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Reduced GSH (reduced + gsh)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	75%

Selected Abstracts

Quantitation of reduced glutathione and cysteine in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients

ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 10-11 2004
Elena Sbrana
Abstract Plasma viral load (VL) values and CD4+ cell count are employed clinically for initiation of therapy in the treatment of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), as previous clinical studies have shown a marked prevalence of acquired immunodeficiency sydrome (AIDS) development in seropositive individuals with VL values over 30,000 copies/mL. Many studies have shown that reduced glutathione (GSH) and cysteine (Cys) deficiency play an important role in the infection. We have developed capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE)-based assays and have used them to investigate the relationship between plasma and intracellular thiol levels and HIV-1 viremia in plasma. Blood samples from healthy volunteers and seropositive patients undergoing different antiretroviral regimes were analyzed in the study. The VL assay was based on CZE-UV detection of viral RNA at 260 nm. Determination of endogenous reduced Cys and GSH was achieved by CZE-UV detection of their mercurial complexes at 200 nm. We found that a decrease in GSH and Cys levels may be associated with disease progress. In fact, reduced GSH and Cys levels appear progressively reduced with increasing VL. [source]

Protective value of Aloe vera against some toxic effects of arsenic in rats

PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, Issue 1 2005
Richa Gupta
Abstract Concomitant oral supplementation of Aloe vera, (1, 2 or 5% w[sol ]v in drinking water) during arsenic exposure (0.2 mg[sol ]kg, intraperitoneally, once daily for 3 weeks) was investigated in rats for its protective value. Animals exposed to arsenic (III) showed a significant inhibition of , -aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity, a marginal decrease in glutathione (GSH) and an increase in zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) level in blood. White blood corpuscles (WBC) level decreased while most of the other clinical blood parameters like red blood cells count, haemoglobin, MCV, MCH, MCHC ratio and platelet number, etc. remained unaltered on arsenic exposure. Hepatic reduced GSH, oxidized glutathione (GSSG) level remained unaltered, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) level increased significantly while the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and catalase decreased on arsenic exposure. Renal GSH contents decreased while superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity decreased significantly on arsenic exposure. Concomitant administration of Aloe vera had remarkable protective action on inhibited blood ALAD activity and restored blood GSH level while most of the other blood biochemical parameters remained unchanged on Aloe vera supplementation. Interestingly, most of hepatic biochemical variables indicative of oxidative stress showed protection; no effect of Aloe vera on blood and liver arsenic concentration was noted. Also, no effect of Aloe vera on most of the altered renal biochemical parameters were noticed. The results thus lead us to conclude that simultaneous supplementation of Aloe vera protects against arsenic induced oxidative stress but does not influence the arsenic concentration in these organs. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Pharmacodynamics of pentoxifylline and/or praziquantel in murine schistosomiasis mansoni,

APMIS, Issue 3 2007
NAGLAA EL-LAKKANY
Pentoxifylline (PTX) was proved to exert both anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects, and was used therapeutically in this experimental model to investigate its role alone or with praziquantel (PZQ) in Schistosoma mansoni -infected mice, and to explore its impact on the tissue expression of transforming growth factor-,1 (TGF-,1). S. mansoni -infected mice were divided into seven groups: Control untreated (I), treated with curative dose of PZQ, 500 mg/kg/day for 2 consecutive days (II), or subcurative dose, 100 mg/kg/day for 2 consecutive days (III), treated with PTX (10 mg/kg/day for 5 days/wk) alone for 4 weeks (IV) or in addition to subcurative dose of PZQ (V), and treated with PTX alone for 8 weeks (VI) or in addition to subcurative dose of PZQ (VII). All animals were killed 10 weeks post infection. Parasitological assessment of worm burden, tissue egg load and oogram pattern was carried out. The degree of granulomatous fibrosis and eosinophilic cell population was quantified in Sirius-red-stained sections and tissue transforming growth factor beta-1 expression was estimated immunohistochemically. Serum ALAT and GGT, as well as hepatic content of reduced GSH, were measured. The results revealed the highest percent of worm reduction and dead ova in groups (II) and (VII) accompanied by significant diminution in granulomatous parameters, collagen content and TGF-,1 tissue expression. Moreover, treatments with PTX and/or PZQ ameliorated the liver functions. In conclusion, prolonged treatment with PTX has a potent anti-fibrogenic role especially when used in the early stages of infection, with limited toxic effects on schistosome worms and eggs. Thus, PTX can be used as an adjuvant therapeutic tool with anti-helminthic drugs in the treatment of human schistosomiasis. [source]

Inhibitory effects of N -acetylcysteine on the functional responses of human eosinophils in vitro

CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL ALLERGY, Issue 5 2007
M. Martinez-Losa
Summary Background Oxidative stress appears to be relevant in the pathogenesis of inflammation in allergic diseases like bronchial asthma. Eosinophils are oxidant-sensitive cells considered as key effectors in allergic inflammation. Objective The aim of this work was to study the effects of the clinically used antioxidant N -acetyl- l -cysteine (NAC) on the functional responses of human-isolated eosinophils. Methods Human eosinophils were purified from the blood of healthy donors by a magnetic bead separation system. The effects of NAC were investigated on the generation of reactive oxygen species (chemiluminescence and flow cytometry), Ca2+ signal (fluorimetry), intracellular glutathione (GSH; flow cytometry), p47phox,p67phox translocation (Western blot) and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) release (radioimmunoassay). Results NAC (0.1,1 mm) inhibited the extracellular generation of oxygen species induced by N -formyl- l -methionyl- l -leucyl- l -phenylalanine (fMLP) and eotaxin (in the presence of IL-5) with ,logIC50 values of 3.61±0.03 and 3.36±0.09, respectively. Also, the intracellular generation of hydrogen peroxide was virtually abolished by NAC (0.5,1 mm). NAC (1 mm) did not alter the fMLP-induced Ca2+ signal but augmented the eosinophil content of reduced GSH and inhibited p47phox,p67phox translocation. NAC inhibited the release of ECP (,90% inhibition at 1 mm) from fMLP-activated eosinophils. Conclusion Inhibition by NAC of human eosinophil functions in vitro is potentially useful in the treatment of allergic inflammation. [source]