[Comparison of antioxidant properties of N- acetylcysteine and vitamins E and C on diazinon-induced oxidative stress in rat spleen]

Background and Aim: Organophosphate insecticides such as diazinon [DZN] can disrupt the body's antioxidant defense system. Antioxidants protect cells against oxidative stress. In the present study, antioxidant properties of N- acetylcysteine [NAC] and vitamins E and C in reducing oxidative stress caused by DZN in rat spleen were compared

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 48 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into eight equal groups including. control, DZN [100 mg/kg], NAC [160 mg/kg], vitamin E [150 mg/kg], vitamin C [200 mg/kg], NAC+DZN, vitamin E+DZN, and vitamin C+DZN groups. Twenty-four hours after intraperitoneal injection the animals were anesthetized and their spleen tissues were quickly removed. After tissues' hemogenation superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], glutathione S-transferase [GST] ,lactate dehydrogenase activities, as well as glutathione [GSH] and malondialdehyde levels were determined using biochemical methods

Results: DZN increased SOD and GST activities, but it decreased CAT activity and GSH content in the spleen. Administration of the antioxidant NAC or vitamin E caused SOD and GAT improvement

Conclusion: DZN induces oxidative stress in the spleen. NAC, through increasing the synthesis of GSH, vitamins E, and C- by removing free radicals- reduce DZN-induced oxidative stress. Comparing the effects of these antioxidants on GSH and GST activity indicates that the antioxidant value of NAC is greater than vitamins E and C

Evaluation of gender-related differences in response to oxidative stress in toxoplasma gondii positive serum

Toxoplasma gondii [T. gondii] is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis. It infects up to one third of the human population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of T. gondii infection on induction of oxidative stress in serum of infected men and women. This case-control study was carried out on 150 individuals who had referred to our center in Tehran. Serum was obtained from venous blood samples. Immunoglobulin G [IgG] anti-toxoplasma antibody enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] test was performed on all of the samples. Those who were IgG positive were regarded as the case group [52 women and 23 men] and the others as the control group [43 women and 32 men]. The data were analyzed by INSTAT software using ANOVA followed by Tukey. Serum superoxide dismutase activity in men of the case group was significantly higher than in the control group [7.81 +/- 0.38 vs. 6.69 +/- 0.17, P = .045]. Catalase activity in men of the case group was significantly higher than the control group [8.64 +/- 0.55 vs. 6.23 +/- 0.38, P = .006]. Glutathione S-transferase activity and malondialdehyde level in women of the case group were significantly higher than the control group [5.98 +/- 0.24 vs. 4.73 +/- 0.28, P = .037 and 2.3 +/- 0.09 vs. 1.9 +/- 0.09, P = .032, respectively]. Catalase activity and glutathione level in women of the case group were lower than the control group [6.0 +/- 0.45 vs. 7.63 +/- 0.48, P = .043 and 0.62 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.89 +/- 0.05, P = .007, respectively]. T. gondii infection induces oxidative stress in women's serum because of the decreased catalase activity, glutathione depletion and increasing lipid peroxidation. The increased antioxidant enzyme activities in infected men were because of the adaptive response to the generated free radicals. Women were found to be more sensitive to the effects of toxoplasma infection on oxidative stress induction compared to men.

Induction of oxidative stress in skin and lung of infected balb/c mice with Iranian strain of leishmania major

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Leishmania major infection on the induction of oxidative stress in skin and lung of female mice. BALB/c mice were randomly divided into the control and experimental groups. The experimental groups were subcutaneously infected with inoculums promastigotes of L major. The animals were sacrificed at 20, 40, 60, 90 and 120 days post-infection, and tissues were isolated and analyzed. Superoxide dismutase activity, percent of DNA fragmentation and superoxide anion production levels were increased in skin and lung of infected mice. Lung catalase activity and skin malondialdehyde level were also increased. The decreased glutathione level was observed in both tissues. The highest alteration in these parameters in both tissues was observed at 90 days post-infection. L. major infection induces the production of free radicals and oxidative stress in a time-dependent manner in mice skin and lung by depletion of glutathione and increasing lipid peroxidation. The elevated DNA fragmentation may be related with increased oxidative stress. The skin is more sensitive to the effects of L. major infection on oxidative stress induction compared to the lung

