Under normal conditions, antioxidants at the corneal surface are balanced with the production of reactive oxygen species without any toxic effects. Danger from oxidative stress appears when natural antioxidants are overwhelmed leading to antioxidant/prooxidant imbalance. The aim of the present study was to examine the activities of enzymes contributing to the antioxidant/prooxidant balance in normal corneal epithelium of various mammals. The enzyme activities of antioxidant superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, as well as prooxidant xanthine oxidoreductase/xanthine oxidase were examined using biochemical methods. Results show that superoxide dismutase activity is high in rabbits and guinea pigs, whereas in pigs the activity is low and in cows it is nearly absent. In contrast, glutathione peroxidase activity is high in cows, pigs and rabbits, whereas in guinea pigs the activity is low. As far as prooxidant enzymes are concerned, elevated xanthine oxidoreductase/xanthine oxidase activities were found in rabbits, lower activities in guinea pigs, very low activity in cows and no activity in pigs. In conclusion, the above results demonstrate inter-species variations in activities of enzymes participating in antioxidant/prooxidant balance in the corneal epithelium. It is suggested that the levels of antioxidant and prooxidant enzymes studied in the corneal epithelium might be associated with the diurnal or nocturnal activity of animals. UV rays decompose hydrogen peroxide to damaging hydroxyl radicals and perhaps for this reason large animals with diurnal activity (cow, pig) require more effective peroxide removal (high glutathione peroxidase activity) together with the suppression of peroxide production (low superoxide dismutase activity, low xanthine oxidoreductase activity)., J. Kovačeva, J. Pláteník, M. Vejražka, S. Štípek, T. Ardan, Č. Čejka, A. Midelfart, J. Čejková., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
The effect of exogenous noradrenaline (NA) (1.6 mg.kg-1 i.p., 35 min prior sacrifice) on the activity of antioxidant enzymes (AOE) copper zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and catalase (CAT), as well as lipid peroxides (LP) concentration were studied in the rat interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) and heart of saline (controls) and Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) treated rats (10 mg.kg-1, i.p., during 3 days and 20 min before NA). NA differently affects both AOE activities and LP production in the IBAT and heart. Thus, NA inhibited the activity of all IBAT AOE and LP production while in the heart it markedly increased CAT activity only, but had no effect on any of SODs activities and LP concentration. L-NAME, a nitric oxide synthase blocker, completely abolished the NA-induced inhibition of the IBAT AOE and LP production, whereas in the heart it was without effect. In conclusion, these results indicate that both NA and L-NAME effects on AOE activity and LP production are tissue specific and also suggest that nitric oxide mediates the NA-induced inhibition of AOE activity and LP production in the IBAT only., A. Perovic, T. Vuckovic, G. Cvijic, J. Djordjevic, V. Davidovic., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Oxidative stress has been implicated to play a major role in aging and age-related diseases. In the present study, we investigated the effects of aging on the total antioxidant capacity, uric acid, lipid peroxidation, total sulfhydryl group content and damage to DNA in adult (6 months), old (15 months) and senescent (26 months) male Wistar rats. The antioxidant capacity, determined by phycoerythrin-based TRAP method (total peroxyl radical-trapping potential) was significantly decreased in the plasma and myocardium of old and senescent rats, whereas plasma level of uric acid was elevated in 26-month-old rats. Age-related decline in plasma and heart antioxidant capacity was accompanied by a significant loss in total sulfhydryl group content, increased lipid peroxidation and higher DNA damage in lymphocytes. Correlations between TRAP and oxidative damage to lipids, proteins and DNA suggest that the decline in antioxidant status may play an important role in age-related accumulation of cell damage caused by reactive oxygen species., M. Sivoňová, Z. Tatarková, Z. Ďuračková, D. Dobrota, J. Lehotský, T. Matáková, P. Kaplán., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
This study was designed to investigate effect of alpha-lipoic acid (LA) on lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide production and antioxidant systems in rats exposed to chronic restraint stress. Twenty four male Wistar rats, aged three months, were divided into four groups: control (C), the group treated with LA (L), the group exposed to restraint stress (S) and the group exposed to stress and treated with LA (LS). Restraint stress was applied for 21 days (1 h/day) and LA (100 mg/kg/day) was injected intraperitonally to the L and LS groups for the same period. Restraint stress significantly decreased brain copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD) and brain and retina glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) activities compared with the control group. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), nitrite and nitrate levels were significantly increased in the tissues of the S group compared with the C group. LA produced a significant decrease in brain and retina TBARS, nitrite and nitrate levels of the L and LS groups compared to their corresponding control groups. LA increased all enzyme activities in the tissues of the LS group compared to the S group. Our study indicated that LA is an ideal antioxidant candidate for the prevention of stress-induced lipid peroxidation., D. Akpinar, P. Yargiçoğlu, N. Derin, Y. Alicigüzel, A. Ağar., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy