Effects of Synthetic Short Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides on the Catalytic Activity of Myeloperoxidase, Reducing Its Oxidative Capacity.

Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) have gained attention as promising antimicrobial therapeutics causing lower or no bacterial resistance. Considerable achievements have been made in designing new CAMPs that are highly active as antimicrobials. However, there is a lack of research on their interaction with biologically important proteins. This study focused on CAMPs' effects on myeloperoxidase (MPO), an enzyme which is microbicidal and concomitantly damaging to host biomolecules and cells due to its ability to produce reactive oxygen and halogen species (ROS/RHS). Four CAMPs designed by us were employed. MPO catalytic activity was assessed by an absorbance spectra analysis and by measuring enzymatic activity using Amplex Red- and Celestine Blue B-based assays. The peptide Hm-AMP2 accelerated MPO turnover. Pept_1545 and Hm-AMP8 inhibited both the MPO chlorinating and peroxidase activities, with components of different inhibition types. Hm-AMP8 was a stronger inhibitor. Its Ki towards H2O2 and Cl- was 0.3-0.4 µM vs. 11-20 µM for pept_1545. Peptide tyrosine and cysteine residues were involved in the mechanisms of the observed effects. The results propose a possible dual role of CAMPs as both antimicrobial agents and agents that downregulate MPO activation, and suggest CAMPs as prototypes for the development of antioxidant compounds to prevent MPO-mediated ROS/RHS overproduction.

Methylglyoxal-Modified Human Serum Albumin Binds to Leukocyte Myeloperoxidase and Inhibits its Enzymatic Activity.

Hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus induces modification of proteins by glucose and its derivative methylglyoxal (MG). Neutrophils perform their bactericidal activity mainly via reactive halogen (RHS) and oxygen (ROS) species generation catalyzed by myeloperoxidase (MPO) stored in neutrophil azurophilic granules (AGs) and membrane NADPH oxidase, respectively. Herein, we study the binding of human serum albumin (HSA) modified with MG (HSA-MG) to MPO and its effects on MPO activity and release by neutrophils. Peroxidase activity of MPO was registered by oxidation of 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt, and chlorinating activity by decolorization of Celestine blue B dye. Binding of HSA-MG to MPO was studied by affinity chromatography, disc-electrophoresis, ligand Western blotting and enzyme-linked solid phase immunoassay using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to MPO. ROS and RHS generation were detected by lucigenin (Luc) and luminol (Lum) chemiluminescence (CL), respectively. Neutrophil degranulation was assessed by flow cytometry using fluorescent labeled antibodies to the marker proteins CD63 from AGs and CD11b from peroxidase-negative granules (PNGs). NETosis was assayed by quantifying DNA network-like structures (NET-like structures) in blood smears stained by Romanowsky. HSA-MG bound to MPO, giving a stable complex (Kd = 1.5 nM) and competing with mAbs, and non-competitively inhibited peroxidase and chlorinating MPO activity and induced degranulation of PNGs but not of AGs. HSA-MG enhanced Luc-CL per se or following PMA, unlike Lum-CL, and did not affect spontaneous or PMA-stimulated NETosis. Thus, HSA modified under hyperglycemia-like conditions stimulated NADPH oxidase of neutrophils but dampened their functions dependent on activity of MPO, with no effect on its release via degranulation or NETosis. This phenomenon could underlie the downregulation of bactericidal activity of MPO and neutrophils, and hence of innate immunity, giving rise to wound healing impairment and susceptibility to infection in patients with hyperglycemia.

In Vitro Modulation of Complement Activation by Therapeutically Prospective Analogues of the Marine Polychaeta Arenicin Peptides.

