Influence of UV irradiation on the composition of human stratum corneum lipids.

Irradiation with suberythemal doses of either UV-A or UV-B yielded an increase in the amount of stratum corneum lipids extracted from the lumbar skin area of 20 volunteers. These lipids were quantified after separation by high-performance thin-layer chromatography. Ten subfractions in the ceramide region were separated; two of them (fractions 7a and 7b) were only detectable after UV-A or UV-B irradiation. Improvement of barrier function after UV irradiation of human skin with suberythemal doses may be related to an increase in the stratum corneum ceramides.

Singlet molecular oxygen causes loss of biological activity in plasmid and bacteriophage DNA and induces single-strand breaks.

Damage of plasmid and bacteriophage DNA inflicted by singlet molecular oxygen (1O2) includes loss of the biological activity measured as transforming capacity in E. coli and single-strand break formation. Three different sources of 1O2 were employed: (i) photosensitization with Rose bengal immobilized on a glass plate physically separated from the solution; (ii) thermal decomposition of the water-soluble endoperoxide 3,3'-(1,4-naphthylidene) dipropionate (NDPO2); and (iii) microwave discharge. Loss of transforming activity was documented after exposing bacteriophage M13 DNA to 1O2 generated by photosensitization employing immobilized Rose bengal, and with bacteriophage luminal diameter X174 DNA, using the thermodissociable endoperoxide (NDPO2) as a source of 1O2. These findings are in agreement with experiments in which plasmid DNA pBR322 was exposed to a gas stream of 1O2 generated by microwave discharge. The effects of 1O2 quenchers and of 2H2O indicate 1O2 to be the species responsible. Strand-break formation in pBR322 and luminal diameter X174, measured as an increase of the open circular form at the expense of the closed circular supercoiled form, was observed without alkaline treatment after exposing the DNA to 1O2, using either agarose gel electrophoresis or sucrose gradient separation. The effect of quenchers and 2H2O indicate the involvement of 1O2 in DNA damage. We conclude that singlet oxygen can cause loss of biological activity and DNA strand breakage.

The protection by ascorbate and glutathione against microsomal lipid peroxidation is dependent on vitamin E.

Lipid peroxidation of rat liver microsomal fractions was monitored by its low-level chemiluminescence in preparations from controls and vitamin-E-deficient animals. Measurements were made (a) of the duration of the lag phase tau0 after initiation with NADPH/iron-ADP and (b) of the slope of the chemiluminescence increase. In microsomes with normal vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) level the lag phase tau0 was substantially increased by ascorbate; in contrast, even an enhanced peroxidation was observed with ascorbate in vitamin-E-deficient microsomes. Therefore, the ascorbate-mediated protection of microsomal membranes against lipid peroxidation is dependent on vitamin E in the membrane. In vitamin E deficiency the pro-oxidant effect of ascorbate was abolished when glutathione (GSH) was present. Likewise, GSH does not prolong the lag phase tau0 in vitamin E deficiency. However, GSH (but not cysteine) exerts an antioxidant effect both in controls and in vitamin E deficiency by decreasing the slope of the chemiluminescence increase during lipid peroxidation. The involvement of GSH in an enzyme-dependent mechanism is suggested.

Generation of excited species catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase or hemin in the presence of reduced glutathione and H2O2.

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) (EC 1.11.1.7) catalyzes the oxidation of reduced glutathione. This reaction is accompanied by light emission, which is attributed to the generation of singlet oxygen. The chemiluminescence is directly related to thiyl radical formation, as deduced from the correlation between the time course of HRP-compound II formation and light emission in the presence of different amounts of H2O2. Superoxide dismutase has an inhibitory effect on the chemiluminescence without affecting the HRP-compound II formation. This indicates the direct involvement of superoxide radicals in the production of photoemissive species. Replacement of HRP by hemin is also accompanied by chemiluminescence.

Loss of transforming activity of plasmid DNA (pBR322) in E. coli caused by singlet molecular oxygen.

