• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1595-1602
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• 2010

Oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) has been recognized as an important role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. In this study, effects of allylmercaptan, a major metabolite compound of garlic, was studied on endothelial cell injury induced by oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). The antioxidative activity of allylmercaptan was investigated by monitoring a thiobarbituric acid substance (TBARS). Allylmercaptan inhibited LDL oxidation induced by $Cu^{2+}$ at concentrations of 0.1, 1 and 10 mM in a dose dependent manner. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, as an index of cell injury, and intracellular glutathione levels were determined. Pulmonary artery endothelial cells were preincubated with allylmercaptan at $37^{\circ}C$ and 5% $CO_2$ for 24 hr, washed, and then exposed to 0.1 mg/ml oxidized LDL for 24 hr. Preincubation of endothelial cells with allylmercaptan significantly prevented the LDH release and depletion of GSH. Peroxides were measured directly in 24 well plates using a fluorometric assay. Allylmercaptan inhibited release of peroxides induced by ox-LDL in pulmonary artery endothelial cells. In a free system, allylmercaptan was shown to scavenge hydrogen peroxide. The data indicate that allylmercaptan can protect pulmonary artery endothelial cells from injury caused by oxidized LDL, and suggest that allylmercaptan may be useful for the prevention of atherosclerosis.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.5-10
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• 2004

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of the active ingredients from ginseng on paraquat(PQ) toxicity. Oxidative stress was induced by intraperitreatneal injection of PQ at a single dose of 25 mg/kg. Saponin treated groups were given protopanaxadiol saponins(PPD) or protopanaxatriol saponins(PPT)(5 mg/kg, orally) per day for 1, 3, & 7 days. We also investigated the relationship between lipid peroxidation and ginseng saponins by measuring the levels of superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), reduced glutathione(GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and hydrogen peroxide(H$_2$O$_2$) in liver tissue. The activities of SOD, CAT, and GPx were generally high in the PPD group; the SOD activity on each day was the highest in the PPD group. The H$_2$O$_2$ content was the lowest in the PPD group. The GSH levels were significantly increased in the PPD. The levels of MDA(the end product of lipid peroxidation) were significantly lower in the red ginseng component groups than in the PQ group; the levels were especially low in the PPD groups. These results led us to conclude that the antioxidant effects of extracts from red ginseng prevent oxidative damage by direct antioxidant effects involving SOD, CAT, & GPx, and increasing the ability of the body to synthesize endogenous antioxidants.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2016

A unique Schizosaccharomyces pombe $TrxR^+$ gene encoding thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) was found to be positively regulated by stress-inducing agents through the stress-responsive transcription factor Pap1. In the present study, the protective roles of S. pombe TrxR were evaluated using the TrxR-overexpressing recombinant plasmid pHSM10. In the presence of hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) and superoxide anion-generating menadione (MD), S. pombe TrxR increased cellular growth and the total glutathione (GSH) level, while it reduced levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). The nitric oxide (NO) levels of the TrxR-overexpressing cells, in the presence of $H_2O_2$ and MD, were maintained to be similar to those of the corresponding non-treated cells. Although S. pombe TrxR was able to scavenge NO generated by sodium nitroprusside (SNP), it had no significant modulating effects on cellular growth, ROS levels, or the total GSH level of SNP-exposed yeast cells, compared with the differences in those of the two non-treated cell cultures. TrxR increased the cellular growth and total GSH level, which were diminished by nitrogen starvation. It also scavenged ROS and NO produced during nitrogen starvation. Taken together, the S. pombe TrxR protects against oxidative, nitrosative, and nutritional stresses.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1428-1435
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• 2013

The aim of this study is to investigate the melanogenic effect of Oenanthe javanica ethanolic extracts (OJE) containing quercetin and kaempferol in melanoma cells (B16F1). In order to determine whether OJE inhibits melanin synthesis at the cellular level, the melanoma cells were cultured in the presence of different concentrations of OJE. In the present study, the antioxidant effects of OJE on DPPH radical scavenging, power reduction, lipid peroxidation, and DNA oxidation were evaluated in a cell free system. Furthermore, the effect of OJE on the production of melanin was determined by dopaquinone (DOPA) assay and tyrosinase activity. In addition, the protein expression of tyrosinase, as well as antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD)-1, SOD-2 and glutathione reductase (GSH), were examined using Western blot analysis. In this study, it was observed that OJE exhibited an inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation and blocked the DNA oxidation induced by the hydroxyl radical produced by Fenton's reagent. OJE increased melanin synthesis above 50 ${\mu}g/ml$ and tyrosinase activity was detected above 50 ${\mu}g/ml$. In Western blot analysis, OJE increased the expression levels of tyrosinase, SOD-1, SOD-2, and GSH in a dose-dependent manner. These findings indicate that OJE with antioxidant activity can regulate the tyrosinase activity and melanin production in melanocyte, suggesting that it could promote the development of black hair as well as protect skin from oxidative stress.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.483-489
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• 2011

