The aim of this study was to assess the oxidative stress status in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by measuring markers of free radical production, systemic activity of disease, and levels of antioxidant. 52 RA patients and 30 healthy controls were included in the study, and clinical examination and investigations were performed and disease activity was assessed. Peripheral blood samples were used for all the assays. We assessed the markers of oxidative stress, including plasma levels of index of lipid peroxidation-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), superoxide anion radical (O₂(-)), nitric oxide (NO), and superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), catalase activity (CAT) and glutathione levels in erythrocytes. In the RA group, levels of H₂O₂, O₂(-), and TBARS were significantly higher than in controls (4.08 ± 0.31 vs. 2.39 ± 0.13 nmol/l, p < 0.01; 8.90 ± 1.28 vs. 3.04 ± 0.38 nmol/l, p < 0.01, 3.65 ± 0.55 vs. 1.06 ± 0.17 μmol/l, p < 0.01). RA patients had significantly increased SOD activity compared with healthy controls (2,918.24 ± 477.14 vs. 643.46 ± 200.63UgHbx103, p < 0.001). Patients had significantly higher levels of pro-oxidants (O₂(-), H₂O₂, and TBARS) compared to controls, despite significantly higher levels of SOD. Significant differences were also observed in serum levels of NO in patients with high-diseases activity. Our findings support an association between oxidative/nitrosative stress and RA. Stronger response in samples with higher diseases activity suggests that oxidative/nitrosative stress markers may be useful in evaluating the progression of RA as well as in elucidating the mechanisms of disease pathogenesis.

Homocysteine, an amino acid containing a sulfhydryl group, is an intermediate product during metabolism of the amino acids methionine and cysteine. Hyperhomocysteinemia is used as a predictive risk factor for cardiovascular disorders, the stroke progression, screening for inborn errors of methionine metabolism, and as a supplementary test for vitamin B deficiency. Two organic systems in which homocysteine has the most harmful effects are the cardiovascular and nervous system. The adverse effects of homocysteine are achieved by the action of several different mechanisms, such as overactivation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors, activation of Toll-like receptor 4, disturbance in Ca handling, increased activity of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase and subsequent increase of production of reactive oxygen species, increased activity of nitric oxide synthase and nitric oxide synthase uncoupling and consequent impairment in nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species synthesis. Increased production of reactive species during hyperhomocysteinemia is related with increased expression of several proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, MCP-1, and intracellular adhesion molecule-1. All these mechanisms contribute to the emergence of diseases like atherosclerosis and related complications such as myocardial infarction, stroke, aortic aneurysm, as well as Alzheimer disease and epilepsy. This review provides evidence that supports the causal role for hyperhomocysteinemia in the development of cardiovascular disease and nervous system disorders.

(1) Background: Marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and ɤ-linolenic acid (GLA) are well-known anti-inflammatory agents that may help in the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Their effects were examined in patients with rheumatoid arthritis; (2) Methods: Sixty patients with active rheumatoid arthritis were involved in a prospective, randomized trial of a 12 week supplementation with fish oil (group I), fish oil with primrose evening oil (group II), or with no supplementation (group III). Clinical and laboratory evaluations were done at the beginning and at the end of the study; (3) Results: The Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS 28 score), number of tender joints and visual analogue scale (VAS) score decreased notably after supplementation in groups I and II (p < 0.001). In plasma phospholipids the n-6/n-3 fatty acids ratio declined from 15.47 ± 5.51 to 10.62 ± 5.07 (p = 0.005), and from 18.15 ± 5.04 to 13.50 ± 4.81 (p = 0.005) in groups I and II respectively. The combination of n-3 PUFA and GLA (group II) increased ɤ-linolenic acid (0.00 ± 0.00 to 0.13 ± 0.11, p < 0.001), which was undetectable in all groups before the treatments; (4) Conclusion: Daily supplementation with n-3 fatty acids alone or in combination with GLA exerted significant clinical benefits and certain changes in disease activity.

No abstract

Although exercise-induced oxidative stress receives considerable scientific attention, there is still little information available regarding exercise-induced adaptations of the antioxidant defence system in adolescent and child athletes. The aim of our study was to establish the effects of long-term exercise training on the redox state of adolescents, and to find correlations between elements of redox homeostasis and aerobic power. Thirty-three handball players and 14 non-athletes, 16-19-years old, were subjected to blood sampling to measure levels of nitric oxide (NO; estimated through nitrites (NO₂⁻), superoxide anion radical (O₂⁻), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), lipid peroxidation (estimated through TBARS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Subjects were also subjected to maximal progressive exercise test to estimate their maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂max). Athletes had significantly (P < 0.05) higher SOD activity and lower CAT activity compared with non-athletes (SOD: 2175.52 ± 362.07 compared with 1172.16 ± 747.40 U/g of hemoglobin x 10³, and CAT: 2.19 ± 0.31 compared with 3.08 ± 0.47 U/g of hemoglobin x 10³). These differences were the most obvious when comparing non-athletes and athletes with poor/average aerobic power. H₂O₂ and TBARS levels differed among subjects with poor, average or good aerobic power (P < 0.01, and P < 0.05, respectively). Sports engagement and aerobic capacity are important factors in inducing changes in redox status.

