In vitro Effects of Olive Leaf Extract (Oleuropein) on Human Sperm Parameters and Oxidative Stress Induced by Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Recently, biomolecules from natural products have paved the way for novel drug in the treatment of some diseases in vitro and in vivo models as diabetes, cancer and infertility. As such, we aimed to evaluate the capacity of Oleuropein (OLE), the major bio-phenol in olive leaf, to protect human sperm against bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inducing sperm oxidative stress and defective sperm functions. The toxic effect of OLE on human sperm was firstly investigated by evaluating sperm parameters after incubation during 60 minutes with different concentrations. Determined non-toxic concentration was then used to evaluate the capacity of OLE to protect sperm against LPS oxidative damages and sperm parameters alterations. Thus, sperms were consecutively incubated with LPS (10 µg/mL) and OLE (40 µg/mL) during 60 minutes, then submitted to sperm parameters analysis and oxidative stress assessment by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA), carbonyl groups (CG) levels and the activity of some antioxidant enzymes: superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). A significant decrease of sperm parameters as well as a significant increase in MDA levels, CG levels, SOD and CAT activities was found after stimulation by LPS. However, a non-significant difference was shown comparing sperms treated by LPS and OLE with LPS-treated control sperms. Consequently, despite the high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity of OLE reported in diverse cells, this phenolic compound seems to be not appropriate to protect human sperm in vitro against induced LPS oxidative stress and seems to have a "double-edged sword" behavior.

Effect of extraction procedures on the chemical structure, antitumor and anticoagulant properties of ulvan from Ulva lactuca of Tunisia coast.

The effect of extraction procedures on chemical composition, structural, antitumor and anticoagulant properties of the sulphated polysaccharide 'ulvan' from the green seaweed Ulva lactuca were investigated. The structural features of ulvans were carried out by FTIR and by one- and two- dimensional 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopic. The ulvans were mainly composed of rhamnose, xylose, and uronic acid. Chemical and spectroscopic analyses demonstrated that ulvans were constituted of (1→4)-ß-glucuronic acid, (1→3,4)-α-L-rhamnose-3-sulphate and (1→4)-α-xylose. The extraction procedures effect were observed in chemical structure, Mw and biological activities. Cytotoxic activity of enzymatic-chemical extract on cervical cancer cells (HeLa) (IC50 = 1000 µg/mL) was higher than on normal peripheral blood lymphocytes cells (PBL). Acid extracts promoted to reduce HeLa cells and to grow PBL cells. At high concentrations, acid extracts showed the highest APTT and TT clotting time. Antitumoral and anticoagulant activities of ulvans from Ulva lactuca promote their use as effective therapeutic agent.

Oxidative stress enhances the immune response to oxidatively modified catalase enzyme in patients with Graves' disease.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress is associated with several autoimmune disorders and oxidative modification of proteins that may result in autoimmune response. This study aims to evaluate the catalase (CAT) activity and the autoimmune response against the native CAT and the oxidatively modified enzyme in patients with Graves' disease (GD) and healthy controls in a comparative way. METHODS: The CAT activity was evaluated via spectrophotometric method. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the reactivities of autoantibody toward native, malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) modified CAT were evaluated in plasmas of patients and controls. RESULTS: Reduced CAT activity was found in patients compared with controls (P < .05). It was proved that levels of IgG antibodies against MDA-modified CAT were higher than against unmodified ones (P < .001). No changes were found for the reactivities to H2 O2 -modified CAT. Positive correlation was found between the reactivity to MDA-modified CAT and the triiodothyronine level (P < .001, r = .6). CONCLUSION: Our findings incriminate the MDA in the autoantibodies reactivity to oxidatively modified CAT leading to a disturbed oxidative profile and/or the progression of GD pathology.

Lawsonia inermis essential oil: extraction optimization by RSM, antioxidant activity, lipid peroxydation and antiproliferative effects.

