Comments on the Discussion Forum: Oromucosal immunomodulation as clinical spectrum mitigating factor in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The mammalian lactoperoxidase system, consisting of lactoperoxidase and the H2 O2 -producing enzyme duox, is our first line of defence against airborne microbes. This system catalyses the production of hypoiodite and hypoiodous acid in the presence of sufficient iodine. These products are highly efficient at destroying the H1N1 virus and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Japan has not been affected as much as other nations during the COVID-19 pandemic (death rate about 10% of the United States), and we think this is due to a diet high in iodine. With this in mind, we suggest four actions to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections. First, health professionals should study the preventative effect of increasing iodine in the diets of the aged, institutionalized, diabetics andsmokers. Second, the recommended daily intake (RDI) for iodine should be significantly increased, to at least double, the current RDI. Governments should encourage the use and distribution of cheap iodized salts, kelp and seaweed. Third, more research should be done around the physiology and the protective effects of the lactoperoxidase system. Finally, the degradation products of the SARS-CoV-2 viral particle by hypoiodite and hypoiodous acid should be characterized; portions of the damaged particle are likely to elicit stronger immunity and better vaccines.

Iodine: Its Role in Thyroid Hormone Biosynthesis and Beyond.

The present review deals with the functional roles of iodine and its metabolism. The main biological function of iodine concerns its role in the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones (THs) by the thyroid gland. In addition, however, further biological roles of iodine have emerged. Precisely, due to its significant action as scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS), iodine is thought to represent one of the oldest antioxidants in living organisms. Moreover, iodine oxidation to hypoiodite (IO-) has been shown to possess strong bactericidal as well as antiviral and antifungal activity. Finally, and importantly, iodine has been demonstrated to exert antineoplastic effects in human cancer cell lines. Thus, iodine, through the action of different tissue-specific peroxidases, may serve different evolutionarily conserved physiological functions that, beyond TH biosynthesis, encompass antioxidant activity and defense against pathogens and cancer progression.

Iodine uptake, storage and translocation mechanisms in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.).

Iodine is an essential micronutrient for human health; phytofortification is a means of improving humans' nutritional iodine status. However, knowledge of iodine uptake and translocation in plants remains limited. In this paper, plant uptake mechanisms were assessed in short-term experiments (24 h) using labelled radioisotopes; the speciation of iodine present in apoplastic and symplastic root solutions was determined by (HPLC)-ICP-QQQ-MS. Iodine storage was investigated in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) treated with I- and IO3-. Finally, translocation through the phloem to younger leaves was also investigated using a radioiodine (129I-) label. During uptake, spinach roots demonstrated the ability to reduce IO3- to I-. Once absorbed, iodine was present as org-I or I- with significantly greater concentrations in the apoplast than the symplast. Plants were shown to absorb similar concentrations of iodine applied as I- or IO3-, via the roots, grown in an inert growth substrate. We found that whilst leaves were capable of absorbing radioactively labelled iodine applied to a single leaf, less than 2% was transferred through the phloem to younger leaves. In this paper, we show that iodine uptake is predominantly passive (approximately two-thirds of total uptake); however, I- can be absorbed actively through the symplast. Spinach leaves can absorb iodine via foliar fertilisation, but translocation is severely limited. As such, foliar application is unlikely to significantly increase the iodine content, via phloem translocation, of fruits, grains or tubers.

Susceptibility of influenza viruses to hypothiocyanite and hypoiodite produced by lactoperoxidase in a cell-free system.

