Ischemia-Modified Albumin and Antioxidant Protection in Newborns with Asphyxia of Varying Severity.

The content of ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), serum albumin, and antioxidant capacity of blood serum was studied in healthy newborns and in newborns with moderate and severe asphyxia on days 1-2 and 3-4 of the postnatal period. Changes in these indicators were found in both groups of newborns with birth asphyxia in comparison with the group of healthy newborns and were more pronounced in children with severe asphyxia. An increase in the IMA level (by 1.6 times; p<0.001) and antioxidant capacity of blood serum (by 2.4 times; p<0.001) and a decrease in serum albumin content (by 1.5 times; p<0.001) were found in severe asphyxia on days 1-2. Analysis of changes in these indicators by days 3-4 allows to talk about a decrease in the intensity of free-radical reactions in newborns with birth asphyxia during complex therapy.

Binding of Iron (II) Ions by Aqueous Extractions from Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis).

We studied the ability of an aqueous extract from yerba mate and a dry extract obtained on the basis of this aqueous extract to remove Fe(II) ions from an aqueous medium. Aqueous extracts from mate dose-dependently reduced the concentration of free Fe(II) ions assayed by the reaction with 1,10-phenanthroline. This can be attributed to polyphenolic compounds with iron-chelating properties present in aqueous extracts from mate, namely quercetin, rutin, caffeic and chlorogenic acids. These substances effectively removed Fe(II) ions from the medium (the initial concentration of these ions was 15 µM) in the concentration range of 20-30 µM. Binding of Fe(II) ions by aqueous mate extracts (due to the formation of chelate complexes with the participation of polyphenolic compounds) modified their absorption spectra in the visible region. Binding of Fe(II) ions can be a mechanism of the antioxidant action of yerba mate.

Combined Effect of TLR2 Ligands on ROS Production by Mouse Peritoneal Macrophages.

TLR2-mediated ROS production by mouse peritoneal macrophages was studied by luminoldependent chemiluminescence under conditions of cell stimulation with zymosan (TLR2/6 ligand) and peptidoglycan (TLR2/1 ligand). ROS production by macrophages stimulated with zymosan and peptidoglycan simultaneously depended on the ratio of ligand concentrations. Three effects were revealed: additivity of the stimulating effects of the ligands used, competitive ligand binding, and effect of macrophage priming with peptidoglycan during cell stimulation with zymosan. The mechanisms of these effects are discussed.

[Hepatoprotective activity of aqueous extract from Caragana jubata (Pall.) Poir. shoots in the model of acute hepatitis induced by acetaminophen in rats]. / Gepatoprotektornaia aktivnost' vodnogo izvlecheniia iz pobegov Caragana jubata (Pall.) Poir. na modeli ostrogo gepatita, indutsirovannogo atsetaminofenom u krys.

The aim of the study was to investigate the hepatoprotective activity of an aqueous extract of Caragana jubata (Pall.) Poir. Acute experimental hepatitis was induced by acetaminophen administration of 1000 mg/kg. Studies were conducted in white Wistar rats. The aqueous extract of C. jubata demonstrated the hepatoprotective effect, comparable to that of the reference preparation "Carcil". This was manifested by the normalization of biochemical blood parameters (ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol, total bilirubin) and antioxidant activity of liver homogenates, determined by the method based on oxidation of luminol induced by 2,2¢-azo-bis-2-amidinopropane. Normalization of morphofunctional indices was also shown in a histological study of liver of rats that received aqueous extract from C. jubata.

The Effect of Dihydroquercetin on Catalytic Activity of Iron (II) Ions in the Fenton Reaction.

Dihydroquercetin is a natural flavonoid with antioxidant properties that are determined by its ability to scavenge free radicals and chelate transition metal ions. Chemiluminescent studies showed that iron (II) ions in complex with dihydroquercetin are inactive and cannot catalyze decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (Fenton reaction).

Water status and LPO in rat tissues during massive blood loss and irradiation with He-Ne laser.

We revealed a relationship between water balance and LPO in the myocardium, liver, and blood plasma during massive blood loss and irradiation with He-Ne laser. Low-intensity laser irradiation of the plasma inhibits LPO and normalizes water balance in rat tissues during massive blood loss.

