Reinterpreting the best biomarker of oxidative stress: The 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α/prostaglandin F2α ratio shows complex origins of lipid peroxidation biomarkers in animal models

Oxidative stress is elevated in numerous environmental exposures and diseases. Millions of dollars have been spent to try to ameliorate this damaging process using anti-oxidant therapies. Currently, the best accepted biomarker of oxidative stress is the lipid oxidation product 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF2α), which has been measured in over a thousand human and animal studies. 8-iso-PGF2α generation has been exclusively attributed to nonenzymatic chemical lipid peroxidation (CLP). However, 8-iso-PGF2α can also be produced enzymatically by prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthases (PGHS) in vivo. When failing to account for PGHS-dependent generation, 8-iso-PGF2α cannot be interpreted as a selective biomarker of oxidative stress. We investigated the formation of 8-iso-PGF2α in rats exposed to carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) using the 8-iso-PGF2α/PGF2α ratio to quantitatively determine the source(s) of 8-iso-PGF2α. Upon exposure to a 120mg/kg dose of CCl4, the contribution of CLP accounted for only 55.6±19.4% of measured 8-iso-PGF2α, whereas in the 1200mg/kg dose, CLP was the predominant source of 8-iso-PGF2α (86.6±8.0% of total). In contrast to CCl4, exposure to 0.5mg/kg LPS was characterized by a significant increase in both the contribution of PGHS (59.5±7.0) and CLP (40.5±14.0%). In conclusion, significant generation of 8-iso-PGF2α occurs through enzymatic as well as chemical lipid peroxidation. The distribution of the contribution is dependent on the exposure agent as well as the dose. The 8-iso-PGF2α/PGF2α ratio accurately determines the source of 8-iso-PGF2α and provides an absolute measure of oxidative stress in vivo.

Past and future drought in Mongolia

The severity of recent droughts in semiarid regions is increasingly attributed to anthropogenic climate change, but it is unclear whether these moisture anomalies exceed those of the past and how past variability compares to future projections. On the Mongolian Plateau, a recent decade-long drought that exceeded the variability in the instrumental record was associated with economic, social, and environmental change. We evaluate this drought using an annual reconstruction of the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) spanning the last 2060 years in concert with simulations of past and future drought through the year 2100 CE. We show that although the most recent drought and pluvial were highly unusual in the last 2000 years, exceeding the 900-year return interval in both cases, these events were not unprecedented in the 2060-year reconstruction, and events of similar duration and severity occur in paleoclimate, historical, and future climate simulations. The Community Earth System Model (CESM) ensemble suggests a drying trend until at least the middle of the 21st century, when this trend reverses as a consequence of elevated precipitation. Although the potential direct effects of elevated CO₂ on plant water use efficiency exacerbate uncertainties about future hydroclimate trends, these results suggest that future drought projections for Mongolia are unlikely to exceed those of the last two millennia, despite projected warming.

Thyrotropin induces growth and iodothyronine production in a human thyroid cell line without affecting adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate production

Using a recently described cell line derived from the fusion of human thyroid and human myeloma cells, we studied the effects of TSH on cell growth, iodide organification, and cAMP production. Although these cells grow in the absence of TSH, when incubated for 2 days in serum-free medium containing purified human or bovine TSH, there was a significant increase in cellular DNA content. The stimulatory effect was observed at concentrations as low as 0.5 microU/ml, which produced a significant increase in DNA content, and was maximal with 5 microU/ml. This effect was still present after 6 days of incubation. Electron microscopy performed by an unbiased observer on cells incubated in the presence of TSH showed an increase in the calculated size of the cells and the nucleus which was significant at 0.1 microU/ml and maximal at 1 microU/ml. Stimulation of 125I organification and hormone production was observed at TSH concentrations as low as 1 microU/ml and was maximal at 10 microU/ml. However, neither TSH (1-50 microU/ml) nor forskolin (10(-6) M) stimulated cAMP production. These data suggest that these cells lack a functional adenylate cyclase pathway and that growth and iodide organification are mediated by other second messenger systems. Such a cell line could yield new insights into the mechanisms of TSH action and may provide a sensitive bioassay for TSH and other thyrotropic factors.