Lactoperoxidase (LPO) is an enzyme found in several exocrine secretions including the airway surface liquid producing antimicrobial substances from mainly halide and pseudohalide substrates. Although the innate immune function of LPO has been documented against several microbes, a detailed characterization of its mechanism of action against influenza viruses is still missing. Our aim was to study the antiviral effect and substrate specificity of LPO to inactivate influenza viruses using a cell-free experimental system. Inactivation of different influenza virus strains was measured in vitro system containing LPO, its substrates, thiocyanate (SCN-) or iodide (I-), and the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-producing system, glucose and glucose oxidase (GO). Physiologically relevant concentrations of the components of the LPO/H2O2/(SCN-/I-) antimicrobial system were exposed to twelve different strains of influenza A and B viruses in vitro and viral inactivation was assessed by determining plaque-forming units of non-inactivated viruses using Madin-Darby canine kidney cells (MDCK) cells. Our data show that LPO is capable of inactivating all influenza virus strains tested: H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2 influenza A viruses (IAV) and influenza B viruses (IBV) of both, Yamagata and Victoria lineages. The extent of viral inactivation, however, varied among the strains and was in part dependent on the LPO substrate. Inactivation of H1N1 and H1N2 viruses by LPO showed no substrate preference, whereas H3N2 influenza strains were inactivated significantly more efficiently when iodide, not thiocyanate, was the LPO substrate. Although LPO-mediated inactivation of the influenza B strains tested was strain-dependent, it showed slight preference towards thiocyanate as the substrate. The results presented here show that the LPO/H2O2/(SCN-/I-) cell-free, in vitro experimental system is a functional tool to study the specificity, efficiency and the molecular mechanism of action of influenza inactivation by LPO. These studies tested the hypothesis that influenza strains are all susceptible to the LPO-based antiviral system but exhibit differences in their substrate specificities. We propose that a LPO-based antiviral system is an important contributor to anti-influenza virus defense of the airways.

Efficient visible-light photocatalytic degradation of sulfadiazine sodium with hierarchical Bi7O9I3under solar irradiation.

Bi7O9I3, a kind of visible-light-responsive photocatalyst, with hierarchical micro/nano-architecture was successfully synthesized by oil-bath heating method, with ethylene glycol as solvent, and applied to degrade sulfonamide antibiotics. The as-prepared product was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-visible diffuse reflection spectra and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD and XPS tests confirmed that the product was indeed Bi7O9I3. The result of SEM observation shows that the as-synthesized Bi7O9I3 consists of a large number of micro-sheets with parallel rectangle structure. The optical test exhibited strong photoabsorption in visible light irradiation, with 617 nm of absorption edges. Moreover, the difference in the photocatalytic efficiency of as-prepared Bi7O9I3 at different seasons of a whole year was investigated in this study. The chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency and concentration of NO(3)(-) and SO(4)(2-) of solution after reaction were also researched to confirm whether degradation of the pollutant was complete; the results indicated a high mineralization capacity of Bi7O9I3. The as-synthesized Bi7O9I3exhibits an excellent oxidizing capacity of sulfadiazine sodium and favorable stability during the photocatalytic reaction.

Tyrosinase-catalyzed metabolism of rhododendrol (RD) in B16 melanoma cells: production of RD-pheomelanin and covalent binding with thiol proteins.

RS-4-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanol (rhododendrol, RD) was reported to induce leukoderma of the skin. To explore the mechanism underlying that effect, we previously showed that oxidation of RD with mushroom tyrosinase produces RD-quinone, which is converted to secondary quinone products, and we suggested that those quinones are cytotoxic because they bind to cellular proteins and produce reactive oxygen species. We then confirmed that human tyrosinase can oxidize both enantiomers of RD. In this study, we examined the metabolism of RD in B16F1 melanoma cells in vitro. Using 4-amino-3-hydroxy-n-butylbenzene as a specific indicator, we detected moderate levels of RD-pheomelanin in B16F1 cells exposed to 0.3 to 0.5 mM RD for 72 h. We also confirmed the covalent binding of RD-quinone to non-protein thiols and proteins through cysteinyl residues. The covalent binding of RD-quinone to proteins was 20- to 30-fold greater than dopaquinone. These results suggest that the tyrosinase-induced metabolism of RD causes melanocyte toxicity.

Bioconversion of iodoacetophenones by marine fungi.