The widespread resistance to antibiotics in pathogenic bacteria makes the development of a new generation of antimicrobials an urgent task. The development of new antibiotics must be accompanied by a comprehensive study of all of their biological activities in order to avoid adverse side-effects from their application. Some promising antibiotic prototypes derived from the structures of arenicins, antimicrobial peptides from the lugworm Arenicola marina, have been developed. Previously, we described the ability of natural arenicins -1 and -2 to modulate the human complement system activation in vitro. In this regard, it seems important to evaluate the effect of therapeutically promising arenicin analogues on complement activation. Here, we describe the complement-modulating activity of three such analogues, Ar-1[V8R], ALP1, and AA139. We found that the mode of action of Ar-1[V8R] and ALP1 on the complement was similar to that of natural arenicins, which can both activate and inhibit the complement, depending on the concentration. However, Ar-1[V8R] behaved predominantly as an inhibitor, showing only a moderate increase in C3a production in the alternative pathway model and no enhancement at all of the classical pathway of complement activation. In contrast, the action of ALP1 was characterized by a marked increase in the complement activation through the classical pathway in the concentration range of 2.5-20 µg/mL. At the same time, at higher concentrations (80-160 µg/mL), this peptide exhibited a complement inhibitory effect characteristic of the other arenicins. Peptide AA139, like other arenicins, exhibited an inhibitory effect on complement at a concentration of 160 µg/mL, but was much less pronounced. Overall, our results suggest that the effect on the complement system should be taken into account in the development of antibiotics based on arenicins.

New Application of the Commercially Available Dye Celestine Blue B as a Sensitive and Selective Fluorescent "Turn-On" Probe for Endogenous Detection of HOCl and Reactive Halogenated Species.

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) derived from hydrogen peroxide and chloride anion by myeloperoxidase (MPO) plays a significant role in physiological and pathological processes. Herein we report a phenoxazine-based fluorescent probe Celestine Blue B (CB) that is applicable for HOCl detection in living cells and for assaying the chlorinating activity of MPO. A remarkable selectivity and sensitivity (limit of detection is 32 nM), along with a rapid "turn-on" response of CB to HOCl was demonstrated. Furthermore, the probe was able to detect endogenous HOCl and reactive halogenated species by fluorescence spectroscopy, confocal microscopy, and flow cytometry techniques. Hence, CB is a promising tool for investigating the role of HOCl in health and disease and for screening the drugs capable of regulating MPO activity.

Caught red handed: modeling and confirmation of the myeloperoxidase ceruloplasmin alpha-thrombin complex.

The work is devoted to the study of the structural characteristics of the myeloperoxidase-ceruloplasmin-thrombin complex using small-angle neutron scattering methods in combination with computer modeling, as well as surface plasmon resonance and solid-phase enzyme assay. We have previously shown that the functioning of active myeloperoxidase during inflammation, despite the presence in the blood of an excess of ceruloplasmin which inhibits its activity, is possible due to the partial proteolysis of ceruloplasmin by thrombin. In this study, the myeloperoxidase-ceruloplasmin-thrombin heterohexamer was obtained in vitro. The building of a heterohexamer full-atomic model in silico, considering the glycosylation of the constituent proteins, confirmed the absence of steric barriers for the formation of protein-protein contacts. It was shown that the partial proteolysis of ceruloplasmin does not affect its ability to bind to myeloperoxidase, and a structural model of the heterohexamer was obtained using the small-angle neutron scattering method.

Lactoferrin Induces Erythropoietin Synthesis and Rescues Cognitive Functions in the Offspring of Rats Subjected to Prenatal Hypoxia.

The protective effects of recombinant human lactoferrin rhLF (branded "CAPRABEL™") on the cognitive functions of rat offspring subjected to prenatal hypoxia (7% O2, 3 h, 14th day of gestation) have been analyzed. About 90% of rhLF in CAPRABEL was iron-free (apo-LF). Rat dams received several injections of 10 mg of CAPRABEL during either gestation (before and after the hypoxic attack) or lactation. Western blotting revealed the appearance of erythropoietin (EPO) alongside the hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) in organ homogenates of apo-rhLF-treated pregnant females, their embryos (but not placentas), and in suckling pups from the dams treated with apo-rhLF during lactation. Apo-rhLF injected to rat dams either during pregnancy or nurturing the pups was able to rescue cognitive deficits caused by prenatal hypoxia and improve various types of memory both in young and adult offspring when tested in the radial maze and by the Novel Object Recognition (NOR) test. The data obtained suggested that the apo-form of human LF injected to female rats during gestation or lactation protects the cognitive functions of their offspring impaired by prenatal hypoxia.

