Aluminium(III) Oxide-The Silent Killer of Bacteria.

In this article, we describe the antimicrobial properties of pristine anodised aluminium oxide matrices-the material many consider biologically inert. During a typical anodisation process, chromium and chlorine compounds are used for electropolishing and the removal of the first-step aluminium oxide. Matrices without the use of those harmful compounds were also fabricated and tested for comparison. The antibacterial tests were conducted on four strains of Escherichia coli: K12, R2, R3 and R4. The properties of the matrices were also compared to the three types of antibiotics: ciprofloxacin, bleomycin and cloxacillin using the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) tests. Moreover, DNA was isolated from the analysed bacteria which was additionally digested with formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase (Fpg) protein from the group of repair glycosases. These enzymes are markers of modified oxidised bases in nucleic acids produced during oxidative stress in cells. Preliminary cellular studies, MIC and MBC tests and digestion with Fpg protein after modification of bacterial DNA suggest that these compounds may have greater potential as antibacterial agents than the aforementioned antibiotics. The described composites are highly specific for the analysed model Escherichia coli strains and may be used in the future as new substitutes for commonly used antibiotics in clinical and nosocomial infections in the progressing pandemic era. The results show much stronger antibacterial properties of the functionalised membranes on the action of bacterial membranes in comparison to the antibiotics in the Fpg digestion experiment. This is most likely due to the strong induction of oxidative stress in the cell through the breakdown of the analysed bacterial DNA.

Structure of the major oxidative damage 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine presented into a catalytically competent DNA glycosylase.

If left unrepaired, the major oxidative DNA lesion 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (oxoG) promotes G-to-T transversions by favorably adopting a syn conformation and base pairing with dATP during replication. The human oxoG DNA glycosylase hOGG1 senses and removes oxoG amid millions-fold excess of guanine, thereby counteracting the genotoxic effects of the major oxidative damage. Crystal structures of hOGG1 in complex with oxoG-containing DNA have provided key insights into the lesion recognition and catalysis mechanisms of the enzyme. These lesion-recognition complex (LRC) structures typically involve a catalytically inactive hOGG1 mutant, where one of the catalytic-site amino acid residues is mutated to prevent the cleavage of oxoG. The use of a catalytically incompetent hOGG1 mutant has thus precluded understanding of unscathed interactions between oxoG and hOGG1 catalytic site as well as interactions among catalytic-site amino acid residues. As an orthogonal approach to visualize such interactions, we have co-crystallized a catalytically competent hOGG1 bound to 2'-fluoro-oxodG-containing DNA, a transition state destabilizing inhibitor that binds hOGG1 but is not processed by the enzyme. In this fluorinated lesion-recognition complex (FLRC), the 8-oxo moiety of oxoG is recognized by Gly42 and the Watson-Crick edge of oxoG is contacted by Gln315 and Pro266. The previously observed salt bridge between Lys249 and Cys253 is lacking in the FLRC, suggesting Lys249 is primed by Cys253 and poised for nucleophilic attack on C1' of oxodG. Overall, hOGG1 FLRC marks the first structure of oxoG presented into an intact catalytic site of hOGG1 and provides complementary insights into the glycosylase mechanisms of the enzyme.

Assessment of the chemopreventive effect of casearin B, a clerodane diterpene extracted from Casearia sylvestris (Salicaceae).

Studies have shown that Casearia sylvestris compounds protect DNA from damage both in vitro and in vivo. Complementarily, the aim of the present study was to assess the chemopreventive effect of casearin B (CASB) against DNA damage using the Ames test, the comet assay and the DCFDA antioxidant assay. The genotoxicity was assessed by the comet assay in HepG2 cells. CASB was genotoxic at concentrations higher than 0.30 µM when incubated with the FPG (formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase) enzyme. For the antigenotoxicity comet assay, CASB protected the DNA from damage caused by H(2)O(2) in the HepG2 cell line in concentrations above 0.04 µM with post-treatment, and above 0.08 µM with pre-treatment. CASB was not mutagenic (Ames test) in TA 98 and TA 102. In the antimutagenicity assays, the compound was a strong inhibitor against aflatoxin B1 (AFB) in TA 98 (>88.8%), whereas it was moderate (42.7-59.4%) inhibitor against mytomicin C (MMC) in TA 102. Additionally, in the antioxidant assay using DCFDA, CASB reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by H(2)O(2). In conclusion, CASB was genotoxic to HepG2 cells at high concentrations; was protective of DNA at low concentrations, as shown by the Ames test and comet assay; and was also antioxidant.

Low-level infrared laser effect on plasmid DNA.

