Oxidative Stress

Research on cannabinoids has been growing significantly in the last five years. More than fifty percent of this research corresponds to " cannabinoids and brain " , particularly about neurodegeneration. In this sense, there is evidence reporting that specific phyto cannabinoids show some specific action on each one of main pathogenic mechanisms involved in neurodegeneration such as oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity. However, by using the same targets, cannabinoids may also induce the opposite effects, this is, excitotoxicity and inflammation. In fact, both tetrahydro cannabinol and cannabidiol activate cannabinoid receptors, but they also may act as antagonists of those receptors. It seems to be a dose-dependent issue; nonetheless, as reviewed in this paper, many other factors such as timing, type of cell and its state of activity even the activation of different, non-cannabinoid receptorsseem to have a role related to those unexpected antagonic effects.

Movement is a physiological phenomenon and a fundamental aspect of the living human body in a global context (e.g., musculoskeletal system function) and local one (e.g., visceral system function). The local activity of the body is expressed in the rhythm of pulsations, peristalsis and vibrations. Visceral therapy supports movement, articulation and tissue rhythm. The use of visceral treatment for pain is complementary and is relevant for pregnant women. Maintaining the mobility and motility of internal organs by means of visceral techniques can regulate anatomical relations and physiological processes within the urogenital diaphragm. The role of physical activity is also important. A scoping review was conducted to analyze the relevant literature on pain in pregnant women, the role of visceral therapy in pregnant women and oxidative stress. Eligible articles presented aspects of the occurrence of pain in locomotive organs in pregnant women, the use of visceral therapy in pain management, and the reduction of oxidative stress. The use of visceral therapy and physical activity in the treatment of pain is complementary and also important for pregnant women, and so may have an effect on reducing oxidative stress in pregnant women.

Gouania longipetala is commonly used in Cameroonian traditional medicine to manage women fertility and menopausal complaints. However, despite this use, the estrogenic properties of Gouania longipetala (G. longipetala) have not been studied until now. The present study was aimed to assess estrogenic activities of the stem bark aqueous (GLA) and ethanolic (GLE) extracts of G. longipetala in post menopause-like model of ovariectomized (Ovx) Wistar rats. Animals were either sham-operated or Ovx. 84 days after ovariectomy, animals were divided into seven groups of five animals and were daily treated for 28 days with distilled water (10mL/kg) for group 1, 2% solution of Tween 80 (10mL/kg) for group 2, estradiol valerate (1mg/kg) for group 3, GLA (45 or 180mg/kg) and GLE (40 or 160mg/kg) for groups 4 to 7 respectively. Sham-operated animals daily received distilled water (10mL/kg). During the experimental period, the body weight was registered every week. At the day 29, blood pressure was registered by invasive method while uterine and vagina morphometry as well as body, uterine and abdominal fat weights changes were analyzed. Serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were determined. Moreover, oxidative stress markers such as nitrites, reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in homogenized liver and aorta. Compared with the sham control, vagina and uterine dystrophy and elevated blood pressure were observed in Ovx rats treated with vehicles. Biochemical parameters showed a significant increase of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol and MDA as well as a significant decrease of nitrites and GSH in Ovx animals treated with vehicle as compared to sham group. GLA and GLE displayed estrogen-like effects on vagina and did not affect uterine wet weight and epithelial height compared with vehicle groups. Both extracts displayed anti-atherogenic properties by reducing AI, AIP and LDL-cholesterol level as compared to vehicles groups. GLA and GLE significantly prevented the increase of MDA induced by ovariectomy as compared to rats treated with vehicles. This study showed that GLA and GLE exhibited estrogenic effects by providing vaginal lubrication, by modulating blood pressure and improving lipid profile, oxidative status and endothelial function and may not have an undesirable influence on the endometrium in ovariectomized rats.