High-resolution atomic force microscopy visualization of metalloproteins and their complexes.

BACKGROUND: Metalloproteins myeloperoxidase (MPO), ceruloplasmin (CP) and lactoferrin (LF) play an important role in regulation of inflammation and oxidative stress in vertebrates. It was previously shown that these proteins may work synergetically as antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agents by forming complexes, such as MPO-CP and LF-CP. However, interaction of metalloprotein molecules with each other has never been characterized at a single-molecule level. METHODS: In this study, the pairwise interactions of MPO, CP and LF molecules were investigated at a single-molecule level using high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM). Highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surface (HOPG) modified with oligoglycine-hydrocarbon graphite modifier (GM) was used as a substrate for protein deposition. RESULTS: The procedure for reliable AFM investigation of metalloproteins and their complexes has been developed. Using this procedure, we have visualized, for the first time, single MPO, CP and LF molecules, characterized the morphology of MPO-CP and LF-CP complexes and confirmed the absence of direct contacts between MPO and LF molecules. Moreover, we have revealed the novel chainlike shape of MPO-CP conjugates. CONCLUSIONS: GM-HOPG was shown to be a convenient substrate for AFM investigation of metalloproteins and their complexes. Direct AFM visualization of MPO-CP and LF-CP complexes, on the one hand, complements previous data obtained from the "bulk techniques" and, on the other hand, provides new insight into the ultrastructure of MPO-CP complexes. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: The obtained results contribute to the better understanding of regulation of inflammation and oxidation stress mediated by collaborative action of the metalloproteins such as MPO, CP and LF.

Oxidation of cysteine by ceruloplasmin leads to formation of hydrogen peroxide, which can be utilized by myeloperoxidase.

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is the enzyme of azurophilic granules of neutrophils, which catalyzes two electron oxidation of either chloride or bromide in the so-called "halogenating cycle". Interaction of hydrogen peroxide with MPO in the presence of chloride ions leads to formation of hypochlorous acid (HOCl). Ceruloplasmin (CP) is known to be an effective physiological inhibitor of the MPO activity. However, despite the large excess of CP in blood plasma, MPO-dependently modified biomolecules were found in variety of inflammation loci, including vessel walls. This study shows that CP, which is supposed to inhibit MPO, can provide its action in physiological conditions due to hydrogen peroxide formation during oxidation of free cysteine. The key role of labile copper ions in said process is also demonstrated.

Neutrophil activation in response to monomeric myeloperoxidase.

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is an oxidant-producing enzyme that can also regulate cellular functions via its nonenzymatic effects. Mature active MPO isolated from normal human neutrophils is a 145 kDa homodimer, which consists of 2 identical protomers, connected by a single disulfide bond. By binding to CD11b/CD18 integrin, dimeric MPO induces neutrophil activation and adhesion augmenting leukocyte accumulation at sites of inflammation. This study was performed to compare the potency of dimeric and monomeric MPO to elicit selected neutrophil responses. Monomeric MPO (hemi-MPO) was obtained by treating the dimeric MPO by reductive alkylation. Analysis of the crucial signal transducer, intracellular Ca2+, showed that dimeric MPO induces Ca2+ mobilization from the intracellular calcium stores of neutrophils and influx of extracellular Ca2+ whereas the effect of monomeric MPO on Ca2+ increase in neutrophils was less. It was also shown that monomeric MPO was less efficient than dimeric MPO at inducing actin cytoskeleton reorganization, cell survival, and neutrophil degranulation. Furthermore, we have detected monomeric MPO in the blood plasma of patients with acute inflammation. Our data suggest that the decomposition of dimeric MPO into monomers can serve as a regulatory mechanism that controls MPO-dependent activation of neutrophils and reduces the proinflammatory effects of MPO.

Enzymatic and bactericidal activity of myeloperoxidase in conditions of halogenative stress.

