The repercussions of hypobaric hypoxia are dependent upon two factorstime and intensity of exposure. The effects of intensity i.e. variation of altitude are yet unknown although it is a significant factor in terms of acclimatization protocols. In this study we present the effects of acute (24 h) exposure to high (10,000 ft), very high (15,000 ft) and extreme altitude (25,000 ft) zones on lung a...

BACKGROUND The selenoenzyme thioredoxin reductase 1 has a complex role relating to cell growth. It is induced as a component of the cellular response to potentially mutagenic oxidants, but also appears to provide growth advantages to transformed cells by inhibiting apoptosis. In addition, selenocysteine-deficient or alkylated forms of thioredoxin reductase 1 have also demonstrated oxidative, pr...

Maximal velocity (Vmax) is a well established biomarker for the assessment of tissue redox status. There is scarce evidence, though, that it does not probably reflect sufficiently in vivo tissue redox profile. Instead, the Michaelis constant (Km) could more adequately image tissue oxidative stress and, thus, be a more physiologically relevant redox biomarker. Therefore, the aim of the present s...

: This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that 17β-estradiol therapy improves redox balance by decreasing reactive oxygen species production and increasing nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, favoring Akt pathway activation and resulting in a better autonomic vascular control. Ovariectomized female Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups: (1) vehicle (VL) and animals treated with a pellet...

Cigarette smoking leads to alteration in cellular redox status, a hallmark in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This study examines the role of cigarette smoke (CS) exposure in the impairment of energy metabolism and, consequently, mitochondrial dysfunction. Male A/J mice were exposed to CS generated by a smoking machine for 4 or 8 wk. A recovery group was exposed to CS...

Changes to the redox status of biological systems have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of disorders including cancer, Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and neurodegeneration. In times of metabolic stress e.g. ischaemia/reperfusion, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production overwhelms the intrinsic antioxidant capacity of the cell, damaging vital cellular components. The abi...