Wistar of the National Institute of Nutrition obese (WNIN/Ob) is a unique rat strain isolated and established at NIN, Hyderabad, India, in 1996, from its existing stock of Wistar rat colony (WNIN). This animal model exhibits all traits of metabolic syndrome and has a remarkably reduced lifespan (1.5 years as compared to 3 years in parental WNIN rats), albeit, the factors associated with premature aging are not well understood. Considering that oxidative stress and DNA damage are crucial players associated with senescence, we analyzed oxidative stress markers like lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation; DNA damage in terms of both single-stranded and double-stranded breaks and the activity of antioxidant enzymes: superoxide dismutase and catalase in brain regions of these animals. Our study revealed that the magnitude of oxidative stress and DNA damage in the neocortex and hippocampus of 3-month-old WNIN/Ob obese rats is as high as that seen in 15-month-old parental WNIN control rats. Concurrently, the antioxidant enzyme activity was significantly decreased. From these results, it can be concluded that increased oxidative stress-induced damage of macromolecules, probably due to reduced activity of antioxidant enzymes, is associated with premature aging in WNIN/Ob obese rats.

Introduction: Ethephon is an organophosphorus that used to stimulate plant growth. Royal Jelly is a substance with antioxidant properties and is effective for strengthening the immune system. This study aimed to determine the effect of Royal Jelly on sperm parameters, in vitro fertilization, and oxidative stress indicators in mice.

Material & Methods: In this experimental study, 20 adult male mice (NMRI strain) were divided into four control and experimental groups. The experimental group received Ethephon at 480 mg/kg. Royal Jelly was then administered orally and daily at a concentration of 200 mg/kg alone and in combination with Ethephon. After treatment, sperm samples were collected from the tail of epididymis to investigate sperm parameters and in vitro fertilizing potential; moreover, the testis tissue was taken for oxidative stress examination. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

(Ethic code: IR-UU_AEC-811/پد/3)

Findings: A decrease in the sperm motility and viability, fertilization rate, blastocyst, and hatching embryos, as well as an increase in DNA damage, lack of nuclear maturation, and blocked embryos was observed in the experimental groups, compared to the control group. Moreover, Total Antioxidant Capacity and Malondialdehyde in the groups receiving Ethephon decreased and increased, respectively. However, Royal Jelly can prevent the adverse effects of oxidative stress (P<0.05).

Discussion & Conclusion: According to the results of this study, royal jelly can have an amelioration effect on epididymal sperm and in vitro fertilizing potential.

A primary mechanistic hypothesis by which ambient air particles have a significant negative impact on human health is via the induction of pulmonary inflammatory responses mediated through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Development of a biosensor for the assessment of particulate ROS activity would be a significant advance in air pollution monitoring. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether air particulates interact directly with protective enzymes involved in oxidative stress responses. We performed enzyme activity assays on four enzymes involved in oxidative stress responses (Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, Mn superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase) in the presence of particles of varying toxicities and found distinctive inhibition patterns. On the basis of these findings, we suggest a strategy for an enzyme bioassay that could be used to assess the potential of particles to generate ROS-induced responses.

Carnosine (b-alanyl-L-histidine) is a natural dipeptide widely and abundantly distributed in excitable tissues of several animal tissues. Although its physiological role has not been completely understood yet, many beneficial actions have been attributed to carnosine, such as being an antioxidant, antiglycating and ion-chelating agent, a wound healing promoter and a free-radical scavenger. The role of carnosine in the neuroprotection of oxidative stress-driven disorders has been reviewed. The effects of carnosine have been extensively studied both in vivo and in vitro models of cerebral damages, such as neurodegenerative disorders and hypoxia-ischemia injuries. Beside the classical sacrificial agent, carnosine has been reevaluated as a molecular chaperon and an inducer of antioxidant systems in oxidative stress conditions. Thus, beneficial effects on most of the common biochemical events that characterize neurological disorders make carnosine a very promising molecule among all the endogenous compounds in the treatment and/or prevention of oxidative driven diseases.

The validity of the free radical theory of aging has been recently questioned. Our aim was to test whether there is oxidative stress in tissues critically involved in accelerated aging (senescence-accelerated mice, SAM) and whether this correlates with lower glucose consumption in vivo and behavioural tests. Positron emission tomography shows that brains of old SAM-prone animals consume less glucose than young ones. Behavioural characteristics, mitochondrial peroxide production, and damage in both the central nervous system and bone marrow stem cells also indicate that SAM-prone animals age faster than SAM-resistant ones. Our results support the role of the free radical theory of aging in critical tissues involved in aging and that this correlates with glucose consumption.

We demonstrate a microfluidic platform for the controlled aggregation of colloidal silver nanoparticles using surface acoustic waves (SAWs), enabling surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analysis of a cell based model for oxidative damage. We show that by varying the frequency and the power