Reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress in acute pancreatitis:Pathogenesis and new therapeutic interventions

Acute pancreatitis(AP)is a common acute gastrointestinal disorder affecting approximately 20%of patients with systemic inflammatory responses that may cause pancreatic and peripancreatic fat necrosis.This condition often progresses to multiple organ failure,significantly increasing morbidity and mortality.Oxidative stress,characterized by an imbalance between the body’s reactive oxygen species(ROS)and antioxidants,activates the inflammatory signaling pathways.Although the pathogenesis of AP is not fully understood,ROS are increasingly recognized as critical in the disease's progression and development.Modulating the oxidative stress pathway has shown efficacy in mitigating the progression of AP.Despite numerous basic studies examining this pathway,comprehensive reviews of recent research remain sparse.This systematic review offers an in-depth examination of the critical role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis and progression of AP and evaluates the therapeutic potential of antioxidant interventions in its management.

Oxidation of ciprofloxacin by the synergistic effect of DBD plasma and persulfate:reactive species and influencing factors analysis

A synergistic system of water falling film dielectric barrier discharge(DBD)plasma and persulfate(PS)was set up and used for oxidizing ciprofloxacin(CIP)in water.Results of reactive species formation in the DBD-only system as well as the DBD–PS system verified the PS activation in the DBD system.Influencing factors on CIP degradation and the degradation process were also been studied.The obtained results showed that the presence of PS could greatly improve the degradation and mineralization of CIP and that the degradation efficiency could reach 97.73%after only 40 min treatment with 4 m M PS addition.The increase of PS concentration,the lower CIP concentration,the acidic solution p H and the addition of metal ions(Fe^(2+)and Cu^(2+))enhanced the CIP degradation,while the existence of Cl^(-)and HCO_(3)^(-)had a negative effect.The experiments related to scavenger addition confirmed the contribution of the main reactive species to the CIP oxidation.Three probable degradation pathways were proposed by analyzing the inorganic ions and organic byproducts formed during the CIP degradation.The toxicity evaluation results of the CIP and its intermediates confirmed the effectiveness of the DBD–PS synergistic system.

Novel insights into the mechanism of reactive oxygen species-mediated neurodegeneration

Neurite degeneration,a major component of many neurodegenerative diseases,such as Parkinson’s disease,Alzheimer’s disease,and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,is not part of the typical apoptosis signaling mechanism,but rather it appears that a self-destructive process is in action.Oxidative stress is a well-known inducer of neurodegenerative pathways:neuronal cell death and neurite degeneration.Although oxidative stress exerts cytotoxic effects leading to neuronal loss,the pathogenic mechanisms and precise signaling pathways by which oxidative stress causes neurite degeneration have remained entirely unknown.We previously reported that reactive oxygen species generated by NADPH oxidases induce activation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase ZNRF1 in neurons,which promotes neurite degeneration.In this process,the phosphorylation of an NADPH oxidase subunit p47-phox at the 345serine residue serves as an important checkpoint to initiate the ZNRF1-dependent neurite degeneration.Evidence provides new insights into the mechanism of reactive oxygen species-mediated neurodegeneration.In this review,we focus specifically on reactive oxygen species-induced neurite degeneration by highlighting a phosphorylation-dependent regulation of the molecular interaction between ZNRF1 and the NADPH oxidase complex.

Targeting oxidative stress with natural products: A novel strategy for esophageal cancer therapy

Esophageal cancer(ESC)is a malignant tumor that originates from the mucosal epithelium of the esophagus and is part of the digestive tract.Although the exact pathogenesis of ESC has not been fully elucidated,excessive oxidative stress is an important characteristic that leads to the development of many cancers.Abnormal expression of several proteins and transcription factors contributes to oxidative stress in ESCs,which alters the growth and proliferation of ESCs and promotes their metastasis.Natural compounds,including alkaloids,terpenes,polyphenols,and xanthine compounds,can inhibit reactive oxygen species production in ESCs.These compounds reduce oxidative stress levels and subsequently inhibit the oc-currence and progression of ESC through the regulation of targets and pathways such as the cytokine interleukins 6 and 10,superoxide dismutase,the NF-+ACY-kappa+ADs-B/MAPK pathway,and the mammalian Nrf2/ARE target pathway.Thus,targeting tumor oxidative stress has become a key focus in anti-ESC therapy.This review discusses the potential of Natural products(NPs)for treating ESCs and summarizes the application prospects of oxidative stress as a new target for ESC treatment.The findings of this review provide a reference for drug development targeting ESCs.Nonetheless,further high-quality studies will be necessary to determine the clinical efficacy of these various NPs.

