• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.51-68
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• 2017

Objectives : Oxidative stress due to excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the risk factors for the development of several chronic diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases. Methods : In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of cheongnoemyeongsin-hwan (CNMSH) against oxidative stress‑induced cellular damage and elucidated the underlying mechanisms in neuronal-derived SH-SY5Y cells. Results : Our results revealed that treatment with CNMSH prior to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) exposure significantly increased the SH-SY5Y cell viability, indicating that the exposure of the SH-SY5Y cells to CNMSH conferred a protective effect against oxidative stress. CNMSH also effectively attenuated H2O2‑induced comet tail formation, and decreased the phosphorylation levels of the histone ${\gamma}H2AX$, as well as the number of apoptotic bodies and Annexin V‑positive cells. In addition, CNMSH exhibited scavenging activity against intracellular ROS generation and restored the mitochondria membrane potential (MMP) loss that were induced by H2O2, suggesting that CNMSH prevents H2O2‑induced DNA damage and cell apoptosis. Moreover, H2O2 enhanced the cleavage of caspase-3 and degradation of poly (ADP-ribose)-polymerase, a typical substrate protein of activated caspase-3, as well as DNA fragmentation; however, these events were almost totally reversed by pretreatment with CNMSH. Furthermore, CNMSH increased the levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), which is a potent antioxidant enzyme, associated with the induction of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). According to our data, CNMSH is able to protect SH-SY5Y cells from H2O2-induced apoptosis throughout blocking cellular damage related to oxidative stress through a mechanism that would affect ROS elimination and activating Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Conclusions : Therefore, we believed that CNMSH may potentially serve as an agent for the treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases caused by oxidative stress.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.659-665
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• 2000

The changes in $UV_{254}$ and concentrations of $H_2O_2$ formed by ozonation of aqueous humic acid in ozone/high pH, peroxone process and in the presence of radical scavenger, $HCO_3{^-}$ were investigated. This study confirmed that the formation of $H_2O_2$ by ozonation may undergo different reaction pathways compared to those of $UV_{254}$ reduction in the degradation of the humic acid. The concentration of $H_2O_2$ produced by ozonation was found to be increased with decreasing pH of the sample solution due to the higher stability of ozone molecules at acidic conditions. On the while, $UV_{254}$ reduction was found to be higher at alkaline conditions or larger amount of $H_2O_2$ additions as a radical promoter in which the producing of ${\cdot}OH$, ${\cdot}HO_2$ radicals can be more favorable. From the results, it has been suggested that the formation of $H_2O_2$ by ozonation depends mainly on the direct reactions of ozone with humic acid molecules, while $UV_{254}$ reduction is affected by both the indirect reactions of the radicals and direct reactions of ozone with humic acid.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.748-756
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• 2000

Effects of xanthine (X), xanthine oxidase (XO), and catalase (C), $H_2O_2$, and carbohydrates on sperm capacitation, acrosome reaction, and fertilizing ability in vitro were examined. Glucose alone, but not fructose, supported the maximum rate of sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction. However, in the combination of X, XO, and C (XXOC) or $H_2O_2$, fructose alone also supported maximum capacitation, acrosome reaction, and fertilization. Either insufficient or excessive amounts of $H_2O_2$ decreased sperm capacitation and the acrosome reaction. In order to understand how glucose generates $H_2O_2$ or other reactive oxygen species in sperm cells, 6-aminonicotinamide, an inhibitor of the pentose-phosphate pathway (PPP), and apocynin, an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase, were added to sperm suspensions in glucose-containing medium. Results appeared that sperm capacitation, acrosome reaction, and fertilization were consequently inhibited by either one of these compounds. These inhibitory effects were nullified by addition of XXOC. These results support the hypothesis that glucose, in addition to being a substrate for glycolysis, facilitates sperm capacitation and the acrosome reaction by generating reactive oxygen species through G-6-P dehydrogenase and NADPH oxidase.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.78.2-79
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• 2003

