Influence of agricultural land-use and pesticides on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in an agricultural river basin in southeast Brazil.

Land-use alterations and pesticide run-offs are among the main causes for impairment in agricultural areas. We evaluated the influence of different land-uses (forest, pasture and intensive agriculture) on the water quality and on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages on three occasions: in the dry season, wet season and at the end of the wet season. Macroinvertebrates responded to this gradient of impairment: agricultural sites had significantly lower richness numbers than forested and pasture sites, and all major invertebrate groups were significantly affected.

Acute exercise induce endothelial nitric oxide synthase phosphorylation via Akt and AMP-activated protein kinase in aorta of rats: Role of reactive oxygen species.

Background: Acute exercise increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). H2O2 promotes endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activation and phosphorylation in endothelial cells. With this in mind, the present study was designed to evaluate ex vivo eNOS phosphorylation in rat aortas incubated with H2O2 and to test this hypothesis in vivo in the aortas of rats submitted to acute exercise.

Participation of 47C>T SNP (Ala-9Val polymorphism) of the SOD2 gene in the intracellular environment of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells with and without lipopolysaccharides.

The outcome of sepsis occurs due to influence of environmental and genetic factors besides genes variants whose expression support its outcome or not. Oxidative stress is associated to the pathogenicity of sepsis, occurring when there is a reactive species overproduction associated with inflammation. The aim of this study was to characterize the cellular redox status of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with either -9Ala (AA) or -9Val (VV) SOD2 genotypes and evaluate their response to oxidative stress induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Redox properties of Abarema cochliacarpos (Gomes) Barneby & Grime (Fabaceae) stem bark ethanol extract and fractions.

The redox properties of the hydroethanol extract (EE) and its ethyl acetate (EAF) and hydromethanol (HMF) fractions obtained from Abarema cochliacarpos (Gomes) Barneby & Grimes stem bark were evaluated. EAF had the highest total phenol content (848.62 ± 78.

Mercury in tropical and subtropical coastal environments.

Anthropogenic activities influence the biogeochemical cycles of mercury, both qualitatively and quantitatively, on a global scale from sources to sinks. Anthropogenic processes that alter the temporal and spatial patterns of sources and cycling processes are changing the impacts of mercury contamination on aquatic biota and humans. Human exposure to mercury is dominated by the consumption of fish and products from aquaculture operations.

Increased cerebral oxidative damage and decreased antioxidant defenses in ovariectomized and sham-operated rats supplemented with vitamin A.

Previous studies have linked oxidative stress with aging and aging-related processes, including menopause. Abnormalities in the redox state similar to those observed in menopausal women can be modeled experimentally with rat ovariectomy. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of vitamin A (retinol palmitate) supplementation (500 or 1,500 IU kg(-1) day(-1) for 30 days) on behavioral parameters and brain redox profile in ovariectomized (OVX) and sham-operated rats.

Effects of L-arginine supplementation on blood flow, oxidative stress status and exercise responses in young adults with uncomplicated type I diabetes.

Background And Aims: Vascular disease is the principal cause of death and disability in patients with diabetes, and endothelial dysfunction seems to be the major cause in its pathogenesis. Since L-arginine levels are diminished in conditions such as type 1 and type 2 diabetes, in this work we aimed to verify the effects of L-arginine supplementation (7 g/day) over the endothelial function and oxidative stress markers in young male adults with uncomplicated type 1 diabetes. We also investigated the influences of L-arginine administration on vascular/oxidative stress responses to an acute bout of exercise.

[Groundwater and rainwater contamination by pesticides in an agricultural region of Mato Grosso state in central Brazil].

This study sought to analyze groundwater and rainwater contamination by pesticides in two municipalities (Lucas do Rio Verde and Campo Verde) of Mato Grosso state. The area is Brazil's mid-west situated among the major soybean, corn and cotton producers in the state and the country. The analytical methodology combined chromatographic techniques on groundwater and rainwater samples with eco-toxicological analyses of the impacts of contamination by pesticide on bio-indicator species.