Nine marine fungi (Aspergillus sclerotiorum CBMAI 849, Aspergillus sydowii Ce19, Beauveria felina CBMAI 738, Mucor racemosus CBMAI 847, Penicillium citrinum CBMAI 1186, Penicillium miczynskii Ce16, P. miczynskii Gc5, Penicillium oxalicum CBMAI 1185, and Trichoderma sp. Gc1) catalyzed the asymmetric bioconversion of iodoacetophenones 1-3 to corresponding iodophenylethanols 6-8. All the marine fungi produced exclusively (S)-ortho-iodophenylethanol 6 and (S)-meta-iodophenylethanol 7 in accordance to the Prelog rule. B. felina CBMAI 738, P. miczynskii Gc5, P. oxalicum CBMAI 1185, and Trichoderma sp. Gc1 produced (R)-para-iodophenylethanol 8 as product anti-Prelog. The bioconversion of para-iodoacetophenone 3 with whole cells of P. oxalicum CBMAI 1185 showed competitive reduction-oxidation reactions.

Commemorating two centuries of iodine research: an interdisciplinary overview of current research.

Iodine was discovered as a novel element in 1811 during the Napoleonic Wars. To celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of this event we reflect on the history and highlight the many facets of iodine research that have evolved since its discovery. Iodine has an impact on many aspects of life on Earth as well as on human civilization. It is accumulated in high concentrations by marine algae, which are the origin of strong iodine fluxes into the coastal atmosphere which influence climatic processes, and dissolved iodine is considered a biophilic element in marine sediments. Iodine is central to thyroid function in vertebrates, with paramount implications for human health. Iodine can exist in a wide range of oxidation states and it features a diverse supramolecular chemistry. Iodine is amenable to several analytical techniques, and iodine compounds have found widespread use in organic synthesis. Elemental iodine is produced on an industrial scale and has found a wide range of applications in innovative materials, including semiconductors--in particular, in solar cells.

Intracellular iodinated compounds affect sodium iodide symporter expression through TSH-mediated signaling pathways.

The mechanisms by which thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) regulates the expression and activity of sodium iodide symporter (NIS) through cAMP-PKA have been partially elucidated by many studies. However, the effects of the TSH-mediated PLC-IP3 signaling pathway on the expression of NIS and how intracellular iodinated compounds interfere with these signaling pathways are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of the TSH-mediated cAMP-PKA and PLC-IP3 pathways on the expression of NIS in the presence of various intracellular iodinated compounds. The intracellular iodinated compounds were formed by treating cells with different concentrations of iodine with or without methimazole (MMI), an inhibitor of iodine organification, in a pig monolayer thyrocyte in vitro. A high concentration of iodine increased NIS expression at the mRNA and protein levels; however, this phenomenon was not observed in the presence of MMI. Both the cAMP-PKA and PLC-IP3 signaling pathways inhibited the expression of NIS at low iodine concentrations; however, in thyrocytes treated with high concentrations of iodine, the effect of cAMP-PKA on the expression of NIS changed from inhibition to promotion, while the PLC-IP3 pathway continued to inhibit NIS expression. These findings indicate that intracellular iodinated compounds affect NIS expression through the TSH-mediated cAMP-PKA and PLC-IP3 pathways.

Enhancement of respiratory mucosal antiviral defenses by the oxidation of iodide.

Recent reports postulate that the dual oxidase (DUOX) proteins function as part of a multicomponent oxidative pathway used by the respiratory mucosa to kill bacteria. The other components include epithelial ion transporters, which mediate the secretion of the oxidizable anion thiocyanate (SCN(-)) into airway surface liquid, and lactoperoxidase (LPO), which catalyzes the H(2)O(2)-dependent oxidation of the pseudohalide SCN(-) to yield the antimicrobial molecule hypothiocyanite (OSCN(-)). We hypothesized that this oxidative host defense system is also active against respiratory viruses. We evaluated the activity of oxidized LPO substrates against encapsidated and enveloped viruses. When tested for antiviral properties, the LPO-dependent production of OSCN(-) did not inactivate adenovirus or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). However, substituting SCN(-) with the alternative LPO substrate iodide (I(-)) resulted in a marked reduction of both adenovirus transduction and RSV titer. Importantly, well-differentiated primary airway epithelia generated sufficient H(2)O(2) to inactivate adenovirus or RSV when LPO and I(-) were supplied. The administration of a single dose of 130 mg of oral potassium iodide to human subjects increased serum I(-) concentrations, and resulted in the accumulation of I(-) in upper airway secretions. These results suggest that the LPO/I(-)/H(2)O(2) system can contribute to airway antiviral defenses. Furthermore, the delivery of I(-) to the airway mucosa may augment innate antiviral immunity.