BACKGROUND: The present study was focused on the optimization of yield of the essential oil extraction from leaves of Lawsonia inermis, and the determination of chemical composition, antioxidant activities, and lipid peroxydation and antiproliferative effects. METHODS: Henna essential oil (HeEO) were extracted by hydrodistillation; the identification of the chemical composition were done by GC/MS method. HeEO was analyzed for antioxidant power in: (1) chemical system by the DPPH test, the ABTS test and the total antioxidant activity test; and (2) in biological system by lipid peroxydation tests (MDA and DC) in cells culture. The cytotoxicity effects of HeEO were assessed using MTT assay against Raji and HeLa cell lines. RESULTS: The optimal extraction yield was 6.8 g/100 g d.b. HeEO showed a remarkable anti-oxidant activities including DDPH (42%), ABTS (87%) and the power of ammonium phosphomolybdate (2992 ± 230 mg of HeEO by equivalent to 1 mg of vitamin C in terms of total antioxidant power). CONCLUSION: Beyond notable antioxidant activities of the HeEo, our results showed a significant decrease in the production of ERO in the Raji cell line. The anti-tumor power of the Henna essential oil shows an interesting cytotoxicity effect (IC50 at 0.26 µg/mL for Raji and at 1.43 µg/mL for HeLa) with a total mortality percentage reaching 60%, for both.

Imipenem toxicity in male reproductive organs as a result of inflammatory microenvironment and oxidative stress in germinal cells.

Imipenem is a beta-Lactam antibiotic characterized by a broad spectrum of activity. It is prescribed to treat severe infections. Our goal is to investigate toxicity induced in male rat reproductive systems following exposure to this drug (15, 50 or 100 mg/kg) compared to gentamicin (50 mg/kg) treatment. Effects of imipenem on reproductive organ weights, histoarchitecture, sperm parameters, and oxidative stress parameters were evaluated. Serum testosterone levels were measured. Apoptosis and inflammatory behaviors were investigated by immunohistochemical proteins expression analysis of apoptosis regulator BAX (Bax), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) in testis. Results showed a significant decrease in male fertility parameters including sperm count, sperm motility, reproductive organ weights and serum testosterone levels after imipenem administration as compared to the control and gentamicin treated groups. Increased sperm abnormality was significant in animals treated with high doses of imipenem. Oxidative stress analysis revealed an expressed increase in lipid peroxidation and carbonyl groups levels in testicular tissues compared to control. Similar results were observed with superoxide dismutase and catalase activities from testicular tissues. In addition, severe testicular lesions were observed in the seminiferous tubules as well as important impairments in spermatogenesis testifying an inflammatory microenvironment confirmed by the intensive expression of IL1-beta and Bax protein by germinal cells and Bcl-2 by Leydig cells. In conclusion, imipenem treatment with high doses was found to lead to oxidative stress in male reproductive organs and an inflammatory microenvironment leading to spermatogenesis dysfunction and histopathological changes in the testis.

Optimization of Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume) Essential Oil Extraction: Evaluation of Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Effects.

Having high cytotoxicity cell line effect, Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume essential oil offers a novel approach to the chemotherapy treatment. In order to enhance its quantity/purity, the experimental conditions to produce essential oil should be more exploited. Steam distillation was used to isolate essential oil, and its conditions' optimization was carried out with the surface-response methodology. The maximum amount (2.6 g/100 g d.b.) was obtained under minimum condensation water flow (0.8 mL/min), a sample size of 6.5 cm, a saline solution concentration of 262.5 g/L, and five washings. The produced essential oil contains >77% of polyphenols. In vitro cytotoxicity was examined using an MTT assay against HeLa and Raji cell lines. The essential oil's capability to inhibit the proliferation of HeLa and Raji cell lines was studied under some conditions presenting IC50 values of 0.13 and 0.57 µg/mL, respectively. The essential oil was evaluated for its potential as an antioxidant by using in vitro models, such as phosphomolybdenum, DPPH, and H2O2 methods, in comparison with the synthetic antioxidant BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as positive controls. The ammonium phosphomolybdate potency in the present study is of the order of 108.75 ± 32.63 mg of essential oil/equivalent to 1 mg of vitamin C in terms of antioxidant power, and the antioxidant activity of DPPH-H2O2 was 21.3% and 55.2%, respectively. The Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume essential oil (CEO) covers important antioxidant and antiproliferative effects. This can be attributed to the presence of few minor and major phenolic compounds.

In vitro biological properties and health benefits of a novel sulfated polysaccharide isolated from Cymodocea nodosa.

BACKGROUND: During the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in the search for novel bioactive compounds from marine origins. METHODS: The present study is the first to determine the molecular characterization which it was deposited in the genebank database, to investigate and evaluate the biological properties of sulfated polysaccharide from Cymodocea nodosa (CNSP) seagrass. RESULTS: The results revealed that CNSP had high activity in total antioxidant assay (59.03 mg ascorbic acid equivalents/g extract), reducing power (OD = 0.3), DPPH radical scavenging (IC50 = 1.22 mg/ml) and ABTS radical scavenging (IC50 = 1.14 mg/ml). It was also noted to exhibit antimicrobial activity against a wide range of microorganisms, with important inhibition zones. The results revealed that CNSP was able to inhibit the proliferation of Hela cell lines with a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: Overall, the results presented in this study demonstrate that CNSP has several attractive antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiproliferative properties with potential benefits towards health.

Human sperm Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mediates acrosome reaction, oxidative stress markers, and sperm parameters in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide in infertile men.

PURPOSE: To study the role of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in human spermatozoa and to assess sperm parameters, oxidative stress markers, and acrosome reaction in response to the stimulation of TLR4 by its ligand, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as a major endotoxin of Gram-negative bacteria. METHODS: Our study was carried out in 73 sperm samples from patients undergoing semen analysis for couple infertility investigations. The studied patients were divided into three groups: normozoospermic fertile patients (n = 13), patients with abnormal and leukospermic semen (n = 13), and patients with abnormal and non-leukospermic semen (n = 47). TLR4 expression in human spermatozoa was initially analyzed by western blot. Sperm samples were incubated in the presence of LPS (200 ng/ml) for 18 h. Then, sperm motility and vitality were evaluated by microscopic observation and oxidative stress markers as malondialdehyde (MDA) and carbonyl groups (CG) were spectrophotometrically assessed in neat and selected sperm. A triple-stain technique was also performed to evaluate acrosome reaction in 15 sperm samples from infertile patients. RESULTS: TLR4 expression was confirmed in human spermatozoa with a molecular weight of 69 kDa. In the normozoospermic group, no significant differences in sperm parameters and oxidative stress markers were shown after incubation with LPS in neat and selected sperms. Regarding samples from the non-leukospermic group, LPS reduced spermatozoa motility and vitality rates in selected sperm (P = 0.003; P = 0.004, respectively). A significant increase of MDA and CG levels was also detected (P = 0.01; P = 0.02, respectively). However, only the MDA levels were significantly increased (P = 0.01) in neat LPS-stimulated sperm. The same results were shown within the leukospermic group. The comparison between the two groups, leukospermic and non-leukospermic, in selected sperms showed a more important LPS effect in the leukospermic group significantly on motility and MDA rates (P = 0.006; P = 0.009, respectively). Furthermore, a significant decrease in reacted spermatozoa rate was detected in response to LPS in selected sperm samples from infertile men (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that human spermatozoa express TLR4 and respond to LPS stimulation with alterations in viability, motility, and the acrosome reaction implicating reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in sperm samples from infertile patients.

