Search

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in neuronal damage and death that occurs in several neurodegenerative disorders, namely in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The observation that ROS neutralization may slow or reduce the neurodegenerative process associated with those pathologies stimulates the development of new drugs, more efficient and well tolerated, with antioxidant properties. Vinpocetine [14-etoxicarbonyl-3alpha,16alpha-ethyl)-14,15-eburnamine], a vincamine derivative, efficiently protects cells from ROS attack. Recently, the protective effect of vinpocetine was demonstrated using in vitro models of oxidative stress induced by the oxidant pair ascorbate/Fe2+ and by synthetic peptides of the AD-associated b-amyloid protein (Abeta). Results obtained from these in vitro experiences support that additional clinical trials should be carried out using vinpocetine, or vinpocetine derivatives, in order to test its therapeutical or preventive effects in diseases where oxidative stress plays a crucial role.

Objectives: The mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) is an event related to severe oxidative stress (for example, during myocardial ischemia and reperfusion) and excessive mitochondrial calcium accumulation, also being implicated in cell death. In this study, we compared the effect of carvedilol on the cardiac MPT induced by calcium and phosphate (Ca/Pi) and calcium/carboxyatractyloside (Ca/Catr). Oxidative stress plays a major role in MPT induction by Ca/Pi, leading to the oxidation of protein thiol groups, in contrast with Ca/Catr, where such oxidation is secondary to MPT induction and is not caused by oxidative stress., Materials and Methods: Mitochondria were isolated from rat hearts and parameters related to MPT induction were evaluated (n = 5 for each inducer): mitochondrial swelling and oxidation of protein thiol groups (both measured by spectrophotometry)., Results: Using Ca/Pi, carvedilol protected mitochondria from MPT induction, particularly in its high conductance form. Its effect was demonstrated by analyzing the decrease in mitochondrial swelling amplitude. Simultaneously, we observed inhibition of protein thiol group oxidation (p < 0.001). By contrast, carvedilol did not show any protective effect with Ca/Catr., Conclusions: Carvedilol was only effective against the MPT when the oxidation of protein thiol groups was the cause and not the consequence of the MPT phenomenon. The results clearly show that during myocardial aggressions (ischemia and reperfusion, for example), the protective effect of carvedilol is primarily due to an antioxidant mechanism, inhibiting the production and effects of reactive oxygen species.