[Using the 'Driving Force - Pressure - State - Exposure - Effects - Action' (DPSEEA) model of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the analysis of risks related to the use of pesticides in agricultural activities in the state of Rio de Janeiro].

This paper seeks to apply the DPSEEA model (WHO) to identify major health risks to rural workers and the environment associated with the intensive use of pesticides in the State of Rio de Janeiro, based on an analysis of official public documents and a review of the (national and international) literature. It emphasizes the two main representative branches of agriculture in the state: family farming in the mountain region and the monoculture of sugarcane in the flatlands. Results show that the bulk of the determinants identified in the DPSEEA Matrix are related to deficiencies in actions for monitoring and surveillance of pesticide use, as well as a lack of technical assistance provided by the Public Sector in Rio de Janeiro State.

Preclinical and clinical evidence of antioxidant effects of antidepressant agents: implications for the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common mental disorder associated with a significant negative impact on quality of life, morbidity/mortality, and cognitive function. Individuals who suffer with MDD display lower serum/plasmatic total antioxidant potentials and reduced brain GSH levels. Also, F2-isoprostanes circulatory levels are increased in MDD subjects and are correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals pH-responsive antioxidant gene networks.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced in different physiological conditions. In response to ROS imbalance cells activate oxidative stress defenses, which include more than 60 antioxidant genes. It has been suggested that gene products associated with ROS detoxification can work coordinately, acting as an antioxidant-defense network.

Plasma glycation levels are associated with severity in sepsis.

Background: Advanced glycation end-products (AGE) have been involved in inflammatory diseases and may have an important role in the progression of symptoms. However, few studies have analysed the levels of glycated proteins in sepsis. In this study, we evaluated the levels of the well-known AGE (N(ε) -(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and N(ε) -(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL)) in the plasma of septic patients.

L-NAME co-treatment prevent oxidative damage in the lung of adult Wistar rats treated with vitamin A supplementation.

Based on the fact that vitamin A in clinical doses is a potent pro-oxidant agent to the lungs, we investigated here the role of nitric oxide (NO•) in the disturbances affecting the lung redox environment in vitamin A-treated rats (retinol palmitate, doses of 1000-9000 IU•kg(-1)•day(-1)) for 28 days. Lung mitochondrial function and redox parameters, such as lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation and the level of 3-nytrotyrosine, were quantified. We observed, for the first time, that vitamin A supplementation increases the levels of 3-nytrotyrosine in rat lung mitochondria.

Bioinformatical and in vitro approaches to essential oil-induced matrix metalloproteinase inhibition.

Context: Essential oils carry diverse antimicrobial and anti-enzymatic properties.

Objective: Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibition characteristics of Salvia fruticosa Miller (Labiatae), Myrtus communis Linnaeus (Myrtaceae), Juniperus communis Linnaeus (Cupressaceae), and Lavandula stoechas Linnaeus (Labiatae) essential oils were evaluated.

Materials And Methods: Chemical compositions of the essential oils were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Similarities in serum oxidative stress markers and inflammatory cytokines in patients with overt schizophrenia at early and late stages of chronicity.

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a debilitating neurodevelopmental disorder that strikes at a critical period of a young person's life. Its pathophysiology could be the result of deregulation of synaptic plasticity, with downstream alterations of inflammatory immune processes regulate by cytokines, impaired antioxidant defense and increased lipid peroxidation. The aim of this study was to examine serum oxidative stress markers and inflammatory cytokines in early and late phases of chronic SZ.

Hepatoprotective effects and HSV-1 activity of the hydroethanolic extract of Cecropia glaziovii (embaúba-vermelha) against acyclovir-resistant strain.

Context: Cecropia glaziovii Snethl. (Cecropiaceae), commonly known as "embaúba-vermelha", is widely distributed throughout Latin America and has been reported in Brazilian folk medicine to treat cough, asthma, high blood pressure and inflammation.

Objective: Investigate the hepatoprotective properties of crude hydroethanolic extract of C.

