• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.364-370
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• 1987

The $O_2^-$ level of the extract from young rice leaves, which was cold treated for 2 days and then placed at room temperature for a period of time significantly higher than that from tissues untreated. $O_2^-$ level in leaves was practically unchanged during cold treatment for 48 hours. But it started to increase to arrive at maximum in 8 hours, once the plants were placed under room temperature. The abnormal production of $O_2^-$ in mitochondria during postchilling process was interpreted as a biochemical consequence of accumulation of glycolysis product(s) in cytosol and/or NADH in mitochondrial matrix due to disruption of catabolic balance at low temperature. Mitochondria isolated from the chilling injured tissue was found to have lost considerably their respiratory activity. This fact may imply the involvement of intramitochondrial accumulation of $O_2^-$ in the inactivation of electron transport chain system. The observation that mitochondria in the presence of the $O_2^--producing$ enzymatic system (Xanthine/Xanthine oxidase) lost their respiratory activity supports this inference. It was also found in this work that Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a substrate inducible enzyme, and that SOD is a possible protective agent in plant cell against chilling injury.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.184-205
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• 1995

Background: Pulmonary toxicity by bleomycin has multiple mechanisms including direct tissue toxicity due to oxygen-derived free radicals and indirect toxicity through amplification of pulmonary inflammation. To evaluate the effect of chelators or free radical scavenger to lung damage induced by bleomycin, penicillamine as a copper chelator, deferoxamine as an iron chelator and vitamin E as a free radical scavenger were administered. Methods: Two hundred Wistar rats were divided into five groups: Control, bleomycin treated, bleomycin-penicillamine treated, bleomycin-deferoxamine treated, and bleomycin-vitamin E treated groups. Rats sacrificed on day 1, day 3, day 4, day 7, day 14, and day 28 after treatment. Bronchoalveolar lavage, light microscopic and immunohistologic studies for type I, III, IV collagens, fibronectin, laminin and NBD phallicidin were evaluated. Results: There was a significant increase in the total cell counts of bronchoalveolar lavage on day 1 from all treated animals and vitamin treated group showed an abrupt decrease in total cell counts with decrease of neutrophils on day 3. Bleomycin-vitamin E treated group had the least histologic changes such as pulmonary fibrosis. The alveolar basement membranes were positive for type IV collegen and laminin. Basement membranes of bleomycin, bleomycin-penicillamine, or bleomycin-deferoxamine treated groups were disrupted and fragmented on day 4 or 7. The bleomycin-vitamin E treated group had intact basement membranes until day 28. Conclusion: Bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis was related to the severity of acute injury to oxygen radicals or activation of neutrophils and disruption of basement membrane. Vitamin E seemed to be the most effective antioxidant in the inhibition of bleomycin-induced pulmonary injury and fibrosis.