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-Action potential (AP) of excitable plant cells is an important signaling event that can differentially alter physicochemical and physiological processes in various parts of the same cell. In giant cells of characean algae, the AP propagation has minor effect on photosynthetic electron transport in areas with high activity of plasmalemmal H + -pump but inhibits linear electron flow in regions featuring high passive H + /OH - conductance of the plasma membrane (PM). Uneven spatial distributions of local periplasmic and cytoplasmic pH facilitate the operation of distinct (CO 2 -dependent and O 2 -mediated) pathways of photoinduced electron flow, which presumably accounts for differential influence of AP on photosynthesis. The excitation of Chara australis cell in the presence of methyl viologen (MV), a redox mediator with the prooxidant action, provides a convenient model system to clarify the influence of voltage-dependent ion fluxes across PM on photosynthetic activity of chloroplasts. This study shows that permeation of MV to their target sites in chloroplasts is restricted by PM in resting cells, but MV easily passes through ionic channels opened during the PM depolarization. This gated permeation of MV gives rise to strong non-photochemical quenching, decrease in the effective quantum yield of linear electron flow, apparent O 2 uptake, and, finally, the enhanced ROS production, as detected by the fluorescent probe dichlorofluorescein. Taken together, the results indicate that the AP generation in the presence of MV acts as trigger for instant redirection of photosynthetic linear electron flow from CO 2 -dependent route to the path of O 2 reduction with the eventual formation of H 2 O 2 as a dominant and most stable ROS form., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Alexander A. Bulychev reports a relationship with Russian Foundation for Basic Research that includes: funding grants. Alexander A. Cherkashin reports a relationship with Russian Foundation for Basic Research that includes: funding grants. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Bacterial infection is a life-threatening situation, and its rapid diagnosis is essential for treatment. Apart from medical applications, rapid identification of bacteria is vital in the food industry or the public health system. There are various bacterial identification techniques, including molecular-based methods, immunological approaches, and biosensor-based procedures. The most commonly used methods are culture-based methods, which are time-consuming. The objective of this study is to find a fingerprint of bacteria to identify them. Three strains of bacteria were selected, and seven different concentrations of each bacterium were prepared. The bacteria were then treated with two different molar concentrations of the fluorescent fluorophore, dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate for 30 minutes. Then, using the fluorescence mode of a multimode reader, the fluorescence emission of each bacterium is scanned twice during 60 minutes. Plotting the difference between two scans versus the bacteria concentration results in a unique fluorescence pattern for each bacterium. Observation of the redox state of bacteria, during 90 minutes, results in a fluorescence pattern that is clearly a fingerprint of different bacteria. This pattern is independent of fluorophore concentration. Mean Squares Errors (MSE) between the fluorescence patterns of similar bacteria is less than that of different bacteria, which shows the method can properly identify the bacteria. In this study, a new label-free method is developed to detect and identify different species of bacteria by measuring the redox activity and using the fluorescence fluorophore, dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate. This robust and low-cost method can properly identify the bacteria, uses only one excitation and emission wavelength, and can be simply implemented with current multimode plate readers., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Depletion of reactive oxygen species and reduction of oxidative stress have been identified as key parameters in the prevention of cellular aging. In previous in vitro studies, the tea catechin epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) was found to have both pro- and antioxidant properties, disregarding the low stability under cell culture conditions. Besides hydrogen peroxide, theasinensin dimers amongst other oxidation products are formed. Exact quantities, cellular uptake and antioxidant capacities of these dimeric oxidation products remain unknown. Via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), formation kinetics and cellular uptake of EGCG and its major oxidation products are quantified. The antioxidant capacity is determined on a cellular level using a modified dichlorofluorescein (DCF) approach. As a first result, oxidation product quantities of up to 21 µM each are measured after incubation of 50 µM EGCG. While EGCG is taken up equimolarly, its major oxidation products are accumulated in hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells at millimolar concentrations, especially theasinensin A (TSA). Lastly, the oxidation products show higher antioxidant properties than the monomer EGCG. In correlation with cellular uptake, TSA displays the highest capacity of all tested analytes. The findings reveal the strong influence of EGCG oxidation products on its bioactivity in vitro.