Increased susceptibility of mitochondria isolated from frontal cortex and hippocampus of vitamin A-treated rats to non-aggregated amyloid-β peptides 1-40 and 1-42.

Objective: Vitamin A is a redox-active molecule and its inadvertent utilisation as a preventive therapy against ageing or neurodegeneration has become a harmful habit among humans at different ages. Mitochondrial dysfunction and redox impairment may be induced by vitamin A supplementation experimentally. Nonetheless, it is still not clear by which mechanisms vitamin A elicits such effects.

Retinol induces morphological alterations and proliferative focus formation through free radical-mediated activation of multiple signaling pathways.

Aim: Toxicity of retinol (vitamin A) has been previously associated with apoptosis and/or cell malignant transformation. Thus, we investigated the pathways involved in the induction of proliferation, deformation and proliferative focus formation by retinol in cultured Sertoli cells of rats.

Methods: Sertoli cells were isolated from immature rats and cultured.

Proteasome inhibitor MG132 induces selective apoptosis in glioblastoma cells through inhibition of PI3K/Akt and NFkappaB pathways, mitochondrial dysfunction, and activation of p38-JNK1/2 signaling.

Proteasome inhibitors are emerging as a new class of anticancer agents. In this work, we examined the mechanisms underlying cytotoxicity, selectivity and adjuvant potential of the proteasome inhibitor MG132 in a panel of glioblastoma (GBM) cells (U138MG, C6, U87 and U373) and in normal astrocytes. MG132 markedly inhibited GBM cells growth irrespective of the p53 or PTEN mutational status of the cells whereas astrocytic viability was not affected, suggesting a selective toxicity of MG132 to cancerous glial cells.

Differential macrophage activation alters the expression profile of NTPDase and ecto-5'-nucleotidase.

Macrophages are key elements in the inflammatory process, whereas depending on the micro-environmental stimulation they exhibit a pro-inflammatory (classical/M1) or an anti-inflammatory/reparatory (alternative/M2) phenotype. Extracellular ATP can act as a danger signal whereas adenosine generally serves as a negative feedback mechanism to limit inflammation. The local increase in nucleotides communication is controlled by ectonucleotidases, such as members of the ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (E-NTPDase) family and ecto-5'-nucleotidase/CD73 (ecto-5'-NT).

Reduced serum non-enzymatic antioxidant defense and increased lipid peroxidation in schizophrenic patients on a hypocaloric diet.

Introduction: Growing evidence suggests that oxidative stress (OS) may be associated with the pathophysiology underlying schizophrenia (SZ). Some studies indicate that nutritional supplements offer protection from OS, but there is no data about the effect of a hypocaloric diet on OS in this population. Therefore, we aimed to study the effect of a hypocaloric dietary intervention on OS in subjects with SZ.

Changes in lymphocyte HSP70 levels in women handball players throughout 1 year of training: the role of estrogen levels.

Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) is a chaperone that maintains protein conformation during heat stress. It has recently been observed that HSP70 may be released from cells in response to increased energy demand (e.g.

The effects of vitamin A supplementation for 3 months on adult rat nigrostriatal axis: increased monoamine oxidase enzyme activity, mitochondrial redox dysfunction, increased β-amyloid(1-40) peptide and TNF-α contents, and susceptibility of mitochondria to an in vitro H2O2 challenge.

Even though vitamin A has been viewed as an antioxidant molecule, recent findings demonstrate that such vitamin elicits pro-oxidant effects in vivo. Moreover, vitamin A supplements utilization may increase mortality rates among healthy subjects. However, the mechanism by which vitamin A elicits such effects remains to be better analyzed.

Evaluation of the neurotoxic/neuroprotective role of organoselenides using differentiated human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line challenged with 6-hydroxydopamine.

It is well established that oxidative stress plays a major role in several neurodegenerative conditions, like Parkinson disease (PD). Hence, there is an enormous effort for the development of new antioxidants compounds with therapeutic potential for the management of PD, such as synthetic organoselenides molecules. In this study, we selected between nine different synthetic organoselenides the most eligible ones for further neuroprotection assays, using the differentiated human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line as in vitro model.