OBJECT The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) may play an important role in inflammatory processes and endothelial activation, likely to accelerate the processes of atherosclerosis, especially in patients with diabetes. The factors that regulate the expression of RAGE are not completely clear. C-reactive protein (CRP) is identified as a key proinflammatory cytokine in patients ...

Biochemical biomarkers are widely used for the monitoring environmental quality since they can act as early warning signals, for potential ecosystem degradation caused by contaminants. In order to investigate the acute and chronic effects of a commercial formulation of glyphosate on antioxidant defenses (glutathione peroxidase, GPx; glutathione-S-transferase, GST; and reduced glutathione, GSH) ...

The cardiovascular system is susceptible to a group of diseases that are responsible for a larger proportion of morbidity and mortality than any other disease. Many cardiovascular diseases are associated with a failure of defenses against oxidative stress-induced cellular damage and/or death, leading to organ dysfunction. The pleiotropic transcription factor, nuclear factor-erythroid (NF-E) 2-r...

Our aim was to analyse the influence of variegate porphyria (VP) on the antioxidant defenses and markers of oxidative damage and inflammation in plasma and neutrophils and the effects of dietary supplementation with vitamins E and C on these parameters in plasma, neutrophils and erythrocytes. Twelve women affected by VP and twelve pair-matched healthy control women participated in a double-blin...

BACKGROUND Normal and pathological processes entail the production of oxidative substances that can damage biological molecules and harm physiological functions. Organisms have evolved complex mechanisms of antioxidant defense, and any imbalance between oxidative challenge and antioxidant protection can depress fitness components and accelerate senescence. While the role of oxidative stress in ...

Reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) are potentially cytotoxic molecules because they can generate oxidative/nitrosative stress. However, ROS and RNS, at concentrations tightly regulated by antioxidants, serve also useful purposes in processes such as organ development, abiotic and biotic stress response and redox signaling. Antioxidant enzymes and metabolites are abundant in plants and p...

Elephant seals naturally experience prolonged periods of absolute food and water deprivation (fasting). In humans, rats and mice, prolonged food deprivation activates the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and increases oxidative damage. In elephant seals, prolonged fasting activates RAS without increasing oxidative damage likely due to an increase in antioxidant defenses. The mechanism leading to ...