• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.8-15
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• 2021

[Purpose] Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by prolonged high-intensity exercise can cause structural and functional damage. Antioxidant polyphenol supplementation, which reduces ROS levels, may improve high-intensity exercise performance. We evaluated the effect of lychee fruit extract, which contains high levels of low-molecular-weight oligomerized polyphenols, on high-intensity exercise performance. [Methods] Ten male athletes were included in an open-label trial that consisted of control and intervention phases, with a 7-day washout period between phases. The participants were administered oligomerized lychee fruit extract for seven days, whereas no intervention was given in the control phase. High-intensity intermittent exercise and the Wingate test were performed. The power output, blood lactate levels, reactive oxygen metabolite levels, biological antioxidant potential, heart rate, and rate of perceived exertion were measured. [Results] The average power output was significantly higher in the intervention phase than in the control phase (P < 0.01), while the change in blood lactate levels was significantly lower in the intervention phase than in the control phase (P < 0.05). The average heart rate was significantly higher in the intervention phase than in the control phase (P < 0.05), without changing the rate of perceived exertion. Although there was no difference in reactive oxygen metabolite levels between the phase, the change in biological antioxidant potential was larger in the intervention phase than in the control phase (P = 0.06). The Wingate test showed no significant differences between the phase. [Conclusion] Short-term loading with oligomerized lychee fruit extract may increase performance during high-intensity intermittent exercise by improving metabolism.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.225-234
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• 2011

Arabidopsis mutants with T-DNA insertion in seven calmodulin genes (CAM) were used to determine the specific role of CAM in the tolerance of plants to oxidative stress induced by paraquat and hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) treatments. Arabidopsis calmodulin mutants (cam) were screened for seedling growth, seed germination, induced oxidative damage, and levels of ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt metabolites. Only the cam5-4 and cam6-1 mutants exhibited an increased sensitivity to paraquat and $H_2O_2$ during seed germination and seedling growth. In response to treatments with $3{\mu}M$ paraquat and 1 mM $H_2O_2$, only the cam5-4, cam6-1 mutants showed significant changes in malonaldehyde (MDA) levels in root and shoot tissues, with highly increased levels of MDA. In terms of the GABA shunt metabolites, GABA was significantly elevated in root and shoot tissues in response to the paraquat treatments in comparison to alanine and glutamate, while the levels of all shunt metabolites increased in root tissue but not in the shoot tissue following the $H_2O_2$ treatments. GABA, alanine and glutamate levels were significantly increased in root and shoot of the cam1, cam4, cam5-4, and cam6-1 mutants in response to paraquat (0.5, 1 and $3{\mu}M$), while they were increased only in the root tissue of the cam1, cam4, cam5-4, and cam6-1 mutants in response to $H_2O_2$ (200 and $500{\mu}M$, 1 mM). These data show that the cam5-4 and cam6-1 mutants were sensitive to the induced oxidative stress treatments in terms of seed germination, seedling growth, and oxidative damage. The accumulation of GABA shunt metabolites as a consequence of the induced oxidative stress treatments (paraquat and $H_2O_2$ treatments) suggests that the GABA shunt pathway and the accumulation of GABA metabolites may contribute in antioxidant machinery associated with reactive oxygen species and in the acquisition of tolerance in response to induced oxidative stress in Arabidopsis seedlings.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.293-299
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• 2013

20S-dihydroprotopanaxadiol (2H-PPD) is a derivative of protopanaxadiol, a glycone of ginsenosides prepared from Panax ginseng. Although ginsenosides and acidic polysaccharides are known to be major active ingredients in ginseng, the immunopharmacological activities of their metabolites and derivatives have not been fully explored. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the regulatory action of 2H-PPD on the function of monocytes and macrophages in innate immune responses. 2H-PPD was able to boost the phagocytic uptake of fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran in macrophages and enhance the generation of radicals (reactive oxygen species) in sodium nitroprusside-treated RAW264.7 cells. The surface levels of the costimulatory molecules such as CD80 and CD86 were also increased during 2H-PPD treatment. In addition, this compound boosted U937 cell-cell aggregation induced by CD29 and CD43 antibodies, but not by cell-extracellular matrix (fibronectin) adhesion. Similarly, the surface levels of CD29 and CD43 were increased by 2H-PPD exposure. Therefore, our results strongly suggest that 2H-PPD has the pharmacological capability to upregulate the functional role of macrophages/monocytes in innate immunity.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.17
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• pp.299-304
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• 2001

