Current Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 11, Issue 9, 2004

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can be detected in freshly-voided human urine from healthy subjects and has been proposed as a “biomarker” of oxidative stress. This paper summarizes our studies to examine the extent to which urinary H2O2 measurement fulfils the criteria for the “ideal biomarker”. Levels of H2O2, standardised for creatinine, varied widely between subjects. In most subjects, levels also varied considerabl Read More

Endothelial dysfunction, characterized by a loss in nitric oxide bioactivity, is an early event in the development of atherosclerosis and determines future vascular complications. Emerging evidence suggests a causal role for oxidative stress in this process. Reactive oxygen species can directly inactivate nitric oxide, modulate protein function and act as cellular signaling molecules. These events contribute to the initiation and pr Read More

Organisms are constantly exposed to many different forms of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species that damage proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids, leading to loss of biological function. The possibility that reactive oxygen / nitrogen-mediated protein damage contributes to the aging process is supported by results of many studies showing that aging is associated with the accumulation of such protein damage. S Read More

Molecules in biological systems often can perform more than one function. In particular, many molecules have the ability to chemically scavenge free radicals and thus act in the test tube as antioxidant, but their main biological function is by acting as hormones, ligands for transcription factors, modulators of enzymatic activities or as structural components. In fact, oxidation of these molecules may impair their biological Read More

α-Lipoic acid (LA), a naturally occurring dithiol compound, has long been known as an essential cofactor for mitochondrial bioenergetic enzymes. Aside from its enzymatic role, in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that LA also acts as a powerful micronutrient with diverse pharmacologic and antioxidant properties. Pharmacolo-gically, LA improves glycemic control, polyneuropathies associated with diabetes mellitus, and effect Read More

Oxidative stress results from an oxidant / antioxidant imbalance, an excess of oxidants and / or a depletion of antioxidants. A considerable body of recent evidence suggests that oxidant stress plays a major role in several aspects of acute and chronic inflammation and is the subject of this review. Immunohistochemical and biochemical evidence demonstrate the significant role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in acute and Read More

An increasing body of evidence from animal models, human specimens and cell lines points to reactive oxygen species as likely involved in the pathways, which convey both extracellular and intracellular signals to the nucleus, under a variety of pathophysiological conditions. Indeed, reactive oxygen species (ROS), in a concentration compatible with that detectable in human pathophysiology, appear able to modulate a number Read More

The platelet aggregation is a crucial step in a pathophisiology of thromboses, leading to development of cardio-vascular diseases (myocardial infarction, transient ischemic attacks, strokes, etc.). The final step in the aggregation is the binding of fibrinogen to receptor - glycoprotein IIb / IIIa (GP IIb / IIIa) on the surface of activated platelets. In recent years the increasing attention is paid to the role of fibrinogen antagonists in Read More

Potassium channels play a crucial role in controlling the cell membrane potential. Among the different varieties of K+ channels, the ATP-sensitive potassium channels (KATP channels) have been characterized in numerous cell types, such as skeletal and smooth muscle cells, endocrine cells, cardiac cells and central neurons. Several molecules are known to activate KATP channels and have been named “potassium channel o Read More