Intermittent fasting uncovers and rescues cognitive phenotypes in PTEN neuronal haploinsufficient mice.

Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is an important protein with key modulatory functions in cell growth and survival. PTEN is crucial during embryogenesis and plays a key role in the central nervous system (CNS), where it directly modulates neuronal development and synaptic plasticity. Loss of PTEN signaling function is associated with cognitive deficits and synaptic plasticity impairment. Accordingly, Pten mutations have a strong link with autism spectrum disorder. In this study, neuronal Pten haploinsufficient male mice were subjected to a long-term environmental intervention - intermittent fasting (IF) - and then evaluated for alterations in exploratory, anxiety and learning and memory behaviors. Although no significant effects on spatial memory were observed, mutant mice showed impaired contextual fear memory in the passive avoidance test - an outcome that was effectively rescued by IF. In this study, we demonstrated that IF modulation, in addition to its rescue of the memory deficit, was also required to uncover behavioral phenotypes otherwise hidden in this neuronal Pten haploinsufficiency model.

Curcumin requires tumor necrosis factor α signaling to alleviate cognitive impairment elicited by lipopolysaccharide.

A decline in cognitive ability is a typical feature of the normal aging process, and of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. Although their etiologies differ, all of these disorders involve local activation of innate immune pathways and associated inflammatory cytokines. However, clinical trials of anti-inflammatory agents in neurodegenerative disorders have been disappointing, and it is therefore necessary to better understand the complex roles of the inflammatory process in neurological dysfunction. The dietary phytochemical curcumin can exert anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective actions. Here we provide evidence that curcumin ameliorates cognitive deficits associated with activation of the innate immune response by mechanisms requiring functional tumor necrosis factor α receptor 2 (TNFR2) signaling. In vivo, the ability of curcumin to counteract hippocampus-dependent spatial memory deficits, to stimulate neuroprotective mechanisms such as upregulation of BDNF, to decrease glutaminase levels, and to modulate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor levels was absent in mice lacking functional TNFRs. Curcumin treatment protected cultured neurons against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity by a mechanism requiring TNFR2 activation. Our results suggest the possibility that therapeutic approaches against cognitive decline designed to selectively enhance TNFR2 signaling are likely to be more beneficial than the use of anti-inflammatory drugs per se.

Presenilin mutations and calcium signaling defects in the nervous and immune systems.

Presenilin-1 (PS1) is thought to regulate cell differentiation and survival by modulating the Notch signaling pathway. Mutations in PS1 have been shown to cause early-onset inherited forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) by a gain-of-function mechanism that alters proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) resulting in increased production of neurotoxic forms of amyloid beta-peptide. The present article considers a second pathogenic mode of action of PS1 mutations, a defect in cellular calcium signaling characterized by overfilling of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium stores and altered capacitive calcium entry; this abnormality may impair synaptic plasticity and sensitize neurons to apoptosis and excitotoxicity. The calcium signaling defect has also been documented in lymphocytes, suggesting a contribution of immune dysfunction to the pathogenesis of AD. A better understanding of the calcium signaling defect resulting from PS1 mutations may lead to the development of novel preventative and therapeutic strategies for disorders of the nervous and immune systems.

Endoplasmic reticulum D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive stores regulate nuclear factor-kappaB binding activity in a calcium-independent manner.

The transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) plays critical roles in neuronal survival and plasticity and in activation of immune responses. The activation of NF-kappaB has been closely associated with changes in intracellular calcium levels, but the relationship between the two remains unclear. Here we report that inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) d-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3))-gated calcium release caused decreased basal NF-kappaB DNA-binding activity in cultured rat cortical neurons. Activation of NF-kappaB in response to tumor necrosis factor-alpha and glutamate was completely abolished when IP(3) receptors were blocked, and NF-kappaB activation in response to depletion of ER calcium by thapsigargin treatment was also decreased by IP(3) receptor blockade. We further investigated the relationship between IP(3) receptor activation and NF-kappaB activity using a cell-free system. Microsomes enriched in the ER were isolated from adult rat cerebral cortex, resuspended, and treated with agents that induce or inhibit ER calcium release. They were then recentrifuged, and the supernatant was added to cytoplasmic extract isolated from the same source tissue. We found that microsomes released an NF-kappaB-stimulating signal in response to activation of IP(3) receptors or inhibition of the ER Ca(2+)-ATPase, but not in response to ryanodine. Studies of intact cells and cell-free preparations indicated that the signal released from the ER was not calcium and was heat- and trypsin-sensitive. Our data suggest that activation of IP(3) receptors is required for a major component of both constitutive and inducible NF-kappaB binding activity in neurons and that decreasing ER intraluminal calcium levels triggers release of a diffusible NF-kappaB-activating signal from the ER.