Hydrogen sulfide reduces oxidative stress in Huntington's disease via Nrf2

The pathophysiology of Huntington's disease involves high levels of the neurotoxin quinolinic acid. Quinolinic acid accumulation results in oxidative stress, which leads to neurotoxicity. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which quinolinic acid contributes to Huntington's disease pathology remain unknown. In this study, we established in vitro and in vivo models of Huntington's disease by administering quinolinic acid to the PC12 neuronal cell line and the striatum of mice, respectively. We observed a decrease in the levels of hydrogen sulfide in both PC12 cells and mouse serum, which was accompanied by down-regulation of cystathionine β-synthase, an enzyme responsible for hydrogen sulfide production. However, treatment with NaHS(a hydrogen sulfide donor) increased hydrogen sulfide levels in the neurons and in mouse serum, as well as cystathionine β-synthase expression in the neurons and the mouse striatum, while also improving oxidative imbalance and mitochondrial dysfunction in PC12 cells and the mouse striatum. These beneficial effects correlated with upregulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 expression. Finally, treatment with the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2inhibitor ML385 reversed the beneficial impact of exogenous hydrogen sulfide on quinolinic acid-induced oxidative stress. Taken together, our findings show that hydrogen sulfide reduces oxidative stress in Huntington's disease by activating nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2,suggesting that hydrogen sulfide is a novel neuroprotective drug candidate for treating patients with Huntington's disease.

Natural product-induced oxidative stress-synergistic anti-tumor effects of chemotherapeutic agents

Reactive oxygen species are closely related to tumor development.In recent years,reactive oxygen species has become a hot spot in tumor therapy,and many natural substances in nature contain compound components with anti-tumor effects.However,there is a lack of discussion on the synergistic anti-tumor effects of natural products in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs through reactive oxygen species.The terms“natural products”,“reactive oxygen species”,“anti-tumor”,and“chemotherapy”were used to identify the synergistic effects of natural products.We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed and Web of Science databases for relevant research articles and reviews published in recent years.We systematically summarized the studies related to anti-tumor active ingredients in natural compounds in the field of reactive oxygen species in recent years.A total of 77 relevant literatures were included.Among them,45 literatures containing various natural products such as terpenoids,flavonoids,alkaloids,etc.exert anti-tumor effects by regulating reactive oxygen species levels,and 32 literatures regarding adjunctive role of natural products in anti-tumor therapy.In this study,we found that natural products exert anti-tumor effects by elevating reactive oxygen species levels.It provides strong theoretical support for future clinical studies.

Decreased osteogenesis of adult mesenchymal stem cel s by reactive oxygen species under cyclic stretch: a possible mechanism of age related osteoporosis

Age related defect of the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells（MSCs） plays a key role in osteoporosis. Mechanical loading is one of the most important physical stimuli for osteoblast differentiation.Here, we compared the osteogenic potential of MSCs from young and adult rats under three rounds of 2 h of cyclic stretch of 2.5% elongation at 1 Hz on 3 consecutive days. Cyclic stretch induced a significant osteogenic differentiation of MSCs from young rats, while a compromised osteogenesis in MSCs from the adult rats.Accordingly, there were much more reactive oxygen species（ROS） production in adult MSCs under cyclic stretch compared to young MSCs. Moreover, ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine rescued the osteogenic differentiation of adult MSCs under cyclic stretch. Gene expression analysis revealed that superoxide dismutase 1（SOD1） was significantly downregulated in those MSCs from adult rats. In summary, our data suggest that reduced SOD1 may result in excessive ROS production in adult MSCs under cyclic stretch, and thus manipulation of the MSCs from the adult donors with antioxidant would improve their osteogenic ability.

