Previous studies have suggested that oxygen-derived free radicals are involved in the pathophysiology of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury. Specifically, neutrophils have been shown to mediate postischemic ventricular arrhythmias and myocardial necrosis. We hypothesized that MI/R injury would be reduced in the absence (-/-) of NADPH oxidase. Heterozygous control mice (n=23) and NADP...

In Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica), previous studies indicated that the distribution of reduced nicotinamide dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) diaphorase overlaps with steroid-sensitive areas that contain dense populations of aromatase-immunoreactive (ARO-ir) cells. We investigated here the anatomical relationships between aromatase (ARO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-containing cells that we...

The implications of reactive oxygen species in cardiovascular disease have been known for some decades. Rationally, therapeutic antioxidant strategies combating oxidative stress have been developed, but the results of clinical trials have not been as good as expected. Therefore, to move forward in the design of new therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular disease based on prevention of product...

The mechanisms regulating activation of the respiratory burst enzyme, NADPH oxidase, of human neutrophils (PMN) are not yet understood, but protein phosphorylation may play a role. We have utilized a defect in a cytosolic factor required for NADPH oxidase activation observed in two patients with the autosomal recessive form of chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) to examine the role of protein p...

The phosphorylation-dependent mechanisms regulating activation of the human neutrophil respiratory-burst enzyme, NADPH oxidase, have not been elucidated. We have shown that phosphatidic acid (PA) and diacylglycerol (DG), products of phospholipase activation, synergize to activate NADPH oxidase in a cell-free system. We now report that activation by PA plus DG involves protein kinase activity, u...

Astrogliosis, oligodendroglial death and motor deficits have been observed in the offspring of female rats that had their uterine arteries clamped at the 18(th) gestational day. Since nitric oxide has important roles in several inflammatory and developmental events, here we evaluated NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) distribution in the cerebellum of rats submitted to this hypoxia-ischemia (HI) model....

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are necessary for programmed cell death (PCD) in neurons, but the underlying ROS-producing enzymes have not been identified. NADPH oxidase produces ROS, although the expression of its five subunits are thought to be restricted largely to non-neuronal cells. Here, we show that NADPH oxidase subunits are present in neurons. Moreover, both an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, ...