A synthetic inhibitor of p53 protects neurons against death induced by ischemic and excitotoxic insults, and amyloid beta-peptide.

The tumor suppressor protein p53 is essential for neuronal death in several experimental settings and may participate in human neurodegenerative disorders. Based upon recent studies characterizing chemical inhibitors of p53 in preclinical studies in the cancer therapy field, we synthesized the compound pifithrin-alpha and evaluated its potential neuroprotective properties in experimental models relevant to the pathogenesis of stroke and neurodegenerative disorders. Pifithrin-alpha protected neurons against apoptosis induced by DNA-damaging agents, amyloid beta-peptide and glutamate. Protection by pifithrin-alpha was correlated with decreased p53 DNA-binding activity, decreased expression of the p53 target gene BAX and suppression of mitochondrial dysfunction and caspase activation. Mice given pifithrin-alpha exhibited increased resistance of cortical and striatal neurons to focal ischemic injury and of hippocampal neurons to excitotoxic damage. These preclinical studies demonstrate the efficacy of a p53 inhibitor in models of stroke and neurodegenerative disorders, and suggest that drugs that inhibit p53 may reduce the extent of brain damage in related human neurodegenerative conditions.

Pro-apoptotic action of PAR-4 involves inhibition of NF-kappaB activity and suppression of BCL-2 expression.

Par-4(1) (prostate apoptosis response 4) is known to function at an early stage in apoptosis in several different cell types, including neurons. On the other hand, activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB can prevent apoptosis in various cancer cells and neurons. We now report that overexpression of full-length Par-4 in cultured PC12 cells results in a suppression of basal NF-kappaB DNA-binding activity and NF-kappaB activation following trophic factor withdrawal (TFW). The decreased NF-kappaB activity is correlated with enhanced apoptosis. Conversely, NF-kappaB activity is increased and vulnerability to apoptosis reduced in cells overexpressing a dominant-negative form of Par-4. Par-4 overexpression or functional blockade had no effect on AP-1 DNA-binding activity. Expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 was dramatically reduced in PC12 cells overexpressing Par-4. Our data suggest that suppression of NF-kappaB activation plays a major role in the proapoptotic function of Par-4.

Nuclear factor-kappaB mediates the cell survival-promoting action of activity-dependent neurotrophic factor peptide-9.

Activity-dependent neurotrophic factor (ADNF) is produced by astrocytes in response to neuronal depolarization and, in turn, promotes neuronal survival. A nineamino acid ADNF peptide (ADNF9) exhibits full neurotrophic activity and potently protects cultured embryonic rat hippocampal neurons from oxidative injury and apoptosis. Picomolar concentrations of ADNF9 induced an increase in nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) DNA-binding activity within 1 h of exposure, with a maximum increase of approximately 10-fold by 6 h. Activation of NF-kappaB was correlated with increased resistance of neurons to apoptosis induced by exposure to Fe(2+). The antiapoptotic action of ADNF9 was abolished when NF-kappaB activation was specifically blocked with kappaB decoy DNA. Oxidative stress was attenuated in neurons pretreated with ADNF9, and this effect of ADNF9 was blocked by kappaB decoy DNA, suggesting that ADNF9 suppresses apoptosis by reducing oxidative stress. ADNF9 also prevented neuronal apoptosis following trophic factor withdrawal via an NF-kappaB-mediated mechanism. Thus, NF-kappaB mediates the neuron survival-promoting effects of ADNF9 in experimental models relevant to developmental neuronal death and neurodegenerative disorders.

The lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxy-2,3-nonenal increases AP-1-binding activity through caspase activation in neurons.

The transcription factor activator protein-1 (AP-1) is activated in response to physiological activity in neuronal circuits and in response to neuronal injury associated with various acute and chronic neurodegenerative conditions. The membrane lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxy-2,3-nonenal (HNE) is increasingly implicated in the disruption of neuronal calcium homeostasis that occurs in various paradigms of neuronal excitotoxicity and apoptosis. The possible mechanistic links between lipid peroxidation and alterations in gene transcription during neuronal apoptosis have not previously been examined. We now report that exposure of cultured rat cortical neurons to an apoptotic concentration of HNE results in a large increase in AP-1 DNA-binding activity. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide blocked the induction of AP-1, consistent with a requirement for induction of expression of AP-1 family members. The broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone and the caspase-3 inhibitor N-acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-aldehyde blocked HNE-induced increases in AP-1 DNA-binding activity, demonstrating a requirement for caspase activation in the activation of AP-1. HNE induced phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), which was prevented by caspase inhibitors, indicating that HNE was acting at or upstream of JNK phosphorylation. The intracellular calcium chelator BAPTA-acetoxymethyl ester completely prevented stimulation of AP-1 DNA-binding by HNE, indicating a requirement for calcium. Moreover, agents that suppress mitochondrial calcium uptake (ruthenium red) and membrane permeability transition (cyclosporin A) attenuated AP-1 activation by HNE, suggesting a contribution of mitochondrial alterations to AP-1 activation. Collectively, our data suggest a scenario in which HNE disrupts neuronal calcium homeostasis and perturbs mitochondrial function, resulting in caspase activation. Activated caspases, in turn, induce activation of JNK, resulting in stimulation of AP-1 DNA-binding protein production. This transcriptional pathway induced by HNE may modulate the cell death process.

Roles of nuclear factor kappaB in neuronal survival and plasticity.

The transcription factor nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) is moving to the forefront of the fields of apoptosis and neuronal plasticity because of recent findings showing that activation of NF-kappaB prevents neuronal apoptosis in various cell culture and in vivo models and because NF-kappaB is activated in association with synaptic plasticity. Activation of NF-kappaB was first shown to mediate antiapoptotic actions of tumor necrosis factor in cultured neurons and was subsequently shown to prevent death of various nonneuronal cells. NF-kappaB is activated by several cytokines and neurotrophic factors and in response to various cell stressors. Oxidative stress and elevation of intracellular calcium levels are particularly important inducers of NF-kappaB activation. Activation of NF-kappaB can interrupt apoptotic biochemical cascades at relatively early steps, before mitochondrial dysfunction and oxyradical production. Gene targets for NF-kappaB that may mediate its antiapoptotic actions include the antioxidant enzyme manganese superoxide dismutase, members of the inhibitor of apoptosis family of proteins, and the calcium-binding protein calbindin D28k. NF-kappaB is activated by synaptic activity and may play important roles in the process of learning and memory. The available data identify NF-kappaB as an important regulator of evolutionarily conserved biochemical and molecular cascades designed to prevent cell death and promote neuronal plasticity. Because NF-kappaB may play roles in a range of neurological disorders that involve neuronal degeneration and/or perturbed synaptic function, pharmacological and genetic manipulations of NF-kappaB signaling are being developed that may prove valuable in treating disorders ranging from Alzheimer's disease to schizophrenia.

Contribution of gamma glutamyl transpeptidase to oxidative damage of ischemic rat kidney.

