Long-term cerebrovascular dysfunction in the offspring from maternal electronic cigarette use during pregnancy.

Electronic cigarettes (E-cigs) have been promoted as harm-free or less risky than smoking, even for women during pregnancy. These claims are made largely on E-cig aerosol having fewer number of toxic chemicals compared with cigarette smoke. Given that even low levels of smoking are found to produce adverse birth outcomes, we sought to test the hypothesis that vaping during pregnancy (with or without nicotine) would not be harm-free and would result in vascular dysfunction that would be evident in offspring during adolescent and/or adult life. Pregnant female Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to E-cig aerosol (1 h/day, 5 days/wk, starting on gestational day 2 until pups were weaned) using e-liquid with 0 mg/mL (E-cig0) or 18 mg/mL nicotine (E-cig18) and compared with ambient air-exposed controls. Body mass at birth and at weaning were not different between groups. Assessment of middle cerebral artery (MCA) reactivity revealed a 51%-56% reduction in endothelial-dependent dilation response to acetylcholine (ACh) for both E-cig0 and E-cig18 in 1-mo, 3-mo (adolescent), and 7-mo-old (adult) offspring (P < 0.05 compared with air, all time points). MCA responses to sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and myogenic tone were not different across groups, suggesting that endothelial-independent responses were not altered. The MCA vasoconstrictor response (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) was also not different across treatment and age groups. These data demonstrate that maternal vaping during pregnancy is not harm-free and confers significant cerebrovascular health risk/dysfunction to offspring that persists into adult life. NEW & NOTEWORTHY These data established that vaping electronic cigarettes during pregnancy, with or without nicotine, is not safe and confers significant risk potential to the cerebrovascular health of offspring in early and adult life. A key finding is that vaping without nicotine does not protect offspring from cerebrovascular dysfunction and results in the same level of cerebrovascular dysfunction (compared with maternal vaping with nicotine), indicating that the physical and/or chemical properties from the base solution (other than nicotine) are responsible for the cerebrovascular dysfunction that we observed. Listen to this article's corresponding podcast at https://ajpheart.podbean.com/e/maternal-vaping-impairs-vascular-function-in-theoffspring/.

Inhibition of xanthine oxidase by the aldehyde oxidase inhibitor raloxifene: implications for identifying molybdopterin nitrite reductases.

Sources of nitric oxide alternative to nitric oxide synthases are gaining significant traction as crucial mediators of vessel function under hypoxic inflammatory conditions. For example, capacity to catalyze the one electron reduction of nitrite (NO2-) to ·NO has been reported for hemoglobin, myoglobin and molybdopterin-containing enzymes including xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) and aldehyde oxidase (AO). For XOR and AO, use of selective inhibition strategies is therefore crucial when attempting to assign relative contributions to nitrite-mediated ·NO formation in cells and tissue. To this end, XOR inhibition has been accomplished with application of classic pyrazolopyrimidine-based inhibitors allo/oxypurinol or the newly FDA-approved XOR-specific inhibitor, Uloric® (febuxostat). Likewise, raloxifene, an estrogen receptor antagonist, has been identified as a potent (Ki=1.0 nM) inhibitor of AO. Herein, we characterize the inhibition kinetics of raloxifene for XOR and describe the resultant effects on inhibiting XO-catalyzed ·NO formation. Exposure of purified XO to raloxifene (PBS, pH 7.4) resulted in a dose-dependent (12.5-100 µM) inhibition of xanthine oxidation to uric acid. Dixon plot analysis revealed a competitive inhibition process with a Ki=13 µM. This inhibitory process was more effective under acidic pH; similar to values encountered under hypoxic/inflammatory conditions. In addition, raloxifene also inhibited anoxic XO-catalyzed reduction of NO2- to NO (EC50=64 µM). In contrast to having no effect on XO-catalyzed uric acid production, the AO inhibitor menadione demonstrated potent inhibition of XO-catalyzed NO2- reduction (EC50=60 nM); somewhat similar to the XO-specific inhibitor, febuxostat (EC50=4 nM). Importantly, febuxostat was found to be a very poor inhibitor of human AO (EC50=613 µM) suggesting its usefulness for validating XO-dependent contributions to NO2- reduction in biological systems. Combined, these data indicate care should be taken when choosing inhibition strategies as well as inhibitor concentrations when assigning relative NO2- reductase activity of AO and XOR.

Nitric oxide inhibits iron-induced lipid peroxidation in HL-60 cells.