Proteins oxidation and autoantibodies' reactivity against hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde -oxidized thyroid antigens in patients' plasmas with Graves' disease and Hashimoto Thyroiditis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate proteins oxidation in plasmas of two autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD): Graves' disease (GD) and Hashimoto Thyroiditis (HT), and to determine whether oxidative modification of thyroid antigens (T.Ag) enhanced the reactivity of autoantibodies in plasmas of AITD patients compared with the reactivity towards native T.Ag. Carbonyl and thiol groups and MDA-protein adducts were assessed spectrophotometric methods in plasmas of 74 AITD patients and 65 healthy controls. The reactivities immunoglobulin (Ig)G autoantibodies towards malondialdéhyde (MDA)-modified T.Ag, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-modified T.Ag, native T.Ag and native derm were checked by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Evaluation of oxidized proteins exhibited high levels of MDA bound to proteins and carbonyl groups, as well as reduced thiol level in plasmas of AITD patients by comparison to healthy controls (p < 0.05). The ELISA test showed that AITD patients' plasmas' reactivity to native T.Ag was significantly increased to the reactivity towards native derm, whereas, no differences were found in the reactivity to native T.Ag and derm in controls plasmas. In addition, treatment of T.Ag by oxidants revealed enhanced reactivity of IgG circulating autoantibodies against H2O2-oxidized T.Ag compared to native ones (p < 0.001) in plasmas of both AITD. Also, reactivity's to MDA-oxidized T.Ag in GD plasmas decreased compared to native ones (p < 0.05) and no changes were noted for HT. Pearson correlation study resulted in positive correlation between reactivity's to H2O2-oxidized T.Ag and free triodotyronine level in GD patients (r = 0.42, p < 0.05) in one hand and thyroid stimulating hormone level in HT patients in the other (r = 0.65, p < 0.001). The data suggest that high production of H2O2 probably occurred during hormone synthesis could contribute to protein oxidation in AITD and to create neoepitopes responsible for autoantibody reactivity's to H2O2-oxidized T.Ag enhancement. These results provide support to the involvement of oxidative stress in AITD development and/or exacerbation.

Differential reactive oxygen species production of neutrophils and their oxidative damage in patients with active and inactive systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: Increasing interest is given to the involvement of the innate immunity and especially Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) in the physiopathological process of inflammatory diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here, we investigated the oxidative burst and damages in SLE patients neutrophils, considering the two phases of the disease, the active and the remission/inactive states. METHODS: This study was conducted on 30 SLE patients and 23 healthy controls. The oxidative burst in neutrophils of SLE patients and controls was triggered by fMLP and TPA, while reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was evaluated using a chemiluminescence assay. Oxidative damages in neutrophils were assessed by measuring Free thiol groups level and carbonyl groups, as protein oxidative markers. The malondialdehyde (MDA) level informed about the lipid peroxidation (LPO) and the catalase activity indicated the antioxidant enzymatic activity. RESULT: Compared to controls, SLE patients exhibited a significantly increased level of ROS production concomitantly to a decreased response time. Their Neutrophils were characterized by a decreased level of MDA and high levels of protein oxidation as evidenced by increased carbonyl groups and decreased SH levels. The catalase activity was higher in SLE patients' neutrophils compared to controls. When patients were clustered according to the disease activity, PMN of patients in active phase showed, paradoxically, a lower ROS production and exhibited higher oxidative damages than the inactive group. CONCLUSION: Our results highlight an altered behavior of LES patients derived PMN particularly in the active phase of the disease. The evaluation of the redox status including the rate of ROS production could be a biological marker to follow the activity of the disease.

A comparative study of nuclear 8-hydroxyguanosine expression in Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases and Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma and its relationship with p53, Bcl-2 and Ki-67 cancer related proteins.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether the oxidative stress is involved in the evolution of Graves' disease (GD) and Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) into Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma (PTC), 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and cancer related proteins (Bcl-2, p53 and Ki-67) expressions were evaluated in these pathologies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical method was applied on 25 thyroid tissues. Allred score (AS) serving to evaluate the immunostaining is based on a scale from 0 to 8. "Negligible expression" was assigned to a score of 0 to 2, "expression" and "overexpression" were attributed to a score of 3-5 and ≥6 respectively. RESULTS: PTC cancer cells exhibited 100% 8-OHdG "overexpression" compared to 87.5% in PTC non-malignant epithelial (NME) ones (p<0.05). Higher 8-OHdG AS was found in PTC NME cells compared to GD and HT (p<0.001, p<0.05 respectively). "Overexpression" of Bcl-2 was noted in all PTC cell types. Remarkably, just like the PTC cancer and NME cells 33.3% of HT and 50% of GD patients' revealed simultaneous "overexpression" of Bcl-2 and 8-OHdG in epithelial cells. No staining was detected for p53 in all pathologies. PTC lymphoid cells exhibited 100% "overexpression" for 8-OHdG and Bcl-2 with concomitant "negligible expression" for Ki-67 in 87.5% of patients. In contrast, HT lymphoid cells showed 22.2% "expression" and GD 62.5% "expression" and 12.5% "overexpression" of Ki-67. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous "overexpression" of 8-OHdG and Bcl-2 in GD and HT could be considered as prognostic markers while "negligible expression" of Ki-67 in PTC lymphoid cells suggests an anergic state favoring the tumor escapes from the immune system.

