It has been established that low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are produced in wounds and is required for optimal healing. Yet at the same time, there is evidence that excessive oxidative damage is correlated with poor-healing wounds. In this paper, we seek to determine whether topical application of H2O2 can modulate wound healing and if its effects are related to oxidative damage. Using a C57BL/6 mice excision wound model, H2O2 was found to enhance angiogenesis and wound closure at 10 mM but retarded wound closure at 166 mM. The delay in closure was also associated with decreased connective tissue formation, increased MMP-8 and persistent neutrophil infiltration. Wounding was found to increase oxidative lipid damage, as measured by F2-isoprostanes, and nitrative protein damage, as measured by 3-nitrotyrosine. However H2O2 treatment did not significantly increase oxidative and nitrative damage even at concentrations that delay wound healing. Hence the detrimental effects of H2O2 may not involve oxidative damage to the target molecules studied.
One of the most popular damage accumulation theories of ageing is the mitochondrial free radical theory of ageing (mFRTA). The mFRTA proposes that ageing is due to the accumulation of unrepaired oxidative damage, in particular damage to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Within the mFRTA, the “vicious cycle” theory further proposes that reactive oxygen species (ROS) promote mtDNA mutations, which then lead to a further increase in ROS production. Recently, data have been published on Caenorhabditis elegans mutants deficient in one or both forms of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD). Surprisingly, even double mutants, lacking both mitochondrial forms of SOD, show no reduction in lifespan. This has been interpreted as evidence against the mFRTA because it is assumed that these mutants suffer from significantly elevated oxidative damage to their mitochondria. Here, using a novel mtDNA damage assay in conjunction with related, well established damage and metabolic markers, we first investigate the age-dependent mitochondrial decline in a cohort of ageing wild-type nematodes, in particular testing the plausibility of the “vicious cycle” theory. We then apply the methods and insights gained from this investigation to a mutant strain for C. elegans that lacks both forms of mitochondrial SOD. While we show a clear age-dependent, linear increase in oxidative damage in WT nematodes, we find no evidence for autocatalytic damage amplification as proposed by the “vicious cycle” theory. Comparing the SOD mutants with wild-type animals, we further show that oxidative damage levels in the mtDNA of SOD mutants are not significantly different from those in wild-type animals, i.e. even the total loss of mitochondrial SOD did not significantly increase oxidative damage to mtDNA. Possible reasons for this unexpected result and some implications for the mFRTA are discussed.
Aging is associated with increased vulnerability to chronic, degenerative diseases and death. Strategies for promoting healthspan without necessarily affecting lifespan or aging rate have gained much interest. The mitochondrial free radical theory of aging suggests that mitochondria and, in particular, age-dependent mitochondrial decline play a central role in aging, making compounds that affect mitochondrial function a possible strategy for the modulation of healthspan and possibly the aging rate. Here we tested such a "metabolic tuning" approach in nematodes using the mitochondrial modulator dichloroacetate (DCA). We explored DCA as a proof-of-principle compound to alter mitochondrial parameters in wild-type animals and tested whether this approach is suitable for reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and for improving organismal health- and lifespan. In parallel, we addressed the potential problem of operator bias by running both unblinded and blinded lifespan studies. We found that DCA treatment (1) increased ATP levels without elevating oxidative protein damage and (2) reduced ROS production in adult C. elegans. DCA treatment also significantly prolonged nematode health- and lifespan, but did not strongly impact mortality doubling time. Operator blinding resulted in considerably smaller lifespan-extending effects of DCA. Our data illustrate the promise of a "metabolic tuning" intervention strategy, emphasize the importance of mitochondria in nematode aging and highlight operator bias as a potential confounder in lifespan studies.
This paper presents the fabrication process, characterization results and basic functionality of silicon microneedle array with biodegradable tips for transdermal drug delivery. In order to avoid the main problems related to silicon microneedles; the breaking of the top part of the needles inside the skin, a simple solution can be the fabrication of microneedle array with biodegradable tips. A silicon microneedle array was fabricated by deep reactive ion etching (RIE), using the photoresist reflow effect and RIE notching effect. The biodegradable tips were successfully realized using the electrochemical anodization process that selectively generated porous silicon only on the top part of the skin. The porous tips can be degraded within a few weeks if some of them are broken inside the skin during the insertion and release process. The paper presents also the results of in vitro release of calcein with animal skins using a microneedle array with biodegradable tips. Compared to the transdermal drug delivery without microneedle enhancer, the microneedle array had presented significant enhancement of drug release.
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