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In plasma a real "antioxidant barrier” is identifiable, and to constitute it both inside (eg. carotenoids, ascorbate, vitamin E, etc.) and outside (eg. GSH, protein, bilirubin, uric acid, etc.) substances contribute. Each of these components blocks the potential damaging action of free radicals, whose reactivity is precisely linked to the particular "shortage" of these small particles negative. Any "insult" against this barrier allows free radicals to attack and damage cell structures, setting the stage for lesions typical of oxidative stress and all its dangerous consequences (premature aging, disease, etc.) [1]. The aim of the present study was to measure two components of the plasma oxidative barrier to evaluate the animal welfare status: the Biological Antioxidant Potential (BAP) and the anti oxidant power (OXY). The BAP is used as an index to determine the biological antioxidant capacity and is measured on the basis of the capacity of the plasma sample to reduce ferric ions to ferrous ions. The OXY-adsorbent test measures the ability of a plasma or serum sample to oppose a massive oxidative insult induced by a solution of hypochlorous acid. The present study was performed on wild boars (Sus scrofa) bred in the wild of two areas (C1and D1) of a 820 hectares wood belonging to Campania Region, included in the “Cilento e Vallo di Diano” National Park. The wood is made up of Quercus cerris and Castano sativa, mixed mesoxerofil conifer. Blood samples, from the jugular vein, were collected from 15 and 18 wild boars of the C1 and D1 areas respectively, during the routine sanitary control. On the serum, BAP test and OXY-adsorbent test were evaluated (DIACRON, Grosseto, Italy). The results are shown in Table 1. The data show no significative difference between wild boars of C1 and D1 area, both in BAP test and OXY-adsorbent test. These preliminary values are valid for the definition of the normal range in healthy and, therefore, used as parameters to evaluate the stress oxidative status and then animal welfare [2].

Animal welfare can be assessed by measurements of relevant stress markers. The adrenal cortex response does occur in diverse difficult situations and is useful in welfare assessment, in particular the production of cortisol acts in providing extra energy for forthcoming activity. Furthermore, a high level of ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species), due to an increased production of oxidant species and/or a decreased efficacy of antioxidant system, can lead to oxidative stress, an emerging health risk factor involved in the aging and in a lot of diseases. The reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs) are used as an index to determine the level of oxidative stress (oxidant capacity) by measuring the amount of organic hydroperoxide (ROOH) converted into radicals that oxidize N,N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine [1, 2]. The present study was performed on wild boars (Sus scrofa) bred in the wild of two areas (C1and D1) of a 820 hectares wood belonging to Campania Region, included in the “Cilento e Vallo di Diano” National Park. The wood is made up of Quercus cerris and Castano sativa, mixed mesoxerofil conifer. Blood samples, from the jugular vein, were collected from 15 and 18 wild boars of the C1 and D1 areas respectively, during the routine sanitary control. On the serum, cortisol and ROMs (DIACRON, Grosseto, Italy) were evaluated. The results are shown in Table 1. Cortisol was higher in D1 than in C1 area, but there was not any significative difference; ROMs in D1 were significantly higher than C1 area, with P

There is a large body of evidence showing a strong correlation between carcinogenesis of several types of human tumors, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and oxidative stress (OS). The mechanisms by which OS may promote cancer pathogenesis have not been completely deciphered yet and, in CLL, as in other neoplasms, whether OS is a primary cause or simply a downstream effect of the disease is still an open question. It has been demonstrated that, in CLL, OS concomitantly results from increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mainly ascribable to CLL cells mitochondrial activity, and impaired antioxidant defenses. Interestingly, OS evaluation in CLL patients, at diagnosis, seems to have a prognostic significance, thus getting new insights in the biological comprehension of the disease with potential therapeutic implications.

