Antioxidant defense system in prostate adenocarcinoma and benign prostate hyperplasia of elderly patients.

UNLABELLED: Prostate adenocarcinoma (PC) and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) are age-related diseases. The augmented oxidative stress is suggested to play an important role in the pathogenesis of both mentioned prostate disorders. In the presented study the antioxidant defense system in PC and BPH patients has been evaluated. The study was carried out on 30 PC patients (age 61±8 years) and 30 BPH patients (age 63±8 years). The control group consisted of 25 healthy men (age 61±14 years). The reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations in the erythrocytes and the activities of plasma superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD), plasma glutathione peroxidase (GPx-3), erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GPx-1) and erythrocyte glutathione S-transferase (GST) were measured in the examined groups. GSH concentrations in the erythrocytes and plasma GPx-3 activities in the PC group (2.31±0.27 mmol/l and 186.2±39 U/l, respectively) were significantly lower (P<0.05) as compared with the control group (2.52±0.24 and 211.8±26, respectively) and the BPH group (2.45±0.27 and 206.6±48, respectively). Erythrocyte GPx-1 activities in the BPH patients (14.76±3.5 U/g Hb) were statistically decreased (P<0.05) than in the healthy people (16.94±3.7) and in the PC patients (16.82±3.7). There were no significant differences in the activities of GST and EC-SOD between the PC group (2.72±1.34 nmol CDNB-GSH/mg Hb/min and 19.33±4.4 U/ml, respectively), the BPH group (2.53±1.00 and 19.22±4.8, respectively) and the controls (2.88±0.82 and 19.40±4.1, respectively). These results indicate that antioxidant defense system is decreased in the elderly patients with PC and BPH. The differences in the antioxidative system between examined groups of patients may suggest the different etiologies of both diseases. KEYWORDS: antioxidative enzymes, antioxidant defense system, glutathione, benign prostate hyperplasia, prostate adenocarcinoma.

Paraoxonase 1: The Lectin-Like Oxidized LDL Receptor Type I and Oxidative Stress in the Blood of Men with Type II Obesity.

OBJECTIVES: Obesity has serious consequences such as the onset of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, or cardiovascular complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of paraoxonase 1 (PON1), lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1), antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)), and lipid peroxidation processes in the course of obesity. METHODS: 28 men took part in the experiment. Fourteen of them were obese; the control group consisted of 14 physically active men without obesity features. The concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), PON1, LOX-1, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) as well as the activities of erythrocytic SOD, CAT, and GPx were determined in the study. RESULTS: Statistically significant higher MDA, LOX-1, and TNFα levels were observed in obese subjects. Conversely, lower concentrations of PON1 in obese men were found. CONCLUSIONS: An imbalance in oxidation-reduction processes accompanies obesity. Moreover, inflammatory cytokines and atherosclerotic complications are involved in the obesity process. The obtained results suggest that the studied parameters may be independent prognostic markers preceding the development of cardiovascular and metabolic complications in people afflicted with type II obesity.

Letter to the editor on the article "Alteration of redox status by commonly used antimalarial drugs in the north-western region of Nigeria" by Muhammad A et al.

Malaria belongs to the most dangerous infectious diseases globally. Every effort to understand the mechanisms involved in Plasmodium spp. malaria infection and the antimalarial action cannot be overestimated. We have read with great interest the recently published article by Muhammad et al. entitled "Alteration of redox status by commonly used antimalarial drugs in the north-western region of Nigeria." Several questions have arisen about the conducted study that we would like to comment on.

Blood and tissue selenium concentrations and glutathione peroxidase activities in patients with prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia.

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common cancer in men and a leading cause of cancer death. Prostatic gland accumulates reasonably high amount of selenium (Se), the element that prevents the development of PC. It is hypothesized that some selenoproteins inhibit the transformation of normal prostate epithelium into neoplasm. We studied Se levels in whole blood, plasma and prostate of 32 PC and 40 benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) patients and in the control group composed of 39 healthy subjects. The selenoenzyme glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) was also measured in the patients' red cells, plasma and prostate tissue. Se concentration in whole blood and plasma in both groups of patients was lower as compared with controls, while in prostate gland it was significantly higher in PC than in BPH patients and controls. Red cell GSH-Px activity was the same in PC patients and controls but significantly lower in BPH patients. Plasma GSH-Px activity was significantly lower in PC patients than in the control group, and prostate GSH-Px activity was significantly lower in PC patients as compared with BPH patients. Since Se has anticancer properties, it is very likely that its low level in blood may facilitate the development of cancer. A higher level of Se in prostate of PC patients has no influence on GSH-Px activity in the gland.

Glutathione-related antioxidant defense system in elderly patients treated for hypertension.

The purpose of this study was to analyze glutathione antioxidant defense system in elderly patients treated for hypertension. Studies were carried out in the blood collected from 18 hypertensive and 15 age- and sex-matched controls, all subjects age over 60. Hypertensives were on their usual antihypertensive treatment at the time of blood collection. The concentration of glutathione (GSH) in whole blood and activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx-1), glutathione transferase (GST), and glutathione reductase (GR) in erythrocytes were measured. The data from patients and controls were compared using independent-samples t test. P value of 0.05 and less was considered statistically significant. We observed increased glutathione-related antioxidant defense in treated hypertensive elderly patients (HT) when compared with healthy controls (C). Mean GSH concentration was significantly higher in HT when compared with C: 3.1 ± 0.29 and 2.6 ± 0.25 mmol/L, respectively, P < 0.001. Mean activity of GR was significantly higher in HT group if compared with C: 83.4 ± 15.25 U/g Hb versus 64.2 ± 8.26 U/g Hb, respectively, P < 0.001. Mean activity of GST was significantly higher in HT group compared with C: 3.0 ± 0.60 mmol CDNB-GSH/mgHb/min and 2.6 ± 0.36 mmol CDNB-GSH/mgHb/min, respectively, P < 0.05. No difference in GPx activity was observed between two groups. These results show that glutathione-related antioxidant defense system was enhanced in elderly hypertensive patients treated for their conditions. This suggests important role of glutathione system in blood pressure regulation. Alterations in concentration and activity of antioxidants observed during antihypertensive medication are likely to be related to the effect of the treatment on NO bioavailability.