Nitric oxide ((*)NO) can protect cells against the detrimental effects of reactive oxygen species. Using low-density lipoprotein as well as model systems, it has been demonstrated that (*)NO can serve as a chain-breaking antioxidant to blunt lipid peroxidation. To test the hypothesis that (*)NO can serve as a chain-breaking antioxidant in cell membranes, we examined the effect of (*)NO on iron-induced lipid peroxidation in human leukemia cells. We exposed HL-60 cells to an oxidative stress (20 microM Fe(2+)) and monitored the consumption of oxygen as a measure of lipid peroxidation. Oxygen consumption was arrested by the addition of (*)NO as a saturated aqueous solution. The duration of inhibition of oxygen consumption by (*)NO was concentration-dependent in the 0.4-1.8 microM range. The inhibition ended upon depletion of (*)NO. The addition of (*)NO prior to initiation of peroxidation delayed the onset of peroxidation; the nearer in time it was before Fe(2+) addition, the longer the inhibition. Depletion of cellular glutathione levels by d, l-buthionine-S,R-sulfoximine prior to Fe(2+) addition resulted in a more rapid initial rate of oxygen depletion and a shorter time for the (*)NO-induced inhibition of oxygen consumption. Complementary studies of this iron-induced lipid peroxidation, using thiobarbituric acid reactive substances as a marker, also demonstrated the protective effects of (*)NO. This protection of cells against lipid peroxidation also manifested itself as a reduction in trypan blue uptake, an observation demonstrating the protective effects of (*)NO on membrane integrity. We conclude that (*)NO protects HL-60 human leukemia cells from lipid peroxidation and that this protection ameliorates the toxicity of the oxidation processes initiated by Fe(2+) and dioxygen.

Production of lipid-derived free radicals in L1210 murine leukemia cells is an early oxidative event in the photodynamic action of Photofrin.

Photofrin photosensitization initiates a sequence of oxidative events that begins with singlet oxygen formation and ultimately leads to cell death. We hypothesize that membrane lipid-derived free radical formation is an early event in this process. In the presence of iron and ascorbate, lipid free radicals are generated during cellular photosensitization of L1210 cells as detected by electron paramagnetic resonance spin-trapping techniques. Tocopherol levels decline in an inverse manner to lipid radical formation. Trypan blue dye exclusion by membranes also decreases inversely to lipid radical formation but at an initially slower rate than alpha-tocopherol depletion. Propidium iodide nuclear staining as an alternative measure of cell integrity was a later event, occurring when alpha-tocopherol levels had fallen by 90%, trypan blue survival had decreased to below 10%, and lipid radical formation was nearing plateau levels. Likewise, the formation of cellular debris did not occur substantially until alpha-tocopherol was virtually exhausted and radical intensity had nearly reached a maximum. These temporal observations suggest the following sequence of events that leads to Photofrin photosensitization-induced cytotoxicity in the presence of iron and ascorbate: (1) singlet oxygen-derived lipid hydroperoxide formation and subsequent radical production; (2) cellular alpha-tocopherol depletion; (3) trypan blue-detectable membrane leakage; (4) nuclear exposure to propidium; (5) cell disintegration. These observations are consistent with membrane lipid-derived free radical formation being an early and perhaps seminal event in photosensitization by Photofrin, which leads to a concatenated series of events terminating in cell destruction.

Increased efficacy of in vitro Photofrin photosensitization of human oral squamous cell carcinoma by iron and ascorbate.

Photofrin, a photosensitizer used in the photodynamic therapy of cancer, selectively localizes in cellular membranes. Upon exposure to visible light, Photofrin produces singlet oxygen (1O2), which reacts with membrane polyunsaturated fatty acids forming lipid hydroperoxides. Transition metals, such as Fe2+, catalyze the production of cytotoxic free radicals from lipid hydroperoxides. Ascorbate reduces ferric to ferrous iron, further augmenting lipid peroxidation. Therefore, to increase the efficacy of Photofrin photosensitization, we added 20 microM ferrous sulfate and 100 microM ascorbic acid, in an aqueous layer over SCC-25 oral squamous cell carcinoma cells during in vitro illumination. In electron paramagnetic resonance spin trapping experiments, using POBN (alpha-(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-tert-butylnitrone), we observed that the presence of this pro-oxidant combination greatly increases the production of membrane-derived lipid free radicals. The effect was time dependent but only partially concentration dependent. Trypan blue dye exclusion demonstrated that this increase in lipid radical formation correlated with cytotoxicity. These observations support the hypothesis that Photofrin photosensitization leads to lipid hydroperoxide formation, which increases the cell's susceptibility to iron-induced Fenton chemistry. The resulting free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation results in cell death. From these data we hypothesize that the efficacy of photodynamic therapy of superficial cancer might be increased by the topical application of the pro-oxidant combination of iron and ascorbate. Furthermore, their use will probably allow lower doses of Photofrin without compromising antitumor effect.

Relative alpha-tocopherol deficiency in cultured cells: free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation, lipid oxidizability, and cellular polyunsaturated fatty acid content.

