Search results for "DNA DAMAGE"

ERA-experiment “space biochemistry”

1995

Abstract The general goal of the experiment was to study the response of anhydrobiotic (metabolically dormant) microorganisms (spores of Bacillus subtilis, cells of Deinococcus radiodurans, conidia of Aspergillus species) and cellular constituents (plasmid DNA, proteins, purple membranes, amino acids, urea) to the extremely dehydrating conditions of open space, in some cases in combination with irradiation by solar UV-light. Methods of investigation included viability tests, analysis of DNA damages (strand breaks, DNA-protein cross-links) and analysis of chemical effects by spectroscopic, electrophoretic and chromatographic methods. The decrease in viability of the microorganisms was as exp…

Detoxication Strategy of Epoxide Hydrolase—The Basis for a Novel Threshold for Definable Genotoxic Carcinogens

2004

From our recent work on the three-dimensional structure of epoxide hydrolases we theoretically deduced the likelihood of a two-step catalytic mechanism that we and others have subsequently experimentally confirmed. Analysis of the rate of the two steps by us and by others show that the first step—responsible for removal of the reactive epoxide from the system—works extraordinarily fast (typically three orders of magnitude faster than the second step), sucking up the epoxide like a sponge. Regeneration of the free enzyme (the second step of the catalytic mechanism) is slow. This becomes a toxicological problem only at doses of the epoxide that titrate the enzyme out. Our genotoxicity work s…

Endogenous DNA Damage and Its Relevance for the Initiation of Carcinogenesis

2011

1,4-Naphthoquinones as inducers of oxidative damage and stress signaling in HaCaT human keratinocytes.

2010

Selected biological effects of 1,4-naphthoquinone, menadione (2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) and structurally related quinones from natural sources--the 5-hydroxy-naphthoquinones juglone, plumbagin and the 2-hydroxy-naphthoquinones lawsone and lapachol--were studied in human keratinocytes (HaCaT). 1,4-naphthoquinone and menadione as well as juglone and plumbagin were highly cytotoxic, strongly induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and depleted cellular glutathione. Moreover, they induced oxidative DNA base damage and accumulation of DNA strand breaks, as demonstrated in an alkaline DNA unwinding assay. Neither lawsone nor lapachol (up to 100 microM) were active in any of these assay…

Effects of isoflurane on the Dnase I activity in an isolated enzyme preparation and on the Dnase I-G actin complex

1991

Effects of isoflurane on the DNase I activity in an isolated enzyme preparation and in the DNase I-globular (G) actin complex were investigated. DNase I, DNase I-G actin complex, and G actin were exposed to various (0.2–4.0 vol%) isoflurane concentrations for 180 min. Thereafter, DNase I activity was determined. DNase I activity was inhibited in relation to time and concentration of isoflurane exposure. At concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 vol% of isoflurane inactive DNase I was activated in the DNase I-G actin complex. The DNase I inhibitor G actin showed a reduced capability to inhibit DNase I following isoflurane exposure. Albumin can inhibit the DNase I inactivation possibly by com…

Reactive oxygen species involvement in apoptosis and mitochondrial damage in Caco-2 cells induced by enniatins A, A1, B and B1

2013

The cytotoxic effects, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) as well as the cell cycle disruption, the induction of apoptosis and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) as a function of increasing time have been determined in human colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells after exposure to enniatins (ENs) A, A₁, B and B₁. IC₅₀ values obtained by the MTT and Neutral Red assay, after 24, 48 and 72 h of exposure ranged from 0.5±0.1 to >15 μM. A significant increase (p≤0.05) in ROS generation and LPO production, as determined by the fluorescent probe H2-DCFDA and TBARS method respectively, was observed for all mycotoxins tested at 3.0 μM concent…

Photosensitization of DNA by β-carbolines: Kinetic analysis and photoproduct characterization

2012

β-Carbolines (βCs) are a group of alkaloids present in many plants and animals. It has been suggested that these alkaloids participate in a variety of significant photosensitized processes. Despite their well-established natural occurrence, the main biological role of these alkaloids and the mechanisms involved are, to date, poorly understood. In the present work, we examined the capability of three important βCs (norharmane, harmane and harmine) and two of its derivatives (N-methyl-norharmane and N-methyl-harmane) to induce DNA damage upon UV-A excitation, correlating the type and extent of the damage with the photophysical characteristics and DNA binding properties of the compounds. The r…

Biological Activity of Flavonoids Copper Complexes

2005

Three flavonoid copper(II) complexes Cu2(quercetin)(CH3COO)3(CH3OH) (1), Cu(anthrarufin)(CH3COO)·1/2H2O (2) and Cu(naringin)(OCH3)(CH3OH)2 (3) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, electronic absorption and EPR (X-band) spectroscopy. The complexes have a strong protective action over the Δsod1 mutant of S. cerevisiae against reactive oxygen radicals generated by an external source of free radicals (H2O2 or the superoxide-generating, menadione). On the other hand, the complexes cleave DNA efficiently even in the absence of reducing agents. The main reactive oxygen species responsible for the DNA strand cleavage have been determined using radical scavengers. A pro…

Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage in Obesity-Related Tumorigenesis

2014

Reactive oxygen species induce oxidative modification of critical macromolecules. Oxygen derived free radicals may act as potential cytotoxic intermediates inducing inflammatory and degenerative processes, or as signal messengers for the regulation of gene expression. This dual effect mainly depends on the availability of free radicals in terms of concentration, as well as on the environmental characteristics in which they are produced. The formation of free radicals has been proposed to be the linking factor between certain metabolic disturbances and cancer. Circulating mononuclear cells of patients with high cholesterol levels, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome or obesity present low…

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Correlations Between Oxidative Stress Metabolism and Cytogenetic Subgroups

2008

Abstract The chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B cell-CLL) is a heterogeneous lymphoproliferative disorder susceptible to oxidative stress. The excessive production of reactive oxygen intermediates above the capability of naturally produced antioxidants may result in the instability of essential macromolecules, and represents the molecular basis of many diseases including cancer. Highly reactive radicals interact with DNA inducing a multitude of oxidative modifications, and are implicated in mutagenesis due to misreplication of the damaged base 8-oxo-2′-deoxiguanosine (8-oxo-dG). Furthermore, protooncogene activation and/or tumor suppressor gene inhibition has been reported as a consequence of …