Excess superoxide has been implicated in pulmonary hypertension (PH). We previously found lung overexpression of the antioxidant extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) attenuates PH and pulmonary artery (PA) remodeling. Although comprising a small fraction of total SOD activity in most tissues, EC-SOD is abundant in arteries. We hypothesize that the selective loss of vascular EC-SOD promot...

BACKGROUND Sulfur dioxide, formed during the combustion of fossil fuels, is a major air pollutant near large cities. Its two ionized forms in aqueous solution, sulfite and (bi)sulfite, are widely used as preservatives and antioxidants to prevent food and beverage spoilage. (Bi)sulfite can be oxidized by peroxidases to form the very reactive sulfur trioxide anion radical (*SO(3)-). This free rad...

The peroxynitrite anion is a potent oxidizing agent, formed by the diffusion-limited combination of nitric oxide and superoxide, and its production under physiological conditions is associated with the pathologies of a number of inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. Nitration of Escherichia coli iron superoxide dismutase (Fe-SOD) by peroxynitrite was investigated, and demonstrated by spe...

OBJECTIVE Both superoxide dismutase (SOD), a free radical scavenger, and nitric oxide (NO), a vasodilator with anti-inflammatory properties, have been shown to protect the myocardium from reperfusion injury. They are known to interact in vivo, the influence of which on myocardial protection has not been studied. METHODS Four groups of rats (n=7, per group) were subjected to experimental infar...

BACKGROUND Our group has previously shown that human umbilical vein endothelial cells exposed to smokers' serum decreased nitric oxide (NO) production and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity in the presence of increased eNOS expression. In the present study, we examined whether these observations extended to human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs). In addition, the role o...

Oxidative stress, characterized by increased reactive oxygen species production and/or decreased antioxidant enzyme activity, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The identification of molecular markers corresponding to the oxidative stress status of hypertension may assist in the antioxidant therapy of hypertension. In the present study, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and e...

The effects of superoxide dismutase (SOD) alone or in combination with acidified sodium nitrite (NaNO2), a liberator of nitric oxide were examined in dogs after ischemia and reperfusion. Animals were divided into five groups. Left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded for 90 min followed by 4 hours of reperfusion with or without therapeutic interventions given preceding reperfusion. ...

Lichens are slow-growing associations of fungi and green algae or cyanobacteria. This symbiotic association forms a common thallus that does not possess roots or a waxy cuticle and depends mainly on atmospheric input of mineral nutrients. The lifestyle of most lichens is composed of alternating periods of desiccation with low metabolic activity and hydration that induces increase in their metab...

We tested the hypothesis that the mitochondrial form of superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) protects the cerebral vasculature. Basilar arteries (baseline diameter ~140 μm) from mice were isolated, cannulated and pressurized in order to measure vessel diameter. In arteries from C57BL6 mice preconstricted with U-46619, acetylcholine (Ach, an endothelium-dependent vasodilator) produced dilation that was...