Objective To evaluate the prognostic significance of oxidative stress (OS) and antioxidant defense status measurement in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Method d-ROMs test and BAP test were evaluated at diagnosis of 165 patients with CLL and correlated with clinical-biological features and prognosis. Results An increased oxidative damage (d-ROMs test) and a reduced antioxidant potential (BAP test), were found in CLL patients than normal controls (p

Oxidative energy production is inevitably associated with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), excessive concentrations of which can lead to cellular pathol‐ ogy. A free radical may be defined as any molecule that has one or more unpaired electrons. The superoxide anion, the hydroxyl radical, and the hypochlorite radical are some of the highest reactive radicals of oxygen. Owing to their high reactivity and to their capability of initiating an uncontrolled cascade of chain reactions, ROS produce extensive protein damage and cytoskeletal modifications and inhibit cellular mechanisms. Aerobic organisms are equipped with a powerful battery of mechanisms that protect them from the adverse effects of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and other manifestations of oxygen toxicity. Defective sperm function frequently causes male infertility, due to abnormal flagella movement, failure to recognize the zona, and inhibition of sperm-oocyte fusion. ROS are fundamental mediators of physiological sperm function, such as signal transduction mechanisms that have an effect on fertility. ROS can have positive effects on sperm and the concentration functions depending on the nature and the concentration of the ROS involved. They are necessary in regulating the hyperactivation and the ability of the spermatozoa to undergo acrosome reaction. An increased amount of superoxide anion (O2) is one of the first steps required by the spermatozoa for induction and development of hyperactivation and capacitation. Numerous studies have shown that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathophysiology of infertility and assisted fertility. The paternal genome is of primary importance in the normal embryo and fetal develop‐ ment. ROS-induced sperm damage during sperm translation, such as signal trans‐ duction through the seminiferous tubules and epididymis, is one of the most important mechanisms leading to sperm DNA damage. Male germ cells are extremely © 2015 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. vulnerable to oxidative stress as the sperm membrane is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and lacks the capacity for DNA repair. Spermatozoa are particularly susceptible to ROS-induced damage because their plasma membranes contain large quantities of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and their cytoplasm contains low concentrations of the scavenging enzymes. Many clinical and research institutes are investigating the usefulness of antioxidant supplementation and their role in prevention of the infertility problems. Incubation under oxygen in vitro was detrimental to human spermatozoa, decreasing motility and viability. Since then, many reports have associated ROS with impaired sperm function, including decreased motility, abnormal morphology, and decreased sperm-egg penetration. Increasing knowledge of the mechanisms whereby ROS and endogenous antioxidant systems influence reproductive processes can assist to optimize the application of exogenous antioxi‐ dants to fertility treatment.

Porins are a family of hydrophobic proteins located in the outer membrane of the cell wall in Gram-negative bacteria. The effect of porins on the biosynthesis of platelet-activating factor (PAF) by cultured human umbilical-cord-vein-derived endothelial cells (HUVEC) was investigated. The results demonstrate that porins were able to induce a dose-dependent synthesis of PAF in HUVEC. PAF, synthesized after stimulation with porins, was mainly cell associated and the synthesis peaked at 15 min, decreasing rapidly thereafter. Experiments with radiolabeled precursors demonstrated that PAF, a 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine, was synthesized via the remodeling pathway involving the acetylation of 1-O-alkyl-2-lyso-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine (2-lysoPAF) generated from 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphorylcholine by phospholipase-A2 activity. The activation of phospholipase A2 in HUVEC stimulated by porins was detected by observing the mobilization of [14C]arachidonic acid. In addition, the activity of acetyl-CoA:1-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine 2-O-acetyltransferase was transiently increased in porin-stimulated HUVEC and, after incubation with [3H]CoASAc or [3H]acetate, the [3H]acetyl group was incorporated into newly synthesized PAF. Porins, by forming transmembrane channels, induced a sustained influx of extracellular 45Ca2+ into the cytosol. The activation of PAF synthesis by porins depended on this influx rather than on intracellular calcium mobilization, since PAF synthesis did not occur in the absence of extracellular Ca2+.