Objectives: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are under scrutiny as a participant in the pathophysiology of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and the progression of MDS to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Measurement of intracellular ROS (iROS) is particularly important since iROS is a direct indicator of cellular health and integrity. Methods: We developed a technique to measure standardize iROS (siROS) level in lymphocytes and bone marrow (BM) CD34 + hematopoietic progenitors using the fluorescent probe dichlorofluorescein (DCF). We then quantified the siROS in 38 consecutive BM specimens from 27 MDS patients over the course of 10 months. Disease outcome of these patients were also assessed. Results: High serum ferritin, high blast count and poor IPSS were associated with inferior survival and AML progression in this cohort. High blast MDS patients had lower siROS in their BM CD34+ cells than those of low blast patients, consistent with increased reliance on glycolysis and enhanced ROS defense in high blast MDS. We also observed narrower siROS distribution in the BM CD34+ cells of high blast patients, suggesting that loss of heterogeneity in ROS content accompanies the clonal evolution of MDS. Furthermore, we observed a strong correlation between CD34+ cells siROS and serum ferritin level in high blast patients. In one case, iron chelation therapy (ICT) resulted in parallel decreases in serum ferritin and CD34 + cells siROS. Conclusion: Our findings established the siROS profile in early hematopoietic cells of MDS patients and its relationship with blast count and iron overload.

2',7'-dichlorofluorescein (DCF) and derivatives are commonly used as fluorescent indicators of a broad spectrum of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in cell-based assays. However, there are numerous challenges inherent to the utilization of DCF probes for intracellular microscopic analysis, including photostability and probe efflux. Plate spectroscopy is comparatively simple and scalable compared to microscopy or flow cytometry-based acquisition, however is often subject to artefacts, including those introduced by thermal gradients and normalization methods. In this protocol we demonstrate a simple and sensitive plate spectrometry-based protocol utilizing the probes H 2 DCFDA and sulforhodamine B. The rapid sulforhodamine B assay (SRB) for cellular protein allows for a stable endpoint measurement of total cell population while also preserving morphology, can be combined or run in parallel with any other assay for normalization of readout to cell mass, and complemented by microscopic scoring of cell number and nuclear count. The oxidative stress and normalisation methods may enhance fields of research investigating cell differentiation, stress, or toxicity.. Graphical abstract: Graphical overview for quantification of ROS generation and cellular protein ., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors; exclusive licensee Bio-protocol LLC.)

Muscle pain is the most prevalent type of pain in the world, but treatment remains ineffective. Thus, it is relevant to develop trustable animal models to understand the involved pain mechanisms. Therefore, this study characterised the nociception and inflammation in a traumatic muscle injury model in rats. A single blunt trauma impact on the right gastrocnemius muscle of male Wistar rats (250-350 g) was used as model for muscle pain. Animals were divided into four groups (sham/no treatment; sham/diclofenac 1%; injury/no treatment; injury/diclofenac 1%) and the topical treatment with a cream containing 1% monosodium diclofenac (applied at 2, 6, 12, 24, and 46 h after muscle injury; 200 mg/muscle) was used as an anti-inflammatory control. Nociception (mechanical and cold allodynia, or nociceptive score) and locomotor activity were evaluated at 26 and 48 h after injury. Also, inflammatory and oxidative parameters were evaluated in gastrocnemius muscle and the creatine kinase (CK) activity and lactate/glicose levels in rat's serum and plasma, respectively. Muscle injury caused mechanical and cold allodynia, and increased nociceptive scores, without inducing locomotor impairment. This model also increased the inflammatory cells infiltration (seen by myeloperoxidase and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase activities and histological procedure), nitric oxide, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and dichlorofluorescein fluorescence in muscle samples; and CK activity and lactate/glicose ratio. The treatment with 1% monosodium diclofenac reduced inflammatory cells infiltration, dichlorofluorescein fluorescence and lactate/glicose levels. Thus, we characterised the traumatic muscle injury as a reproducible model of muscle pain, which makes it possible to evaluate promising antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory therapies., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A new postchemiluminescence (PCL) reaction was observed when urea was injected into the reaction mixture after the CL reaction of N-bromosuccinimide and dichlorofluorescein. A possible reaction mechanism was proposed based on the studies of the CL kinetic characteristics, CL spectra, fluorescence spectra, and other experiments. A new flow injection CL method for the determination of urea was established based on the PCL reaction. The relative standard deviation for the determination of urea was 1.3% (n = 11, c = 5.0 × 10 -8  g/mL). The CL intensity responded linearly to the concentration of urea in the range 2.0 × 10 -9 -1.0 × 10 -6  g/mL (r = 0.9992). The detection limit was 7 × 10 -10  g/mL. The