BACKGROUND: A variety of mechanisms have been considered in the pathogenesis of the cell damage occurring in the kidney that is undergoing transient ischemia. However, little information is available about the role of oxidative stress in building up the tissue injury in the hypoxic organ during short-term ischemia. METHODS: After a standard brief period (25 min) of unilateral kidney ischemia in rats, pretreated or not with acivicin (60 micromol/L/kg i.v.), tissue samples from both ischemic and not ischemic kidneys were obtained to measure malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) content, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) activity by spectrophotometry, localization and intensity of enzyme activity, and tissue damage by histochemistry. RESULTS: GGT activity was found to be increased in both cortical and medullar zones of the ischemic kidneys, where the GSH level was only slightly decreased and the MDA level, in contrast, was markedly increased; in parallel, the cytosolic volume of the proximal tubular (PT) cells showed a significant increment. The animal pretreatment with acivicin, a specific inhibitor of GGT, besides preventing the up-regulation of the enzyme during ischemia, afforded good protection against the observed changes of MDA and GSH tissue levels, as well as of tubular cell volume. CONCLUSIONS: Ex vivo data supporting a net pro-oxidant effect of up-regulated GGT during short-term ischemia of rat kidney have been obtained. The enzyme stimulation appears to contribute to the renal morphological damage exerted by a brief hypoxic condition at the level of PT cells. The actual impact on kidney function by GGT-dependent oxidative damage during transient ischemia and the potential protective action of GGT inhibitors require subsequent investigation.

The lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxy-2,3-nonenal inhibits constitutive and inducible activity of nuclear factor kappa B in neurons.

Peroxidation of membrane lipids occurs in many different neurodegenerative conditions including stroke, and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Recent findings suggest that lipid peroxidation can promote neuronal death by a mechanism involving production of the toxic aldehyde 4-hydroxy-2,3-nonenal (HNE), which may act by covalently modifying proteins and impairing their function. The transcription factor NF-kappa B can prevent neuronal death in experimental models of neurodegenerative disorders by inducing the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins including Bcl-2 and manganese superoxide dismutase. We now report that HNE selectively suppresses basal and inducible NF-kappa B DNA binding activity in cultured rat cortical neurons. Immunoprecipitation-immunoblot analyses using antibodies against HNE-conjugated proteins and p50 and p65 NF-kappa B subunits indicate that HNE does not directly modify NF-kappa B proteins. Moreover, HNE did not affect NF-kappa B DNA-binding activity when added directly to cytosolic extracts, suggesting that HNE inhibits an upstream component of the NF-kappa B signaling pathway. Inhibition of the survival-promoting NF-kappa B signaling pathway by HNE may contribute to neuronal death under conditions in which membrane lipid peroxidation occurs.

Liver AP-1 activation due to carbon tetrachloride is potentiated by 1,2-dibromoethane but is inhibited by alpha-tocopherol or gadolinium chloride.

Experimental acute intoxication by prooxidant haloalkanes produces marked stimulation of hepatic lipid peroxidation and cytolysis, which is followed by tissue regeneration. Our aim was to clarify the role of oxidative imbalance in the activation of the redox-sensitive transcription factor, activator protein-1 (AP-1), which is involved in tissue repair. Rats were poisoned with a very low concentration of carbon tetrachloride, given alone or in combination with another hepatotoxin, 1,2-dibromoethane, to provide varying extents of oxidative damage. The level of AP-1-DNA binding was analyzed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay on liver extracts, obtained from rats killed 6 h after poisoning. Stimulation of lipid peroxidation and AP-1 upregulation were already established when the hepatic damage due to carbon tetrachloride +/-1,2-dibromoethane was beginning to appear. Rat supplementation with the antioxidant vitamin E completely inhibited AP-1 upregulation, thus supporting a causative role of membrane lipid oxidation in the observed modulation of the transcription factor. Moreover, activation of Kupffer cells appears to be a crucial step in the increased AP-1 binding to DNA, the latter being largely prevented by gadolinium chloride, a macrophage-specific inhibitor.

Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying perturbed energy metabolism and neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Synaptic degeneration and death of nerve cells are defining features of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), the two most prevalent age-related neurodegenerative disorders. In AD, neurons in the hippocampus and basal forebrain (brain regions that subserve learning and memory functions) are selectively vulnerable. In PD dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra-striatum (brain regions that control body movements) selectively degenerate. Studies of postmortem brain tissue from AD and PD patients have provided evidence for increased levels of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired glucose uptake in vulnerable neuronal populations. Studies of animal and cell culture models of AD and PD suggest that increased levels of oxidative stress (membrane lipid peroxidation, in particular) may disrupt neuronal energy metabolism and ion homeostasis, by impairing the function of membrane ion-motive ATPases and glucose and glutamate transporters. Such oxidative and metabolic compromise may there-by render neurons vulnerable to excitotoxicity and apoptosis. Studies of the pathogenic mechanisms of AD-linked mutations in amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilins strongly support central roles for perturbed cellular calcium homeostasis and aberrant proteolytic processing of APP as pivotal events that lead to metabolic compromise in neurons. Specific molecular "players" in the neurodegenerative processes in AD and PD are being identified and include Par-4 and caspases (bad guys) and neurotrophic factors and stress proteins (good guys). Interestingly, while studies continue to elucidate cellular and molecular events occurring in the brain in AD and PD, recent data suggest that both AD and PD can manifest systemic alterations in energy metabolism (e.g., increased insulin resistance and dysregulation of glucose metabolism). Emerging evidence that dietary restriction can forestall the development of AD and PD is consistent with a major "metabolic" component to these disorders, and provides optimism that these devastating brain disorders of aging may be largely preventable.

Par-4: an emerging pivotal player in neuronal apoptosis and neurodegenerative disorders.

Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4) is a 38-kDa protein initially identified as the product of a gene upregulated in prostate tumor cells undergoing apoptosis. Par-4 contains both a death domain and a leucine zipper domain, and has been shown to interact with several proteins known to modulate apoptosis, including protein kinase Czeta, Bcl-2, and caspase-8. A rapid increase in Par-4 levels occurs in neurons undergoing apoptosis in a variety of paradigms, including trophic factor withdrawal, and exposure to oxidative and metabolic insults. Par-4, which can be induced at the translational level, acts at an early stage of the apoptotic cascade prior to caspase activation and mitochondrial dysfunction. The mechanism whereby Par-4 promotes apoptosis may involve inhibition of the antiapoptotic transcription factor NF-kappaB and suppression of Bcl-2 expression and/or function. Studies of postmortem tissues from patients and animal models of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and HIV encephalitis, have documented increased levels of Par-4 in vulnerable neurons. Manipulations that block Par-4 expression or function prevent neuronal cell death in models of each disorder, suggesting a critical role for Par-4 in the neurodegenerative process. Interestingly, Par-4 levels rapidly increase in synaptic terminals following various insults, and such local increases in Par-4 levels appear to play important roles in synaptic dysfunction and degeneration. A better understanding of the molecular and cellular biology of Par-4 will help clarify mechanisms of neuronal apoptosis, and may lead to the development of novel preventative and therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disorders.

HNE interacts directly with JNK isoforms in human hepatic stellate cells.

4-Hydroxy-2,3-nonenal (HNE) is an aldehydic end product of lipid peroxidation which has been detected in vivo in clinical and experimental conditions of chronic liver damage. HNE has been shown to stimulate procollagen type I gene expression and synthesis in human hepatic stellate cells (hHSC) which are known to play a key role in liver fibrosis. In this study we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying HNE actions in cultured hHSC. HNE, at doses compatible with those detected in vivo, lead to an early generation of nuclear HNE-protein adducts of 46, 54, and 66 kD, respectively, as revealed by using a monoclonal antibody specific for HNE-histidine adducts. This observation is related to the lack of crucial HNE-metabolizing enzymatic activities in hHSC. Kinetics of appearance of these nuclear adducts suggested translocation of cytosolic proteins. The p46 and p54 isoforms of c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNKs) were identified as HNE targets and were activated by this aldehyde. A biphasic increase in AP-1 DNA binding activity, associated with increased mRNA levels of c-jun, was also observed in response to HNE. HNE did not affect the Ras/ERK pathway, c-fos expression, DNA synthesis, or NF-kappaB binding. This study identifies a novel mechanism linking oxidative stress to nuclear signaling in hHSC. This mechanism is not based on redox sensors and is stimulated by concentrations of HNE compatible with those detected in vivo, and thus may be relevant during chronic liver diseases.

The lipid peroxidation end product 4-hydroxy-2,3-nonenal up-regulates transforming growth factor beta1 expression in the macrophage lineage: a link between oxidative injury and fibrosclerosis.