Plasmid DNA pBR322 in aqueous solution was exposed to singlet molecular oxygen (1O2) generated by microwave discharge. DNA damage was detected as loss of transforming activity of pBR322 in E. coli (CMK) dependent on the time of exposure. DNA damage was effectively decreased by singlet-oxygen quenchers such as sodium azide and methionine. Replacement of water in the incubation buffer by D2O led to an increase in DNA damage. 9,10-Bis(2-ethylene)anthracene disulfate was used as a chemical trap for 1O2 quantitation by HPLC analysis of the endoperoxide formed.

Lack of effect of long-term glutathione administration on aflatoxin B1-induced hepatoma in male rats.

The effect of long-term GSH administration on aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-induced carcinogenesis in the livers of male Wistar II rats was evaluated. No significant effect of an 11 months period of reduced glutathione (GSH) administration was observed concerning both the survival curve and the incidence of liver tumors. Liver tissues of all animals were bearing tumors or nodular lesions 24 months after AFB1 treatment, regardless of GSH treatment. The capacity of the GSH conjugation system was elevated in the liver tissue of AFB1-treated animals both by an increase of GSH content and an increase of the specific activities of several GSH S-transferase isoenzymes. Likewise the specific activities of GSH related enzymes as GSSG reductase and gamma-glutamyltransferase (gamma-GT) and the activity of the GSH independent detoxication system NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase were increased in the AFB1-treated livers, there was no significant effect of GSH treatment. These results demonstrate that long-term GSH treatment has no effect on the survival of AFB1-pretreated male rats on the incidence of liver tumors and on the activities of drug metabolizing systems. The hepatic detoxication capacity 24 months after AFB1 treatment is elevated.

Excited species generation in horseradish peroxidase-mediated oxidation of glutathione.

Photoemissive excited species are produced by the horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-catalyzed oxidation of reduced glutathione (GSH), without exogenously added hydroperoxide under aerobic conditions. The emitted low-level chemiluminescence consisted of two phases. Light emission occurred at wavelengths beyond 610 nm (greater than or equal to 90% intensity), indicative of singlet oxygen 1O2. Deuterium oxide enhanced photoemission 4.4-fold. Ascorbate inhibited chemiluminescence completely. In the absence of GSH or when GSH was replaced by the disulfide, no red chemiluminescence was observed. The glutathionyl radical GS. is most likely to be involved in both phases of light emission. Further, the superoxide radical plays a role, as substantiated by the inhibitory effect of superoxide dismutase. Both phases of photoemission were abolished by glutathione peroxidase; thus hydroperoxides are regarded as essential intermediates for the formation of excited species. Catalase abolished phase I and did not affect phase II. In contrast, glutathione S-transferase 1-2 (showing peroxidase activity towards organic hydroperoxides but not towards H2O2) inhibited phase II, whereas phase I was still present. Glutathione sulfonate and the disulfide GSSG were detected as oxidation products from GSH under conditions where phase II chemiluminescence was observed. HRP Compound III accumulated during the reaction. It is concluded that phase I is dependent on exogenously added or endogenously generated H2O2, whereas phase II does not require H2O2 but an organic peroxy species. A mechanism based on chain reactions involving oxygen addition to the thiyl radical is proposed. Sulfenyl peroxy species are suggested as transient intermediates in reactions finally leading to the generation of excited states such as singlet molecular oxygen.

Generation of low-level chemiluminescence during the metabolism of 1-naphthol by rat liver microsomes.

The metabolism of 1-naphthol in rat liver microsomal fractions supplemented with NADPH is accompanied by low-level chemiluminescence which reflects the formation of molecular excited states. Photoemission consists of two phases which both are dependent on microsomal protein and 1-naphthol concentration. The involvement of cytochrome P-450 in the microsomal metabolism of 1-naphthol was indicated by an inhibition of chemiluminescence by aminopyrine or metyrapone. Oxygen is required for light emission. Whereas phase I is hardly influenced by superoxide dismutase, phase II is suppressed. Chemiluminescence was not associated with malondialdehyde accumulation, in contrast to NADPH-dependent lipid peroxidation in microsomal fractions in the absence of 1-naphthol. Phase I of chemiluminescence appears to directly reflect cytochrome P-450-dependent hydroxylation, and phase II is attributed to redox cycling of products arising from these reactions, e.g. the 1,4- and/or 1,2-naphthoquinones as oxidation products of the corresponding dihydroxynaphthalenes.