The cDNAs encoding two forms of the LYN protein tyrosine kinase are expressed in rat mast cells and human myeloid cells

Two isoforms of lck/yes-related novel (LYN) protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) appear to play a role in B-cell-IgM and FcERI receptor signaling. The cDNAs lynA and lynB encoding these two forms were isolated and sequenced; they were derived from rat mucosal mast cell and human myeloid cell lines. The nucleotide (nt) and deduced amino acid (aa) sequences share 94 and 97% identity between rat and mouse lyn, respectively, and 88 and 96% identity between rat and human lyn. In all three species, a region of 20 aa is uniformly inserted at an identical site and its sequence is highly conserved. This suggests an important regulatory role for this region mediated by this PTK.

Cholera toxin and pertussis toxin stimulate prostaglandin E2 synthesis in a murine macrophage cell line

When RAW264.7 murine macrophages were incubated with cholera toxin or pertussis toxin, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis was enhanced markedly. Cholera toxin and pertussis toxin added together synergistically stimulated PGE2 synthesis. Cholera toxin and pertussis toxin also stimulated cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation. However, PGE2 synthesis was independent of increases in cAMP, as neither forskolin nor isoproterenol, which increased cAMP accumulation, nor dibutyryl-cAMP had any effect on PGE2 synthesis. In intact cells, cholera toxin and pertussis toxin stimulated phospholipase A2 to enhance metabolism of phosphatidylinositol to lysophosphatidylinositol and glycerophosphoinositol, with time courses similar to their stimulation of PGE2 synthesis. Cholera toxin catalyzed ADP-ribosylation of proteins of Mr 45,000 and 49,000 in intact cells, whereas an additional substrate of Mr 41,000 was observed in vitro. Preincubation of intact cells with pertussis toxin blocked subsequent in vitro labeling of the Mr 41,000 protein by cholera toxin, suggesting that the same protein was ADP-ribosylated by both toxins. Western blot analysis using specific antisera against Gi, Go and Gs revealed that the Mr 41,000 substrate was bound by the anti-Gi and anti-Go but not anti-Gs. The present data suggest that guanine nucleotide binding regulatory proteins are involved in the regulation of arachidonic acid metabolism to PGE2 in RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, the possibility is raised that phospholipase A2 is regulated by both stimulatory and inhibitory guanine nucleotide binding proteins.

Safety and efficacy of peripheral nerve blocks to treat refractory headaches after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage - A pilot observational study

Objectives

Headache after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (HASH) is common, severe, and often refractory to conventional treatments. Current treatment standards include medications including opioids, until the pain is mitigated. Peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) may be an effective therapeutic option for HASH. We conducted a small before-and-after study of PNBs to determine safety, feasibility, and efficacy in treatment of HASH.

Methods

We conducted a pilot before-and-after observational study and collected data for 5 patients in a retrospective control group and 5 patients in a prospective intervention PNB group over a 12-month period. All patients received a standard treatment of medications including acetaminophen, magnesium, gabapentin, dexamethasone and anti-spasmodics or anti-emetics as needed. Patients in the intervention group received bilateral greater occipital, lesser occipital, and supraorbital PNBs in addition to medications. The primary outcome was pain severity, measured by Numeric pain rating scale (NPRS). All patients were followed for 1 week following enrollment.

Results

The mean ages in the PNB group and control group were 58.6 and 57.4, respectively. One patient in the control group developed radiographic vasospasm. Three patients in both groups had radiographic hydrocephalus and IVH, requiring external ventricular drain (EVD) placement. The PNB group had an average reduction in mean raw pain score of 2.76 (4.68, 1.92 p = 0.024), and relative pain score by 0.26 (0.48, 0.22 p = 0.026), compared to the control group. The reduction occurred immediately after PNB administration.

Conclusion

PNB can be a safe, feasible and effective treatment modality for HASH. Further investigations with a larger sample size are warranted.