We would like to thank Drs. Jandeleit-Dahm and Schmidt (1) for their interesting comments regarding our study examining the role of the Nox2 isoform of NADPH oxidase in insulin resistance–related endothelial cell dysfunction (2). We would also like to congratulate them on their own elegant and comprehensive piece of work examining the role of the Nox isoforms Nox1, Nox2, and Nox4 in the develop...

OBJECTIVE Puerarin is a natural flavonoid isolated from the TCM lobed kudzuvine root. This study investigated the effect and mechanisms of puerarin on diabetic aorta in rats. METHODS Streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic rats were administered with puerarin for 3 weeks. Levels of serum insulin (INS), PGE2, endothelin (ET), glycated hemoglobin (GHb), H2O2, and nitric oxide (NO) in rats were ...

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the etiological agent of acute respiratory diseases, such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. The exacerbated production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the airways in response to RSV is an important pillar in the development of these pathologies. As such, a keen understanding of the mechanisms that modulate the inflammatory response during RSV in...

During exercise, skeletal muscle produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) via NADPH oxidase (NOX2) while inducing cellular adaptations associated with contractile activity. The signals involved in this mechanism are still a matter of study. ATP is released from skeletal muscle during electrical stimulation and can autocrinely signal through purinergic receptors; we searched for an influence of th...

This work investigated the capacity of (-)-epicatechin to prevent the renal damage induced by LPS administration in rats. Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed for 4 days a diet without or with supplementation with (-)-epicatechin (80mg/kg BW/d), and subsequently i.p. injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Six hours after injection, LPS-treated rats exhibited increased plasma creatinine and urea l...

Negative regulator of reactive oxygen species (NRROS) is known to repress ROS generation in phagocytes. In this study, we examined the roles of NRROS in both osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Our results demonstrate that NRROS negatively regulates the differentiation of osteoclasts, but not osteoblasts. Further, overexpression of NRROS in osteoclast precursor cells attenuates RANKL-induced osteoclas...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We tested whether gender influences cerebrovascular responses to angiotensin II (AngII) and the role(s) of Nox2. METHODS AngII-stimulated superoxide (O(2)(-)) production by cerebral arteries from male and female wild-type (WT) and Nox2(-/-) mice was measured using lucigenin- or L-012-enhanced chemiluminescence. Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) production was measured using ...

T he article by Sukumar et al. (1) published in a recent issue of Diabetes concludes that the type 2 NADPH oxidase (Nox2) plays a critical role in insulin resistance–related endothelial dysfunction. However, in our opinion it is too premature to draw these conclusions when looking at the entire body of available literature. The authors show in two different genetic mouse models of insulin resis...

Ethanol exposure increases oxidative stress in developing organs, including the brain. Antioxidant treatment during maternal ethanol ingestion improves behavioral deficits in rodent models of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). However, the impact of general antioxidant treatment in their adult offspring and the Specific Reactive Species (ROS)-dependent mechanism, are not fully understood. ...

Adrenal aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA), producing the salt-retaining hormone aldosterone, commonly causes secondary hypertension, which often persists after unilateral adrenalectomy. Although persistent hypertension was correlated with residual hormone aldosterone, the in vivo mechanism remains unclear. NADPH oxidase is the critical cause of aldosterone synthesis in vitro. Nox2 and p22phox...