Pepper defensin ( CADEFl) clone was isolated from cDNA library constructed from pepper leaves infected with avirulent strain Bv5-4a of Xanthomonu campestris pv. vesicatoria. The deduced amino acid sequence of CADEFl is 82-64％ identical to that of other plant defensins. Putative protein encoded by CADEFl gene consists of 78 amino acids and 8 conserved cysteine residues to form four structure-stabilizing disulfide bridges. Transcription of the CADEF1 gene was earlier and stronger induced by X campestris pv. vesicatoria infection in the incompatible than in the compatible interaction. CADEF1 mRNA was constitutively expressed in stem, root and green fruit of pepper. Transcripts of CADEFl gene drastically accumulated in pepper leaf tissues treated With Salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), abscisic acid (ABA), hydrogen Peroxide (H$_2$O$_2$), benzothiadiazole (BTH) and DL-${\beta}$-amino-n-butyric acid (BABA). In situ hybridization results revealed that CADEF1 mRNA was localized in the phloem areas of vascular bundles in leaf tissues treated with exogenous SA, MeJA and ABA. Strong accumulation of CADEF1 mRNA occurred in pepper leaves in response to wounding, high salinity and drought stress. These results suggest that bacterial pathogen infection, abiotic elicitors and some environmental stresses may play a significant role in signal transduction pathway for CADEF1 gene expression.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.53-60
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• 2005

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting $1\%$ of the population above the age of 65 and is characterized by a selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Although the underlying cause of dopaminergic cell death or the mechanism by which these cells degenerate is still not clearly understood, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and protein misfolding are thought to play important roles in the dopaminergic degeneration in PD. Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is synthesized exclusively in the monoaminergic, including dopaminergic, cells and serves as an endogenous and obligatory cofactor for syntheses of the potential oxidative stressors dopamine and nitric oxide. In addition to its contribution toward the syntheses of these two potentially toxic molecules, BH4 itself can directly generate oxidative stress. BH4 undergoes oxidation during the hydroxylation reaction as well as nonenzymatic autooxidation to produce hydrogen peroxide and superoxide radical. We have previously suggested BH4 as an endogenous molecule responsible for the dopaminergic neurodegeneration. BH4 exerts selective toxicity to dopamine-producing cells via generation of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis. BH4 also induces morphological, biochemical, and behavioral characteristics associated with PD in vivo. BH4 as well as enzyme activity and gene expression of GTP cyclohydrolase I, the rate-limiting enzyme in BH4 synthesis pathway, are readily upregulated by cellular changes such as calcium influx and by various stimuli including stress situations. This points to the possibility that cellular availability of BH4 might be increased in aberrant conditions, leading to increased extracellular BH4 subsequent degeneration. The fact that BH4 is specifically and endogenously synthesized in dopaminergic cells, Is readily upregulated, and generates oxidative stress-related cell death provides physical relevance of this molecule as an attractive candidate with which to explain the mechanism of pathogenesis of PD.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.207-213
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• 2005

It has been proposed that reactive oxygen species (ROS), mainly superoxide anion ($O_2^-$) and hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$), may mediate oxidative stress. Production of $H_2O_2$ during oxidative phosphorylation, inflammation, and ischemia can cause oxidative stress leading to cell death. Although glucose oxidase (GOX) in the presence of glucose continuously generates $H_2O_2$, it is not clear whether GOX produces apoptotic cell death in C6 glial cells. Thus, we investigated the mechanism by which GOX induces cell death. Cells were incubated with different concentration of GOX in the presence of glucose where cell viability, TUNEL and DNA ladder were analyzed. Results indicated that GOX exhibited cytotoxicity in a dose dependent manner by MTT assay. TUNEL positive cell and DNA laddering showed that GOX-induced cytotoxicity was due to apoptosis. Western blot analysis also showed that the cleaved caspase-3 level was detected in the GOX-treated cells at 10 mU/ml and increased dramatically at 30 mU/ml. Cleaved PARP also appeared at 10 mU/ml and lasted at 20 or 30 mU/ml of GOX. Cytochrome c level was increased by GOX dose dependently, which was contrast to Bcl-2 expression level. These results suggest that GOX induces apoptosis through caspase-3 activation, which followed by cytochrome c release from mitochondria through regulating of Bcl-2 level.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.123-128
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Natural products or active components with a protective effect against oxidative stress have attracted significant attention for prevention and treatment of degenerative disease. Oligonol is a low molecular weight polyphenol containing catechin-type monomers and oligomers derived from Litchi chinensis Sonn. We investigated the protective effect and its related mechanism of oligonol against oxidative stress. MATERIALS/METHODS: Oxidative stress in C6 glial cells was induced by hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) and the protective effects of oligonol on cell viability, nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) synthesis, and mRNA expression related to oxidative stress were determined. RESULTS: Treatment with oligonol inhibited NO and ROS formation under cellular oxidative stress in C6 glial cells. In addition, it recovered cell viability in a dose dependent-manner. Treatment with oligonol also resulted in down-regulated mRNA expression related to oxidative stress, nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-${\kappa}B$) p65, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), compared with the control group treated with $H_2O_2$. In particular, expression of NF-${\kappa}B$ p65, COX-2, and iNOS was effectively reduced to the normal level by treatment with $10{\mu}g/mL$ and $25{\mu}g/mL$ of oligonol. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that oligonol has protective activity against oxidative stress-induced inflammation. Oligonol might be a promising agent for treatment of degenerative diseases through inhibition of ROS formation and NF-${\kappa}B$ pathway gene expression.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.145-153
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• 2018

