion glutathione by immunohistochemistry in response to localized oxidative stress. In addition there was an increase in the expression of the host transcription factor nuclear erythroid 2 p45-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which regulates several protein and non-proteins antioxidants, including glutathione. Despite the increase in cytoplasmic expression of Nrf2, immunohistochemical staining revealed a defect in Nrf2 nuclear translocation within granulomatous lesions as well as a decrease in the expression of the Nrf2-regulated antioxidant protein NQO1. Treating M. tuberculosis-infected guinea pigs with the antioxidant drug N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) partially restored blood glutathione concentrations and the serum total antioxidant capacity. Treatment with NAC also decreased spleen bacterial counts, as well as decreased the lung and spleen lesion burden and the severity of lesion necrosis. These data suggest that the progressive oxidative stress during experimental tuberculosis in guinea pigs is due in part to a defect in host antioxidant defenses, which, we show here, can be partially restored with antioxidant treatment. These data suggest that the therapeutic strategies that reduce oxidant-mediated tissue damage may be beneficial as an adjunct therapy in the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis in humans.

[Antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation products in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis]

INTRODUCTION

A lot of studies have dealt with the oxidative stress in pulmonary diseases, and some of them with tuberculosis as well. The aim of this study was to examine the antioxidant enzyme level (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase) and the lipid peroxidation products in patients with tuberculosis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Forty patients with tuberculosis were included in the study. The examined parameters were measured before and three weeks after the beginning of the antituberculosis treatment (group I). The control group included 40 healthy persons (group II).

RESULTS

The superoxide dismutase level was significantly lower in group I in both measurements (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01) in relation to group II, but there were no significant changes in its level during the therapy. During the treatment, the glutation peroxidase level significantly increased (p < 0.05), and in relation to group II, its level was significantly lower in both measurements in group I (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001). The catalase level significantly increased during the treatment, but there was no significant difference in relation to group II level. There was no significant difference in relation to the lipid peroxidase products between the groups.

DISCUSSION

Our study group had reduced antioxidant enzyme level and some of them showed significant improvement during the treatment. The lipid peroxidase product level was stable.

CONCLUSION

In patients with tuberculosis the antioxidative status is lower and its level and possible development of the oxidative stress depend on the disease severity.

Serum paraoxonase and arylesterase activities in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

BACKGROUND

The aim of the present study was to determine serum paraoxonase and arylesterase activities in tuberculosis, nontuberculosis pulmonary disease and healthy subjects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this case-control study we determined the serum paraoxonase and arylesterase activities in 36 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, 38 nontuberculosis pulmonary disease and 49 healthy controls.

RESULTS

The results showed that serum paraoxonase (PON) activity was significantly lower in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (61.10±51.62IU/L) than healthy controls (98.79±68.79IU/L) (p<0.05). In addition we found that the level of PON activity was significantly lower in patients with nontuberculosis pulmonary disease (67.49±47.88IU/L) than normal individuals (p<0.05). There was no significant differences regarding PON activity between patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and nontuberculosis pulmonary disease (p>0.05). The arylesterase activity was significantly lower in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis than nontuberculosis pulmonary disease and normal subjects (p<0.05).

DISCUSSION

The lower paraoxonase and aryesterase activities in pulmonary tuberculosis patients compared to healthy subjects might be due to imbalance of oxidant/antioxidant systems in pulmonary tuberculosis patients which needs more clarification.

Atherosclerosis: pathogenesis and increased occurrence in individuals with HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Atherosclerosis is a leading cause of coronary heart disease and stroke. Since 1981, more than 980,000 cases of AIDS have been reported in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 1 million Americans may be infected with HIV. By killing or damaging CD4+ T cells of the body’s immune system, HIV progressively destroys the body’s ability to fight infections. People diagnosed with AIDS often suffer from life-threatening diseases caused by opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis. HIV-infected individuals have increased risks for atherosclerosis. This review summarizes the effects of oxidized low density lipoproteins in impairing macrophage functions in individuals with atherosclerosis (with and without HIV infection) thereby enhancing the susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

Breath biomarkers of active pulmonary tuberculosis

BACKGROUND

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in breath may contain biomarkers of active pulmonary tuberculosis derived from the infectious organism (metabolites of Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and from the infected host (products of oxidative stress).