The effects of polyphenol-rich chokeberry juice on fatty acid profiles and lipid peroxidation of active handball players: results from a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study proportions of mono-(C16:1n-7, C18:1n-7), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs: 35C18:3n-3, C20:5n-3, and C22:4 n-6) in males, as well as n-6 PUFAs and total PUFAs in 36 females after consumption. These results indicate that chokeberry juice had a weak impact on 37 attenuating the effect of intensive training in active handball players. (Arsic et al. 2012(Arsic et al. , 2015 Tepsic et al. 2009 Tepsic et al. , 2011 lasting 3 hours in total. 112The research protocol started at 8 AM, after an overnight rest and fast, and before the 113 breakfast. After filling out standard sports medicine questionnaire and passing the standard 114 sports medicine examination, the blood samples were taken from the players. 115The players (male or female, respectively) were randomly divided into two treatment group (n=7 for male, n=7 for female) was given 100 mL of placebo, having the same content Serum samples and biochemical determination 134Blood samples were taken at the beginning of the study and after four weeks chokeberry juice 135 or placebo consumption during the preparatory training in campus. The samples were taken 136 into sample tubes for serum and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) tubes for plasma. 137Lipid status and glucose level were determined in sera of the athletes, on the same day the 138 samples were collected, using the automated enzymatic methods (Roche Diagnostics kits, Acid), then samples were put on ice for 10 min, and centrifuged for 15 min at 6000 rpm. This 147 method was described previously (Okhava et al. 1979 The activities of enzymes involved in FA biosynthesis, desaturases and elongases, 165were estimated as the product-to-precursor ratios, as previously described (Petrovic et al. As it can be seen from the Table 1, there were no differences in the anthropometric 183 parameters both before and after the study in the same group, nor between chokeberry and 184 placebo groups. 185In both male and female athletes, there was no difference in serum glucose and total 186 cholesterol concentration before and after the intervention with chokeberry juice or placebo 187 ( As presented in Table 3, consumption of chokeberry juice (100 ml/ day) in parallel with (Table 3). 201Although the female players were subjected to the same intervention, the obtained consequently total PUFA were reduced in the placebo controlled group (Table 4). 204Interestingly, estimated desaturase and elongase activities were not amended in both male and 205 female handball players after the treatment with chokeberry juice or placebo ( is higher in women than in men due to effect of estrogen (Devries et al. 2007). 247The fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids followed in this study, showed 248 some treatment-and sex-dependent alternations. Total SFA, MUFA n-3 and n-6 PUFA 249(except n-6 PFA in the female placebo group) remained unchan...

Galium verum L. (G. verum, lady’s bedstraw) is a perennial herbaceous plant, belonging to the Rubiaceae family. It has been widely used throughout history due to multiple therapeutic properties. However, the effects of this plant species on functional recovery of the heart after ischemia have still not been fully clarified. Therefore, the aim of our study was to examine the effects of methanol extract of G. verum on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), with a special emphasis on the role of oxidative stress. Rats involved in the research were divided randomly into two groups: control (spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR)) and G. verum group, including SHR rats treated with the G. verum extract (500 mg/kg body weight per os) for 4 weeks. At the end of the treatment, in vivo cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography. Rats were sacrificed and blood samples were taken for spectrophotometric determination of systemic redox state. Hearts from all rats were isolated and retrogradely perfused according to the Langendorff technique. After a stabilization period, hearts were subjected to 20-minute ischemia, followed by 30-minute reperfusion. Levels of prooxidants were spectrophotometrically measured in coronary venous effluent, while antioxidant enzymes activity was assessed in heart tissue. Cell morphology was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. 4-week treatment with G. verum extract alleviated left ventricular hypertrophy and considerably improved in vivo cardiac function. Furthermore, G. verum extract preserved cardiac contractility, systolic function, and coronary vasodilatory response after ischemia. Moreover, it alleviated I/R-induced structural damage of the heart. Additionally, G. verum extract led to a drop in the generation of most of the measured prooxidants, thus mitigating cardiac oxidative damage. Promising potential of G. verum in the present study may be a basis for further researches which would fully clarify the mechanisms through which this plant species triggers cardioprotection.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is commonly associated with hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, oxidative stress and inflammation which are well known cardiovascular risk factors. Pomegranate peel polyphenols have a proven hypolipemic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. However, there is a lack of clinical studies that would confirm its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in diabetic patients. The potential of pomegranate peel extract (PoPEx) to counteract inflammation and oxidative stress in T2DM patients was investigated. For this purpose, a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study involving adult T2DM patients treated with PoPEx or placebo for eight-weeks was conducted. Methods: Patients were randomly divided into two groups: the first group (n = 30) received capsules containing PoPEx 250 mg twice daily, while the placebo group (n = 30) received placebo capsules twice daily. Plasma concentration of inflammatory factors (interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and high sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP)), oxidative stress biomarkers (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), nitrites (NO2 − ), superoxide anion radical (O2 − ), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), total antioxidant capacity (TAC)), homocysteine and lipid profile were analyzed. Results: The PoPEx treatment showed a significant reduction of inflammatory factors (IL-6, TNF-α, hsCRP), oxidative stress biomarkers (TBARS, NO2 − , O2 − ) and homocysteine, while the TAC was increased. Moreover, a significant improvement in lipid profile was observed in the PoPEx group. Additional analysis showed a significant inverse correlation between the decrements of all measured inflammatory markers and TAC in the PoPEx group. Conclusions: The study demonstrated that eight-week-long PoPEx administration had favorable effects on inflammatory status and oxidative stress biomarkers in diabetic patients.