Low-level laser therapy is used in the treatment of many diseases based on its biostimulative effect. However, the photobiological basis for its mechanism of action and adverse effects are not well understood. The aim of this study, using experimental models, was to evaluate the effects of laser on bacterial plasmids in alkaline agarose gel electrophoresis and Escherichia coli cultures. The electrophoretic profile of bacterial plasmids in alkaline agarose gels were used for studying lesions in DNA exposed to infrared laser. Transformation efficiency and survival of Escherichia coli AB1157 (wild-type), BH20 (fpg/mutM(-)), BW9091 (xth(-)), and DH5αF'Iq (recA(-)) cells harboring pBSK plasmids were used as experimental models to assess the effect of laser on plasmid DNA outside and inside of cells. Data indicate low-level laser: (1) altered the electrophoretic profile of plasmids in alkaline gels at 2,500-Hz pulsed-emission mode but did not alter at continuous wave, 2.5- and 250-Hz pulsed-emission mode; (2) altered the transformation efficiency of plasmids in wild-type and fpg/mutM(-) E. coli cells; (3) altered the survival fpg/mutM(-), xthA(-) and recA(-) E. coli cultures harboring pBSK plasmids. Low-level infrared laser with therapeutic fluencies at high frequency in pulsed-emission modes have effects on bacterial plasmids. Infrared laser action can differently affect the survival of plasmids in E. coli cells proficient and deficient in DNA repair mechanisms, therefore, laser therapy protocol should take into account fluencies, frequencies and wavelength of laser, as well as tissue conditions and genetic characteristics of cells before beginning treatment.

Genotoxicity induced by saponified coconut oil surfactant in prokaryote systems.

Surfactants are amphiphilic substances with special properties and chemical structures that allow a reduction in interfacial tension, which permits an increase in molecule solubilization. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) is an important characteristic of surfactants that determines their aggregate state, which is generally related to its functional mechanism. In this work the genotoxic potential of saponified coconut oil (SCO), a surfactant obtained from Cocos nucifera, was analyzed using prokaryote systems. DNA strand breaks were not observed after treatment of a plasmid with SCO. Negative results were also obtained in the SOS Chromotest using Escherichia coli strains PQ35 and PQ37. A moderate toxicity of SCO was observed after treatment of strain CC104 with a concentration above its CMC, in which micelles were found. Nevertheless, this treatment was not cytotoxic to a CC104mutMmutY strain. Furthermore, in this DNA repair-deficient strain treatment with a SCO dose below its CMC, in which only monomers were found, demonstrated the possibility of an antioxidant effect, since a reduction in spontaneous mutagenesis frequency was observed. Finally, in an Ames test without metabolic activation mutagenicity induction was observed in strains TA100 and TA104 with treatment doses below the CMC. The cytotoxic, antioxidant and mutagenic effects of SCO can be influenced by the aggregational state.

Vitamin C supplementation decreases oxidative DNA damage in mononuclear blood cells of smokers.

BACKGROUND: Antioxidants, in particular vitamin C, have been suggested to decrease oxidative DNA damage. Such effects have been shown in mononuclear blood cells in the first few hours after ingestion, whereas studies of longer-term effects in well-nourished humans have been mainly negative. AIM: To investigate the antioxidant effect of vitamin C in terms of oxidative DNA damage measured by the comet assay and DNA repair measured by expression of OGG1 mRNA in blood cells of male smokers given 2 x 250 mg vitamin C daily as plain or slow release tablets combined with plain release vitamin E 2 x 91 mg, or placebo for 4 wk. RESULTS: This study showed a difference in DNA protective effects between a slow release and a plain release vitamin C formulation. Ingestion of slow release vitamin C formulation was associated with fewer endonuclease III and formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase sensitive sites measured by the comet assay in mononuclear blood cells obtained 4 h and 8 h after a single tablet and 4 wk after two tablets a day. Ingestion of the vitamin formulation with plain release only indicated a damage-reducing effect 4 h after intake of a single tablet, and the effect was more apparent on endonuclease III than formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase sites. Overall the slow release tablets of vitamin C formulation had a more pronounced and a sustained protective effect on base damage compared with the plain release tablets. Plasma vitamin E was unaltered in the first 12 h after ingestion of a single tablet, suggesting that the antioxidant effect was mediated by vitamin C. Differences in plasma vitamin C levels at steady state could not explain the difference between the two vitamin C formulations, whereas wider amplitudes of plasma vitamin C were seen after ingestion of plain release formulation compared to slow release formulation. Assessment of OGG1 mRNA levels by RT-PCR did not indicate increased expression of this DNA repair gene after 4 wk of vitamin supplementation. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that long-term vitamin C supplementation at high dose, i. e. 500 mg together with vitamin E in moderate dose, 182 mg, decreases the steady-state level of oxidative DNA damage in mononuclear blood cells of smokers.