METHODS

We analyzed breath VOCs in 226 symptomatic high-risk patients in USA, Philippines, and UK, using gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. Diagnosis of disease was based on sputum culture, smear microscopy, chest radiography and clinical suspicion of tuberculosis (CSTB). Chromatograms were converted to a series of 8s overlapping time slices. Biomarkers of active pulmonary tuberculosis were identified with a Monte Carlo analysis of time-slice alveolar gradients (abundance in breath minus abundance in room air).

RESULTS

Breath VOCs contained apparent biomarkers of active pulmonary tuberculosis comprising oxidative stress products (alkanes and alkane derivatives) and volatile metabolites of M. tuberculosis (cyclohexane and benzene derivatives). Breath biomarkers identified active pulmonary tuberculosis with C-statistic (area under curve of receiver operating characteristic)=0.85 (i.e. 85% overall accuracy, sensitivity=84.0%, specificity=64.7%) when sputum culture, microscopy, and chest radiography were either all positive or all negative. Employing a single criterion of disease, C-statistic=0.76 (smear microscopy), 0.68 (sputum culture), 0.66 (chest radiography) and 0.65 (CSTB).

CONCLUSION

A breath test identified apparent biomarkers of active pulmonary tuberculosis with 85% accuracy in symptomatic high-risk subjects.

Effect of vitamin E and selenium supplementation on oxidative stress status in pulmonary tuberculosis patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Increased production of reactive oxygen species secondary to phagocyte respiratory burst occurs in pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). The present study evaluated the efficacy of vitamin E-selenium supplementation on oxidative stress in newly diagnosed patients treated for pulmonary TB.

METHODS

A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial including patients with newly diagnosed TB was conducted. The intervention group (n = 17) received vitamin E and selenium (vitamin E: 140 mg alpha-tocopherol and selenium: 200 microg) and the control group (n = 18) received placebo. Both groups received standard anti-TB treatment. Assessment of micronutrient levels, oxidative markers and total antioxidant capacity were carried out at baseline and 2 months after the intervention.

RESULTS

Malondialdehyde levels were significantly reduced in the intervention group (P = 0.01), while there was minimal reduction in the control group. The mean plasma level of total antioxidants was increased significantly (P = 0.001) in both the intervention and the control groups.

CONCLUSION

A 2-month intervention with vitamin E and selenium supplementation reduces oxidative stress and enhances total antioxidant status in patients with pulmonary TB treated with standard chemotherapy.

Glutathione levels and immune responses in tuberculosis patients

Glutathione levels are significantly reduced in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and red blood cells isolated from tuberculosis patients. Treatment of blood cultures from tuberculosis patients with N-acetyl cysteine, a glutathione precursor, was associated with improved control of intracellular M. tuberculosis infection. N-acetyl-cysteine treatment decreased the levels of IL-10, IL-6, TNF-alpha and IL-1, in blood cultures derived from tuberculosis patients, favoring the host immune cells to successfully control M. tuberculosis replication.

Elevated exhalation of hydrogen peroxide and circulating IL-18 in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