Xenobiotics and their reactive intermediates bind to cellular macromolecules and/or generate oxidative stress. which provoke deleterious effects on the cell function. Induction of xenobiotic-biotrans-forming enzymes and antioxidant molecules is an important defense mechanism against such insults. A group of genes involved in the defense mechanism. e.g. genes encoding glutathione S-transferases. NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UDP-GT) and ${\gamma}$-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GGCS). have a common regulatory sequence, Antioxidant or Electrophile Responsive Element (ARE/EpRE). Recently. Nrf2. discovered as a homologue of erythroid transcription factor p45 NF-E2, was shown to bind ARE/EpRE and induce the expression of these defense genes. Mice that lack Nrf2 show low basal levels of expression and/or impaired induction of these genes. which makes the animals highly sensitive to xenobiotic toxicity. Indeed. we show here that nrf2-deficient mice had a higher mortality than did the wild-type mice when exposed to acetaminophen (APAP). Detailed analyses of APAP hepatotoxicity in the nrf2 knockout mice indicate that a large amount of reactive APAP metabolites was generated in the livers due to the impaired basal expression of two detoxifying enzyme genes, UDP-GT (Ugt1a6) and GGCS. while the cytochrome P450 content was unchanged. Thus. the studies using the nrf2 knockout mice clearly demonstrate significance of the expression of Nrf2-regulated enzymes in protection against xenobiotic toxicity.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.80-85
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• 2012

Previously, we have reported that arachidonic acid (AA) appears to be involved in the induction of apoptosis in HepG2 human hepatoblastoma cells. In this study we investigated the possible role of the NADPH oxidase, a membranebound enzyme generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), in the mechanism of AA-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells. Apoptotic cell death induced by AA was significantly suppressed by various inhibitors of the NADPH oxidase, diphenylene iodonium (DPI), apocynin (Apo) and neopterine (NP). In addition, these inhibitors of the NADPH oxidase completely blunted the AA-induced ROS elevation. Next, we investigated the implication of metabolic pathway of AA in these AA actions. Both apoptosis and ROS production induced by AA were not significantly altered by treatment with indomethacin (Indo) or nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX), respectively, suggesting that AA metabolites produced by COX or LOX may not have an essential role in the AA-induced apoptosis and ROS generation. Collectively, these results suggest that the NADPH oxidase may be a key player in the mechanism of AA-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells. These results further suggest that NADPH oxidase may be a good target for the management of human hepatomas.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.215-226
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• 2002

Acute or repeated physical exercise affects a large number of physiological parameters including hemodynamics, respiration, pH, temperature, gastrointestinal function and biotransformation, which determine the pharmacokinetics of drugs and chemicals. The rate and the amount of a chemical reaching the active site are altered by physical exercise, which results in significant changes in pharmacolosical/toxicological activity of the chemical. This aspect of physical exercise has vast implication in therapeutics and in safety evaluation, particularly for chemicals that have a low margin of safety. However there appears to be a wide inter- and intraindividual variation in the effects of physical exercise depend-ing on the duration, intensity and type of exercise, and also on the properties of each chemical. It is suggested that more studies need to be done to determine which factor(s) plays a major role in the disposition of chemicals in human/animals performing physical exercise. Certain chemicals induce severe toxicity due to metabolic conversion to reactive intermediate metabolites. it is suggested that repeated exercise may enhance the free radical scavenging system by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes. This area of research remain to be explored to elucidate the interaction of exercise and chemical on the antioxidant system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1994.11a
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• pp.147-172
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• 1994

Aziridinylbenzoquinones such as 3, 6-diaziridinyl-1, 4-benzoquinone (DZQ) and its 2, 5-methyl analog (MeDZQ) require bioreductive activation in order to elicit their anticancer activities. To determine the involvement of DTD in the activation of these drugs, we have used a ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction to map the intracellular alkylation sites in a sing1e copy gene at the nucleotide level. We have performed this analysis in two human colon carcinoma cells, one proficient (HT-29) and one deficient (BE) in DT-diaphorase (DTD) activity. In the DTD proficient HT-29 cell line, DZQ and MeDZQ were found to alkylate both 5'-(A/T)G(C)-3' and 5'-(A/T)A-3' sequences. This is consistent with the nucleotide preferences observed when DZQ and MeDZQ are activated by purified DTD to reactive metabolites capable of alkylating DNA in vitro [Lee, C. -S., Hartley, J. A., Berardini, M. D., Butler, J., Siegel., D., Ross, D., & Gibson, N. W. (1992) Biochemistry, 31: 3019-3025]. Surprisingly in the DTD-deficient BE cell line a pattern of alkylation induced by DZQ and MeDZQ similar to that observed in the DTD-proficient HT-29 cells was observed. This suggests that reductive enzymes other than DTD can be involved in activating DZQ and MeDZQ to DNA reactive species in vivo.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.271-278
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• 2001