An increasing number of reports underscore the frequent association of fibrosclerotic diseases of lung, liver, arterial wall, brain, etc., with the accumulation of oxidatively modified lipids and proteins. A cause-and-effect relationship has been proposed between cellular oxidative damage and increased fibrogenesis based on the fact that experimental treatment with antioxidants either prevents or quenches the fibrotic process. With some peculiarities in the different organs, fibrosclerosis is essentially the result of the interaction of macrophages and extracellular matrix-producing cells. The cross-talk is mediated by fibrogenic cytokines, among which the most important appears to be transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1). This report describes treatment of different types of macrophage, of both human and murine origin, with 4-hydroxy-2,3-nonenal (HNE) a major aldehyde end product of membrane lipid oxidation found consistently to induce both mRNA expression and synthesis of TGF-beta1. Since increased HNE levels have been demostrated in the cirrhotic liver and in the oxidatively modified low-density human lipoproteins associated with atherosclerosis, the up-regulation of macrophage TGF-beta1 by HNE appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of these and similar diseases characterized by fibrosclerosis.

Activation of human immunodeficiency virus long terminal repeat by arachidonic acid.

Arachidonic acid is the precursor of highly reactive mediators, including prostaglandins and leukotrienes, and the most abundant n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid in mammalian cell membranes. It is released from phospholipids upon many inflammatory stimuli. In this study, a chloramphenicol acyltransferase reporter gene, under control of the human immunodeficiency virus-1 long terminal repeat, was strongly induced upon treating human promonocytes with arachidonic acid. The n-3 fatty acid eicosapentenoic, found in abundance in fish oil, had no effect. HIV-1 long terminal repeat activation by arachidonic acid was suppressed by inhibitors of both lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase pathways, suggesting that metabolites, rather than arachidonic acid itself, mediated the stimulatory effect. This is the first report linking HIV-1 expression to the metabolism of arachidonic acid.

Biogenic 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal activates transcription factor AP-1 but not NF-kappa B in cells of the macrophage lineage.

A large spectrum of pro-oxidant agents, including molecules with lipoperoxidative effect, can modulate gene expression through modification of the DNA binding activity of the transcription factors activator protein 1 (AP-1) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B). In this study the effect on these redox-sensitive factors by 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), a major aldehydic product of lipid peroxidation, was examined in two cell lines of the macrophage type. Incubation in the presence of microM concentrations of the aldehyde led to a rapid increase of AP-1 binding with a transient maximum 30 min from HNE addition to the culture medium in both cell lines. On the contrary, HNE did not stimulate nuclear translocation of NF-kappa B. The diverging effect of HNE on the two transcription factors is likely related to the demonstrated differential activation pathway of AP-1 and NF-kappa B in macrophages. The HNE-induced activation of AP-1 suggests the aldehyde's involvement in the regulatory mechanisms of cell proliferation and differentiation.

Oxidative damage and transforming growth factor beta 1 expression in pretumoral and tumoral lesions of human intestine.

The aim of this study was to evaluate a possible relationship between oxidative stress and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1) expression in human colon adenocarcinoma. Crohn's disease, an inflammatory pathology of the intestine often regarded to as precancerous, was also examined. Indices of impaired redox balance were monitored in blood and in bioptic samples from 10 adult patients with adenocarcinoma of the colon and from five patients with Crohn's disease. On tissue samples TGF beta 1 mRNA expression was also determined. Ten healthy adults provided normal reference values for plasma indices of oxidative stress, and normal tissue distant from the lesions was used for comparative analysis. Fluorescent adducts with plasma proteins of malonaldehyde (MDA) and 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) were significantly lower than controls in the plasma from cancer patients and significantly higher in the plasma from Crohn's patients. In adenocarcinoma biopsies, susceptibility to lipid peroxidation processes and TGF beta 1 expression were below the relative control; in Crohn's disease, lipid peroxidation and cytokine expression were both above the relative control. The findings obtained suggest the existence of an association between oxidative damage and fibrogenic cytokine expression in the human intestine. Further studies are needed to conclusively prove the correlation between the two events.