Aspergillus flavus is a well-known pathogenic fungus for both crops and human beings. The acquisition of resistance to azoles by A. flavus is leading to more failures occurring in the prevention of infection by A. flavus. In this study, we found that thymol, one of the major chemical constituents of the essential oil of Monarda punctate, had efficient fungicidal activity against A. flavus and l...

Vascular injury after balloon angioplasty results in the rapid activation of platelets leading to the release of growth factors and vasoactive substances. In addition, up-regulation of tissue factor (TF) and an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been detected at sites of vascular injury. We investigated whether platelet-derived products (PDP) released from activated huma...

Hyperoxia increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in vascular endothelium; however, the mechanisms involved in ROS generation are not well characterized. We determined the role and regulation of NAD(P)H oxidase in hyperoxia-induced ROS formation in human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAECs). Exposure of HPAECs to hyperoxia for 1, 3, and 12 h increased the generation of superox...

Loss of fluid shear stress (ischemia) to the lung endothelium causes endothelial plasma membrane depolarization via ATP-sensitive K(+) (K(ATP)) channel closure, initiating a signaling cascade that leads to NADPH oxidase (NOX2) activation and ROS production. Since wortmannin treatment significantly reduces ROS production with ischemia, we investigated the role of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)...

The present study addressed the effects of Mn on oxidative stress in a catecholaminergic CATH.a cell line. Oxidative stress was measured with the fluorescent dye, 2',7'-dichlorofluoroscein (DCFH). In the diacetate form, the dye is taken up by the cells and cleaved by esterases, effectively trapping it within the intracellular space. DCFH is subsequently oxidized treatment in the presence of rea...

OBJECTIVE Aging increases the risk of developing impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and type 2 diabetes. It has been proposed that increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation by dysfunctional mitochondria could play a role in the pathogenesis of these metabolic abnormalities. We examined whether aging per se (in subjects with normal glucose tolerance [NGT]) impairs mitochondrial function a...

BACKGROUND Reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate the effects of anesthetic precondition to protect against ischemia and reperfusion injury, but the mechanisms of ROS generation remain unclear. In this study, the authors investigated if mitochondria-targeted antioxidant (mitotempol) abolishes the cardioprotective effects of anesthetic preconditioning. Further, the authors investigated the mechan...

AIMS Human C-peptide has a beneficial effect on the prevention of diabetic neuropathy, nephropathy, and vascular complications; however, its role in protection against increased vascular permeability in diabetes remains unclear. Our purpose was to explore the potential protective role of C-peptide against microvascular permeability mediated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced r...

Evolution of reactive oxygen species (ROS), generated during the patho-physiological stress of nervous tissue, has been implicated in the etiology of several progressive human neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amylotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In this brief communication we used mixed isomers of 5-(and-6)-carboxy-2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (carboxy-DCFDA...

Kainic acid (KA), a potent central excitotoxin, may elicit neuronal death via generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The present study was undertaken to further characterize KA neurotoxicity and its relationship to ROS production and mitochondrial dysfunction. Exposure of rat cerebellar granule neurons at 14 days in vitro to 0.5 mM KA for 30 min resulted in the death of 53% of cells 24 h ...