Dihydroquercetin as a means of antioxidative defence in rats with tetrachloromethane hepatitis.

The antioxidant effect of dihydroquercetin (DHQ) was studied in Wistar rats with experimental hepatitis, caused by tetrachloromethane (CCl(4)). Animals were divided into three groups: intact (n = 9); control (n = 9) which received CCl(4) subcutaneously for 4 days (4 mL/kg); and experimental (n = 9) which received DHQ (100 mg/kg) for 4 days prior to the first administration of CCl(4) and during the course of the subsequent 14 days. DHQ was intubated per os, using a water crystalline suspension. The content of products of lipid peroxidation, reacting with thiobarbituric acid in the serum and liver of the control animals, was increased by more than 1.5 fold compared with the intact and experimental animals (p < 0.01). The blood plasma antioxidant activity of the control animals was 1.8 to 2 times lower than that of experimental and intact animals (p < 0.01) It is suggested that the data obtained are dependent on the anti-oxidant properties of DHQ.

[The antioxidant activity of the lacrimal fluid in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma]. / Antioksidantnaia aktivnost' sleznoi zhidkosti u bol'nykh pervichnoi otkrytougol'noi glaukomoi.

Antioxidant activity (AOA) of lacrimal fluid and blood plasma was studied in 10 normal subjects (20 eyes) and 35 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) (67 eyes with glaucoma at different stages). The findings indicate that the progress of glaucoma is paralleled by a gradual decrease in the lacrimal fluid AOA, which becomes significant at the third stage of POAG. Plasma AOA also decreased significantly in the third far advanced stage. A course of total antioxidant therapy including oral aevit and vitamin complexes and intramuscular ascorbic acid normalized plasma AOA even in patients with far advanced glaucoma, while the lacrimal AOA did not normalize. Therefore, local antioxidants are preferable in glaucoma patients.

[Antioxidative activity of histochrome and some other drugs used in ophthalmology]. / Antioksidantnaia aktivnost' gistokhroma i nekotorykh lekarstvennykh preparatov, primeniaemykh v oftal'mologii.

The antioxidative activity (AOA) of histochrome (2,3,5,6,8-pentahydroxy-7-ethyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) and some other drugs with antioxidant properties used in ophthalmology has been studied in the hemoglobin--hydrogen peroxide--luminol system. The AOA of histochrome, ascorbate, dicinon, rutin, quercetin, and dihydroquercetin is comparable to that of trolox, the reference antioxidant in our studies. The drugs (in physiological concentrations) listed above are characterized by a high AOA. Cerebrolysin was 300 times less active than trolox, and emoxipin showed no antioxidant properties. Lacrimal AOA increased after a parabulbar injection of histochrome. Histochrome is believed to be a perspective antioxidant for the treatment of ocular diseases.

[The effect of an antioxidant preparation based on bioflavonoids and vitamin C on the antioxidant activity of blood plasma]. / Vliianie antioksidantnogo preparata na osnove bioflavonoidov i vitamina C na antioksidantnuiu aktivnost' plazmy krovi.

The effect of single and long-term reception of the antioxidant preparation Magnum C (MC) on blood plasma antioxidant activity (AOA) of volunteers has been investigated. AOA was measured with chemiluminescence test using the hemoglobin-hydrogen peroxide-luminol system. MC contains ethereal form of vitamin C and bioflavonoids as the basic antioxidant components. It was determined that blood plasma AOA was increased on the average by 36% (p < 0.01) 3 hours after single intake of 4 capsules of MC. In case of long-term reception of MC (1 capsule twice in day during 4 weeks) the greatest increase in the blood plasma AOA was about 60% (p < 0.001) and was observed on the 14th day. On the 7th day after completion of MC reception the level of blood plasma AOA was, approximately, 20% above its initial value (p < 0.05). This is probably due to prolonged action of MC.

[Serum antioxidative activity]. / Antioksidatnaia aktivnost' syvorotki krovi.

