Oxidative Stress and Free Radical Damage in Patients With Acute Dipterex Poisoning

Objective To investigate whether acute dipterex poisoning (ADP) may cause oxidative stress and free radical damage in the bodies of acute dipterex poisoning patients (ADPPs), and to explore the mechanisms by which ADP may cause oxidative stress and free radical damage. Methods Fifty ADPPs and fifty healthy adult volunteers (HAVs) whose ages, gender and others were matched with the ADPPs were enrolled in a randomized controlled study, in which concentrations of nitric oxide (NO), vitamin C (VC), vitamin E (VE) and P-carotene (P-CAR) in plasma as well as concentration of lipoperoxide (LPO), and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in erythrocytes were determined by spectrophotometric analytical methods. Results Compared with the average values of experimental parameters in the HAVs group, the average values of plasma NO and erythrocyte LPO in the ADPPs group were significantly increased (P<0.0001), while those of plasma VC, VE and P-CAR as well as erythrocyte SOD, CAT, GPX and AChE in the ADPPs group were significantly decreased (P<0.0001). Bivariate correlation analysis and partial correlation analysis suggested that when NO and LPO values were increased, and VC, VE, β-CAR, SOD, CAT and GPX values were decreased in the ADPPs, AChE value was decreased gradually in the ADPPs (P<0.001-0.0001). Reliability analysis of experimental parameters reflecting oxidative stress and free radical damage in the ADPPs showed that the reliability coefficient (8 items) alpha=0.6909, and the standardized item alpha=0.8574. Conclusion The findings in the present study suggest that ADP can cause oxidative stress and free radical damage, and inhibit markedly erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity in ADPPs.

May Chronic Childhood Constipation Cause Oxidative Stress and Potential Free Radical Damage to Children?

Objective To investigate whether chronic childhood constipation (CCC) may cause oxidative stress and potential free radical damage to children, and to explore the mechanisms by which CCC may cause oxidative stress and potential free radical damage to chronic constipation patients (CCPs). Methods Sixty CCPs and sixty healthy child volunteers (HCVs) whose ages, gender and others were matched for the CCPs were enrolled in a randomized controlled study, in which levels of vitamin C (VC) and vitamin E (VE) in plasma as well as activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in erythrocytes were determined by spectrophotometric analytical methods. Results Compared with average values of the above biochemical parameters in the HCVs group, the average values of VC and VE in plasma as well as those of SOD and CAT in erythrocytes in the CCPs group were significantly decreased (P<0.0001). Linear regression and bivariate correlation analysis showed that with prolonged course of the CCPs, the levels of VC and VE in plasma as well as the activities of SOD and CAT in erythrocytes in the CCPs were decreased gradually (P<0.0001). Conclusion The findings in the present study suggest that chronic childhood constipation causes oxidative stress and potential free radical damage to children with chronic constipation.

Oxygen Radical Generation as an Index of Neurotoxic Damage

Biochemical, anatomical, and physiological characteristics of the brain make it especially vulnerable to insult. Specifically, some of these characteristics such as myelin and a high energy requirement provide for the introduction of free radical-induced insult. Recently, the biochemistry of free radicals has received considerable attention. It also has become increasingly suggestive that many drug and chemical-induced toxicities may be evoked via free radicals and oxidative stress. Major points addressed in this work are the regulation of neural-free radical generation by antioxidants and protective enzymes, xenobiotic-induced disruption of cerebral redox status, and specific examples of neurotoxic agent-induced alterations in free radicals as measured by the fluorescent probe dichlorofluorescein. This article considers that free radical mechanisms may contribute significantly to the properties of several diverse neurotoxic agents and proposes that free radicals may be common phenomena of neurotoxicity.

Estrogen inhibits lipid peroxidation after hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in neonatal rats

Sprague-Dawley neonatal rats within 7 days after birth were used in this study. The left common carotid artery was occluded and rats were housed in an 8% O2 environment for 2 hours to establish a hypoxic-ischemic brain damage model. 17β-estradiol （1 × 10-5 M） was injected into the rat abdominal cavity after the model was successfully established. The left hemisphere was obtained at 12, 24, 48, 72 hours after operation. Results showed that malondialdehyde content in the left brain of neonatal rats gradually increased as modeling time prolonged, while malondialdehyde content of 17β-estrodial-treated rats significantly declined by 24 hours, reached lowest levels at 48 hours, and then peaked at 72 hours after injury. Nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate histochemical staining showed the nitric oxide synthase-positive cells and fibers dyed blue/violet and were mainly distributed in the cortex, hippocampus and medial septal nuclei. The number of nitric oxide synthase-positive cells peaked at 48 hours and significantly decreased after 17β-estrodial treatment. Our experimental findings indicate that estrogen plays a protective role following hypoxic-ischemic brain damage by alleviating lipid peroxidation through reducing the expression of nitric oxide synthase and the content of malondialdehyde.