Protection against reactive oxygen species by NAD(P)H: quinone reductase induced by the dietary antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). Decreased hepatic low-level chemiluminescence during quinone redox cycling.

Menadione elicits low-level chemiluminescence (lambda greater than 620 nm) associated with redox cycling of the quinone in mouse hepatic postmitochondrial fractions. This photoemission is suppressed when the animals are fed a diet containing the anticarcinogenic antioxidant, 2[3]-(tert-butyl)-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA), which leads to a 13-fold increase in NAD(P)H: quinone reductase (EC 1.6.99.2). Inhibition of the enzyme by dicoumarol completely abolishes the protective effect of BHA treatment and leads to higher chemiluminescence, reaching similar photoemission for BHA-treated and control animals. These findings indicate that the two-electron reduction promoted by quinone reductase prevents redox cycling and that BHA protects against reactive oxygen species by elevating the activity of this enzyme.

Oxidation of glutathione by the superoxide radical to the disulfide and the sulfonate yielding singlet oxygen.

The reaction of superoxide with reduced glutathione (GSH) was studied with two O-.2-producing systems: xanthine oxidase using xanthine or acetaldehyde as substrates, and secondly, quinol autoxidation. The capability of GSH to quench superoxide radicals was detected by lowered O-.2-mediated cytochrome c3+ reduction. The formation of the oxidation products, glutathione disulfide (GSSG) and glutathione sulfonate (the latter at levels of about 6-15% compared to GSSG), was dependent on the O-.2 production and was inhibited by superoxide dismutase. The presence of GSH together with an O-.2-producing system led to an extra uptake of oxygen, which was also depressed by superoxide dismutase. The observed O2 uptake was accounted for by the formation of GSSG and GSO-3 from GSH; the data are in accordance with a mechanism involving thiyl radicals. Low-level chemiluminescence measurement indicated the formation of excited oxygen species. The intensity of photoemission was dependent on the GSH concentration and on the O-.2 production rate. Chemiluminescence was inhibited by superoxide dismutase and also by glutathione peroxidase, but not by catalase or OH. quenchers. Spectral analysis and the effects of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane and sodium azide indicated the contribution of singlet molecular oxygen to the light emission. It is suggested that singlet oxygen results from an intermediate oxygen addition product such as a glutathione peroxysulphenyl radical.

Cellular redox changes and response to drugs and toxic agents.

Cellular metabolism and, in particular, oxidation-reduction systems are linked to responses to drugs and toxic agents in several ways. Major connections are given by the NADPH/NADP+ system and the GSH/GSSG system. Intracellular reductive pathways generally use NADPH as the electron donor. From a toxicological point of view, NADPH can be considered both as a "detoxicant" and as a "toxicant". In the former case, NADPH supports the glutathione redox cycle by maintaining a negative redox potential of GSH to permit its detoxication functions to occur. NADPH is also the main donor for reducing equivalents in drug oxidations by the cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenase system which, with some notable exceptions, serves important purposes in detoxication. The sources of NADPH reducing equivalents depend on the nutritional state: major sources in the fed state are represented by the cytosolic pentose phosphate shunt dehydrogenases, whereas mitochondrial sources linked to isocitrate dehydrogenase provide the bulk of NADPH reducing equivalents in the fasted state. As a "toxicant", NADPH supports redox cycling reactions involving various drugs and other compounds of quinoid structure, aromatic nitro compounds and iron chelates with formation of superoxide anion radicals and subsequent formation of other oxygen derived radical species. This presentation focuses on recent work carried out with isolated hepatocytes and perfused rat liver with respect to "oxidative stress". The noninvasive techniques of measurement of low-level chemiluminescence and of volatile hydrocarbons (ethane, pentane) as well as glutathione release and calcium release have been employed.

Hepatic low-level chemiluminescence during redox cycling of menadione and the menadione-glutathione conjugate: relation to glutathione and NAD(P)H:quinone reductase (DT-diaphorase) activity.

