Antioxidant status in the aqueous humour of patients with glaucoma associated with exfoliation syndrome

PURPOSE: To establish the antioxidant status of the aqueous humour in glaucoma associated with exfoliation syndrome (XFG) and to compare it to primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and cataract patients. METHODS: Patients were diagnosed with POAG, XFG, or cataract (n=25 for each group). Total reactive antioxidant potential (TRAP) was measured by chemiluminescence. Ascorbic acid levels and the activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured spectrophotometrically.ResultsTRAP value was lower in XFG (28+/-2 microM Trolox) than in POAG (55+/-8 microM Trolox; P<0.001). TRAP values in both glaucomas were lower than the cataract value (124+/-5 microM Trolox; P<0.001). A decrease in ascorbic acid was measured in XFG (230+/-20 microM) compared with POAG (415+/-17 microM; P<0.001). Ascorbic acid in both glaucomas was lower than in cataract (720+/-30 microM; P<0.001). A significant increase in GPx was found in XFG (30+/-2 U/ml) compared with POAG (16+/-3 U/ml). GPx activity in both glaucomas was increased when compared with cataracts (6+/-2 U/ml; P<0.001). A significant increase of 67% in SOD activity was observed in the glaucoma group vscataract group (27+/-3 U/ml; P<0.001), but no changes were found between both glaucomas. CONCLUSIONS: The antioxidant status of the aqueous humour may play a role in the pathophysiology of both glaucomas.Fil: Ferreira, Sandra María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Analítica y Fisicoquímica; ArgentinaFil: Lerner, S.F. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Analítica y Fisicoquímica; ArgentinaFil: Brunzini, R. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Analítica y Fisicoquímica; ArgentinaFil: Evelson, Pablo Andrés. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Analítica y Fisicoquímica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad Medicina. Instituto de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Llesuy, Susana Francisca. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Química Analítica y Fisicoquímica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad Medicina. Instituto de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular; Argentin

Antioxidant properties of natural compounds used in popular medicine for gastric ulcers

There is evidence concerning the participation of reactive oxygen species in the etiology and physiopathology of human diseases, such as neurodegenerative disorders, inflammation, viral infections, autoimmune pathologies, and digestive system disorders such as gastrointestinal inflammation and gastric ulcer. The role of these reactive oxygen species in several diseases and the potential antioxidant protective effect of natural compounds on affected tissues are topics of high current interest. To consider a natural compound or a drug as an antioxidant substance it is necessary to investigate its antioxidant properties in vitro and then to evaluate its antioxidant functions in biological systems. In this review article, we shall consider the role of natural antioxidants derived from popular plants to reduce or prevent the oxidative stress in gastric ulcer induced by ethanol

Peripheral markers of oxidative stress in chronic mercuric chloride intoxication

The present study was designed to evaluate the time course changes in peripheral markers of oxidative stress in a chronic HgCl2 intoxication model. Twenty male adult Wistar rats were treated subcutaneously daily for 30 days and divided into two groups of 10 animals each: Hg, which received HgCl2 (0.16 mg kg-1 day-1), and control, receiving the same volume of saline solution. Blood was collected at the first, second and fourth weeks of Hg administration to evaluate lipid peroxidation (LPO), total radical trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP), and superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and catalase (CAT). HgCl2 administration induced a rise (by 26%) in LPO compared to control (143 ± 10 cps/mg hemoglobin) in the second week and no difference was found at the end of the treatment. At that time, GST and GPx were higher (14 and 24%, respectively) in the Hg group, and Cu,Zn-SOD was lower (54%) compared to control. At the end of the treatment, Cu,Zn-SOD and CAT were higher (43 and 10%, respectively) in the Hg group compared to control (4.6 ± 0.3 U/mg protein; 37 ± 0.9 pmol/mg protein, respectively). TRAP was lower (69%) in the first week compared to control (43.8 ± 1.9 mM Trolox). These data provide evidence that HgCl2 administration is accompanied by systemic oxidative damage in the initial phase of the process, which leads to adaptive changes in the antioxidant reserve, thus decreasing the oxidative injury at the end of 30 days of HgCl2 administration. These results suggest that a preventive treatment with antioxidants would help to avoid oxidative damage in subjects with chronic intoxication