Selenium supplementation protects from high fat diet-induced atherogenesis in rats: role of mitogen stimulated lymphocytes and macrophage NO production.

The present study was designed to demonstrate the involvement of immune response in experimental atherogenesis. The mitogenic stimulation of lymphocytes and NO production by macrophages in experimental atherogenesis were studied. Further, influence of selenium a potent antioxidant was also studied in the disease process. Three different treatment groups of rats undertaken for study were: group 1, control; group II, high fat diet (HFD) fed group and group III, HFD+Se supplemented group. Atherogenic conditions induced have already been explained earlier [Kang BPS et al. Gen Physiol Biophys, 17 (1998) 71]. Significant increase in 3H-thymidine incorporation was obtained in lymphocytes from HFD fed animals in both presence and absence of mitogen (Con-A). However, these values decreased in group III animals, which were supplemented with selenium. Similarly, NO levels with LPS+ and LPS- macrophages also found to be higher in HFD fed group and decreased in group III. These studies reveal the protective role of selenium in HFD-induced atherogenic process.

LDH-C4-substrate binary complexes studied by intrinsic fluorescence method.

Lactate dehydrogenase-C4 (LDH-C4) has been studied in presence of substrates using intrinsic fluorescence measurements. Excitation maximum of LDH-C4 occurred at 282 nm whereas fluorescence emission maximum was obtained at 340 nm. Fluorescence intensities at 340 nm showed that ligands viz. NAD+, NADH, pyruvate and lactate quench the relative fluorescence intensities of LDH-C4 in a concentration dependent manner. NAD+ and NADH produced a maximum quenching between 92-93% while pyruvate and lactate quenched the fluorescence of LDH up to 29% and 21% respectively. Association constants (Ka) based on fluorescence measurements were 6.05 x 10(4)M-1, 20 x 10(4)M-1, 0.113 x 10(4)M-1 and 0.3 x 10(4)M-1, for NAD+, NADH, lactate and pyruvate respectively. Stern-Volmer constants (Ksv) show that NAD+ and NADH have single Ksv of 4.07 x 10(4)M-1 and 1.47 x 10(5)M-1, whereas lactate and pyruvate indicated quenching reaction to be made up of two components. Ksv at low and high concentration of lactate respectively were 0.645 x 10(2)M-1 and 0.05 x 10(2)M-1, whereas corresponding Ksv with pyruvate were 1.008 x 10(3)M-1 and 0.408 x 10(3)M-1. Low Ksv at higher concentrations suggested that the aromatic chromophores are located within a hydrophobic environment. Red shift in fluorescence maximum (lambda max) by 2nm with lactate and 6nm with pyruvate showed that interaction of these ligands with LDH-C4 exposes some buried chromophores of the enzyme to the surface.