Reactive oxygen species play a central role in vascular inflammation and atherogenesis, with enhanced superoxide (O2.-) production contributing significantly to impairment of nitric oxide (.NO)-dependent relaxation of vessels from cholesterol-fed rabbits. We investigated potential sources of O2.- production, which contribute to this loss of endothelium-dependent vascular responses. The vasorela...

Ethinyl estradiol (EE) is a strong promoter and weak hepatocarcinogen in rats. Previously, we demonstrated that EE enhanced the transcript levels of nuclear genome- and mitochondrial genome-encoded genes and respiratory chain activity in female rat liver, and also inhibited transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta)-induced apoptosis in cultured liver slices and hepatocytes from female rats. In ...

Indirect evidence suggests accelerated degradation of endothelium-derived nitric oxide (ENDO) by superoxide anion (O2-) in hypercholesterolemic vessels (HV). To directly measure O2- production by normal vessels (NV) and HV, we used an assay for O2- based on the chemiluminescence (CL) of lucigenin (L). HV (1 mo cholesterol-fed rabbits) produced threefold more O2- than NV (1.47 +/- 0.20 nM/mg tis...

In uremia, diminished reactive oxygen intermediate production is an important consequence of impaired neutrophil function. The effects of guanidino compounds, which are known uremic toxins, on neutrophil reactive oxygen intermediate production in vitro were studied. Neutrophils from healthy volunteers were exposed for 3 h to individual guanidino compounds or mixed guanidino compounds (GCmix), a...

Bioactive phospholipids (PL), particularly lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), are being increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of various acute and chronic inflammatory disorders, particularly those of the airways, while there is emerging evidence that vitamin E may function as a natural antagonist of these lipid mediators of inflammation. The aims of this study were to document the effects of...

The present study addresses the question of a possible linkage between the cystic fibrosis (CF) genetic autosomal recessive disorder and disturbance in neutrophil function. Neutrophil-dominated chronic airway inflammation is present at an early age in children with CF, even in the absence of detectable infection. As evidenced by extracellular superoxide anion release (measured by lucigenin lumi...

Mild hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy, clinically defined as less than 30 μmol/L) is an independent cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor, and is associated with many complications during pregnancy, such as preeclampsia (PE). The aim of this study was to assess the effect of long-term mild HHcy on cardiac metabolic function of multiparous rats. Female rats were mated 3 to 4 times and were fed with...

Hyperglycemia induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation is believed as major factors leading to diabetic nephropathy (DN). DangGui (Angelica sinensis) is mentioned to show renal protective effect in combination with other herbs. Bone morphogenetic proteins-7 (BMP-7) is produced merit in protection of DN. The role of BMP-7 in DangGui-induced renal improvement is not clear. The present stu...

As one main active compound of curcuminoids, Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) possesses several biological activities, such as anti-inflammation and anti-cancer activities. However, the detailed mechanism of BDMC's anti-metastasis activity in ovarian cancer has not been clearly elucidated yet. In the present study, cell proliferation, wound healing motility, cell adhesion and invasion with or withou...

Evidence is rapidly accumulating that low-activity-reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases homologous to that in phagocytic cells generate reactive oxygen species as signaling intermediates in both endothelium and vascular smooth muscle. We therefore explored the possibility of such an oxidase regulating growth of airway smooth muscle (AWSM). Proliferation of human ...