Nicholas H. Hunt

Breakdown of the blood-brain barrier in murine cerebral malaria.

Cerebral malaria in A/J and CBA/H mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA is accompanied by mononuclear cell infiltration, haemorrhage and cerebral endothelial cell damage. This damage is presumably one of the causes of the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier which was detected by measuring the movement of the dye Evans blue and radioisotope labelled albumin and erythrocytes. The density of brain tissue, measured by a Percoll gradient technique, was significantly reduced in mice exhibiting cerebral symptoms, suggesting the occurrence of cerebral oedema.

Probucol Promotes Functional Reendothelialization in Balloon-Injured Rabbit Aortas

Background—Probucol remains the only conventional drug that reduces restenosis after coronary angioplasty. Apart from its weak cholesterol-lowering effect, probucol has antioxidant properties, but it remains unclear how this drug inhibits restenosis. Methods and Results—Aortic balloon-injured New Zealand White rabbits were fed 2% (wt/wt) cholesterol-enriched or normal chow, with 0.75% (wt/wt) probucol (P) or without (controls, C) for 6 weeks. Endothelial denudation of the abdominal aorta was performed at week 3 with a 3F Fogarty embolectomy catheter. The arteries were harvested after week 6 and analyzed for histology, lipids and antioxidants, and endothelial regeneration and function. Probucol significantly decreased aortic intima-to-media ratio (cholesterol-fed: C, 1.10±0.08 versus P, 0.70±0.10; normal: C, 0.89±0.02 versus P, 0.83±0.05;P <0.05) and the numbers of proliferating intimal smooth muscle cells and lowered serum cholesterol without altering the proportion of aortic lipids that was oxidized. Probucol promoted endothelial regeneration in the injured aorta in cholesterol-fed rabbits (25% increase in reendothelialization, P <0.05) and in those on normal chow (37% increase, P <0.01). This was associated with both improved endothelial function as assessed by enhanced aortic ring relaxation and cGMP production in response to acetylcholine and decreased intimal thickening. Conclusions—Probucol inhibits intimal thickening in balloon-damaged arteries of rabbits by promoting the regeneration of functional endothelium, without affecting the proportion of aortic lipids that was oxidized. This novel in vivo finding helps explain how probucol inhibits restenosis after coronary angioplasty and highlights potential new targets for therapeutic intervention.

Antioxidants inhibit proliferation and cell surface expression of receptors for interleukin-2 and transferrin in T lymphocytes stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate and ionomycin

We have previously shown that several antioxidant compounds inhibit the proliferation of T lymphocytes stimulated with alloantigen (Chaudhri, G., Clark, I. A., Hunt, N. H., Cowden, W. B., and Ceredig, R., J. Immunol. 136, 2646, 1986). We concluded from these studies that free oxygen radicals are positive mediators in T-lymphocyte activation and proliferation. In order to extend these studies we examined the effects of antioxidants on T cells stimulated with a combination of phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and ionomycin. The following antioxidants were used: ferricyanide, an inhibitor of superoxide production; iron chelators, which block hydroxyl radical formation; and butylated hydroxyanisole, a free radical scavenger. Responder cells included purified peripheral T cells (Lyt-2+ or L3T4+ cells) and immature (Lyt-2-/L3T4-) thymocytes. All agents, in the micromolar range, caused a dose-dependent inhibition of proliferation of each T-cell subset studied. Flow microfluorometric analysis of T cells stimulated for 48 hr showed that the expression of interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptors and transferrin receptors was inhibited by all the antioxidants tested but not by hydroxyurea (HU), an inhibitor of the enzyme ribonucleotide reductase. In contrast, the expression of a third activation marker, phagocytic glycoprotein-1 (Pgp-1 or Lyt-24), was not affected by any of the agents. Furthermore, while both the antioxidants and HU inhibited T-cell cycling, analysis of a light-scattering parameter related to cell size indicated that the antioxidant-treated cells remained small while the HU-treated and control cells were larger and blast-like. Therefore, the mechanism of action of the three classes of antioxidants is similar, but quite distinct from the inhibition of proliferation caused by HU. Taken together, these results suggest that free radicals are involved in specific early events in T-cell activation.