method had been applied to the determination of urea in milk with satisfactory results., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Small molecule fluorescent probes are vital tools for monitoring reactive oxygen species in cells., Scope of Review: The types of probe available, the extent to which they are specific or quantitative and complications in interpreting results are discussed., Major Conclusions: Most commonly used probes (e.g. dihydrodichlorofluorescein, dihydrorhodamine) have some value in providing information on changes to the redox environment of the cell, but they are not specific for any one oxidant and the response is affected by numerous chemical interactions and not just increased oxidant generation. These probes generate the fluorescent end product by a free radical mechanism, and to react with hydrogen peroxide they require a metal catalyst. Probe radicals can react with oxygen, superoxide, and various antioxidant molecules, all of which influence the signal. Newer generation probes such as boronates act by a different mechanism in which nucleophilic attack by the oxidant on a blocking group releases masked fluorescence. Boronates react with hydrogen peroxide, peroxynitrite, hypochlorous acid and in some cases superoxide, so are selective but not specific. They react with hydrogen peroxide very slowly, and kinetic considerations raise questions about how the reaction could occur in cells., General Significance: Data from oxidant-sensitive fluorescent probes can provide some information on cellular redox activity but is widely misinterpreted. Recently developed non-redox probes show promise but are not generally available and more information on specificity and cellular reactions is needed. We do not yet have probes that can quantify cellular production of specific oxidants. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Current methods to study reactive oxygen species - pros and cons and biophysics of membrane proteins. Guest Editor: Christine Winterbourn., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Increasing evidence reveals a large dependency of epithelial cancer cells on oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) for energy production. In this study we tested the potential of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a natural polyphenol known to target mitochondria, in inducing OXPHOS impairment and cell energy deficit in human epitheliod (REN cells) and biphasic (MSTO-211H cells) malignant pleural mesothelioma (MMe), a rare but highly aggressive tumor with high unmet need for treatment. Due to EGCG instability that causes H2O2 formation in culture medium, the drug was added to MMe cells in the presence of exogenous superoxide dismutase and catalase, already proved to stabilize the EGCG molecule and prevent EGCG-dependent reactive oxygen species formation. We show that under these experimental conditions, EGCG causes the selective arrest of MMe cell growth with respect to normal mesothelial cells and the induction of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis, as revealed by early mitochondrial ultrastructure modification, swelling and cytochrome c release. We disclose a novel mechanism by which EGCG induces apoptosis through the impairment of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes, particularly of complex I, II and ATP synthase. This induces a strong reduction in ATP production by OXPHOS, that is not adequately counterbalanced by glycolytic shift, resulting in cell energy deficit, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The EGCG-dependent negative modulation of mitochondrial energy metabolism, selective for cancer cells, gives an important input for the development of novel pharmacological strategies for MMe., (© 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Sulfite oxidase (SO) deficiency is biochemically characterized by tissue accumulation and high urinary excretion of sulfite, thiosulfate and S-sulfocysteine. Affected patients present severe neurological symptoms and cortical atrophy, whose pathophysiology is still poorly established. Therefore, in the present work we investigated the in vitro effects of sulfite and thiosulfate on important parameters of energy metabolism in the brain of young rats. We verified that sulfite moderately inhibited the activity of complex IV, whereas thiosulfate did not alter any of the activities of the respiratory chain complexes. It was also found that sulfite and thiosulfate markedly reduced the activity of total creatine kinase (CK) and its mitochondrial and cytosolic isoforms, suggesting that these metabolites impair brain cellular energy buffering and transfer. In contrast, the activity of synaptic Na(+),K(+)-ATPase was not altered by sulfite or thiosulfate. We also observed that the inhibitory effect of sulfite and thiosulfate on CK activity was prevented by melatonin, reduced glutathione and the combination of both antioxidants, as well as by the nitric oxide synthase N(ω)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester, indicating the involvement of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in these effects. Sulfite and thiosulfate also increased 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin oxidation and hydrogen peroxide production and decreased the activity of the redox sensor aconitase enzyme, reinforcing a role for oxidative damage in the effects elicited by these metabolites. It may be presumed that the disturbance of cellular energy and redox homeostasis provoked by sulfite and thiosulfate contributes to the neurological symptoms and abnormalities found in patients affected by SO deficiency., (© 2013.)