Factors influencing the study of peroxidase-generated iodine species and implications for thyroglobulin synthesis.

A key issue in the mechanism of thyroglobulin (Tg) iodination by thyroperoxidase (TPO) is whether a TPO-bound iodine intermediate directly iodinates Tg-incorporated tyrosines (specific iodination) or whether reactive iodine species released from TPO effectuate Tg iodination (nonspecific iodination). We addressed these alternatives by (a) determining the aqueous equilibria of the iodine species potentially involved in the kinetic studies of TPO-mediated iodination, and (b) reviewing the structure of the substrate channel in mammalian peroxidases. Redox-potentiometric analysis of aqueous iodine combined with integrated mathematical modelling demonstrates that I2 reacts with water to form several iodine species including hypoiodious acid (HOI). The HOI/I2 ratio depends on time, iodide concentration, buffering agents, and pH varying dramatically from pH 4 to 7.4. These factors may confound the use of Michaelis-Menten kinetics to determine the mechanism of TPO-catalyzed iodination since both I2 and HOI iodinate tyrosine but with different specificities and reaction rates. Consequently there is as yet no conclusive kinetic evidence that iodination occurs via formation of a TPO-bound iodinated intermediate. Furthermore, knowledge of TPO structure, gained from X-ray crystallographic studies indicates that access of Tg-bound tyrosyl groups to the active site of TPO is not possible. Thus the emerging conclusion is that the mechanism of Tg iodination is nonspecific. This is consistent with the occurrence of thyroid hormone formation in prevertebrate ascidians which exhibit TPO-like activity but lack the Tg gene.

Wolff-Chaikoff effect in a newborn: is it an overlooked problem?

Hypothyroidism is a serious endocrine disorder emerging from deficient production of thyroid hormone (thyroid gland agenesis or dysgenesis, or inborn metabolic defects of thyroid hormone production) or a defect in thyroid hormonal receptor activity. Prevention of iodine organification by means of using iodine-containing drugs or solutions is a protective mechanism for the body and is known as the Wolff-Chaikoff effect. This effect blocks thyroid hormone generation and is often transient, with thyroid hormone synthesis recovering in a few days or weeks. We present a neonate with transient thyroid dysfunction resulting from topical exposure to iodine-containing antiseptic solution. Our aim was to increase awareness that the use of antiseptic iodine solutions in neonates may result in transient hypothyroidism through the Wolff-Chaikoff effect and should be considered after the use of iodine-containing solutions or drugs.

A newly discovered oxidant defence system and its involvement in the development of Aurelia aurita (Scyphozoa, Cnidaria): reactive oxygen species and elemental iodine control medusa formation.

In Aurelia aurita, applied iodine induces medusa formation (strobilation). This process also occurs when the temperature is lowered. This was found to increase oxidative stress resulting in an increased production of iodine from iodide. One polyp produces several medusae (initially termed ephyrae) starting at the polyp's oral end. The spreading of strobilation down the body column is controlled by a feedback loop: ephyra anlagen decrease the tyrosine content in adjacent polyp tissue by producing melanin from tyrosine. Endogenous tyrosine is able to remove iodine by forming iodiferous tyrosine compounds. The reduced level of tyrosine causes the ephyra-polyp-border to move towards the basal end of the former polyp. We argue that an oxidant defence system may exist which makes use of iodide and tyrosine. Like other marine invertebrates, polyps of Aurelia contain iodide ions. Inevitably produced peroxides oxidise iodide into iodine. The danger to be harmed by iodine is strongly decreased by endogenous tyrosine which reacts with iodine to form iodiferous tyrosine compounds including thyroxin. Both substances together, iodide and tyrosine, form an efficient oxidant defence system which shields the tissue against damage by reactive oxygen species. In the course of evolution (from a species at the basis of the animal kingdom like Aurelia to a highly evolved species like man) the waste product thyroxin (indicating a high metabolic rate) has developed into a hormone which controls the metabolic rate.

