On-line EPR study of free radicals induced by peroxidase/H(2)O(2) in human low-density lipoprotein

Superoxide Formation in Cardiac Mitochondria and Effect of Phenolic Antioxidants

Since mitochondria are the main cellular source of reactive oxygen species, it is important to study the effect of dietary phenolic compounds on the level of ROS in these organelles. Using the EPR spectroscopy and TIRON probe, the ability of the investigated phenols (quercetin, rutin, caffeic acid, curcumin, and resveratrol) to scavenge superoxide anion radicals generated by isolated heart mitochondria of Wistar rats under variable oxygen partial pressure was studied. It was shown that during a 10 min incubation, caffeic acid in concentrations of 10-500 μM most effectively scavenged superoxide radicals formed in the complex III of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. A comparable antioxidant effect of rutin under these experimental conditions was observed at higher concentrations of 1-10 mM. The antioxidant activity of quercetin in the concentration range of 10-500 μM during the first minutes of incubation was higher than that of caffeic acid. Of the phenolic compounds studied, curcumin had the least effect on the superoxide radicals.

Ab initio calculations on the 1O2 quenching mechanism by trans-resveratrol

Computational exploration of possible reaction mechanisms of trans-resveratrol with singlet molecular oxygen shows benzaldehydes as the most probable products.

Increased transport of resveratrol across monolayers of the human intestinal Caco-2 cells is mediated by inhibition and saturation of metabolites

PURPOSE

The study's aim was to investigate the dose-dependent effect of sulfation and glucuronidation on intestinal absorption of resveratrol, a dietary constituent found in grapes and various medical plants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The intestinal epithelial membrane transport kinetics and metabolism of resveratrol (10-200 microM) was studied using Caco-2 monolayers cultured in Transwells.

RESULTS

Along with resveratrol it was possible to identify three metabolites, namely, resveratrol-4'-O-glucuronide (M1), resveratrol 3-O-gucuronide (M2), and resveratrol-3-O-sulfate (M3) by LC/MS and NMR. Efflux of the glucuronides M1 and M2 followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics significantly favouring basolateral efflux. The predominant metabolite was the monosulfate M3, however, its formation was strongly inhibited at higher resveratrol concentrations. As biotransformation was either inhibited or saturated, total amount of resveratrol transported across the Caco-2 monolayers increased as much as 3.5-fold at 200 microM resveratrol. This value might be even higher when taking into account the high intracellular concentration of resveratrol, which accounted for up to 61% of the applied dose.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data demonstrate a concentration-dependent biotransformation of resveratrol in Caco-2 cells, which may also apply to human enterocytes affecting oral bioavailability.

Inhibitory mechanisms of activated matrix metalloproteinase-9 on platelet activation

The intracellular mechanisms underlying the signaling pathways of activated matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in platelets are not yet completely understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to further examine the effects of activated MMP-9 in preventing platelet aggregation. In this study, activated MMP-9 time-dependently (3-60 min) inhibited platelet aggregation in washed human platelet suspensions stimulated by agonists. However, activated MMP-9 had no significant effect on the binding of FITC-triflavin to the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complex. Triflavin is a specific antagonist of the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complex purified from snake venom. Moreover, activated MMP-9 (21 and 90 ng/ml) markedly decreased the fluorescence intensity of platelet membranes tagged with diphenylhexatriene. The thrombin-evoked increase in pHi was inhibited in the presence of activated MMP-9 (21 and 90 ng/ml). In addition, activated MMP-9 (21 and 90 ng/ml) markedly reduced the electron spin resonance (ESR) signal intensity of hydroxyl radicals in collagen (1 mug/ml)-activated platelets. These results indicate that the antiplatelet activity of activated MMP-9 may involve the following pathways: (1) activated MMP-9 may initially induce conformational changes in platelet membranes and hydroxyl radical formation, leading to inhibition of platelet aggregation; and (2) activated MMP-9 also inhibits the Na(+)/H(+) exchanger, leading to reduced intracellular Ca(2+) mobilization, and ultimately to inhibition of platelet aggregation. This study further provides new insights concerning the effects of activated MMP-9 on platelet aggregation.