Myeloperoxidase (MPO), found mainly in neutrophils, is released in inflammation. MPO produces reactive halogen species (RHS), which are bactericidal agents. However, RHS overproduction, i.e., halogenative stress, can also damage host biomolecules, and MPO itself may be targeted by RHS. Therefore, we examined the susceptibility of MPO to inactivation by its primary products (HOCl, HOBr, HOSCN) and secondary products such as taurine monochloramine (TauCl) and taurine monobromamine (TauBr). MPO was dose-dependently inhibited up to complete inactivity by treatment with HOCl or HOBr. TauBr diminished the activity but did not eliminate it. TauCl had no effect. MPO became inactivated when producing HOCl or HOBr but not HOSCN. Taurine protected MPO against inactivation when MPO was catalyzing oxidation of Cl- to HOCl, whereas taurine failed to prevent inactivation when MPO was working with Br-, either alone or in combination with Cl-. SCN- interfered with HOCl-mediated MPO inhibition. UV-vis spectra showed that heme degradation is involved in HOCl- and HOBr-mediated MPO inactivation. A negative linear correlation between the remaining chlorinating activity of HOCl- or HOBr-modified MPO and Escherichia coli survival upon incubation with MPO/H2O2/Cl- was found. This study elucidated the possibility of MPO downregulation by MPO-derived RHS, which could counteract halogenative stress.

Functional link between ferroxidase activity of ceruloplasmin and protective effect of apo-lactoferrin: studying rats kept on a silver chloride diet.

Strongly pronounced argyrosis caused by adding AgCl to the feed of laboratory rats efficiently mimics the deficiency of ceruloplasmin (CP) ferroxidase activity. Bringing the concentration of AgCl in the feedstuff of lactating rats to 250 mg % and keeping their progeny (Ag-rats) for 3 months on the same silver-containing feed provided the serum iron content 1.4 times lower than that in the control group. Besides, the ferroxidase activity of CP dropped to zero. In CP purified from sera of Ag-rats two copper ions were substituted with two silver ions. Using rat models of both post-hemorrhagic and hemolytic anemia we showed that the deficiency of CP ferroxidase activity in Ag-rats affects the iron content in serum, though does not prevent the recovery of hemoglobin level accompanied by exhaustion of iron caches in liver and spleen. When apo-lactoferrin (apo-LF) was administered to Ag-rats suffering from either post-hemorrhagic or hemolytic anemia, both hemoglobin and serum iron were restored more rapidly than in the control animals. In independent experiments Ag-rats were compared with those fed on regular diet and the former displayed a prolonged 3-day stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factors 1 and 2 alpha (HIF-1a and HIF-2a) along with an increased serum concentration of erythropoietin. Introduction to Ag-rats of active CP separately or together with apo-LF reduced that effect to 1 day only. It is concluded that saturation of apo-LF with iron, provided by active CP, can strongly affect its protective capacity.

Adsorbed plasma proteins modulate the effects of single-walled carbon nanotubes on neutrophils in blood.

Proteins adsorbed on a surface may affect the interaction of this surface with cells. Here, we studied the binding of human serum albumin (HSA), fibrinogen (FBG) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) to PEGylated single-walled carbon nanotubes (PEG-SWCNTs) and evaluated the impact of PEG-SWCNT treated by these proteins on neutrophils in whole blood samples. Measurements of adsorption parameters revealed tight binding of proteins to PEG-SWCNTs. AFM was employed to directly observe protein binding to sidewalls of PEG-SWCNTs. Fluorescein-labeled IgG was used to ascertain the stability of PEG-SWCNT-IgG complexes in plasma. In blood samples, all plasma proteins mitigated damage of neutrophils observed just after blood exposure to PEG-SWCNTs, while only treatment of PEG-SWCNTs with IgG resulted in dose- and time-dependent enhancement of CNT-induced neutrophil activation and in potentiation of oxidative stress. Our study demonstrates the ability of adsorbed plasma proteins to influence neutrophil response caused by PEG-SWCNTs in whole blood.