N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone (3OC(12)-HSL) is a quorum-sensing molecule produced by gram-negative microbial pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1). 3OC(12)-HSL is involved in the regulation of bacterial virulence factors and also alters the function of the host immune cells. Others and we have previously shown that paraoxonase 2 (PON2), a member of the paraoxonase gene family expressed in immune cells, hydrolyzes 3OC(12)-HSL. In this study, we examined i) whether macrophage PON2 participates in 3OC(12)-HSL hydrolysis, ii) the effect of PON2 deficiency in acute PAO1 infection in mice and iii) the effect of 3OC(12)-HSL on PON2 deficient (PON2-def) macrophages. When compared to wild type macrophages, both intact cells and membrane-enriched protein lysates obtained from PON2-def macrophages show a marked impairment in their ability to hydrolyze 3OC(12)-HSL. PON2 expression (message and protein) is not altered in response to 3OC(12)-HSL in macrophages. 3OC(12)-HSL treated PON2-def macrophages showed i) an increase in ER stress and oxidative stress, ii) defective phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3 kinase)/AKT activation, and iii) reduced phagocytosis function. Moreover, the nitration to phosphorylation ratio of Tyr458 in p85 protein, the regulatory subunit of PI3-kinase that has been correlated with the phagocytosis function of macrophages, was increased in PON2-def macrophages. Antioxidant treatment reversed the effects of PON2 deficiency in macrophage phagocytosis function. Furthermore, following administration of 1.6 × 10(7) CFU of PAO1, bacterial clearance was significantly reduced in the lungs (5.7 fold), liver (2.5 fold), and spleen (14.8 fold) of PON2-def mice when compared to wild type mice. Our results suggest that PON2 plays an important role in innate immune defense against PAO1 infection., (© 2013.)

A rapid and sensitive flow-injection chemiluminescence (FI-CL) method is described for the determination of diazepam based on its reaction with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) in alkaline medium in the presence of dichlorofluorescein (DCF) as an effective energy-transfer agent. Under optimum conditions, the proposed method allowed the measurement of diazepam over the range of 2.0 × 10(-6) to 2.0 × 10(-4) mol/L with a detection limit of 5.0 × 10(-7) mol/L. The relative standard deviation for 11 parallel measurements of 2.0 × 10(-5) mol/L diazepam was 2.1%. The method was applied satisfactorily for the determination of diazepam in pharmaceutical preparations, and the results agree well with those obtained by spectrophotometry. The use of the proposed system for the determination of diazepam in urine and plasma samples was also tested. The possible mechanism of the chemiluminescence reaction is discussed briefly., (Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Contractile dysfunction and subsequent development of cardiomyopathies are well known limiting factors in the treatment of cancer with doxorubicin and have been linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. Here, using adult isolated paced cardiomyocytes, we have demonstrated that ligands of translocator protein (TSPO) 4'-chlorodiazepam and TRO40303 prevented the doxorubicin-induced alterations in contractility and improved cardiomyocyte viability. This cardioprotective effect was closely associated with both a potent reduction in reactive oxygen species production and inhibition of mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening. Thus, preventive administration of TSPO ligands may represent a novel pharmacological strategy to protect the heart during doxorubicin treatment., (© 2013.)

