The brain senses circulating levels of angiotensin II (AngII) via circumventricular organs, such as the subfornical organ (SFO), and is thought to adjust sympathetic nervous system output accordingly via this neuro-hormonal communication. However, the cellular signaling mechanisms involved in these communications remain to be fully understood. Previous lesion studies of either the SFO, or the d...

BACKGROUND The aim of study was to determine relationships between functional capacity (NYHA class), left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), hemodynamic parameters, and biomarkers of redox state and inflammation in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). METHODS DCM patients (n = 109, aged 45.97 ± 10.82 years), NYHA class IIV, and LVEF 2.94 ± 7.1% were studied. Controls comprised age-mat...

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced during seed desiccation, germination, and ageing, leading to cellular damage and seed deterioration and, therefore, decreased seed longevity. The effects of simultaneous over-expression of two antioxidant enzymes on seed longevity and seed germination under stressful conditions were investigated. Transgenic tobacco simultaneously over-expressing the Cu...

Reactive oxygen species in peripheral cardiovascular tissues are implicated in the pathogenesis of 2 kidney-1 clip hypertension. We recently identified an imbalance between reactive oxygen species generation and oxidant scavenging in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) of 2 kidney-1 clip in rats. We tested whether enhanced superoxide signaling in RVLM of 2 kidney-1 clip rats contributes to...

BACKGROUND An increase in oxidative stress is suggested to be intimately involved in the pathogenesis of heart failure. However, gene expression of enzymes that metabolize reactive oxygen metabolites has not been investigated in the human heart. METHODS AND RESULTS Myocardial tissue homogenates of the left ventricular wall from hearts in end-stage failure due to dilated (DCM) or ischemic (ICM...

Gamma-irradiation (gamma-IR) is extensively used in the treatment of hormone-resistant prostate carcinoma. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of 60Co gamma-IR on the growth, cell cycle arrest and cell death of the human prostate cancer cell line DU 145. The viability of DU 145 cells was measured by the Trypan blue exclusion assay and the 3(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl...

A major limitation to the use of rat hepatocytes in the study of drug metabolism and toxicity is the rapid loss of CYPs. We demonstrate that the culture of rat hepatocytes results in a rapid loss of liver-specific CYP2C11 mRNA and transcripts encoding the general housekeeping gene copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) as well as poly(A(+)) mRNA. These losses are accelerated by fibronectin,...

OBJECTIVES To investigate the activities of the main antioxidative enzymes and oxidative stress in women with depressive disorder (DD). METHODS In 35 drug-naive women with DD and 35 age matched healthy women enzymes superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX1), glutathione reductase (GR) and paraoxonase (PON1), concentrations of conjugated dienes (CD), reduced...