Increased Oxidative Stress in Women With Pregnancy-induced Hypertension

Objective To investigate whether pregnancy-induced hypertension （PIH） may increase oxidative stress in women with PIH, and to explore the mechanisms by which PIH may increase oxidative stress and potential free radical damage. Methods Seventy women with PIH and seventy women with uncomplicated normotensive pregnancy （UNP） whose age, nutritional conditions, levels of hemoglobin and albumin were all matched, were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. Their plasma concentrations of nitric oxide （NO）, vitamin C （VC）, vitamin E （VE）, and β-carotene （β-CAR） as well as their erythrocyte malondialdehyde （MDA）, and activities of superoxide dismutase （SOD）, catalase （CAT） and glutathione peroxidase （GPX） were determined by spcctrophotometry. Results Compared with average values of the above experimental parameters in the women with UNP, the average value of erythrocyte MDA in the women with PIH significantly increased （P〈0.0001）, while the average values of plasma NO, VC, VE, and β-CAR as well as those of erythrocyte SOD, CAT, and GPX in the women with PIH significantly decreased （P〈0.0005-0.0001）. The findings from partial correlation analysis （controlling for age） for 70 women with PIH showed that with elevated systolic blood pressure （SBP） and diastolic blood pressure （DBP）, MDA value gradually increased （P〈0.001）, and NO, VC, VE, β-CAR, SOD, CAT, and GPX values gradually decreased （P〈0.02-0.001）. The findings from reliability analysis for NO, VC, VE, β-CAR, SOD, CAT, GPX, and MDA values used to reflect increased oxidative stress and potential free radical damage in women with PIH showed that the reliability coefficients （alpha, 8 items） = 0.7062, P〈 0.0001, and the standardized item alpha = 0.9116, P〈 0.0001. Conclusion The findings in the present research suggest that pregnancy-induced hypertension can increase oxidative stress and potential free radical damage in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension.

Edaravone promotes functional recovery after mechanical peripheral nerve injury

Edaravone has been shown to reduce ischemia/reperfusion-induced peripheral nerve injury. However, the therapeutic effect of edaravone on peripheral nerve injury caused by mechanical factors is unknown. In the present study, we established a peripheral nerve injury model by crushing the sciatic nerve using hemostatic forceps, and then administered edaravone 3 mg/kg intraperitoneally. The sciatic functional index and superoxide dismutase activity of the sciatic nerve were increased, and the malondialdehyde level was decreased in animals in the edaravone group compared with those in the model group. Bcl-2 expression was increased, but Bax expres- sion was decreased in anterior horn cells of the L4-6 spinal cord segments. These results indicated that edaravone has a neuroprotective effect following peripheral nerve injury caused by mechan- ical factors through alleviating free radical damage to cells and inhibiting lipid peroxidation, as well as regulating apoptosis-related protein expression.

Effect of Yiqi Huoxue (益气活血) Herbs on Vascular Endothelial Cells and Platelets in Patients with Chronic Cor Pulmonale

Objective: To observe the clinical effect of Yiqi Huoxue (益气活血, YQHX) herbs in treating the patients with chronic cor pulmonale and to explore its mechanism by determining the relationship of oxida-tion/antioxidation system and how such herbs change on the function of endothelial cells and platelets. Methods: Fifty-eight patients were divided into two groups: conventional therapy group (control group, 28 patients) and convention plus YQHX herbs group (treated group, 30 patients). The control group received conventional management. The treated group were treated with YQHX 150 ml, twice a day, plus the conventional treatment, and the clinical efficacy was recorded. The lipid peroxidation (LPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), ot-granule membrane protein (GMP140), partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide in artery (PaCO2) and circulating endothelial cells (CEC) were measured respectively before and after treatment, and the relationship between various parameters were analyzed. The results were compared with those of 10 healthy subjects got at the same period. Results: (1) The effective rate and PaO2 of the treated group was higher than that of the control group and there were no difference in PaCO2 between the two groups. (2) The levels of LPO, GMP140, CEC in all the patients before therapy were significantly higher than those of the healthy group, and there were marked decrease in the levels of those after treatment (all P<0. 01). On the contrary, the levels of SOD in all the patients before therapy were markedly lower than those in the healthy subjects and increased after treatment, P<0. 01. (3) The increase of SOD in the treated group was significantly more obvious than that of the control group. In the treated group, the decrease of LPO, GMP140, CEC were markedly more obvious than those in the control group (all P<0. 01). (4) The number of CEC, as well as GMP140, was negatively correlated to PaO2(P<0.01) and SOD (P< 0. 01), which was positively correlated to LPO (P<0. 01). There was a positive correlation between CEC and GMP140 (P<0.05). Conclusion: YQHX herbs in treating chronic cor pulmonale proved to be effective by balancing the oxidation and antioxidation, protecting the pulmonary endothelial cells and activated platelets and helpful in treating respiratory failure.