Calyxin Y has been recently isolated from Alpinia katsumadai which has a folk use as an anti-tumor medicine. Calyxin Y induced caspase-dependent cell death in NCI-H460 cells, and concomitantly, provoked cytoprotective autophagy with the upregulation of critical Atg proteins. The cleavage of Atg proteins by caspases acted as a switch between autophagy and apoptosis induced by calyxin Y. Intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production was triggered upon exposure to calyxin Y via the induction of autophagy and apoptosis. We provided evidence that activated JNK was upstream effectors controlling both autophagy and apoptosis in response to elevated H2O2. Therefore, our findings demonstrate that calyxin Y serves multiple roles as a promising chemotherapeutic agent that induces H2O2-dependent autophagy and apoptosis via JNK activation., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A new method was developed for the estimation of polyethylenimine (PEI) to nucleic acid ratio at which the polyplex was completely formed. The assay relied on the attraction of dichlorofluoresceinate dye to adsorb on self-assembling particles as counterions, as induced by the surface charge of the polyplex which became positive once PEI associated equivalently with nucleic acid. This phenomenon resulted in the appearance of pink colored pellets of the polyplex after centrifugation. By the other means, sodium hydroxide solution might be added to free the adsorbed dye into the solution, producing conspicuous green fluorescence under UV light (366 nm). The assay was well applied to the polyplex formulations of PEI and plasmid DNA or siRNA with satisfactory detectability and gave the results in agreement with those from gel retardation method and zeta potential analysis. Importantly, the proposed method required no sophisticated instruments, time-consuming gel electrophoresis, carcinogenic ethidium bromide as well as costly dyes and the analysis could be accomplished within less than 10 min. Hence, it was a fast, facile, cost-effective and safe-for-operator alternative method, suited for the investigation of the optimal PEI to nucleic acid ratio for gene delivery., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The frequent development of multidrug resistance (MDR) hampers the efficacy of available anticancer drugs in treating cervical cancer. In this study, we aimed to use formononetin (7-hydroxy-4'-methoxyisoflavone), a potential herbal isoflavone, to intensify the chemosensitivity of human cervical cancer HeLa cells to epirubicin, an anticancer drug. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were correlated with MDR modulation mechanisms, including the transporter inhibition and apoptosis induction. Our results revealed that formononetin significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of epirubicin. Co-incubation of epirubicin with formononetin increased the ROS levels, including hydrogen peroxide and superoxide free radicals. Epirubicin alone markedly increased the mRNA expression of MDR1, MDR-associated protein (MRP) 1, and MRP2. In contrast, formononetin alone or combined treatment decreased the mRNA expression of MRP1 and MRP2. This result indicates that efflux transporter-mediated epirubicin resistance is inhibited at different degrees by the addition of formononetin. This isoflavone significantly intensified epirubicin uptake into HeLa cells. Apoptosis was induced by formononetin and/or epirubicin, as signified by nuclear DNA fragmentation, chromatin condensation, increased sub-G1 and G2/M phases. The cotreatment triggered the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway indicated by increased Bax-to-Bcl-2 expression ratio, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and significant activation of caspase-9 and -3. In addition, extrinsic/caspases-8 apoptotic pathway was also induced by the cotreatment. N-acetyl cysteine abrogated these events induced by formononetin, supporting the involvement of ROS in the MDR reversal mechanism. This study pioneered in demonstrating that formononetin may potentiate the cytotoxicity of epirubicin in HeLa cells through the ROS-mediated MRP inhibition and concurrent activation of the mitochondrial and death receptor pathways of apoptosis. Hence, the circumvention of pump and non-pump resistance using formononetin and epirubicin may pave the way for a powerful chemotherapeutic regimen for treating human cervical cancer., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