Effect of dietary supplementation of vitamin C on growth, reactive oxygen species, and antioxidant enzyme activity of Apostichopus japonicus(Selenka) juveniles exposed to nitrite

Different amounts of vitamin C were added to diets fed to juveniles （2.5＋0.15 g） of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus （Selenka） in an attempt to reduce the stress response of specimens exposed to nitrite stress. A commercial feed was used as the control diet and three experimental diets were made by supplementing 1 000, 1 500, or 2 000 mg vitamin C/kg diet to control diet separately in a 45-day experiment. Sea cucumbers were exposed to three different levels （0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/L） of nitrite stress for 4, 8, and 12 h at four time intervals （0, 15, 30, and 45 d）. Growth of the animals was recorded during the experiment. Reactive oxygen species （ROS） （i.e. hydroxyl free radical （-OH）, malondialdehyde （MDA） and total antioxidant capacity （T-AOC）） and antioxidant enzyme activities （i.e., superoxide dismutase （SOD） and eatalase （CAT）） were measured. Response surface methodology （RSM） was used to analyze the effect of multiple factors on ROS indices and enzyme activities. Weight gain （WG） and special growth rate （SGR） of vitamin C supplementation groups were significantly higher than those of control group （P〈0.05）. The levels of-OH and MDA increased under exposure time extending and nitrite concentration increasing, whereas T-AOC level decreased. SOD and CAT activities increased at 4 h and 8 h and decreased at 12 h. During the days in which the animal consumed experimental diets, the levels of-OH and MDA decreased and that of T-AOC increased. This result suggests that diets containing vitamin C could reduce the nitrite stress response in the animals and increase their antioxidant capacity. The multifactor regression equation of growth performance, ROS indices, and duration of feeding results suggest that vitamin C supplementation of 1 400-2 000 mg/kg diet for 29-35 days could reduce effectively the effects of nitrite exposure.

Spotlights on immunological effects of reactive nitrogen species: When inflammation says nitric oxide

Over the last decades, nitric oxide(NO) has been definitively recognised as one of the key players involved in immunity and inflammation. NO generation was originally described in activated macrophages, which still represent the prototype of NO-producing cells. Notwithstanding, additional cell subsets belonging to both innate and adaptive immunity have been documented to sustain NO propagation by means of the enzymatic activity of different nitric oxide synthase isoforms. Furthermore, due to its chemical characteristics, NO could rapidly react with other free radicals to generate different reactive nitrogen species(RNS), which have been intriguingly associated with many pathological conditions. Nonetheless, the plethora of NO/RNS-mediated effects still remains extremely puzzling. The aim of this manuscript is to dig into the broad literature on the topic to provide intriguing insights on NO-mediated circuits within immune system. We analysed NO and RNS immunological clues arising from their biochemical properties, immunomodulatory activities and finally dealing with their impact on different pathological scenarios with far prompting intriguing perspectives for their pharmacological targeting.

Reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide and plant cell death associated with caspase-like protease activity during somatic embryogenesis in Fraxinus mandshurica

Programmed cell death occurs in browning explants of Fraxinus mandshurica during somatic embryogenesis, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. In this study, single cotyledons of zygotic embryos of F. mandshurica were used as explants. Mitochondrial structure and function, caspase-3-like protease activity, hydrogen peroxide metabolism, and nitric oxide accumulation induced by high concentrations of sucrose and plant growth regulators were studied. The results show that plant growth regulators induced somatic embryogenesis and also promoted explant browning. High sucrose concentrations had similar effects. High concentrations of sucrose and plant growth regulators led to the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide which induced changes in mitochondrial structure and function such as modifications in mitochondrial morphology, increased membrane permeability, decreased membrane potential, and the release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm. An increase in caspase-3-like protease activity triggered programmed cell death in some browning explant cells. During somatic embryogenesis there were increased activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase, which are associated with hydrogen peroxide metabolism and jointly maintain reactive oxygen species levels. Intracellular nitric oxide synthase and nitrate reductase activities were not significantly correlated with nitric oxide content. Instead, intracellular nitric oxide may be derived from non-enzymatic reactions. Our results indicate that hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide may function as signals, playing key roles in somatic embryogenesis and programmed cell death of explant cells of F. mandshurica. The interaction between nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species determines the occurrence of programmed cell death in explant cells;somatic embryogenesis and programmed cell death are positively regulated by hydrogen peroxide. However, the regulation of nitric oxide is complex.