Formation of excited species such as singlet molecular oxygen during redox cycling (one-electron reduction-oxidation) was detected by low-level chemiluminescence emitted from perfused rat liver and isolated hepatocytes supplemented with the quinone, menadione (vitamin K3). Chemiluminescence was augmented when the two-electron reduction of the quinone catalyzed by NAD(P)H:quinone reductase was inhibited by dicoumarol, thus underlining the protective function of this enzyme also known as DT-diaphorase. Interference with NADPH supply by inhibition of energy-linked transhydrogenase by rhein or of mitochondrial electron transfer by antimycin A led to a depression in the level of photoemission. Unexpectedly, glutathione depletion of the liver led to a lowering of chemiluminescence elicited by menadione, whereas conversely the depletion of glutathione led to increased chemiluminescence levels when a hydroperoxide was added instead of the quinone. As the GSH conjugate of menadione, 2-methyl-3-glutathionyl-1,4-naphthoquinone, studied with microsomes, was shown also to be capable of redox cycling, we conclude that menadione-induced chemiluminescence of the perfused rat liver does not only arise from menadione itself but from the menadione-GSH conjugate as well. Therefore, the conjugation of the quinone with glutathione is not in itself of protective nature and does not abolish semiquinone formation. A biologically useful aspect of conjugate formation resides in the facilitation of biliary elimination from the liver. Nonenzymatic formation of the conjugate from menadione and GSH in vitro was found to be accompanied by the formation of aggressive oxygen species.

Active oxygen metabolites and their action in the hepatocyte. Studies on chemiluminescence responses and alkane production.

"Oxidative stress" takes place in animal tissues when the balance between the cellular defense mechanisms (glutathione cycle, superoxide dismutase, catalase, vitamin E, etc.) and conditions capable of triggering oxidative reactions is altered. The oxidative reactions which occur under a variety of conditions were assessed by two non-invasive methods, low-level chemiluminescence and volatile hydrocarbon production. Oxidative stress induced by hyperoxia or organic hydroperoxides in isolated hepatocytes or the perfused liver, respectively, is accompanied by low-level chemiluminescence, the intensity of which is enhanced upon perturbation of the glutathione cycle system, i.e., glutathione depletion and/or selenium deficiency. Oxidative stress during redox cycling of paraquat, when infused into the perfused liver, is not accompanied by light emission, whereas menadione, a substance also capable of redox cycling, was found to elicit photoemission under similar conditions. The basal rates of ethane release by the perfused liver are enhanced during oxidative conditions such as metabolism of hydroperoxides, paraquat redox cycling, and ethanol oxidation. Alkane release during the latter involves the participation of alcohol dehydrogenase and further products of ethanol oxidation, i.e., acetaldehyde, as well as free radicals in some stage of the process. In vivo ethane release by animals with adjuvant arthritis was found higher than in controls, presumably due to a systemic response of liver to inflammation.

Low-level chemiluminescence of isolated hepatocytes.

1. Oxygenation of isolated hepatocytes leads to an increased emission of low level chemiluminescence and to an accumulation of malondialdehyde, both occurring after a lag phase of about 20--40 min. 2. Spectral analysis of oxygen-induced chemiluminescence of isolated hepatocytes showed three bands at 460, 560 and 640 nm, with two shoulders at 525 and 615 nm. Singlet molecular oxygen, formed during the free radical process accompanying lipid peroxidation, is identified as the main source of light emission, on the basis of comparison with spectra of singlet oxygen produced in chemical systems [Khan, A. U. and Kasha, M. (1963) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 92, 3293--3300]. 3. Hepatocytes from phenobarbital-pretreated rats, or glutathione-depleted hepatocytes showed a threefold increase in both maximal chemiluminescence intensity and malondialdehyde accumulated, as compared with control cells, whereas the lag phase was not modified by the pretreatments. 4. Glutathione-depleted hepatocytes did not show any increase in spontaneous lipid peroxidation as reflected by either malondialdehyde accumulation or chemiluminescence. A dissociation between both parameters was observed on addition of dithioerythritol: chemiluminescence intensity decreased while the malondialdehyde content remained unaltered. 5. It is concluded from these experiments that low-level chemiluminescence emitted from hepatocytes at wavelengths beyond 600 nm ('red band') monitors the steady-state concentration of singlet molecular oxygen, providing a useful tool to examine oxygen-dependent radical damage. Continuous monitoring of singlet oxygen levels affords an advantage over parameters measuring accumulative effects.