Essiac tea: scavenging of reactive oxygen species and effects on DNA damage

Essiac, a tea reportedly developed by the Ojibwa tribe of Canada and widely publicized as a homeopathic cancer treatment, is prepared from a mixture of four herbs Arctium lappa, Rumex acetosella, Ulmus rubra and Rheum officinale. Each of these herbs has been reported to possess antioxidant and anti-cancer activity. Essiac itself has also been reported to demonstrate anti-cancer activity in vitro, although its effects in vivo are still a matter of debate. We prepared an extract of Essiac tea from a concentration of 25mg/mL and boiled it for 10 min. From this preparation we used concentrations of 5, 10, 25 and 50% to measure Essiac effects. In this study, we examined the effects of Essiac on free radical scavenging and DNA damage in a non-cellular system, as well as the effects Essiac on lipid peroxidation using the RAW 264.7 cell line. We observed, using electron spin resonance, that Essiac effectively scavenged hydroxyl, up to 84% reduction in radical signal at the 50% tea preparation concentration, and superoxide radicals, up to 82% reduction in radical signal also at the 50% tea preparation concentration, as well as prevented hydroxyl radical-induced DNA damage. In addition, Essiac inhibited hydroxyl radical-induced lipid peroxidation by up to 50% at the 50% tea preparation concentration. These data indicate that Essiac tea possesses potent antioxidant and DNA-protective activity, properties that are common to natural anti-cancer agents. This study may help to explain the mechanisms behind the reported anti-cancer effects of Essiac.

Low concentration of oxidized low density lipoprotein suppresses platelet reactivity in vitro: an intracellular study

The intracellular mechanisms underlying oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-signaling pathways in platelets remain obscure and findings have been controversial. Therefore, we examined the influence of oxLDL in washed human platelets. In this study, oxLDL concentration-dependently (20-100 microg/mL) inhibited platelet aggregation in human platelets stimulated by collagen (1 microg/mL) and arachidonic acid (60 microM), but not by thrombin (0.02 U/mL). The activity of oxLDL was greater at 24 h in inhibiting platelet aggregation than at 12 h. At 24 h, oxLDL concentration-dependently inhibited intracellular Ca2+ mobilization and thromboxane B2 formation in human platelets stimulated by collagen. In addition, at 24 h oxLDL (40 and 80 microg/mL) significantly increased the formation of cyclic AMP, but not cyclic GMP or nitrate. In an ESR study, 24 h-oxLDL (40 microg/mL) markedly reduced the ESR signal intensity of hydroxyl radicals (OH(-)) in both collagen (2 microg/mL)-activated platelets and Fenton reaction (H2O2 + Fe2+). The inhibitory effect of oxLDL may induce radical-radical termination reactions by oxLDL-derived lipid radical interactions with free radicals (such as hydroxyl radicals) released from activated platelets, with a resultant lowering of intracellular Ca2+ mobilization, followed by inhibition of thromboxane A2 formation, thereby leading to increased cyclic AMP formation and finally inhibited platelet aggregation. This study provides new insights concerning the effect of oxLDL in platelet aggregation.

Antioxidant, prooxidant and cytotoxic activity of hydroxylated resveratrol analogues: structure–activity relationship

Resveratrol (trans-3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene), a naturally occurring hydroxystilbene, is considered an essential antioxidative constituent of red wine possessing chemopreventive properties. However, resveratrol and even more its metabolite piceatannol were reported to have also cytostatic activities. In order to find out whether this is related to antioxidative properties of those compounds, we synthesized five other polyhydroxylated resveratrol analogues and studied structure-activity relationships between pro-/antioxidant properties and cytotoxicity. Radical scavenging experiments with O(2)(*-) (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide/electron spin resonance (DMPO/ESR)) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (photometry) revealed that 3,3',4',5-tetrahydroxystilbene (IC(50): 2.69microM; k(9): 443000M(-1)s(-1)), 3,4,4',5-tetrahydroxystilbene (IC(50): 41.5microM; k(9): 882000M(-1)s(-1)) and 3,3',4,4',5,5'-hexahydroxystilbene (IC(50): 5.02microM), exerted a more than 6600-fold higher antiradical activity than resveratrol and its two other analogues. Furthermore, in HL-60 leukemic cells hydroxystilbenes with ortho-hydroxyl groups exhibited a more than three-fold higher cytostatic activity compared to hydroxystilbenes with other substitution patterns. Oxidation of ortho-hydroxystilbenes in a microsomal model system resulted in the existence of ortho-semiquinones, which were observed by ESR spectroscopy. Further experiments revealed that these intermediates undergo redox-cycling thereby consuming additional oxygen and forming cytotoxic oxygen radicals. In contrast to compounds with other substitution patterns hydroxystilbenes with one or two resorcinol groups (compounds 1 and 3) did not show an additional oxygen consumption or semiquinone formation. These findings suggest that the increased cytotoxicity of ortho-hydroxystilbenes is related to the presence of ortho-semiquinones formed during metabolism or autoxidation.