Production of reactive oxygen species and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in rat isolated Kupffer cells stimulated by Leptospira interrogans and Borrelia burgdorfen

AIM： To evaluate the production of reactive oxygen species （ROS） and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS） in rat isolated Kupffer cells （KCs） stimulated by Leptospira interrogans and Borrelia burgdorferi. METHODS： Rat Kupffer cells were separated by perfusion of the liver with 0.05% collagenase, and purified by Percoll gradients. Pudfied Kupffer cells were tested in vitro with alive L.interogans and B. burgdorferi preparations. The production of ROS was determined by chemiluminescence, whereas iNOS protein expression was evaluated by Western blot assay using anti-iNOS antibodies. RESULTS： B. burgdorferi and to a less extent L. interrogans induced ROS production with a peak 35 min after infection. The chemiluminescence signal progressively diminished and was undetectable by 180 min of incubation. Leptospirae and borreliae induced an increased iNOS expression in Kupffer cells that peaked at 6 hours and was still evident 22 h after infection. CONCLUSION： Both genera of spirochetes induced ROS and iNOS production in rat Kupffer cells. Since the cause of liver damage both in leptospiral as well as in borrelial infections are still unknown, we suggest that leptospira and borrelia damage of the liver can be initially mediated by oxygen radicals, and is then maintained at least in part by nitric oxide.

Effects of Nitric Oxide on the Germination of Wheat Seeds and Its Reactive Oxygen Species Metabolisms Under Osmotic Stress

Effects of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a nitric oxide (NO) donor, on the germination and metabolism of reactive oxygen species were surveyed in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seeds. Germination of wheat seeds and even the elongation of radicle and plumule were dramatically promoted by SNP treatments during the germination under osmotic stress. Meanwhile, activities of amylase and EP were enhanced, thus leading to the degradation of storage reserve in seeds. After osmotic stress was removed, higher viability of wheat seeds was also maintained. In addition, the activities of CAT, APX and the content of proline were increased by SNP treatment simultaneously, but activities of LOX were inhibited, and both of which were beneficial for improving the antioxidant capacity during the germination of wheat seeds under osmotic stress. It was also shown that the increase of the activity of amylase induced by SNP in embryoless half-seeds of wheat in the beginning period of germination (6 h) might be indirectly related to GA(3).

Effects of Selenium Dioxide on Apoptosis, Bcl-2 and P53 Expression, Intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species and Calcium Level in Three Human Lung Cancer Cell Lines

Objective: To evaluate the anti-tumor effects of SeO2 and its mechanisms on three human lung cancer cell lines. Methods: Three lung cancer cells A549, GLC-82 and PG were treated with 3-30 μmol/L SeO2. Flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis, and analyze the changes of expression of p53 and Bcl-2, as well as ROS and Ca2+ level within cells. Results:SeO2 markedly inhibited cell proliferation and viability, and prompted apoptosis after 48 h treatment. SeO2 at 10 μmol/L induced 47.8% apoptosis in A549 cells, 40.8% in GLC-82 cells, 18.2% in PG cells. SeO2 at 30 μmol/L induced 37.8% apoposis in PG cells,but did not increase apoptotic raes in other two cells. SeO2 could down-regulate the mean fluorescent intensity of Bcl-2 from 65.8 to 9.6 in A549, but not in GLC-82 and in PG cells, up-regulate wild type p53 level in all three cells. SeO2 decreased the ROS and Ca2+ level markedly within three tested cells. Conclusion: SeO2 showed anti-tumor effect via apoptosis pathway in three lung cancer cell lines. The decrease of ROS and Ca2+ level within cells as well as regulation of Bcl-2 and p53 expression may play important roles in above apoptotic procedure.

Effect of extracts from Stachys sieboldii Miq. on cellular reactive oxygen species and glutathione production and genomic DNA oxidation