Phenolic contents and antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of Capparis spinosa.

Caper plant (Capparis spinosa) extracts have been associated with diverse biological activities including anti-oxidant properties. In this work, we characterized the hydro-ethanolic extract obtained from C. spinosa leaves [hydroethanolic extract of C. spinosa (HECS)] by analyzing the content in anti-oxidant compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins. Further, we evaluated HECS antioxidant activities in vitro using bleaching of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical and ABTS test as well as by pretreatment of HeLa cells exposed to Fe(2+) or H2O2. Our findings indicate that HECS contains high amount of total phenolic compounds and high levels of flavonoids and anthocyanins. Furthermore, HECS exhibited antioxidant activity in both chemical and biological tests. Specially, pretreatment of HeLa cells with different concentrations of the extract conferred protection against lipid peroxidation and modulated activities of two antioxidant enzymes, SOD and catalase. These results revealed HECS antioxidant effects and suggest that C. spinosa leaves are a potential source of natural antioxidant molecules with possible applications in industry and medicine.

Lipid peroxidation, proteins modifications, anti-oxidant enzymes activities and selenium deficiency in the plasma of hashitoxicosis patients.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the oxidative stress profile in hashitoxicosis (HTX) and to compare it with that of healthy subjects. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Spectrophotometric methods were used to evaluate the oxidative stress markers. The selenium level was investigated by atomic absorption. RESULTS: High levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) and conjugated dienes were found in HTX patients (p = 0.034 and p = 0.043, respectively) compared with healthy controls. For antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities increased, whereas that of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) decreased (p = 0.000, p = 0.014, p = 0.000, respectively) compared with controls. A reduction in the level of selenium (p = 0.029) and thiol groups (p = 0.008) were shown in patients; however, levels of carbonyl group and malondialdehyde (MDA) protein adducts decreased (p = 0.000) compared with controls. Positive correlation was shown between levels of free thyroxine (FT4) and TBARS (r = 0.711, p = 0.048) and between FT4 level and SOD activity (r = 0.713, p = 0.047). Conversely, GPx activity presented a negative correlation with FT4 and free triiodothyronine (FT3) levels (r = -0.934, p = 0.001; r = -0.993, p = 0.000, respectively). In addition, GPx activity showed positive correlation with selenium level (r = 0.981, p = 0.019) and the FT3 level correlated negatively with the level of thiol groups (r = -0.892, p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the presence of an oxidative stress and selenium deficiency in HTX patients and suggests that the hyperthyroid state is strongly implicated in the establishment of this disturbed oxidative profile.

Methyl-thiophanate increases reactive oxygen species production and induces genotoxicity in rat peripheral blood.

Methylthiophanate is one of the widely used fungicides to control important fungal diseases of crops. The aim of this study was to elucidate the short-term hematoxicity and genotoxicity effects of methylthiophanate administered by intraperitoneal way at three doses (300, 500 and 700 mg/kg of body weight) after 24, 48 and 72 h. Our results showed, 24 h after methylthiophanate injection, a hematological perturbation such as red blood cells (p < 0.05, p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) and hemoglobin content (p < 0.05), respectively, and a noticeable genotoxic effect in WBC evidenced by a significant increase in the frequency of the micronuclei and a decrease in cell viability. An increase in erythrocyte osmotic fragility was also noted after 24 and 48 h of methylthiophanate treatment at graded doses. A significant increase in hydrogen peroxide, advanced oxidation of protein products and malondialdehyde levels, in erythrocytes of methylthiophanate-treated rats with 300, 500 and 700 mg/kg of body weight, was also observed after 24 h of treatment (p < 0.05, p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively), suggesting the implication of oxidative stress in its toxicity. Antioxidants activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in erythrocytes significantly increased (p < 0.001) 24 h after the highest dose injected. While all these parameters were improved after 72 h of methylthiophanate injection (300, 500 and 700 mg/kg body weight). In conclusion, these data showed that the exposure of adult rats to methylthiophanate resulted in oxidative stress leading to hematotoxicity and the impairment of defence system, confirming the pro-oxidant and genotoxic effects of this fungicide.

