Glycation is the cause of diabetic complications and contributes to the development of other diseases and aging. Numerous exogenous compounds have been tested for their anti-glycating activity. The aim of this study was to answer the question, which endogenous compounds at physiological concentrations can effectively prevent glycation. A set of endogenous compounds has been tested for the abili...

Whereas alpidem is hepatotoxic, zolpidem is not. Despite closely related chemical structures, alpidem, but not zolpidem, is a peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) ligand, and is also more lipophilic than zolpidem. We compared their effects in isolated rat liver mitochondria and rat hepatocytes. Zolpidem did not affect calcium-induced mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) in mitochondr...

BACKGROUND Oxidant/antioxidant imbalance may occur in the lungs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Glutathione is an important extracellular and intracellular thiol oxidant in the lungs. These studies were carried out to determine the effect of N-acetyl cysteine on thiol concentrations in plasma, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and lung tissue. METHODS Studies were c...

BACKGROUND In vitro and rodent studies have shown that arsenic (As) exposure can deplete glutathione (GSH) and induce oxidative stress. GSH is the primary intracellular antioxidant; it donates an electron to reactive oxygen species, thus producing glutathione disulfide (GSSG). Cysteine (Cys) and cystine (CySS) are the predominant thiol/disulfide redox couple found in human plasma. Arsenic, GSH,...

In the present study, we used a recombinant filamentous fungus strain, Aspergillus niger B1-D, as a model system, and investigated the antioxidant defences in this organism. Our findings indicate that pretreatment with low concentrations of H(2)O(2) completely prevents killing by this oxidant at high concentrations. It shows that A. niger adapts to exposure to H(2)O(2) by reducing growth and in...

A simple and accurate quantitative assay of the glutathione-activated feeding reflex in Hydra is described. The results show: (a) There are a limited number of receptor-effector systems, probably localized in the area immediately around the mouth and on the tentacles. (b) Concentrations of glutathione greater than 5 x 10(-6)M activate all these systems; 10(-5)M glutathione elicits a half-maximu...

Common eiders (Somateria mollissima) were fed added Se (as L-selenomethionine) in concentrations increasing from 10 to 80 ppm in a pilot study (Study 1) or 20 (low exposure) and up to 60 (high exposure) ppm Se in Study 2. Body weights of Study 1 ducks and high-exposure ducks in Study 2 declined rapidly. Mean concentrations of Se in blood reached 32.4 ppm wet weight in Study 1 and 17.5 ppm wet w...

Arsenic compounds have been used for medicinal purposes throughout history. Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) achieved dramatic remissions in patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia. Unfortunately, the clinical usefulness of As2O3 has been limited by its toxicity. The present study was designed to investigate the toxic effects of As2O3 at its clinical concentrations. Experimental rats were administe...

Drought stress severely limits crop growth and yield. With the atmospheric CO2 constantly increasing, plants will be affected by multiple effects of drought increased in future. Abscisic acid (ABA) plays vital roles plant tolerance, especially stress. However, little is known about elevated concentration (e[CO2]) exogenous ABA cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) response to In present study, we inves...

Retene (7-isopropyl-1-methylphenanthrene) causes blue sac disease (BSD) in early life stages of fish, an effect similar to that of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo(p)dioxin. The signs of BSD include cytochrome P450 (CYP1A) induction, edema, hemorrhaging, and craniofacial deformities, indicating membrane damage, circulatory failure, and impaired development. To test if the underlying cause was oxidati...