HPLC analysis of pheomelanin degradation products in human urine.

A sensitive and specific high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to quantify 4-amino-3-hydroxyphenylalanine (4-AHP) and 3-amino-4-hydroxyphenylalanine (3-AHP) in urine. In degradation studies of melanin pigment, 4-AHP and 3-AHP are derived from benzothiazine units of pheomelanin and pheomelanin-related metabolites such as trichochromes. 5-S-Cysteinyldopa-derived benzothiazine products give 4-AHP while 2-S-cysteinyldopa-derived benzothiazine products give 3-AHP. 3-AHP is also derived from nitrotyrosine formed by nitration of tyrosine with reactive nitrogen species. For this reason, the influence of this biological process on the amount of 3-AHP found in biological material have been investigated. The method is based on hydriodic acid hydrolysis of the melanin polymer and reversed-phase HPLC with electrochemical detection of the degradation products 4-AHP and 3-AHP. The mobile phase consists of 25 mM ammonium acetate and sodium octanesulfonate as an ion-pairing reagent. The 4-AHP and 3-AHP peaks were well separated and the detector response was linear within the range 0-2 ng injected for both compounds. With the developed chromatographic system, 4-AHP and 3-AHP showed good separation in the biological samples. There was a strong correlation between 4-AHP and 3-AHP in the urine of 50 malignant melanoma patients and two healthy subjects (R0.977). The two compounds were also strongly correlated with 5-S-cysteinyldopa in urine, the correlation coefficients being 0.862 and 0.907, respectively. The method described is sensitive enough for analysis of pheomelanin in urine and in several other biological samples. The results indicate that 3-AHP in urine is not influenced by excreted 3-nitrotyrosine and the data indicate that pheomelanins are excreted in the urine of melanoma patients.

Iodine species and the endocrine system: thyroid hormone levels in adult Danio rerio and developing Xenopus laevis.

Recently a new approach for the analysis of iodinated organic species in human serum has been developed using liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LC-ICP-MS). This method enables quantification of iodide, T4 and T3, as well as reverse T3 (rT3) and the synthetic precursors of TH, monoiodotyrosine (MIT), and diiodotyrosine (DIT) in a single injection. In this work, the LC-ICP-MS approach was used to analyze whole-body homogenates of adult male and female zebrafish (Danio rerio) and tadpoles of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) at two different developmental stages (NF58 and 61) according to Nieuwkoop and Faber. The data demonstrate that the LC-ICP-MS method was successful at measuring I-, MIT, DIT, T4, T3, and rT3 in these two species. Furthermore, the method also detected five additional iodinated compounds which are currently unidentified.

Chloramine-T in radiolabeling techniques. IV. Penta-O-acetyl-N-chloro-N-methylglucamine as an oxidizing agent in radiolabelling techniques.

Chloramine-T (CAT) is commonly used in radiolabeling of bioactive molecules by halogenation. CAT is used to release radioactive elemental iodine by oxidation of its salts. Unfortunately, CAT is a strong oxidizing agent and can cause significant damage to peptides and proteins. This may lower the yield of the iodination reaction and may produce undesirable side products. Recently, it was found that the in situ formation of N-chlorosecondary amines, by the addition of secondary amines to CAT prior to exposure to the substrate, can reduce the oxidative damage caused by CAT. To simplify the method, we prepared penta-O-acetyl-N-chloro-N-methylglucamine (NCMGE) as a solid N-chlorosecondary amine. The chemical reactivity of NCMGE toward a model amino acid, 1-aminocyclohexane carboxylic acid, was compared with that of chloramine-T. In the presence of the model amino acid, CAT lost all its chlorine titer within 60 min while NCMGE retained 99% of its chlorine titer. NCMGE was compared to CAT for the iodination of l-tyrosine and leucine enkephalin. For both substrates, the NCMGE method produced larger or equal yields of the monoiodo and diiodo products and less decomposition. It is proposed that the method employing NCMGE to release diatomic iodine is more convenient and efficient for radiolabeling peptides and proteins than currently used methods.