Oxidative stress markers in intestinal mucosa of Tunisian inflammatory bowel disease patients.

UNLABELLED: BACKGROUND / AIMS: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), Crohn's disease (CrD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders. The precise etiology of IBD remains unclear, and it is thought that interactions among various factors, including, genetic factors, the host immune system and environmental factors, cause disruption of intestinal homeostasis, leading to dysregulated inflammatory responses of the gut. As inflammation is intimately related to formation of reactive intermediates, including, reactive oxygen species, oxidative stress has been proposed as a mechanism underlying the pathophysiology of IBD. The purpose of this study is to examine the lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and anti-oxidative profile in Tunisian IBD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Malondialdehyde (MDA), conjugated dienes (CD), protein thiol levels, as well as the catalase (CAT) activity were evaluated in intestinal biopsies of 17 patients affected by IBD (12 CrD and 5 UC) and 12 healthy control individuals. RESULTS: Oxidative stress was confirmed in these two types of disease biopsies as compared to controls. MDA and CD levels were significantly increased in both UC and CrD patients' biopsies as compared to controls' biopsies ( P < 0.001). CAT activity was similar in UC and CrD biopsies' and was not significantly increased in IBD patients' biopsies compared with controls' biopsies ( P > 0.05). Anon-significant decrease in thiol (SH) level was observed in both UC and CrD patients' biopsies compared with controls' biopsies ( P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Increased levels of MDA and CD in IBD patients' biopsies underline the implication of oxidative stress in the physiopathology of IBD.

Catalase and lipid peroxidation values in serum of Tunisian patients with pemphigus vulgaris and foliaceus.

Pemphigus is an autoimmune disorder resulting from the interaction between autoantibodies and desmoglein. Oxidative stress seems to be responsible for the onset/aggravation of many human diseases. Actually, it is considered as one of the several factors for the etiopathogenesis of pemphigus. The present study aims to evaluate the oxidative state in the sera of pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus patients by assessing lipid peroxidation, proteins oxidation, and antioxidant enzyme activity. This study included 36 pemphigus vulgaris and 42 pemphigus foliaceus patients as well as a group of controls consisting of 78 healthy volunteers. Malondialdehyde levels (p < 0.001) and catalase activity (p < 0.001) are higher in both groups of patients than in the control group. The two groups of patients showed a nonsignificant decrease in the thiol groups compared with the healthy one. A nonsignificant difference was shown between pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus patients, except for the catalase which shows an increase in the pemphigus vulgaris group. We have also found significant correlations between serum oxidative stress marker levels and serum anti-desmoglein antibody levels in the two pemphigus groups. These findings underline the implication of oxidative stress in the physiopathology of pemphigus by the increase in the autoantibodies' reactivity.

A new Lactobacillus plantarum strain, TN8, from the gastro intestinal tract of poultry induces high cytokine production.

This study aimed to determine the probiotic potential of 100 strains of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) isolated from different intestinal segments of indigenous poultry in Tunisia. The strains were submitted to a battery of standard tests and criteria commonly used for determining their probiotic properties and attributes. The findings revealed that 19 of the isolates exhibited antimicrobial activity against 4 pathogenic bacteria, and that 4 (TN1, TN8, TN7, and TN13) showed good resistance to pH 3 and 5% bovine bile. Three isolates, namely TN1, TN8, and TN13, showed sensitivity to several antibiotics and were, therefore, selected for further enzymatic activity assays. Two isolates, namely TN1 and TN8, showed high efficacy of adhesion to chicken enterocytes. The cytokines released after stimulation by the two isolates showed high anti-inflammatory profiles, with an increased rate of Interleukin-10 (IL-10) production for the TN8 strain. Showing the highest performance, TN8 was submitted to 16S rRNA gene sequencing, which revealed that the strain was of the species Lactobacillus plantarum. Overall, the findings indicate that the Lactobacilli from poultry intestine has a number of promising properties that make it candidate for application as a probiotic additive in poultry industry.