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is a polyphenolic compound frequently found in green tea, and its physiological actions have been extensively investigated. In the present study, changes in chemical stability and cytotoxic properties of EGCG in the presence of different types of antioxidants were investigated. The antioxidants used modulated the chemical stability of EGCG. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) significantly increased EGCG stability; EGCG was less stable in the presence of catalase. Ascorbic acid, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), and glutathione (GSH) stabilized EGCG concentration dependently. The $H_2O_2$ level generated from EGCG was decreased by catalase, SOD, and NAC but not by GSH. The cytotoxic effects of EGCG also decreased in the presence of NAC, catalase, and SOD. GSH, however, showed a complicated modulatory pattern according to the EGCG and GSH concentrations, and ascorbic acid rather enhanced EGCG toxicity. The results suggest that certain antioxidants could modulate the cytotoxic properties of EGCG in a cell culture system not only by removing reactive oxygen species but by modulating chemical stability and other factors, which should be considered carefully when studying reactive oxygen species-dependent mechanisms of EGCG.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1681-1689
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• 2011

The beneficial effects of tea catechins (TCs) are related not only to their antioxidant potential but also to the improvement of animal meat quality. In this study, we assessed the effects of dietary TC supplementation on plasma biochemical parameters, hormone responses, and glutathione redox status in goats. Forty Liuyang goats were randomly divided into four equal groups (10 animals/group) that were assigned to four experimental diets with TC supplementation at 4 levels (0, 2,000, 3,000 or 4,000 mg TC/kg DM feed). After a 60-day feeding trial, all goats were slaughtered and sampled. Dietary TC treatment had no significant effect on blood biochemical parameters, however, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p<0.001), triglyceride (p<0.01), plasma urea nitrogen (p<0.01), and glucose (p<0.001) decreased and total protein (p<0.01) and albumin (p<0.05) increased with the feeding time extension, and day 20 was the turning point for most of changes. Interactions were found in glutathione (p<0.001) and the ratio of reduced and oxidized glutathione (p<0.05) in whole blood between treatment and feeding time. Oxidized glutathione in blood was reduced (p<0.05) by 2,000 mg TC/kg feed supplementation, and a similar result was observed in longissimus dorsi muscle. Though plasma glutathione peroxidase (p<0.01) and glutathione reductase (p<0.05) activities were affected by treatment and feeding time interactions, and glutathione S-transferases activity increased with feeding day extension, no changed values appeared in longissimus dorsi muscle. In conclusion, dietary TC supplementation affected the concentrations of some blood metabolites and accelerated GSH depletion in the blood of goats. In terms of less high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the highest insulin and IGF-I concentrations, the highest ratio of reduced and oxidized glutathione in plasma, the dosage of 2,000 mg TC/kg feed might be desirable for growing goats to prevent glutathione depletion and keep normal physiological metabolism.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.479-487
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• 2009

Glutathione reductase (GR) is an enzyme that recycles a key cellular antioxidant molecule glutathione (GSH) from its oxidized form (GSSG) thus maintaining cellular redox homeostasis. A recombinant plasmid to overexpress a GR of Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis (BrGR) in E. coli BL21 (DE3) was constructed using an expression vector pKM260. Expression of the introduced gene was confirmed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, immunoblotting and enzyme assays. Purification of the BrGR protein was performed by IMAC method and indicated that the BrGR was a dimmer. The BrGR required NADPH as a cofactor and specific activity was approximately 458 U. The BrGR-expressing E. coli cells showed increased GR activity and tolerance to $H_2O_2$, menadione, and heavy metal ($CdCl_2$, $ZnCl_2$ and $AlCl_2$)-mediated growth inhibition. The ectopic expression of BrGR provoked the co-regulation of a variety of antioxidant enzymes including catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Consequently, the transformed cells showed decreased hydroperoxide levels when exposed to stressful conditions. A proteomic analysis demonstrated the higher level of induction of proteins involved in glycolysis, detoxification/oxidative stress response, protein folding, transport/binding proteins, cell envelope/porins, and protein translation and modification when exposed to $H_2O_2$ stress. Taken together, these results indicate that the plant GR protein is functional in a cooperative way in the E. coli system to protect cells against oxidative stress.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.30-36
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• 2002