Model systems used in the determination of serum antioxidative activity (AOA), which differ both in the way of generating free radicals and in the mode of their detection, are clinically analyzed. The specific features and potentialities of the model systems developed at the authors' laboratory are characterized. These included yolk lipoprotein suspensions, liposomal suspensions formed from total phospholipid fraction, the hemoglobin-hydrogen peroxide-luminol system. The investigations show that most model systems for determining serum AOA contribute to the water soluble interceptors of free radicals (ascorbate, urate, plasma proteins, etc.), chelating and oxidative agents of catalytically active Fe2+ (ceruloplasmin, transferrin, albumin, etc.). The serum AOA levels measured with different model systems vary with the body's status. To determine serum AOA and the contribution of major endogenous antioxidants and inhibitors of free radical reactions may be a basis for the goal-oriented use of exogenous antioxidants in the therapy of a great variety of diseases.

Effect of carnosine and its components on free-radical reactions.

The antioxidant properties of carnosine and its components histidine and beta-alanine were compared using several model systems: glutathione-horseradish peroxidase-luminol (GSH-HRP-luminol), xanthine-xanthine oxidase (X-XO), stimulated human blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PML), and egg yolk phospholipid liposomes in the presence of Fe2+ ions. Carnosine and histidine (30-40 mM) were shown to cause 50% suppression of free radical reactions in the GSH-HRP-luminol system, whereas beta-alanine displayed no activity. The O(2-)-scavenging activity of carnosine in the X-XO system was demonstrated; 50% inhibition was achieved at 7.1 x 10(-5) M. Suppression of the luminol-dependent PML chemiluminescence by carnosine and reduction of the latent period of the Fe(2+)-induced chemiluminescence of the liposome suspension was suggested to demonstrate its ability to interact with Ca2+ and Fe2+ ions. This was confirmed by the o-phenanthroline test. The results obtained demonstrate that carnosine is capable of scavenging different radicals and binding divalent metal ions. The antioxidant activity of carnosine was observed in all the systems studied, and carnosine effective concentrations corresponded to those found in the brain and muscles. The universal effects of carnosine and its high concentration in excitable tissues suggest this dipeptide to be an inhibitor of free radical reactions in vivo.

[The measuring of blood plasma antioxidant activity by the hemoglobin-hydrogen peroxide-luminol system]. / Opredelenie antioksidantnoi aktivnosti plazmy krovi c pomoshch'iu sistemy gemoglobin-peroksid vodoroda-liuminol.

The method of valuation of the blood plasma antioxidant activity (AOA) by the hemoglobin-hydrogen peroxide-luminol chemiluminescence system has been proposed. The method is based on the measuring the induction time of chemiluminescence that is directly proportional to the added volume of plasma or concentration of standard antioxidant. The ascorbate was taken as a standard. Blood plasma AOA has been expressed through the concentration of equivalent ascorbate solution (ascorbate equivalent). The influence of hemolysis and storage conditions of plasma on its detected AOA was investigated. The change of human blood plasma AOA after single administration of 2 g the ascorbate and its dynamics in patients with acute pancreatitis was studied.

The antioxidant properties of lycopene.

The antioxidant properties of the carotenoid lycopene were compared in three different model oxidative systems. In egg yolk liposomes, in the presence of 2.5 mM FeSO4 and 200 mM ascorbate, lycopene, alpha-tocopherol, and beta-carotene inhibited the accumulation of lipid peroxidation products reacting with 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) in a dose-dependent mode, with the concentration of half-inhibition being 80, 30 and 130 mM, respectively. In the liposomes subjected to illumination with a He-Ne laser (632.8 nm) at a dose of 10.5 J/cm2, in the presence of 32.5 micrograms/ml hematoporphyrin derivatives (Fotogem, NIOPIC, Russia) TBARS accumulated, and this effect was inhibited by lycopene, alpha-tocopherol, and dihydroquercetin with approximately equal efficiencies (the half-inhibition concentrations were 10(-5) mM). In both systems studied, sodium azide at a concentration of 10 mM inhibited the TBARS accumulation by no more than 20%. Apparently, the inhibitory action of not only alpha-tocopherol, but also beta-carotene and lycopene was the result of their antiradical action, rather than quenching of the singlet oxygen in an aqueous medium. The introduction of lycopene, as well as beta-carotene in liposomes subjected to Fe(2+)-induced lipid peroxidation decreased the chemiluminescence (CL) intensity at the stage of CL slow flash, with no essential influence on the lag period. These data suggest that the effect of lycopene on lipid peroxidation was the result of its interaction with free radicals rather than chelating ferrous ions. The antiradical activity of lycopene was also confirmed by the method of luminol photochemiluminescence (PCL). Lycopene increased the PCL lag period (L) and decreased the PCL amplitude (A), which implies its antiradical and SOD-like activity in this system.