Interaction of macrophage migration inhibitory factor with ceruloplasmin: role of labile copper ions.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, is a target for pharmacological treatment of sepsis and malignant tumors. Inhibition of tautomerase activity of MIF in reaction with p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate (HPP) was observed in the presence of ceruloplasmin (CP), a copper-containing plasma protein. Binding labile copper ions to CP (CP+Cu(II)) is a prerequisite for MIF inhibiting. CP+Cu(II) is shown to be an uncompetitive inhibitor of MIF (Ki ~ 37 nM), which suggests formation of a complex 'MIF-HPP-CP-Cu(II)'. Filtration of CP+Cu(II) on a column with Chelex-100, otherwise the presence of high concentrations of histidine, cysteine or methionine abrogated the inhibitory effect of CP. Adding salts of Co(II) and Ni(II) that replace copper ions in the labile sites prevented the inhibitory effect of CP+Cu(II). Limited proteolysis of CP by thrombin diminished its oxidase activity in reaction with p-phenylenediamine, but endowed it with the capacity of inhibiting MIF. Covalent modification of MIF by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) resulted in binding of MIF-PMSF to CP immobilized on CM5 chip, the dissociation constant being 4.2 µM. In D-galactosamine-sensitized mice CP+Cu(II) increased the LPS-induced lethality from 54 to 100%, while administration of antibodies against MIF prevented the lethal effect. The enhancement by CP+Cu(II) of the pro-inflammatory signal of MIF is discussed.

Thrombin inhibits the anti-myeloperoxidase and ferroxidase functions of ceruloplasmin: relevance in rheumatoid arthritis.

Human ceruloplasmin (CP) is a multifunctional copper-binding protein produced in the liver. CP oxidizes Fe(2+) to Fe(3+), decreasing the concentration of Fe(2+) available for generating harmful oxidant species. CP is also a potent inhibitor of leukocyte myeloperoxidase (MPO) (Kd=130nM), a major source of oxidants in vivo. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease affecting flexible joints and characterized by activation of both inflammatory and coagulation processes. Indeed, the levels of CP, MPO, and thrombin are markedly increased in the synovial fluid of RA patients. Here we show that thrombin cleaves CP in vitro at (481)Arg-Ser(482) and (887)Lys-Val(888) bonds, generating a nicked species that retains the native-like fold and the ferroxidase activity of the intact protein, whereas the MPO inhibitory function of CP is abrogated. Analysis of the synovial fluid of 24 RA patients reveals that CP is proteolytically degraded to a variable extent, with a fragmentation pattern similar to that observed with thrombin in vitro, and that proteolysis is blocked by hirudin, a highly potent and specific thrombin inhibitor. Using independent biophysical techniques, we show that thrombin has intrinsic affinity for CP (Kd=60-270nM), independent of proteolysis, and inhibits CP ferroxidase activity (KI=220±20nM). Mapping of thrombin binding sites with specific exosite-directed ligands (i.e., hirugen, fibrinogen γ'-peptide) and thrombin analogues having the exosites variably compromised (i.e., prothrombin, prethrombin-2, ßT-thrombin) reveals that the positively charged exosite-II of thrombin binds to the negatively charged upper region of CP, while the protease active site and exosite-I remain accessible. These results suggest that thrombin can exacerbate inflammation in RA by impairing the MPO inhibitory function of CP via proteolysis and by competitively inhibiting CP ferroxidase activity. Notably, local administration of hirudin, a highly potent and specifc thrombin inhibitor, reduces the concentration of active MPO in the synovial fluid of RA patients and has a beneficial effect on the clinical symptoms of the disease.

Lactoferrin, myeloperoxidase, and ceruloplasmin: complementary gearwheels cranking physiological and pathological processes.

