The current understanding of the complex role of ROS in the organism and pathological sequelae of oxidative stress points to the necessity of comprehensive studies of antioxidant reactivities and interactions with cellular constituents. Studies of antioxidants performed within the COST B-35 action has concerned the search for new natural antioxidants, synthesis of new antioxidant compounds and evaluation and elucidation of mechanisms of action of both natural and synthetic antioxidants. Representative studies presented in the review concern antioxidant properties of various kinds of tea, the search for new antioxidants of herbal origin, modification of tocopherols and their use in combination with selenium and properties of two promising groups of synthetic antioxidants: derivatives of stobadine and derivatives of 1,4-dihydropyridine.

Weight regain after caloric restriction results in accelerated fat storage in adipose tissue. This catch-up fat phenomenon is postulated to result partly from suppressed skeletal muscle thermogenesis, but the underlying mechanisms are elusive. We investigated whether the reduced rate of skeletal muscle contraction-relaxation cycle that occurs after caloric restriction persists during weight recovery and could contribute to catch-up fat. Using a rat model of semistarvation-refeeding, in which fat recovery is driven by suppressed thermogenesis, we show that contraction and relaxation of leg muscles are slower after both semistarvation and refeeding. These effects are associated with (i) higher expression of muscle deiodinase type 3 (DIO3), which inactivates tri-iodothyronine (T3), and lower expression of T3-activating enzyme, deiodinase type 2 (DIO2), (ii) slower net formation of T3 from its T4 precursor in muscles, and (iii) accumulation of slow fibers at the expense of fast fibers. These semistarvation-induced changes persisted during recovery and correlated with impaired expression of transcription factors involved in slow-twitch muscle development. We conclude that diminished muscle thermogenesis following caloric restriction results from reduced muscle T3 levels, alteration in muscle-specific transcription factors, and fast-to-slow fiber shift causing slower contractility. These energy-sparing effects persist during weight recovery and contribute to catch-up fat.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common severe joint disease that affects all age groups, it is thus of great importance to develop new strategies for its treatment. The aim of the present study was to examine the combined effect of coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ 10 ) and methotrexate (MTX) on the progression of adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. Adjuvant arthritis (AA) was induced by a single intradermal injection of heat-inactivated Mycobacterium butyricum in incomplete Freund's adjuvant. The experiments included healthy animals, arthritic animals not treated, arthritic animals treated with CoQ 10 , with methotrexate, and with a combination of CoQ 10 and methotrexate. The two latter groups received a daily oral dose of 20 mg/kg b.w. of CoQ 10 , either alone or with methotrexate in an oral dose of 0.3 mg/kg b.w. twice a week. We found that CoQ 10 potentiated both the antiarthritic (decrease of hind paw volume) and the antioxidant effect of methotrexate on the level of oxidation of proteins (suppression of protein carbonyl level in plasma) as well as lipoperoxidation (suppression of levels of HNE-adducts and MDA-adducts to plasma proteins). The same effect was observed for plasmatic levels of CoQ 9 and IL-1α, and partially also for γ-glutamyltransferase activity assessed in joints and spleen. Moreover, the combination therapy improved the functionality of peripheral blood neutrophils in AA, with a balancing effect on the immunosuppression caused by MTX monotherapy. In summary, combined administration of CoQ 10 and methotrexate suppressed arthritic progression in rats more effectively than did MTX alone. This finding may help improve treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

The review deals with impairment of Ca(2+)-ATPases by high glucose or its derivatives in vitro, as well as in human diabetes and experimental animal models. Acute increases in glucose level strongly correlate with oxidative stress. Dysfunction of Ca(2+)-ATPases in diabetic and in some cases even in nondiabetic conditions may result in nitration of and in irreversible modification of cysteine-674. Nonenyzmatic protein glycation might lead to alteration of Ca(2+)-ATPase structure and function contributing to Ca(2+) imbalance and thus may be involved in development of chronic complications of diabetes. The susceptibility to glycation is probably due to the relatively high percentage of lysine and arginine residues at the ATP binding and phosphorylation domains. Reversible glycation may develop into irreversible modifications (advanced glycation end products, AGEs). Sites of SERCA AGEs are depicted in this review. Finally, several mechanisms of prevention of Ca(2+)-pump glycation, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed.

Injury of rabbit skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) induced by hypochlorous acid (HOCl) was studied. HOCl inhibited Ca2+-ATPase activity in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50=100 micromol/l). The concentration of 13.5 micromol/l HOCl reduced the level of sulfhydryl (SH) groups by 50%, yet it did not influence the enzyme activity. In comparison with SH group oxidation and enzyme activity inhibition, a significantly longer time was necessary for the generation of protein carbonyls in SR injured by HOCl. Protective effects of some antioxidants (stobadine, trolox, EGb 761, Pycnogenol) were studied in SR oxidatively injured by HOCl. Trolox and EGb 761 exerted a protective effect on ATPase activity and on SH groups of SR oxidatively modified by HOCl. Stobadine and Pycnogenol inhibited markedly protein carbonyl formation. Stobadine was the only antioxidant able to scavenge HOCl. In conclusion, the protective effects of antioxidants against decrease of Ca2+-ATPase activity induced by HOCl might be caused by protection of SH groups. The compounds with both antioxidant and Ca2+-ATPase protecting effect offer dual defense against tissue damage occurring, e.g. in aging process.

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Adjuvant arthritis (AA) is a condition that involves systemic oxidative stress. Unexpectedly, it was found that sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2 +)-ATPase (SERCA) activity was elevated in muscles of rats with AA compared to controls, suggesting possible conformational changes in the enzyme. There was no alteration in the nucleotide binding site but rather in the transmembrane domain according to the tryptophan polar/non-polar fluorescence ratio. Higher relative expression of SERCA, higher content of nitrotyrosine but no increase in phospholipid oxidation in AA SR was found. In vitro treatments of SR with HOCl showed that in AA animals SERCA activity was more susceptible to oxidative stress, but SR phospholipids were more resistant and SERCA could also be activated by phosphatidic acid. It was concluded that increased SERCA activity in AA was due to increased levels of SERCA protein and structural changes to the protein, probably induced by direct and specific oxidation involving reactive nitrogen species.

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