Objective: To evaluate the antioxidant activity of extracts and fractions from Stachys sieboldii Miq., and to examine its effect on the cellular reactive oxygen species(ROS) and glutathione(GSH) production and genomic DNA oxidation in HT-1080 cells. Methods: The ROS generation induced by H2 O2 was measured by the dichlorofluorescein-diacetate assay. GSH levels were measured using a fluorescent method with mBBr. Genomic DNA oxidative damage was measured with levels of oxidative DNA induced by the reaction of ferritin with H2 O2. Results: The n-hexane, 85% aqueous methanol and n-butanol fractions(0.05 mg/mL concentrations) inhibited H2 O2-induced ROS generation by 63%, 35% and 45%, respectively. GSH levels were significantly increased in both acetone+methylene chloride and methanol extracts(P<0.05). Supplementation of cells with n-hexane significantly increased GSH levels at concentrations of 0.05 mg/mL(P<0.05). Both the acetone+methylene chloride and methanol extracts, as well as all fractions significantly inhibited oxidative DNA damage(P<0.05). Conclusions: These results indicate that cellular oxidation was inhibited by the n-hexane fraction and this fraction may contain valuable active compounds.

Characterization of the Long-Term Interaction between Intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species and Oxidative DNA Damage in Murine Lin^-/Sca-1⁺Cells Exposed to Ionizing Radiation

Mutations in the Sfpi1 gene are essential for the development of radia-tion-induced acute myeloid leukemia. In this study, we investigated long-term interaction among immature hematopoietic cell number, intra-cellular reactive oxygen species contents, and oxidative DNA damage fre-quency after irradiation. Lin-/Sca-1+ cells were isolated from C3H/HeN mice on days 1 - 400 after 0 - 3 Gy total body irradiation. On days 1 - 7, the number of surviving cells decreased and reached a minimum;however, the number of cells gradually recovered until day 200. Intracellular reactive oxygen species contents significantly increased from day 1 to day 30. In addition, the frequency of oxidative DNA damage tended to increase from day 1 and day 30, and that at day 30 was significantly increased in the 3 Gy group compared with that in the control group. In contrast, decreased cell number, increased intracellular reactive oxygen species content, and decreased oxidative DNA damage frequency were observed on day 400. These results suggested that oxidative DNA damage was involved in intracellular reactive oxygen species generation induced by cell proliferation to compensate for cell death after irradiation.

Regulating Signal Pathway Triggers Circular Reactive Oxygen Species Production to Augment Oxidative Stress with Enzyme-Activated Nanoparticles

Regulating antioxidative stress pathways to augment oxidative stress and enhance antitumor therapy is highly desirable but very challenging.Herein,we initiated a multifunctional nanoparticle to regulate the Keap1-Nrf2 antioxidative stress pathway to promote cancer cell apoptosis.The OPFV-SnMP@GE11 nanoparticles were assembled by enzyme-activated OPFV-TLQ,tin mesoporphyrin(SnMP),and DSPEPEG-GE11.OPFV-SnMP@GE11 accumulated at tumor sites through specific targeting with GE11.OPFV-TLQ was specifically reduced to a photosensitizer OPFVNH2 by endocellular NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1).Under irradiation,OPFV-NH2 greatly produced reactive oxygen species(ROS)through a type I mechanism,which activated the Keap1-Nrf2 signal pathway and enhanced the transcription of NQO1,resulting in a continuous and explosive generation of ROS.Additionally,SnMP inhibited the activity of heme oxygenase-1(HO-1),further depressing antioxidative stress.This strategy provides insight into the regulation of the signal pathway to amplify oxidative stress,paving the way to studying the molecular mechanisms of cellular activities to enhance cancer therapy.

The cell cycle related apoptotic susceptibility to arsenic trioxide is associated with the level of reactive oxygen species

Double staining flow cytometry was performed using 7-amino actinomycin D and 6-carboxy-2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate,to detect the level fluctuation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during the cell cycle of normal NB4 cells. Our results showed that NB4 cells possessed higher level of ROS in G2/M phase than in G1 and S phases. Double staining flow cytometry,with TdT mediated dUTP nick end labeling (Tunel) and propidium iodide (PI),indicated that As2O3 (2 μM) could induce apoptosis in NB4 cells prevailingly from G2/M phase,and this efficacy was enhanced upon co-administration of 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (DMNQ) (2.5 μM) which could produce the endogenous ROS. These results suggested that different ROS level in different cell cycle phases of NB4 cells might determin the selective induction of G2/M apoptosis and the cells' susceptibility to apoptosis by As2O3.