Protective effect of quercetin against oxidative stress caused by dimethoate in human peripheral blood lymphocytes.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of quercetin in alleviating the cytotoxic effects of Dimethoate in human peripheral blood lymphocytes. METHODS: Lymphocytes were divided into too groups. The first group, lymphocytes were incubated for 4 h at 37°C with different concentrations (0, 40, 60 and 100 mM) of Dimethoate. The second group was preincubated with quercetin for 30 min and followed by Dim incubation for 4 h at 37°C. RESULTS: Following in vitro incubation, Dimethoate caused a significant increase in malondialdehyde levels, a significant decrease in thiol levels, as well as a significant increase in superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities in lymphocytes at different concentrations. Quercetin pretreated lymphocytes showed a significant protection against the cytotoxic effects inducted by Dimethoate on the studied parameters. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, antioxidant quercetin could protect against Dimethoate-induced oxidative stress by decreasing lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and increasing superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in human lymphocytes.

Induction of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) lytic cycle in vitro causes lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and DNA damage in lymphoblastoid B cell lines.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the oxidative modifications of lipids, proteins and DNA, potential molecular targets of oxidative stress, in two lymphoblastoid cell lines: B95-8 and Raji, after EBV lytic cycle induction. Conjugated dienes level was measured as biomarker of lipid peroxidation. Malondialdehyde adduct and protein carbonyl levels, as well as protein thiol levels were measured as biomarkers of protein oxidation. DNA fragmentation was evaluated as biomarker of DNA oxidation. RESULTS: After 48 h (peak of lytic cycle), a significant increase in conjugated dienes level was observed in B95-8 and Raji cell lines (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.019 respectively). Malondialdehyde adduct, protein carbonyl levels were increased in B95-8 and Raji cell lines after EBV lytic cycle induction as compared to controls (MDA-adduct: p = 0.008 and p = 0.006 respectively; Carbonyl: p = 0.003 and p = 0.0039 respectively). Proteins thiol levels were decreased by induction in B95-8 and Raji cell lines (p = 0.046; p = 0.002 respectively). DNA fragmentation was also detected in B95-8 and Raji cell lines after EBV lytic cycle induction as compared to controls. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate the presence of increased combined oxidative modifications in lipids, proteins in B95-8 and Raji cells lines after EBV lytic cycle induction. These results suggest that lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and DNA fragmentation are generally induced during EBV lytic cycle induction and probably contribute to the cytopathic effect of EBV.

Reactive oxygen species production and antioxidant enzyme expression after Epstein-Barr virus lytic cycle induction in Raji cell line.

In a previous study, we have described oxidative stress during Epstein-Barr virus lytic cycle induction. Oxidative stress was evidenced by the observed high MDA levels and the decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes. We hypothesised that the lower activities of the antioxidant enzymes decrease were the result of either the excessive production of reactive oxygen radical species (ROS) or a negative regulation of the antioxidant enzyme gene expressions. In an attempt to clarify this situation, EBV lytic cycle was induced in Raji cell line by a non-stressing dose of 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. BZLF-1, superoxide dismutase, and catalase gene expressions were then analysed using semi-quantitative RT-PCR, simultaneously at a kinetic of 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 h. ROS production was evaluated by chemiluminescence. A study was conducted to establish whether ROS production, BZLF-1, and the expression of antioxidant genes were inter-correlated. Induction of the lytic cycle resulted in increased expressions of the genes of superoxide dismutase and catalase, which began at 24 h (p < 0.05) and reached a peak at 48 h (p < 0.05). Significant increases of the ROS levels were observed in TPA-treated Raji cell line at 12 h, as compared with untreated cells, reaching a peak at 48 h after EBV lytic cycle induction. ROS production correlates positively with BZLF-1, SOD, and CAT gene expressions (p < 0.05; r = 0.913, r = 0.978, and r = 0.955, respectively). A positive correlation was also observed between BZLF-1 and antioxidant gene expressions (p < 0.05; r = 0.961 and r = 0.987, respectively). In conclusion, the observed increases of the SOD and CAT gene expressions eliminate the hypothesis of a repression of the respective genes during the induction of the lytic cycle. On the other hand, the observed direct correlation between the BZLF-1 gene expression and the ROS production is indicative of a role of this gene in oxidative stress.