Sex-Dependent Protective Effect of Combined Application of Solubilized Ubiquinol and Selenium on Monocrotaline-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension in Wistar Rats

Abstract

Ubiquinol exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Selenium is a part of a number of antioxidant enzymes. The monocrotaline inducible model of pulmonary hypertension used in this study includes pathological links that may act as an application for the use of ubiquinol with high bioavailability and selenium metabolic products. On day 1, male and female rats were subcutaneously injected with a water-alcohol solution of monocrotaline or only water-alcohol solution. On days 7 and 14, some animals were intravenously injected with either ubiquinol’s vehicle or solubilized ubiquinol, or orally with selenium powder daily, starting from day 7, or received both ubiquinol + selenium. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lungs was performed on day 20. Hemodynamic parameters and morphometry were measured on day 22. An increased right ventricle systolic pressure in relation to control was demonstrated in all groups of animals of both sexes, except the group of males receiving the combination of ubiquinol + selenium. The relative mass of the right ventricle did not differ from the control in all groups of males and females receiving either ubiquinol alone or the combination. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed impaired perfusion in almost all animals examined, but pulmonary fibrosis developed in only half of the animals in the ubiquinol group. Intravenous administration of ubiquinol has a protective effect on monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension development resulting in reduced right ventricle hypertrophy, and lung mass. Ubiquinol + selenium administration resulted in a less severe increase in the right ventricle systolic pressure in male rats but not in females 3 weeks after the start of the experiment. This sex-dependent effect was not observed in the influence of ubiquinol alone.

Ventilation Study of the Human Lungs by 19F MRI at 0.5 Tesla

“…The use of OFCB as inhaled contrast agent for 19 F MRI was firstly proposed in 2010 and demonstrated pig lung imaging at 1.5 Tesla [11]. Recently we showed the effectiveness of this gas for 19 F MRI for human lung imaging at 0.5 Tesla [12] and for small laboratory animal studies at 7 Tesla [13]. The comparison of this gas with perfluoropropane at 3 Tesla has been shown in the paper [14].…”

Т1 mapping of rat lungs in 19F MRI using octafluorocyclobutane

“…The possibility of using OFCB for 19 F MRI was first demonstrated in pig lung imaging in 2010 23 . Recently, the effectiveness of this gas for 19 F MRI was shown in human lung imaging 24,25 and in small laboratory animal studies 26,27 . Although various literary sources 22‐27 provide different information about T 1 of OFCB (from 28 to 53 ms), this gas still has the longest T 1 among all fluorinated gases used in 19 F MRI on clinical scanners of 1.5 T and 3 T. The same is most likely to be true for ultrahigh magnetic fields (≥ 7 T).…”

“…23 Recently, the effectiveness of this gas for 19 F MRI was shown in human lung imaging 24,25 and in small laboratory animal studies. 26,27 Although various literary sources [22][23][24][25][26][27] provide different information about T 1 of OFCB (from 28 to 53 ms), this gas still has the longest T 1 among all fluorinated gases used in 19 F MRI on clinical scanners of 1.5 T and 3 T. The same is most likely to be true for ultrahigh magnetic fields (≥ 7 T). However, to the best of our knowledge, there are no data on relaxation times of different fluorinated gases in ultrahigh magnetic fields.…”

“…As far as we know, there are a few papers that demonstrate the application of the 19 F MRI for rodent lung visualization and functional assessment in vivo, 16,26,27,[40][41][42][43][44] and only one of them 16 is dedicated to T 1 mapping of the lungs. There, the T 1 maps of rat lungs with partially obstructed ventilation were obtained using fluorinated gas SF 6 and the Look-Locker technique.…”

Selenium Nanoparticles Can Influence the Immune Response Due to Interactions with Antibodies and Modulation of the Physiological State of Granulocytes

“…The immunomodulatory properties of selenium are likely partly associated with this chemical element's antioxidant properties. In many scenarios, selenium can prevent the development of oxidative stress and its detrimental consequences, including damage to nucleic acids, proteins, and other biomolecules [10,11]. In addition, selenium is part of 25 selenoproteins that play an important role in the regulation of the Red/Ox potential and the functioning of immune cells [12].…”