Mycobacteria are the strong stimulators of respiratory burst, resulting in production of reactive oxygen species and nitrogen intermediates. The aim of our study was to assess the concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in expired breath condensate (EBC) and the serum level of interleukin-18 (IL-18) in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) before introduction of chemotherapy and after 2 months of treatment. Sixteen patients, current cigarette smokers, with advanced pulmonary TB were enrolled into the study. As a control served two groups: I group--16 asymptomatic cigarette smokers, II group--17 healthy never smoked subjects. The level of H(2)O(2) in EBC was significantly higher in patients with TB (1.3+/-0.7 microM) as compared to cigarette are healthy nonsmoker subjects (0.4+/-0.1 and 0.2+/-0.1 microM, respectively, P<0.05). Two months of treatment significantly decreased the level of H(2)O(2) exhalation in TB patients (0.5+/-0.3 microM) to the value that was not different from that in asymptomatic smokers but was still higher than in never smoked subjects. Serum concentration of IL-18 in TB patients was higher than that found in both control groups either before and after antituberculous treatment (P<0.05). Exhaled H(2)O(2) did not correlate with circulating IL-18 in TB patients before or after treatment. These results demonstrated the occurrence of oxidative stress in the airways of TB patients completely attenuating after 2 months of successful antituberculous treatment.

Volatile biomarkers of pulmonary tuberculosis in the breath

Pulmonary tuberculosis may alter volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in breath because Mycobacteria and oxidative stress resulting from Mycobacterial infection both generate distinctive VOCs. The objective of this study was to determine if breath VOCs contain biomarkers of active pulmonary tuberculosis. Head space VOCs from cultured Mycobacterium tuberculosis were captured on sorbent traps and assayed by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS). One hundred and thirty different VOCs were consistently detected. The most abundant were naphthalene, 1-methyl-, 3-heptanone, methylcyclododecane, heptane, 2,2,4,6,6-pentamethyl-, benzene, 1-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-, and cyclohexane, 1,4-dimethyl-. Breath VOCs were assayed by GC/MS in 42 patients hospitalized for suspicion of pulmonary tuberculosis and in 59 healthy controls. Sputum cultures were positive for Mycobacteria in 23/42 and negative in19/42 patients. Breath markers of oxidative stress were increased in all hospitalized patients (p<0.04). Pattern recognition analysis and fuzzy logic analysis of breath VOCs independently distinguished healthy controls from hospitalized patients with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Fuzzy logic analysis identified patients with positive sputum cultures with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity (95.7% sensitivity and 78.9% specificity on leave-one-out cross-validation); breath VOC markers were similar to those observed in vitro, including naphthalene, 1-methyl- and cyclohexane, 1,4-dimethyl-. Pattern recognition analysis identified patients with positive sputum cultures with 82.6% sensitivity (19/23) and 100% specificity (18/18), employing 12 principal components from 134 breath VOCs. We conclude that volatile biomarkers in breath were sensitive and specific for pulmonary tuberculosis: the breath test distinguished between "sick versus well" i.e. between normal controls and patients hospitalized for suspicion of pulmonary tuberculosis, and between infected versus non-infected patients i.e. between those whose sputum cultures were positive or negative for Mycobacteria.

Succinic acid monoethyl ester, a novel insulinotropic agent: effect on lipid composition and lipid peroxidation in streptozotocin-nicotin-amide induced type 2 diabetic rats

Succinic acid monoethyl ester (EMS) is recently proposed as an insulinotropic agent for the treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Oxidative stress has been suggested to be a contributory factor in the development and complications of diabetes. In the present study the effect of EMS and Metformin on plasma glucose, insulin, serum and tissue lipid profile, lipoproteins and lipid peroxidation in streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced type 2 diabetic model was investigated. The carboxylic nutrient EMS was administered intraperitonially (8 micromol/g body weight) to streptozotocin diabetic rats for 30 days. The levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and hydroperoxides in liver and kidney and serum and tissue lipids [cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids and free fatty acids] and very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C) and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), were significantly increased in diabetic rats, whereas the levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and antiatherogenic index (AAI) (ratio of HDL to total cholesterol) were significantly decreased. The effect of EMS was compared with metformin, a reference drug. Treatment with EMS and metformin resulted in a significant reduction of plasma glucose with increase plasma insulin in diabetic rats. EMS also resulted in a significant decrease in serum and tissue lipids and lipid peroxidation products. These biochemical observations were supplemented by histopathological examination of liver and kidney section. Our results suggest the possible antihyperlipidemic and antiperoxidative effect of EMS apart from its antidiabetic effect.