As ubiquitous environmental toxicants, organotin (IV) compounds (OTC) accumulate in the food chain and potential effects on human health are disquieting. The present study compared the cytotoxicity of three diorganotins, namely, dimethyltin (DMT), dibutyltin (DBT) and diphenyltin (DPT), in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells, and the molecular mechanisms responsible for their cytotoxic effects were also explored. Twenty-four hours exposure of PC12 cells to DBT and DPT resulted in a concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability with median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) of 2.97 μM and 7.24 μM, respectively. However, DMT at concentrations up to 128 μM had no obvious effect on cell viability. The mechanistic study revealed that the extent of apoptosis was greater for DBT than that for DPT, followed by DMT, as evidenced by acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) fluorescent staining method and annexin V-FITC/PI staining flow cytometry analysis, as well as generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) disruption, release of cytochrome c (Cyt c), and consequent activation of caspase-9, and -3. These investigations suggested that the cytotoxic potency of three diorganotins in PC12 cells was in the order of DBT>DPT≫DMT, and these compounds could induce PC12 cells apoptosis through ROS mediated mitochondrial pathway., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel fluorescence quenching method for the determination of torasemide (TOR) with some dihalogenated fluorescein dyes as fluorescence probes was developed. In acidulous medium, TOR could interact with some dihalogenated fluorescein dyes such as dichlorofluorescein (DCF), dibromofluorescein (DBF) and diiodofluorescein (DIF) to form binary complexes, which could lead to fluorescence quenching of above dihalogenated fluorescein dyes. The maximum fluorescence emission wavelengths were located at 532 nm (TOR-DCF), 535 nm (TOR-DBF) and 554 nm (TOR-DIF). The relative fluorescence intensities (ΔF=F0-F) were proportional to the concentration of TOR in certain ranges. The detection limits were 4.8 ng mL(-1) for TOR-DCF system, 9.8 ng mL(-1) for TOR-DBF system and 35.1 ng mL(-1) for TOR-DIF system. The optimum reaction conditions, influencing factors were studied; and the effect of coexisting substances was investigated owing to the highest sensitivity of TOR-DCF system. In addition, the reaction mechanism, composition and structure of the complex were discussed by quantum chemical calculation and Job's method. The fluorescence quenching of dihalogenated fluorescein dyes by TOR was a static quenching process judging from the effect of temperature and the Stern-Volmer plots. The method was satisfactorily applied to the determination of TOR in tablets and human urine samples., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Hyperglycemia-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation contributes to development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a redox-sensing transcription factor, induces the antioxidant enzyme expressions. Diallyl trisulfide (DATS) is the most powerful antioxidant among the sulfur-containing compounds in garlic oil. We investigated whether DATS inhibits hyperglycemia-induced ROS production via Nrf2-mediated activation of antioxidant enzymes in cardiac cells exposed to high glucose (HG)., Methods and Results: Treatment of H9c2 cells with HG resulted in an increase in intracellular ROS level and caspase-3 activity, which were markedly reduced by the administration of DATS (10 μM). DATS treatment significantly increased Nrf2 protein stability and nuclear translocation, upregulated downstream gene HO-1, and suppressed its repressor Keap1. However, apoptosis was not inhibited by DATS in cells transfected with Nrf2-specific siRNA. Inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling by LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor) or PI3K-specific siRNA not only decreased the level of DATS-induced Nrf2-mediated HO-1 expression, but also diminished the protective effects of DATS. Similar results were also observed in high glucose-exposed neonatal primary cardiomyocytes and streptozotocin-treated diabetic rats fed DATS at a dose of 40 mg/kg BW., Conclusions: Our findings indicate that DATS protects against hyperglycemia-induced ROS-mediated apoptosis by upregulating the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway, which further activates Nrf2-regulated antioxidant enzymes in cardiomyocytes exposed to HG., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Hyperglycemia is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases no matter if it resulted from type I or type II diabetes mellitus. High glucose-induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can lead to diabetic cardiomyopathy. In our previous study, we showed that NADPH oxidase-related ROS-induced apoptosis is mediated via the JNK-dependent activation of NF-κB in cardiomyocytes exposed to high glucose (HG)., Objective: In this study, we investigated the mechanisms governing the anti-apoptotic effect of diallyl trisulfide (DATS) on HG-exposed cardiac cells both in vitro and in vivo., Methods: H9c2 cells were incubated with media containing 5.5 or 33 mM of glucose for 36 h in the presence or absence of DATS., Results: We found that DATS treatment led to a dose-dependent decrease in ROS levels as well as protein levels of p22phox, gp91phox, phosphorylated JNK, and phosphorylated c-Jun. In addition, DATS inhibited the HG-induced activation of caspase 3 as well as the nuclear translocation of NF-κB. Similar results were observed in HG-exposed neonatal primary cardiomyocytes and streptozotocin-treated diabetic rats. Echocardiographic data showed that DATS administration led to a marked increase