Pepsin and bile acid concentrations in sputum of mustard gas exposed patients

Gastro-esophageal reflux has been suggested to be associated with several pulmonary complications such as asthma, and post-transplant bronchiolitis obliterans [BO]. Pepsin or bile salts in the sputum is shown to be an optimal molecular marker of gastric contents macro/micro aspiration. In this study, we investigated sputum pepsin as a marker of micro-aspiration in sulfur mustard [SM] exposed cases compared to healthy controls. In a case controlled study, 26 cases with BO and 12 matched healthy controls were recruited and all cases were symptomatic and their exposure to SM was previously documented during Iran-Iraq conflict. Pepsin levels in sputum and total bile acids were measured using enzymatic assay. The severity of respiratory disorder was categorized based upon the spirometric values. The average concentration of pepsin in sputum was higher in the case group [0.29 +/- 0.23] compared with healthy subjects [0.13 +/- 0.07; P +/- 0.003]. Moreover, the average concentration of bile acids in the sputum cases was not significantly different in comparison to the controls [P = 0.5]. Higher pepsin concentrations in sputum of SM exposed patients compared with healthy control subjects indicate the occurrence of significantly more gastric micro-aspiration in SM exposed patients

[Study of the prophylactic effects of amifostine on decrease of lung tissue injuries in the acute phase in rats exposed to sulfur mustard]

Inhalation of Sulfur mustard [HD] will cause lung epithelial inflammation and injury. There are different results from the prophylactic effects of amifostine [AM] on protection of lung epithelial tissue against HD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prophylactic effects of AM on protection of rat lung tissue exposed to HD. In this study twenty Albino Wistar adult male rats weighting 200 +/- 20 grams were used. Rats were divided randomly into 4 groups [5 rats in each group] as below: Normal saline group [NS], AM group, HD group [0.25% HD] and HD+AM group. Normal saline and HD solution were injected by intra tracheal catheter. Animals in AM and HD+AM groups received AM by intra peritoneal injection for 14 days daily. All rats were killed after 14 days; parts of the base of right lungs were removed, fixed and processed for histological evaluation by Toluidine blue, H and E staining and apoptotic cell death study by the TUNEL Apoptosis Detection Kit. In addition, glutathione level was measured in all specimens. No significant differences were revealed between Saline and AM groups in any of the aforementioned tests. Significant reduction of mast cells in lung tissue of the HD+AM group was shown when compared to the HD group. Lung tissue inflammation in the HD group was significantly more severe as compared to HD+AM group. In addition, amifostine in HD+AM group could prevent excess reduction of GSH level. The number of apoptotic cells in the HD group was significantly higher than the HD+AM group. Administration of amifostine before exposure to HD in rats prevents collection of mast cells, and excess reduction of GSH level in lung tissue; in addition it can partially reduce pulmonary edema and alveolar cell death apoptosis

reactivation effect of pralidoxime in human blood on parathion and paraoxon-induced cholinesterase inhibition

In this investigation the reactivation of cholinesterases by pralidoxime in parathion and paraoxon intoxication in plasma and erythrocytes were studied. For this purpose, human plasma and erythrocytes were incubated with various concentrations of parathion [0.1-10 micro M] and paraoxon [0.03-0.3 micro M] at 37 °C for 10 min. Then, pralidoxime [10-300 micro M] was added to the samples and incubated for 10 min before cholinesterases assay. The results showed that effects of parathion and paraoxon were dose dependent. These agents inhibited more than 85% of butyrylcholinesterase [BChE] and acetylcholinesterase [AChE] activity and the inhibitory effect of paraoxon was 10 times more than parathion. BChE activity was significantly higher than the control at 100 micro M of pralidoxime and it reduced inhibitory effects of parathion to less than 50% and of paraoxon to 42% of control. When pralidoxime [10 micro M] was added to erythrocytes, the inhibitory effects of two organophosphates were reduced to less than 15%. At higher concentrations of pralidoxime [>100 micro M], both BChE and AChE activities were inhibited