Low-power laser irradiation induces leukocyte priming.

Laser radiation (LR) of various spectral composition has been broadly used in clinical practice. However, the mechanism of the stimulating effects of LR remains obscure. The effect of He-Ne LR (633 nm) on human blood leukocytes was investigated both in the absence and presence of 8.65 nmol/l phthalocyanine (PhC). Irradiation of non-stimulated leukocytes with 0.025 to 0.5 J/cm2 did not lead to any activation of their luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (LCL). On the other hand, LR increased in most cases the subsequent CL response of the cells to opsonized zymosan (priming action of He-Ne-laser light). The effect of LR on the leukocytes was not standard. In irradiated leukocytes isolated from patients with severe acute or chronic pneumonia, or chronic bronchitis, the maximal LCL exceeded that for non-irradiated cells by 80% (0.05 J/cm2), 20-25% (0.15 J/cm2), and 0%, respectively (doses are shown in parentheses). Further increase of the exposure brought about a dose-dependent inhibition of LCL in cells from patients with severe acute and chronic pneumonia. There was an intriguing relationship between maximal CL responses of leukocytes subjected to laser irradiation in the presence and without PhC. When the priming effect of LR on isolated cells was small, it increased in the presence of exogenous photosensitizer, phthalocyanine; in cells of severely ill patients where the initial effect of LR was strong, Pc inhibited the priming action of LR. Apparently, different cells contained different amounts of endogenous photosensitizer(s); the addition of exogenous sensitizer increased the priming action of LR at low concentrations and decreased it at higher concentrations of the endogenous photosensitizer.

[Dynamics of lipid peroxidation and blood antioxidant system during acute destructive pancreatitis]. / Dinamika pokazatelei peroksidnogo okisleniia lipidov i sostoianiia antioksidantnoi sistemy syvorotki krovi pri ostrom destruktivnom pankreatite.

The changes of lipid peroxidation parameters and state of blood serum antioxidant system in acute destructive pancreatitis were investigated. The increased content of blood serum diene conjugates and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances was found. It was shown that the blood serum antioxidant activity had correlated with concentration of urate (r = +0.79, p < 0.001).

Evidence for a direct interaction of superoxide anion radical with carnosine.

Using photochemiluminescence, the interaction between carnosine and superoxide anion was measured directly. Carnosine at physiological concentrations decreased the amplitude of luminol chemiluminescence like superoxide dismutase (SOD) did, and prolonged the lag-period of the chemiluminescence similar to the effect of ascorbic acid. From the interaction of nitro blue tetrazolium with superoxide anion generated by the xanthine oxidase system, the constant for interaction of carnosine with 02-. was calculated to be 10(5) M-1.sec-1. The possible biological significance of the quenching of superoxide anion by carnosine is discussed.

[Antioxidant properties of dihydroquercetin]. / Antioksidantnye svoistva digidrokvertsetina.

The effect of dihydroquercetin on peroxidation process of liposome membranes from egg phospholipids induced by ferrous sulfate or Fe(2+)-ascorbate system was studied. It was shown that dihydroquercetin antioxidant activity matches antioxidant activity of alpha-tocopherol. It was suggested that the mechanism dihydroquercetin antioxidant action consists in scavenging of lipids radicals.

[Clinical significance of determining ceruloplasmin activity in the blood serum in children with uveitis]. / Klinicheskoe znachenie opredeleniia aktivnosti tseruloplazmina v syvorotke krovi pri uveitakh u detei.

The activity of ceruloplasmin, the principal blood serum endogenous protein antioxidant, may serve the criterion of uveitis severity and time course. Reduction of this parameter in chronic recurring uveitis gives grounds to prescribe antioxidant therapy. The treatment efficacy is assessed by measuring the ceruloplasmin activity over the course of treatment.