in fractional shortening and cardiac output., Conclusion: DATS appears to suppress high glucose-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis by inhibiting NADPH oxidase-related ROS and its downstream JNK/NF-κB signaling, and may possess the potential on the therapy of diabetic cardiomyopathy., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Echinops giganteus, Imperata cylindrica, Piper capense and Xylopia aethiopica are four medicinal spices used in Cameroon to treat cancers., Aim of the Study: The above plants previously displayed cytotoxicity against leukemia CCRF-CEM and CEM/ADR5000 cell lines as well as human pancreatic MiaPaCa-2 cells. The present study aims at emphasizing the study of the cytotoxicity and the modes of action of the above plants on a panel of ten cancer cell lines including various sensitive and drug-resistant phenotypes. The study has been extended to the isolation of the bioactive constituents from Echinops giganteus., Materials and Methods: The cytotoxicity of the extracts was determined using a resazurin reduction assay, whereas the caspase-Glo assay was used to detect the activation of caspases 3/7, caspase 8 and caspase 9 in cells treated with the four extracts. Flow cytometry was used for cell cycle analysis and detection of apoptotic cells, analysis of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) as well as measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS)., Results: The four tested extracts inhibited the proliferation of all tested cancer cell lines including sensitive and drug-resistant phenotypes. Collateral sensitivity of cancer cells to the extract of Echinops giganteus was generally better than to doxorubicin. The recorded IC50 ranges were 3.29 µg/mL [against human knockout clones HCT116 (p53(-/-)) colon cancer cells] to 14.32 µg/mL (against human liver hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells) for the crude extract from Echinops giganteus, 4.17 µg/mL (against breast cancer cells transduced with control vector MDA-MB231 cells) to 19.45 µg/mL (against MDA-MB-231 BCRP cells) for that of Piper capense, 4.11 µg/mL (against leukemia CCRF-CEM cells) to 30.60 µg/mL (against leukemia HL60AR cells) for Xylopia aethiopica, 3.28 µg/mL [against HCT116 (p53(-/-)) cells] to 33.43 µg/mL (against HepG2 cells) for Imperata cylindica and 0.11 µg/mL (against CCRF-CEM cells) to 132.47 µg/mL (against HL60AR cells) for doxorubicin. The four tested extracts induced apoptosis in CCRF-CEM cells via the alteration loss of MMP whilst that of Piper capense also enhanced the production of ROS., Conclusion: The studied plants are potential cytotoxic drugs that deserve more detailed exploration in the future, to develop novel anticancer drugs against sensitive and otherwise drug-resistant phenotypes., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Given the fundamentally multifactorial character of Alzheimer's disease (AD), addressing more than one target for disease modification or therapy is expected to be highly advantageous. Here, following the cholinergic hypothesis, we aimed to inhibit both acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase (AChE and BuChE) in order to increase the concentration of acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft. In addition, the formation of the amyloid β fibrils should be inhibited and already preformed fibrils should be destroyed. Based on a recently identified AChE inhibitor with a 1,4-substituted 4-(1H)-pyridylene-hydrazone skeleton, a substance library has been generated and tested for inhibition of AChE, BuChE, and fibril formation. Blood-brain barrier mobility was ensured by a transwell assay. Whereas the p-nitrosubstituted compound 18C shows an anti-AChE activity in the nanomolar range of concentration (IC₅₀=90 nM), the bisnaphthyl substituted compound 20L was found to be the best overall inhibitor of AChE/BuChE and enhances the fibril destruction., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Glycoprotein (GP) Ibα ectodomain shedding has become a generally accepted negative regulatory mechanism of platelet function. Stimulation of platelet with either physiological or chemical compound results in GPIbα ectodomain shedding in vitro and in vivo, the mechanism, however, is not totally understood. Here we show, collagen, thrombin, and calcium ionophore A23187 induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and simultaneously incur GPIbα ectodomain shedding. ROS scavengers N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and dithiothreitol (DTT) abolish not only collagen, thrombin, and A23187 induced ROS production, but also GPIbα ectodomain shedding. Interestingly, a recognized calpain activator, dibucaine, induces both ROS production and GPIbα shedding, which are also obviously reduced by NAC and DTT. Furthermore, calpain inhibitors calpain inhibitor I and carbobenzoxy-valinyl-phenylalaninal, obviously reduce dibucaine, thrombin, and A23187-induced ROS generation. These data indicate that ROS plays a key role in collagen, thrombin, and A23187-induced GPIbα ectodomain shedding. Calpain is an up-stream regulator that regulates ROS-mediated GPIbα shedding., (© 2013.)