We propose that most cultured cells are deficient in vitamin E. Using our optimized assay for tocopherol, we find that L1210 lymphoblastic leukemia cells, cultured in standard growth media, contain only 2.3 +/- 0.03 micrograms of tocopherol/10(8) cells, whereas when they are transplanted and grown for the same time in the ascites fluid of mice fed standard diets, this increases to 5.8 +/- 0.6 micrograms of tocopherol/10(8) cells. This apparent tocopherol deficiency in cultured cells is likely due to the low concentrations of tocopherol contained in most tissue culture media, even with the addition of serum. To further study this apparent deficiency and the relationship of cellular tocopherol to membrane lipid bis-allylic hydrogen positions, we supplemented the growth media of L1210 lymphoblastic leukemia cells with alpha-tocopherol and compared the resultant cellular tocopherol content to the degree of unsaturation of cellular lipids, alpha-Tocopherol was incorporated by cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner with plateaus at 24 h and 100 microM, respectively. A maximum 400% increase in cellular tocopherol was easily achieved. By experimentally modifying the fatty acid content of cellular lipids, we were able to determine that cellular tocopherol uptake and content is not a function of cellular lipid composition; cells enriched with polyunsaturated lipids incorporated tocopherol to the same extent as those enriched with more saturated lipids. Thus, as the cellular polyunsaturated fatty acid content increases, the tocopherol:bis-allylic position ratio in the cells decreases, resulting in less antioxidant protection for each lipid double bond. Consequently, when polyunsaturated fatty acid-enriched cells are exposed to an oxidative stress, such as Fe2+, their tocopherol levels decline much faster than cells enriched with saturated fatty acids. This decline is consistent with their respective tocopherol:bis-allylic position ratio. These results provide a basis, at the cellular level, for investigators to consider vitamin E when studying cell response to oxidative stress.

Membrane lipid free radicals produced from L1210 murine leukemia cells by photofrin photosensitization: an electron paramagnetic resonance spin trapping study.

We have detected membrane lipid-derived free radicals from neoplastic cells subjected to Photofrin photosensitization. The presence of the prooxidants iron or iron plus ascorbate in the L1210 cell system increased the intensity of the spin-trapped lipid radical electron paramagnetic resonance spectra and correspondingly decreased cell survival. In addition, raising the proportion of unsaturated lipids in the cell membranes by supplementation of the growth medium with docosahexaenoic acid increased lipid radical formation and decreased cell survival when the L1210 cells were subjected to Photofrin and light. These data educe the hypothesis that the extent of radical generation as well as the efficacy of photodynamic therapy can be increased when prooxidant conditions, which enhance free radical processes, are present in conjunction with photosensitizers that target membrane lipids.

Unidirectional membrane uptake of the ether lipid antineoplastic agent edelfosine by L1210 cells.

We have studied the cellular uptake of edelfosine (1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine; ET-18-OCH3), a membrane active anticancer drug of the ether lipid family, by L1210 murine leukemia cells. Initial unidirectional linear uptake velocity was 1.1 nmol/min per 2 x 10(6) cells; at about 30 min it reached a steady-state phase of accumulation of approximately 5 nmol/2 x 10(6) cells. Concentration studies indicated no saturation kinetics from 0 to 40 microM. Studies with metabolic inhibitors displayed no energy dependence. There was no effect of chloroquine, monensin or cytochalasin B, which are known inhibitors of endocytosis. The inhibitory effect of lower temperature on uptake was moderate in extent and compatible with passive diffusion. There was no efflux of drug from preloaded cells which indicates intense binding of incorporated drug to cells. In human serum, edelfosine bound to several protein components, primarily high density lipoprotein and albumin, and this may explain why cellular uptake was slowed considerably by the presence of serum or albumin in the incubation medium. We conclude that the lipophilic ether lipid derivative edelfosine is taken up by passive diffusion by the L1210 cell. It is tightly bound to cellular structures, probably by insertion into the membrane lipid bilayer.

Membrane lipid modification and sensitivity of leukemic cells to the thioether lipid analogue BM 41.440.

Since the ether lipid anticancer drugs are membrane targeted, we examined the effect of membrane lipid structural alteration on their cytotoxicity. Enrichment with docosahexaenoic acid increased the sensitivity to the thioether lipid BM 41.440, compared to control cells enriched with oleic acid. The effect was dependent upon drug concentration, time, and the extent of cellular fatty acid enrichment. Other polyunsaturated fatty acids had a similar effect, which was proportional to the degree of unsaturation of the molecule inserted. Depletion of cellular glutathione with buthionine sulfoximine increased the sensitivity to ether lipid, but prooxidants such as Fe2+ and antioxidants such as vitamin E had little effect. The addition of serum to the incubation medium markedly diminished the cytotoxicity of ether lipids for cells modified with both docosahexaenoic acid and oleic acid, probably due to binding of the drug to serum components. The toxicity of another ether lipid, 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine, was not affected appreciably by membrane alteration. Drug uptake studies with a radiolabeled BM 41.440 analogue, 1-[3H]hexadecylthio-2-ethyl-rac- glycero-3-phosphocholine, demonstrated no difference in transport at early time points and no difference in accumulation up to 60 min. We conclude that increases in cellular and/or membrane fatty acid polyunsaturation heighten the cytotoxic effect of a membrane-active ether lipid. The effect is not due to a change in drug transport or accumulation. It may be related to a change in oxidative events. These observations provide further confirmation of the membrane being the target of ether lipid action, using biochemical rather than morphological techniques. Most importantly, this observation offers a potential innovative approach to therapy.