Copper-containing plasma protein ceruloplasmin (Cp) forms a complex with lactoferrin (Lf), an iron-binding protein, and with the heme-containing myeloperoxidase (Mpo). In case of inflammation, Lf and Mpo are secreted from neutrophil granules. Among the plasma proteins, Cp seems to be the preferential partner of Lf and Mpo. After an intraperitoneal injection of Lf to rodents, the "Cp-Lf" complex has been shown to appear in their bloodstream. Cp prevents the interaction of Lf with protoplasts of Micrococcus luteus. Upon immunoprecipitation of Cp, the blood plasma becomes depleted of Lf and in a dose-dependent manner loses the capacity to inhibit the peroxidase activity of Mpo, but not the Mpo-catalyzed oxidation of thiocyanate in the (pseudo)halogenating cycle. Antimicrobial effect against E. coli displayed by a synergistic system that includes Lf and Mpo-H2O2-chloride, but not thiocyanate, as the substrate for Mpo is abrogated when Cp is added. Hence, Cp can be regarded as an anti-inflammatory factor that restrains the halogenating cycle and redirects the synergistic system Mpo-H2O2-chloride/thiocyanate to production of hypothiocyanate, which is relatively harmless for the human organism. Structure and functions of the "2Cp-2Lf-Mpo" complex and binary complexes Cp-Lf and 2Cp-Mpo in inflammation are discussed.

Proatherogenic modification of LDL by surface-bound myeloperoxidase.

One of the factors promoting oxidative/halogenating modification of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) is myeloperoxidase (MPO). We have shown previously that MPO binds to the LDL surfaces. The LDL-MPO complex is uncoupled in the presence of peptide EQIQDDCTGDED that corresponds to a fragment of apoB-100 (445-456). In this paper we studied how this peptide, as well as inhibitors and modulators of halogenating activity of MPO such as ceruloplasmin (CP), 4-aminobenzoic acid hydrazide (ABAH) and thiocyanate (SCN(-)) affect the accumulation of cholesterol and its esters in monocytes/macrophages after incubation with LDL subjected to different kinds of MPO-dependent oxidative/halogenating modification. In the presence of H2O2 and halides MPO causes stronger proatherogenic modification of LDL than exogenous reactive halogen species (HOCl and HOBr). Both monocytes, which differentiate into macrophages, and neutrophils secrete MPO in response to the presence of damaged LDL. The peptide EQIQDDCTGDED preventing interaction between MPO and LDL reduces the uptake of modified LDL and MPO by monocytes/macrophages and thus precludes the accumulation of intracellular cholesterol. Our results indicate that binding to MPO is important for LDL to become modified and acquire proatherogenic properties. The peptide EQIQDDCTGDED, CP, ABAH, and SCN(-) can play the role of anti-atherogenic factors reducing the deleterious effect of catalytically active MPO on LDL and accumulation of cholesterol in macrophages.

Hypohalous acid-modified human serum albumin induces neutrophil NADPH oxidase activation, degranulation, and shape change.

Halogenated lipids, proteins, and lipoproteins formed in reactions with myeloperoxidase (MPO)-derived hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hypobromous acid (HOBr) can contribute to the regulation of functional activity of cells and serve as mediators of inflammation. Human serum albumin (HSA) is the major plasma protein target of hypohalous acids. This study was performed to assess the potency of HSA modified by HOCl (HSA-Cl) and HOBr (HSA-Br) to elicit selected neutrophil responses. HSA-Cl/Br were found to induce neutrophil degranulation, generation of reactive oxygen intermediates, shape change, and actin cytoskeleton reorganization. Thus HSA-Cl/Br can initially act as a switch and then as a feeder of the "inflammatory loop" under oxidative stress. In HSA-Cl/Br-treated neutrophils, monoclonal antibodies against CD18, the ß subunit of ß2 integrins, reduced the production of superoxide anion radicals and hydrogen peroxide as well as MPO exocytosis, suggesting that CD18 contributed to neutrophil activation. HSA-Cl/Br-induced neutrophil responses were also inhibited by genistein, a broad-specificity tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and wortmannin, a phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, supporting the notion that activation of both tyrosine kinase and PI3K may play a role in neutrophil activation by HSA modified in MPO-dependent reactions. These results confirm the hypothesis that halogenated molecules formed in vivo via MPO-dependent reactions can be considered as a new class of biologically active substances potentially able to contribute to activation of myeloid cells in sites of inflammation and serve as inflammatory response modulators.