Cyanidin suppresses amyloid beta-induced neurotoxicity by inhibiting reactive oxygen speciesmediated DNA damage and apoptosis in PC12 cells

Amyloid beta（Aβ）-induced oxidative stress is a major pathologic hallmark of Alzheimer＇s disease. Cyanidin, a natural flavonoid compound, is neuroprotective against oxidative damage-mediated degeneration. However, its molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of cyanidin pretreatment against Aβ-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells, and explored the underlying mechanisms. Cyanidin pretreatment significantly attenuated Aβ-induced cell mortality and morphological changes in PC12 cells. Mechanistically, cyanidin effectively blocked apoptosis induced by Aβ, by restoring the mitochondrial membrane potential via upregulation of Bcl-2 protein expression. Moreover, cyanidin markedly protected PC12 cells from Aβ-induced DNA damage by blocking reactive oxide species and superoxide accumulation. These results provide evidence that cyanidin suppresses Aβ-induced cytotoxicity, by preventing oxidative damage mediated by reactive oxide species, which in turn inhibits mitochondrial apoptosis. Our study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of cyanidin in the prevention of oxidative stress-mediated Aβ neurotoxicity.

TaNF-YB11,a gene of NF-Y transcription factor family in Triticum aestivum,confers drought tolerance on plants via modulating osmolyte accumulation and reactive oxygen species homeostasis

Transcription factors(TFs)regulate diverse stress defensive-associated physiological processes and plant stress responses.We characterized TaNF-YB11,a gene of the NF-YB TF family in Triticum aestivum,in mediating plant drought tolerance.TaNF-YB11 harbors the conserved domains specified by its NF-YB partners and targets the nucleus after the endoplasmic reticulum(ER)assortment.Yeast two-hybrid assay indicated the interactions of TaNF-YB11 with TaNF-YA2 and TaNF-YC3,two proteins encoded by genes in the NF-YA and NF-YC families,respectively.These results suggested that the heterotrimer established among them further regulated downstream genes at the transcriptional level.The transcripts of TaNF-YB11 were promoted in roots and leaves under a 27-h drought regime.Moreover,its upregulated expression levels under drought were gradually restored following a recovery treatment,suggesting its involvement in plant drought response.TaNF-YB11 conferred improved drought tolerance on plants;the lines overexpressing target gene displayed improved phenotype and biomass compared with wild type(WT)under drought treatments due to enhancement of stomata closing,osmolyte accumulation,and cellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)homeostasis.Knockdown expression of TaP5CS2,a P5CS family gene modulating proline biosynthesis that showed upregulated expression in drought-challenged TaNF-YB11 lines,alleviated proline accumulation of plants treated by drought.Likewise,TaSOD2 and TaCAT3,two genes encoding superoxide dismutase(SOD)and catalase(CAT)that were upregulated underlying TaNF-YB11 regulation,played critical roles in ROS homeostasis via regulating SOD and CAT activities.RNA-seq analysis revealed that numerous genes associated with processes of‘cellular processes',‘environmental information processing',‘genetic information processing',‘metabolism',and‘organismal systems'modified transcription under drought underlying control of TaNF-YB11.These results suggested that the TaNF-YB11-mediated drought response is possibly accomplished through the target gene in modifying gene transcription at the global level,which modulates complicated biological processes related to drought response.TaNF-YB11 is essential in plant drought adaptation and a valuable target for molecular breeding of drought-tolerant cultivars in T.aestivum.

Overproduction of reactive oxygen species–obligatory or not for induction of apoptosis by anticancer drugs

Many studies demonstrate that conventional anticancer drugs elevate intracellular level of reactive oxygen species （ROS） and alter redox-homeostasis of cancer cells. It is widely accepted that anticancer effect of these chemotherapeutics is due to induction of oxidative stress and ROS-mediated apoptosis in cancer. On the other hand, the harmful side effects of conventional anticancer chemotherapy are also due to increased production of ROS and disruption of redox-homeostasis of normal cells and tissues. This article describes the mechanisms for triggering and modulation of apoptosis through ROS-dependent and ROS^independent pathways. We try to answer the question： ＂Is it possible to induce highly specific apoptosis only in cancer cells, without overproduction of ROS, as well as without harmful effects on normal cells and tissues？＂ The review also suggests a new therapeutic strategy for selective killing of cancer cells, without significant impact on viability of normal cells and tissues, by combining anticancer drugs with redox-modulators, affecting specific signaling pathways and avoiding oxidative stress.