Persistent inflammation and the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species play pivotal roles in tissue injury during disease pathogenesis and as a reaction to toxicant exposures. The associated oxidative and nitrative stress promote diverse pathologic reactions including neurodegenerative disorders, atherosclerosis, chronic inflammation, cancer, and premature labor and stillbirth. These effects occur via sustained inflammation, cellular proliferation and cytotoxicity and via induction of a proangiogenic environment. For example, exposure to the ubiquitous air pollutant ozone leads to generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in lung macrophages that play a key role in subsequent tissue damage. Similarly, studies indicate that genes involved in regulating oxidative stress are altered by anesthetic treatment resulting in brain injury, most notable during development. In addition to a role in tissue injury in the brain, inflammation, and oxidative stress are implicated in Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of dopamine neurons. Recent data suggest a mechanistic link between oxidative stress and elevated levels of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde, a neurotoxin endogenous to dopamine neurons. These findings have significant implications for development of therapeutics and identification of novel biomarkers for Parkinson's disease pathogenesis. Oxidative and nitrative stress is also thought to play a role in creating the proinflammatory microenvironment associated with the aggressive phenotype of inflammatory breast cancer. An understanding of fundamental concepts of oxidative and nitrative stress can underpin a rational plan of treatment for diseases and toxicities associated with excessive production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species.

Apoptosis is a highly complex, tightly regulated process involving many different checks and balances. The influence of Grx activity on the interconnectivity among these various pathways remains unknown. Knowledge of the effects of Grx is essential for developing novel therapeutic approaches for treating diseases involving dysregulated apoptosis, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases, where alterations in redox homeostasis are hallmarks for pathogenesis.

Dopamine (DA) undergoes monoamine oxidase catalyzed oxidative deamination to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL), which is metabolized primarily to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) via aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Previous studies demonstrated DOPAL to be neurotoxic, more so than DA and other metabolites, and implicated the aldehyde intermediate as a factor in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the mechanism for generation of DOPAL at aberrant levels and the pathways for toxicity are not conclusively known. Various models for DA catabolism revealed the susceptibility of DOPAL biotransformation (e.g., ALDH) to products of oxidative stress, e.g., 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, at physiologic/pathologic levels and agents that induce oxidative stress. An elevated concentration of DOPAL correlated with increased protein modification with subsequent work demonstrating significant reactivity of the DA-derived electrophile toward protein nucleophiles compared to DA and other metabolites, e.g., DOPAC. The addition of DOPAL to proteins proceeds via reaction of the aldehyde with Lys residues, yielding a Schiff base; however, post-adduction chemistry occurs for the DOPAL-modification resulting in protein cross-linking. Preliminary work indicates enzymes in DA synthesis and catabolism to be cellular targets for DOPAL. Functional consequences for elevated levels of the DA-derived aldehyde and protein modification may include adverse cellular effects. These data implicate DOPAL as a toxic and reactive intermediate potentially serving as a "chemical trigger" for some stage of PD pathogenesis.

Molinate is a thiocarbamate herbicide used as a pre-emergent in rice patty fields. It has two predominant sulfoxidation metabolites, molinate sulfoxide and molinate sulfone. Previous work demonstrated an in vivo decrease in liver aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity in rats treated with molinate and motor function deficits in dogs dosed chronically with this compound. ALDH is an enzyme important in the catabolism of many neurotransmitters, such as dopamine. Inhibition of this enzyme may lead to the accumulation of endogenous neurotoxic metabolites such as 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DOPAL), a dopamine metabolite, which may account for the observed neurotoxicity. In this study, the relative reactivity of molinate and both of its sulfoxidation metabolites towards ALDH were investigated, as well as the mechanism of inhibition. ALDH activity was monitored in two different model systems, human recombinant ALDH (hALDH2) and mouse striatal synaptosomes. Molinate sulfone was found to be the most potent ALDH inhibitor, compared to molinate and molinate sulfoxide. The reactivity of these three compounds was also assessed, using N-acetyl Cys, model peptides, and hALDH2. It was determined that molinate sulfone is capable of covalently modifying Cys residues, including catalytic Cys302 of ALDH, accounting for the observed enzyme inhibition.

The incidence of Parkinson’s disease (PD) correlates with environmental exposure to pesticides, such as the organochlorine insecticide, dieldrin. Previous studies found an increased concentration of the pesticide in the striatal region of the brains of PD patients and also that dieldrin adversely affects cellular processes associated with PD. These processes include mitochondrial function and reactive oxygen species production. However, the mechanism and specific cellular targets responsible for dieldrin-mediated cellular dysfunction and the structural components of dieldrin contributing to its toxicity (toxicophore) have not been fully defined. In order to identify the toxicophore of dieldrin, a structure–activity approach was used, with the toxicity profiles of numerous analogues of dieldrin (including aldrin, endrin, and cis-aldrin diol) assessed in PC6-3 cells. The MTT and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays were used to monitor cell viability and membrane permeability after treatment with each compound. Cellular assays monitoring ROS production and extracellular dopamine metabolite levels were also used. Structure and stereochemistry for dieldrin were found to be very important for toxicity and other end points measured. Small changes in structure for dieldrin (e.g., comparison to the stereoisomer endrin) yielded significant differences in toxicity. Interestingly, the cis-diol metabolite of dieldrin was found to be significantly more toxic than the parent compound. Disruption of dopamine catabolism yielded elevated levels of the neurotoxin, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde, for many organochlorines. Comparisons of the toxicity profiles for each dieldrin analogue indicated a structure-specific effect important for elucidating the mechanisms of dieldrin neurotoxicity.