Vanadium haloperoxidases.

The nature of the oxidized halogen intermediate in vanadium bromoperoxidase has recently been shown to depend on the nature of the organic substrate. For example, in the presence of indoles, vanadium bromoperoxidase does not release a freely diffusible oxidized halogen intermediate (such as HOBr+/-BR2+/-Br3-). Regioselective investigations are, therefore, now feasible.

Chemical degradation of melanins: application to identification of dopamine-melanin.

Melanocytes produce two chemically distinct types of melanin pigments, eumelanins and pheomelanins. These pigments can be quantitatively analyzed by acidic KMnO4 oxidation or reductive hydrolysis with hydriodic acid (HI) to form pyrrole-2,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (PTCA) or aminohydroxyphenylalanine (AHP), respectively. Dark brown melanin-like pigments are also widespread in nature, for example, in the substantia nigra of humans and primates (neuromelanin), in butterfly wings and in the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. To characterize such diverse types of melanins, we have improved the alkaline H2O2 oxidation method of Napolitano et al. (Tetrahedron, 51:5913-5920, 1995) and re-examined the HI hydrolysis method of Wakamatsu et al. (Neurosci. Lett., 131:57-60, 1991). The results obtained with H2O2 oxidation show that 1) pyrrole-2,3-dicarboxylic acid (PDCA), a specific marker of 5,6-dihydroxyindole units in melanins, is produced in yields ten times higher than by acidic KMnO4 oxidation, and 2) PTCA is artificially produced from pheomelanins. The results with HI hydrolysis show that dopamine-melanin produces a 1:1 mixture of 3-amino and 4-amino isomers of aminohydroxyphenylethylamine, while the isomer ratio is about 0.2 in melanins prepared from dopamine and cysteine. These results indicate that alkaline H2O2 oxidation is useful in characterizing synthetic and natural eumelanins and that reductive hydrolysis with HI can be applied to analyzing oxidation products of dopamine such as neuromelanin.

Melanin biosynthesis in Cryptococcus neoformans.

Pigment production by Cryptococcus neoformans is virulence associated. Dopamine- and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine-melanin products were identified after acidic permanganate oxidation, alkaline hydrogen peroxide oxidation, or hydrolysis with hydriodic acid. These data provide direct chemical evidence for the formation of eumelanin polymers by catecholamine oxidation by laccase alone followed by oxidative coupling of dihydroxyindole.

[125I/127I]iodoHoechst 33342: synthesis, DNA binding, and biodistribution.

An iodinated analog of the DNA-minor-groove-binding agent Hoechst 33342 has been synthesized and evaluated for DNA binding and tumor targeting. The bis-benzimidazole ring system of the title compound was constructed from the piperazinyl terminus via a Pinner-type cyclization followed by oxidative cyclization of the diamine Schiff base. To synthesize radioiodoHoechst 33342, (trimethylstannyl)Hoechst 33342 was prepared by the same strategy and subjected to mild radioiododestannylation in the presence of lactoperoxidase. After purification by HPLC, the radiochemical was separated in carrier-free form with > 85% radiochemical yield and > 99% chemical and radiochemical purity. Fluorescence spectrometric analysis of the binding of iodoHoechst 33342 to calf thymus DNA gave an equilibrium association constant (Ka) of 2.57 x 10(7) M-1 comparable to the Ka value of Hoechst 33342. Fluorescence microscopy of viable V79 cells demonstrated that the iodinated dye stained the nuclei with avidity similar to that of the noniodinated dye. The biodistribution of [125I]-iodoHoechst 33342 in LS174T tumor-bearing athymic mice 4 h postadministration showed a tumor uptake of 3-4% injected dose per gram (ID/g), tumor/blood ratio of 6-8, and tumor/ nontumor ratios above unity for most organs. A low thyroid uptake (approximately 2% ID/g) indicated that the radiochemical did not deiodinate and was stable in vivo.