Oxidative stress and methylglyoxal (MG), a reactive dicarbonyl metabolites produced by enzymatic and non-enzymatic reaction of normal metabolism, induced aldose reductase (AR) expression in rat aortic smooth muscle cells (SMC). AR expression was induced in a time-dependent manner and reached at a maximum of 4.5-fold in 12 h of MG treatment. This effect of MG was completely abolished by cyclohemide and actinomycin D treatment suggesting AR was synthesized by de novo pathway. Pretreatment of the SMC with N-acetyl-L-cysteine significantly down-regulated the MG-induced AR mRNA. Furthermore, DL-Buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine, a reagent which depletes intracellular glutathione levels, increased the levels of MG-induced AR mRNA. These results indicated that MG induces AR mRNA by increasing the intracellular peroxide levels. Aminoguanidine, a scanvenger of dicarbonyl, significantly down-regulated the MG-induced AR mRNA. In addition, the inhibition of AR activities with statil, an AR inhibitor, enhanced the cytotoxic effect of MG on SMC under normal glucose, suggesting a protective role of AR against MG-induced cell damages. These results imply that the induction of AR by MG may contribute to an important cellular detoxification of reactive aldehyde compounds generated under oxidative stress in extrahepatic tissues.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.289-296
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• 2019

We investigated the mortality and the oxidative damages of Deschampsia antarctica in response to waterlogging stress. In field, we compared the changes in the density of D. antarctica tuft at the two different sites over 3 years. The soil water content at site 2 was 6-fold higher than that of site 1, and the density of D. antarctica tuft decreased significantly by 55.4% at site 2 for 3 years, but there was no significant change at site 1. Experimental results in growth chamber showed that the $H_2O_2$ and malondialdehyde content increased under root-flooding treatment (hypoxic conditions-deficiency of $O_2$), but any significant change was not perceptible under the shoot-flooding treatment (anoxic condition-absence of $O_2$). However, total chlorophyll, soluble sugar, protein content, and phenolic compound decreased under the shoot-flooding treatment. In addition, the catalase activity increased significantly on the 1st day of flooding. These results indicate that hypoxic conditions may lead to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species, and anoxic conditions can deplete primary metabolites such as sugars and protein in the leaf tissues of D. antarctica. Under present warming trend in Antarctic Peninsula, D. antarctica tuft growing near the shoreline might more frequently experience flooding due to glacier melting and inundation of seawater, which can enhance the risk of this plant mortality.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.300-307
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• 2000

Expression of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes can be altered by xenobiotics, which represents changes in the production of reactive metabolic intermediates as well as toxicities in tissues. Metabolic intermediates derived from xenobiotics are considered to produce the reactive oxygen species including drug free radicals and hydroxyl free radicals, which would be ultimately responsible for drug-induced toxicities. The effects of 1,2-benzothiazine anti-inflammatory agents on the expression of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes including major cytochrome P450s, microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were studied in the liver with the aim of providing the part of information on potential production of reactive metabolites and hepatotoxicity by the agents. The synthetic compounds 24, 36 and 39 exhibited anti-inflammatory effects in rats as assessed by the Randall-Selitto method. The anti-inflammatory effect was detected as early as at 30 min after gavaging the agents with the ED5O being noted at 80 mg/kg, which was comparable to that of ibuprofen. Treatment of rats with each compound (100 mg/kg, 3d) resulted in no significant induction in the immunochemically-detectable cytochromes P45O 1A1/2, P450 2B1/2, P45O 2 Cl1 and P45O 2El. Changes in the mEN expression were also minimal, as evidenced by both Western blot and Northern blot analyses. Hepatic GST expression was slightly increased by the agents: GST Ya protein and mRNA expression was ～1.5-fold increased after treatment with compounds 24 and 39, whereas GST Yb1/2 and Yc1/2 mRNA levels were elevated 2- to 3-fold. In summary the effects of the synthetic 1,2-benzothiazines on the expression of major P45O, mEH and G57 were not significant, providing evidence that metabolic activation of the agents, potential drug interaction and hepatotoxicity would be minimal.