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of regular exercise and other relating factors on the activities of erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes and plasma total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP) in 61 healthy male college students. The study population were divided in two groups ; small amount of exerciser (exorcise time less than 30min/d) and moderate amount of exerciser (exorcise time more than 30min/d) according to their physical exercise habits measured by a questionnaire. Dietary intake of vitamin C and vitamin E, Plasma lipid Profiles, erythrocyte superoxide dismutase(SOD), glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px) and catalase activities, as well as plasma TRAP levels were determined. Plasma TRAP level was significantly higher in moderate amount of exercisers than that in small amount of exercisers. No significant differences were observed in erythrocryte SOD, catalase and GSH-Px between the two groups. Mean exercise time was positively correlated with the plasma level of TRAP significantly, and amount of alcohol consumption was negatively correlated with the erythrocyte SOD activity, Dietary vitamin C and I intakes did not correlated with either erythrocyte enzyme activities or plasma TRAP levels. There were positive correlations between plasma HDL-cholesterol, and erythrocyte GSH-Px or plasma TRAP levels. Plasma vitamin C concentrations was negatively correlated with plasma TRAP levels and erythrocyte SOD activity, however plasma vitamin C concentration was positively correlated with erythrocyte GSH-Px activity, The results would suggest that regular moderate exercise, nonsmoking, high HDL-cholesterol and high plasma vitamin E concentration enhance antioxidant defences against reactive oxygen species and may increase the likelihood of a healthier life span.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.269-278
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• 2014

Various antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) especially enzyme-inducing AEDs might be associated with increased vascular risk, through impairment of the endogenous antioxidative ability which may trigger oxygen-dependent tissue injury. Lamotrigine (LTG) a non-enzyme-inducing AED has scarce information regarding its effects on oxidative stress. The present study aimed to study the possible modulation of vascular risk factors of epileptogenesis by LTG, in a rat model of kindling seizure induced by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). Four groups of male Wister rats were used; vehicle control group, PTZ group (alternate day PTZ, 30 mg/kg, i.p), LTG/PTZ group (LTG 20 mg/kg/day p.o and alternate day PTZ) and LTG group. The study period was 5 weeks. Lipoproteins and total homocysteine (tHcy), malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were measured. Aortic endothelial function study and histopathological examination of the rats' brains, aortas and coronaries were conducted. Serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), tHcy, MDA, GSH levels were significantly higher in epileptic rats than normal controls rats. A decrease in HDL-cholesterol with high atherosclerotic index was also demonstrated. The administration of LTG improved the PTZ-kindled seizures. It produced a significant decrease in TC, TG and LDL-cholesterol, MDA, aortic GSH and increase in HDL-cholesterol with no significant effect on serum GSH and tHcy levels. LTG improved endothelium-dependent relaxation, decreased hippocampal neurodegenerative changes and atherosclerotic changes of aortas and coronaries. LTG decreased seizures severity, hippocampal damage and improved vascular risk markers in this rat model of kindling seizures.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.321-327
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• 2010

The ability of 80% ethanol extracts from five medicinal plants, Aralia continentalis, Paeonia suffruticosa, Magnolia denudata, Anemarrhena asphodeloides, and Schizonepeta tenuifolia, to neutralize hydroxyl radical, peroxyl radical and peroxynitrite was examined using the total oxyradical scavenging capacity (TOSC) assay. Peroxyl radical was generated from thermal homolysis of 2,2'-azobis(2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride (ABAP); hydroxyl radical by an iron-ascorbate Fenton reaction; peroxynitrite by spontaneous decomposition of 3-morpholinosydnonimine N-ethylcarbamide (SIN-1). The oxidants generated react with $\alpha$-keto-$\gamma$-methiolbutyric acid (KMBA) to yield ethylene, and the TOSC of the substances tested is quantified from their ability to inhibit ethylene formation. Extracts from P. suffruticosa, M. denudata, and S. tenuifolia were determined to be potent peroxyl radical scavenging agents with a specific TOSC (sTOSC) being at least six-fold greater than that of glutathione (GSH). These three plants also showed sTOSCs toward peroxynitrite markedly greater than sTOSC of GSH, however, only P. suffruticosa revealed a significant hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity. Seven major active constituents isolated from P. suffruticosa, quercetin, (+)-catechin, methyl gallate, gallic acid, benzoic acid, benzoyl paeoniflorin and paeoniflorin, were determined for their antioxidant potential toward peroxynitrite, peroxyl and hydroxyl radicals. Quercetin, (+)-catechin, methyl gallate, and gallic acid exhibited sTOSCs 40~85 times greater than sTOSC of GSH. These four components also showed a peroxynitrite scavenging capacity higher than at least 10-fold of GSH. For antioxidant activity against hydroxyl radical, methyl gallate was greatest followed by gallic acid and quercetin. Further studies need to be conducted to substantiate the significance of scavenging a specific oxidant in the prevention of cellular injury and disease states caused by the reactive free radical species.