Is Nitric Oxide Decrease Observed with Naphthoquinones in LPS Stimulated RAW 264.7 Macrophages a Beneficial Property?

The search of new anti-inflammatory drugs has been a current preoccupation, due to the need of effective drugs, with less adverse reactions than those used nowadays. Several naphthoquinones (plumbagin, naphthazarin, juglone, menadione, diosquinone and 1,4-naphthoquinone), plus p-hydroquinone and p-benzoquinone were evaluated for their ability to cause a reduction of nitric oxide (NO) production, when RAW 264.7 macrophages were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Dexamethasone was used as positive control. Among the tested compounds, diosquinone was the only one that caused a NO reduction with statistical importance and without cytotoxicity: an IC25 of 1.09±0.24 µM was found, with 38.25±6.50% (p<0.001) NO reduction at 1.5 µM. In order to elucidate if this NO decrease resulted from the interference of diosquinone with cellular defence mechanisms against LPS or to its conversion into peroxynitrite, by reaction with superoxide radical formed by naphthoquinones redox cycling, 3-nitrotyrosine and superoxide determination was also performed. None of these parameters showed significant changes relative to control. Furthermore, diosquinone caused a decrease in the pro-inflammatory cytokines: tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). Therefore, according to the results obtained, diosquinone, studied for its anti-inflammatory potential for the first time herein, has beneficial effects in inflammation control. This study enlightens the mechanisms of action of naphthoquinones in inflammatory models, by checking for the first time the contribution of oxidative stress generated by naphthoquinones to NO reduction

Healthy ageing and depletion of intracellular glutathione influences T cell membrane thioredoxin-1 levels and cytokine secretion

Background: During ageing an altered redox balance has been observed in both intracellular and extracellular compartments, primarily due to glutathione depletion and metabolic stress. Maintaining redox homeostasis is important for controlling proliferation and apoptosis in response to specific stimuli for a variety of cells. For T cells, the ability to generate specific response to antigen is dependent on the oxidation state of cell surface and cytoplasmic protein-thiols. Intracellular thiols are maintained in their reduced state by a network of redox regulating peptides, proteins and enzymes such as glutathione, thioredoxins and thioredoxin reductase. Here we have investigated whether any relationship exists between age and secreted or cell surface thioredoxin-1, intracellular glutathione concentration and T cell surface thioredoxin 1 (Trx-1) and how this is related to interleukin (IL)-2 production.Results: Healthy older adults have reduced lymphocyte surface expression and lower circulating plasma Trx-1 concentrations. Using buthionine sulfoximine to deplete intracellular glutathione in Jurkat T cells we show that cell surface Trx-1 is lowered, secretion of Trx-1 is decreased and the response to the lectin phytohaemagglutinin measured as IL-2 production is also affected. These effects are recapitulated by another glutathione depleting agent, diethylmaleate.Conclusion: Together these data suggest that a relationship exists between the intracellular redox compartment and Trx-1 proteins. Loss of lymphocyte surface Trx-1 may be a useful biomarker of healthy ageing. © 2013 Carilho Torrao et al.; licensee Chemistry Central Ltd

Flow birefringence studies of molecular orientation and relaxation in polyethylene melts

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