BackgroundProteins have long been considered a principal target for oxidants as a result of their abundance in biological systems. However, there is increasing evidence about the significant antioxidant activity in proteins such as albumin. It is leading to new concepts that even consider albumin not only as an antioxidant but as the major antioxidant in plasma known to be exposed to continuous oxidative stress. Evidence presented here establishes a previously unrecognized relationship between proteins' antioxidant capacity and structural stress.Methodology/Principal FindingsA chemiluminiscence based antioxidant assay was achieved to quantify the antioxidant capacity of albumin and other proteins. The capabilities of proteins as antioxidants were presented, but in addition a new and powerful component of the protein antioxidant capacity was discovered. The intrinsic component, designated as Response Surplus (RS), represents a silent reserve of antioxidant power that awakens when proteins face a structural perturbation (stressor) such as temperature, short wave UV light, the same reactive oxygen species, and more extreme changes like glucose or aldehyde-mediated structural modifications. The work also highlights the importance of structural changes in protein antioxidant properties and the participation of sulfhydryl groups (SHs) in the RS antioxidant component. Based on recent evidence about the SH group chemistry, a possible model for explaining RS is proposed.Conclusions/SignificanceThe data presented show the significant antioxidant behavior of proteins and demonstrate the existence of a previously unrecognized antioxidant response to the stress. Several implications, including changes in elementary concepts about antioxidants and protein function, should emerge from here.
Nitric oxide has been demonstrated to participate in β-cell damage during streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. STZ consists of 2-deoxy-D-glucose substituted by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea at C-2 and therefore can liberate ·NO. However, it has not been proven whether ·NO generation from STZ is responsible for the disease. We found that STZ treated in vitro with ultraviolet (UV) light liberated significantly more ·NO than non-irradiated STZ (1,134.4 ± 104 vs. 256.9 ± 240 nmol). Moreover, the diabetogenic effect of STZ was abolished by UV irradiation before its administration to experimental animals. In these animals the glucose and insulin values were significantly different from those of the diabetic group (151.3 ± 16.6 vs. 364.6 ± 63.4 mg/dl and 36.3 ± 17.9 vs. 0.08 ± 5.5 µIU/ml, respectively) and similar to those of the non-diabetic group (127.2 ± 34.1 mg/dl and 41.7 ± 13.9 µIU/ml, respectively). Carboxy-PTIO treatment returned glycemia to nearly normal levels in 60% of STZ-induced diabetic rats (157.5 ± 11.8 vs. 364.6 ± 63.6 mg/dl of the diabetic group). L-NAME and dexamethasone cannot return either glucose or insulin to normal levels. In conclusion, UV light increased ·NO liberation from STZ and suppressed its diabetogenic activity. It is possible that the diabetogenic activity of STZ is related to the liberation of nitric oxide from STZ, since carboxy-PTIO scavenger had a protective effect, while L-NAME and dexamethasone did not. It is possible that an increase in ·NO concentration into cell, independently of its endogenous or exogenous origin, can induce β-cell damage and diabetes.
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