Human apo-lactoferrin as a physiological mimetic of hypoxia stabilizes hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha.

Apo-form of human lactoferrin (LF) is a potent iron chelator, this feature being similar to the iron-binding properties of a synthetic chelator desferoxamine (DFO). The latter stabilizes the principal adaptive transcriptional hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α). Since DFO is known as a pharmacological mimetic of hypoxia it was decided to test whether apo-LF is able to perform as such. Mice either injected intraperitoneally or given per os apo-LF displayed HIF-1α in liver, lungs, heart, brain, spleen and kidneys, as judged by results of Western blotting. Similar administration of iron-saturated LF (75 mg/kg) did not bring forth such effect. Synthesis of erythropoietin and ceruloplasmin became increased in the first case, which is explained by the respective genes being targets for HIF-1α. Apo-LF, but not Fe-LF, injected intraperitoneally to hypoxia low-resistant mice 24 h before animals were subjected to normobaric hypoxia with hypercapnia caused a significant increase of life-time by 40 %. The results obtained show that, like DFO, apo-LF performs as a normoxic mimetic of hypoxia, capable of stabilizing HIF-1α. Protective features of LF and DFO and their pharmacological properties involving HIF-1α are discussed.

PEGylated single-walled carbon nanotubes activate neutrophils to increase production of hypochlorous acid, the oxidant capable of degrading nanotubes.

Perspectives for the use of carbon nanotubes in biomedical applications depend largely on their ability to degrade in the body into products that can be easily cleared out. Carboxylated single-walled carbon nanotubes (c-SWCNTs) were shown to be degraded by oxidants generated by peroxidases in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. In the present study we demonstrated that conjugation of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to c-SWCNTs does not interfere with their degradation by peroxidase/H(2)O(2) system or by hypochlorite. Comparison of different heme-containing proteins for their ability to degrade PEG-SWCNTs has led us to conclude that the myeloperoxidase (MPO) product hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is the major oxidant that may be responsible for biodegradation of PEG-SWCNTs in vivo. MPO is secreted mainly by neutrophils upon activation. We hypothesize that SWCNTs may enhance neutrophil activation and therefore stimulate their own biodegradation due to MPO-generated HOCl. PEG-SWCNTs at concentrations similar to those commonly used in in vivo studies were found to activate isolated human neutrophils to produce HOCl. Both PEG-SWCNTs and c-SWCNTs enhanced HOCl generation from isolated neutrophils upon serum-opsonized zymosan stimulation. Both types of nanotubes were also found to activate neutrophils in whole blood samples. Intraperitoneal injection of a low dose of PEG-SWCNTs into mice induced an increase in percentage of circulating neutrophils and activation of neutrophils and macrophages in the peritoneal cavity, suggesting the evolution of an inflammatory response. Activated neutrophils can produce high local concentrations of HOCl, thereby creating the conditions favorable for degradation of the nanotubes.

Protection of ceruloplasmin by lactoferrin against hydroxyl radicals is pH dependent.

Destruction of ceruloplasmin (Cp) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide is accompanied by the release of the protein's copper ions that provoke formation of hydroxyl radicals (OH˙) and, consequently, further degradation of the protein. Under such conditions, degradation of Cp is hampered by a number of substances able to bind copper ions. Lactoferrin (Lf) is the most active protector of Cp, its protective effect depending on the pH of the medium. The best protection of Cp by Lf was detected at pH 7.4. In an acidic buffer (pH 5.5), Lf did not affect the destruction of Cp. The pH-dependent efficiency of copper binding by Lf is in good agreement with its capacity to protect Cp against degradation provoked by hydrogen peroxide. It seems likely that peroxide-dependent degradation of Cp stimulated by its own copper ions is a part of neutrophil-induced antimicrobial reactions and may take place properly at the foci of inflammation. Interaction of Lf with Cp may regulate the generation of OH˙ from hydrogen peroxide in the foci of inflammation and protect the adjacent tissues.