Among the carotenoid biosynthesis genes, crtI gene encodes the phytoene desaturase (CrtI) enzyme, and phytoene desaturase convert phytoene to lycopene. Phytoene desaturase is involved in the dehydrogenation reaction, in which four single bonds in the phytoene are introduced into a double bond, eliminating eight hydrogen atoms in the process. Phytoene desaturase is one of the key regulating enzyme in carotenoid biosynthetic pathway of various carotenoid biosynthetic organisms. The crtI gene in genomic DNA of Paracoccus haeundaensis was amplified and cloned into a T-vector to analyze the nucleotide sequence. As a result, the crtI gene coding for phytoene desaturase from P. haeundaensis consists of 1,503 base pairs encoding 501 amino acids residues. An expression plasmid containing the crtI gene was constructed, and Escherichia coli cells containing this plasmid produced the recombinant protein of approximately 55 kDa, equivalent to the molecular weight of phytoene desaturase. The expressed protein in cell lysate showed enzymatic activity similar to phytoene desaturase. Phytoene and lycopene were analyzed by HPLC and measured at wavelength of 280 nm and 470 nm, respectively. The $K_m$ values for phytoene and NADPH were $11.1{\mu}M$ and $129.3{\mu}M$, respectively.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.364-369
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• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Inflammation is associated with various types of acute and chronic alcohol liver diseases. In this study, we examined whether umbelliferone (7-hydroxycoumarin, UF) ameliorates chronic alcohol-induced liver damage by modulating inflammatory response and the antioxidant system. METHODS: Rats were fed a Liber-Decarli liquid diet containing 5% alcohol with or without UF (0.05 g/L) for 8 weeks, while normal rats received an isocaloric carbohydrate liquid diet. RESULTS: Chronic alcohol intake significantly increased serum tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) and interleukin 6 levels and decreased interleukin 10 level; however, UF supplementation reversed the cytokines related to liver damage. UF significantly suppressed hepatic lipopolysaccharide binding protein, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor kappa B, and TNF-${\alpha}$ gene expression increases in response to chronic alcohol intake. Masson's trichrome staining revealed that UF improved mild hepatic fibrosis caused by alcohol, and UF also significantly increased the mRNA expressions and activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in liver, and thus, decreased lipid peroxide and mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide levels. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicate that UF protects against alcohol-induced liver damage by inhibiting the TLR4 signaling pathway and activating the antioxidant system.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.91-97
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• 2017

Although anti-aging activities of melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, have been reported in senescence-accelerated mouse models and several types of cells, its impact and mechanism on the senescence of human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) remains unknown. In this study, we examined the impact of melatonin on cellular premature senescence of HDPCs. Here, we found that melatonin markedly inhibited senescent characteristics of HDPCs after exposure to hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$), including the increase in senescence-associated ${\beta}$-galactosidase (SA-${\beta}$-gal)-positive HDPCs and the upregulation of p21 protein, an indicator for senescence. In addition, as melatonin attenuated $H_2O_2$-stimulated phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), while selective inhibition of JNK activity with SP600125 significantly attenuated $H_2O_2$-induced increase in SA-beta-gal activity. Results reveal that melatonin antagonizes premature senescence of HDPCs via JNK pathway. Thus, melatonin may have therapeutic potential to prevent stress-induced premature senescence, possibly correlated with development of dental pulp diseases, and to maintain oral health across the life span.