Cardiovascular protective effects of resveratrol

Resveratrol (3,4',5-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), a phytoalexin found in grape skins, peanuts, and red wine, has been reported to have a wide range of biological and pharmacological properties. It has been speculated that at low doses (such as consumed in the common diet) resveratrol may have cardioprotective activity. In this article we describe recent in vitro and in vivo studies in animal models. The results of these studies suggest that resveratrol modulates vascular cell function, inhibits LDL oxidation, suppresses platelet aggregation and reduces myocardial damage during ischemia-reperfusion. Although the reported biological data indicate that resveratrol is a highly promising cardiovascular protective agent, more studies are needed to establish its bioavailability and in vivo cardioprotective effects, particularly in humans.

EPR spin trapping of protein radicals

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spin trapping was originally developed to aid the detection of low-molecular-mass radicals formed in chemical systems. It has subsequently found widespread use in biology and medicine for the direct detection of radical species formed during oxidative stress and via enzymatic reactions. Over the last 15 years this technique has also found increasing use in detecting and identifying radicals formed on biological macromolecules as a result of either radical reactions or enzymatic processes. Though the EPR signals that result from the trapping of large, slowly tumbling radicals are often broad and relatively poor in distinctive features, a number of techniques have been developed that allow a wealth of information to be obtained about the nature, site, and reactions of such radicals. This article summarizes recent developments in this area and reviews selected examples of radical formation on proteins.

Resveratrol scavenges reactive oxygen species and effects radical-induced cellular responses

Scavenging or quenching of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) involved in oxidative stress has been the subject of many recent studies. Resveratrol, found in various natural food products, has been linked to decreased coronary artery disease and preventing cancer development. The present study measured the effect of resveratrol on several different systems involving the hydroxyl, superoxide, metal/enzymatic-induced, and cellular generated radicals. The rate constant for reaction of resveratrol with the hydroxyl radical was determined, and resveratrol was found to be an effective scavenger of hydroxyl, superoxide, and metal-induced radicals as well as showing antioxidant abilities in cells producing ROS. Resveratrol exhibits a protective effect against lipid peroxidation in cell membranes and DNA damage caused by ROS. Resveratrol was also found to have a significant inhibitory effect on the NF-kappaB signaling pathway after cellular exposure to metal-induced radicals. It was concluded that resveratrol in foods plays an important antioxidant role.

Antioxidant properties of tea investigated by EPR spectroscopy

The antioxidant properties of green, black and mixed (fruit) tea samples of different origin were investigated by means of EPR spectroscopy. A six line EPR spectrum of solid tea samples indicates the presence of Mn(II) ions and it is superimposed with a sharp singlet line attributed to semiquinone radical species (Delta H(pp)=1 mT; g=2.0022). Antioxidant properties of aqueous tea extracts in H(2)O(2)/NaOH/dimethylsulfoxide system generating reactive radicals (*OH, O(2)*-), *CH(3)) were followed by spin trapping technique. In addition, antioxidant capacity of these samples was assessed using stable radicals 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPOL). Typically, the highest antioxidant potential to terminate superoxide radicals was found in green teas, followed by black and fruity teas. The pro-oxidant activity of green teas evidenced by spin traps was promoted in samples with higher Mn(II) and ascorbic acid concentrations. Various sources of free radicals used in the antioxidant tests due to their specific action show different termination rates in the presence of the individual tea samples.