Activation of inflammatory response and apoptosis of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in patients with argemone oil poisoning.

In the present study, the role of ROS and RNS in activation of inflammatory response and associated molecular events during apoptosis of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) in patients from an outbreak of argemone oil (AO) poisoning leading to epidemic dropsy in Lucknow, India was undertaken. It was observed that generation of superoxide radical, nitrite formation and phagocytosis (103-429%) were significantly increased in PMNs of dropsy patients. Furthermore, activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) (47-79%) were found to be increased while that of catalase and glutathione reductase (GR) (56-57%) were decreased. Lipid and protein oxidation, nitrotyrosine formation and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) excretion were significantly enhanced with concomitant depletion of GSH levels (67%) in dropsy patients. In addition, significant elevation of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha (68-406%) in plasma was observed. Apoptosis was enhanced (1.5 folds) with increased (2.0-3.6 folds) caspases 3, 8 and 9 activities along with DNA fragmentation (119%). The results suggest that generation of ROS and RNS along with enhancement of secretion of inflammatory mediators leading to DNA damage followed by apoptosis may have an effect on immune system, which in turn may be responsible for histopathological changes in target organs of dropsy patients.

HIV induces TRAIL sensitivity in hepatocytes.

BACKGROUND: HIV infected patients have an increased susceptibility to liver disease due to Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), alcoholic, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Clinically, this results in limited options for antiretroviral therapy and accelerated rates of liver disease, causing liver disease to be the second leading cause of death for HIV infected patients. The mechanisms causing this propensity for liver dysfunction during HIV remains unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We demonstrate that HIV and/or the HIV glycoprotein gp120 ligation of CXCR4 on hepatocytes selectively up-regulates TRAIL R2 expression and confers an acquired sensitivity to TRAIL mediated apoptosis which is mediated by JNK II, but not p38 nor G-proteins. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings suggest that HIV infection renders hepatocytes more susceptible to liver injury during disease states associated with enhanced TRAIL production such as HBV, HCV, or steatohepatitis.

Alterations in redox potential of glutathione/glutathione disulfide and cysteine/cysteine disulfide couples in plasma of dropsy patients with argemone oil poisoning.

Several incidences of adverse effects on human health have been reported in many countries, due to consumption of edible oil adulterated with argemone oil (AO). The clinical manifestation of the disease is commonly referred to as epidemic dropsy. In the present study, we determined the relationship between redox potentials (E(h)) of glutathione/glutathione disulfide (GSH/GSSG), cysteine/cysteine disulfide (Cys/CySS) couples and non-enzymatic antioxidants such as alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid status in plasma of dropsy patients (n=14) from an outbreak of argemone oil poisoning in Lucknow (March, 2005), India. Depleted GSH (55%) and concomitant enhancement (163%) of plasma GSSG content was observed in patients (P<0.05). Furthermore, lower content of Cys (42%) and CySS (25%) was noticed in patients (P<0.05) when compared to control subjects. Eh GSH and Eh Cys values were shifted by +46 mV and +12 mV towards more oxidizing environment in patients (P<0.05). In addition, alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid contents were found to be depleted significantly (P<0.05) in plasma of patients (59-58%). The alterations in redox potentials and antioxidants in plasma, which are synthesized in liver, may be responsible for histopathological changes in hepatic tissue of patients showing swelling of hepatocytes, fluid accumulation in spaces of Desci along with mild kupfur cell hyperplasia. Over all the present study shows that redox state of GSH/GSSG and Cys/CySS pools become oxidized which inturn causes depletion of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid, thus providing a strategy to distinguish pro-oxidant and antioxidant events in patients.

Antioxidant status of erythrocytes and their response to oxidative challenge in humans with argemone oil poisoning.

Oxidative damage of biomolecules and antioxidant status in erythrocytes of humans from an outbreak of argemone oil (AO) poisoning in Kannauj (India) and AO intoxicated experimental animals was investigated. Erythrocytes of the dropsy patients and AO treated rats were found to be more susceptible to 2,2'-azobis (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) induced peroxidative stress. Significant decrease in RBC glutathione (GSH) levels (46, 63%) with concomitant enhancement in oxidized glutathione (172, 154%) levels was noticed in patients and AO intoxicated animals. Further, depletion of glutathione reductase (GR), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) (42-52%) was observed in dropsy patients. Oxidation of erythrocyte membrane lipids and proteins was increased (120-144%) in patients and AO treated animals (112-137%) along with 8-OHdG levels in whole blood (180%) of dropsy patients. A significant reduction in alpha-tocopherol content (68%) was noticed in erythrocytes of dropsy patients and hepatic, plasma and RBCs of AO treated rats (59-70%) thereby indicating the diminished antioxidant potential to scavenge free radicals or the limited transport of alpha-tocopherol from liver to RBCs leading to enhanced oxidation of lipids and proteins in erythrocytes. These studies implicate an important role of erythrocyte degradation in production of anemia and breathlessness in epidemic dropsy.