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The homogeneous kinetics and catalysis of sodium sulfite oxidation in an aqueous solution were studied by means of the rapid-mixing method of Hartridge and Roughton. This technique allowed the reaction of already dissolved oxygen, thus eliminating possible errors due to the interphase transfer of oxygen. The manner in which the cobalt ion participates in the reaction sequence was developed. A full reaction sequence describing the chain of events was elaborated. A reaction rate expression derived from this sequence was shown to be in agreement with the experimental results. The experimental findings showed that: (a) the reaction rate was independent of oxygen concentration; (b) the reaction order was three-halves with respect to sulfite concentration; and (c) the reaction rate was proportional to the square root of the total concentration of cobalt added to the reacting solution.

Background/Aims: Intermittent hypoxia (IH) may exert pre-conditioning-like cardioprotective effects and alter Ca²⁺ regulation; however, the exact mechanism of these effects remains unclear. Thus, we examined Ca²⁺-handling mechanisms induced by IH in rat neonatal cardiomyocytes. Methods: Cardiomyocytes were exposed to repetitive hypoxia-re-oxygenation cycles for 1-4 days. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was determined by flow cytometry, and intracellular Ca²⁺ concentrations were measured using a live-cell fluorescence imaging system. Protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms and Ca²⁺-handling proteins were analysed using immunofluorescence and western blotting. Results: After IH exposure for 4 days, the rate of Ca²⁺ extrusion from the cytosol to the extracellular milieu during 40-mM KCl-induced Ca²⁺ mobilization increased significantly, whereas ROS levels increased mildly. IH activated PKC isoforms, which translocated to the membrane from the cytosol, and Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger-1, leading to enhanced Ca²⁺ efflux capacity. Simultaneously, IH increased sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca²⁺-ATPase and ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR-2) activities and RyR-2 expression, resulting in improved Ca²⁺ uptake and release capacity of SR in cardiomyocytes. Conclusions: IH-induced mild elevations in ROS generation can enhance Ca²⁺ efflux from the cytosol to the extracellular milieu and Ca²⁺-mediated SR regulation in cardiomyocytes, resulting in enhanced Ca²⁺-handling ability.

BackgroundIntermittent hypoxia (IH) plays a critical role in sleep breathing disorder-associated hippocampus impairments, including neurocognitive deficits, irreversible memory and learning impairments. IH-induced neuronal injury in the hippocampus may result from reduced precursor cell proliferation and the relative numbers of postmitotic differentiated neurons. However, the mechanisms underlying IH-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation effects on cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation remain largely unknown.ResultsROS generation significantly increased after 1–4 days of IH without increased pheochromocytoma-12 (PC12) cell death, which resulted in increased protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) mRNA and protein levels. After 3–4 days of IH, extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) protein phosphorylation decreased, which could be reversed by superoxide dismutase (SOD), 1,10-phenanthroline (Phe), the PP2A phosphorylation inhibitors, okadaic acid (OKA) and cantharidin, and the ERK phosphorylation activator nicotine (p < 0.05). In particular, the significantly reduced cell proliferation and increased proportions of cells in the G0/G1 phase after 1–4 days of IH (p < 0.05), which resulted in decreased numbers of PC12 cells, could be reversed by treatment with SOD, Phe, PP2A inhibitors and an ERK activator. In addition, the numbers of nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced PC12 cells with neurite outgrowths after 3–4 days of IH were less than those after 4 days of RA, which was also reversed by SOD, Phe, PP2A inhibitors and an ERK activator.ConclusionsOur results suggest that IH-induced ROS generation increases PP2A activation and subsequently downregulates ERK1/2 activation, which results in inhibition of PC12 cell proliferation through G0/G1 phase arrest and NGF-induced neuronal differentiation.

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