Activity of divicine in Plasmodium vinckei‐infected mice has implications for treatment of favism and epidemiology of G‐6‐PD deficiency

Summary. Intravenous injection of divicine into mice infected with Plasmodium vinckei rapidly killed the parasites and caused haemolysis. Degenerating parasites were observed frequently inside intact circulating erythrocytes, implying that parasite death was not a passive consequence of haemolysis. Both parasite death and haemolysis were prevented by the iron chelator desferrioxamine. In vitro, divicine caused the accumulation of malonyldialdehyde and the depletion of reduced glutathione in normal mouse erythrocytes. Desferrioxamine inhibited the former event, but not the latter. These observations support the hypothesis advanced by Huheey & Martin (Experientia, 31, 1145, 1975) to explain the patchy geographical distribution of glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in historic malarial areas and also suggest that desferrioxamine, a drug already in clinical use, is a potential treatment for favism and other examples of oxidative haemolysis.

Protection of vitamin E from oxidation by increased ascorbic acid content within Plasmodium vinckei-infected erythrocytes

Erythrocytes isolated from mice at a late stage of infection with the malarial parasite Plasmodium vinckei contained increased levels of vitamin E, but neither control nor infected erythrocytes contained detectable levels of alpha-tocopherolquinone, an oxidation product of vitamin E. Total levels of the antioxidant, vitamin C, were more than doubled in the same populations of highly parasitized erythrocytes. These observations, and the lower ratio of oxidized to reduced forms of ascorbic acid in parasitized compared to nonparasitized erythrocytes, raise the possibility that increased redox-cycling between the two vitamins may account for the failure to detect alpha-tocopherolquinone. Thus, late in infection of mice with the lethal parasite P. vinckei, the content and redox state of erythrocytic ascorbic acid is altered so that it protects vitamin E, and presumably the parasitized red cell and its contents, from oxidative damage.

Reactive oxygen production, arachidonate metabolism and cyclic AMP in macrophages

Chemiluminescence was used as an indicator of the production of reactive oxygen species by thioglycollate-elicited rat peritoneal macrophages stimulated by A23187. This action of the ionophore was inhibited by bromophenacyl bromide and nordihydroguaiaretic acid, inhibitors of the phospholipase A2 and lipoxygenase enzymes, respectively. The cyclo-oxygenase inhibitors, indomethacin and aspirin, did not diminish the light output. Preincubation of the cells with the 8-bromo- or dibutyryl analogues of cyclic AMP or with the cyclic AMP-phosphodiesterase inhibitors theophylline and RO-20-1724, or with PGE2, inhibited the A23187-evoked chemiluminescence. The results suggest that he lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism may make a significant contribution to reactive oxygen production. This process may be modulated, and its duration limited, by cyclic AMP-mediated actions of prostaglandins, which are products of the cyclo-oxygenation of arachidonate.

Possible mechanisms responsible for the increased ascorbic acid content of Plasmodium vinckei-infected mouse erythrocytes

The possible mechanisms underlying the acquisition of an increased ascorbic acid content by mouse erythrocytes containing the malarial parasite Plasmodium vinckei were investigated. Ascorbic acid was taken up readily by parasitized red blood cells but not by controls, whilst its partly oxidized form, dehydroascorbic acid, entered both. The uptake of both ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid into erythrocytes was increased as a result of malarial infection. Lysates prepared from parasitized red blood cells reduced exogenous dehydroascorbic acid to ascorbic acid at a higher rate than control red blood cell lysates; this difference was abolished following dialysis of the lysates, a process which removes endogenous reduced glutathione (GSH). The rates of chemical and enzymatic reduction of dehydroascorbic acid to ascorbic acid by GSH were of similar magnitude, thus calling into question the existence of a specific dehydroascorbate reductase in erythrocytes and parasites. These observations suggest that the increased uptake of dehydroascorbic acid into parasitized red blood cells may be a result of enhanced dehydroascorbate-reducing capacity, whilst the presence of the parasite induces a selective increase in the permeability of the erythrocyte plasma membrane to ascorbic acid. The endogenous ascorbic acid content of livers obtained from infected mice was 55% below the normal concentration and its relative rate of destruction during incubation in vitro was enhanced in comparison with that of control livers. Furthermore, the capacity of liver homogenates to synthesize ascorbic acid from glucuronic acid was greatly reduced in infected mice. Therefore it is unlikely that the increase in ascorbic acid content of parasitized red blood cells is a consequence of increased biosynthesis and release of ascorbic acid by the host liver. We have not been able to exclude the possibility that the malarial parasite itself may be capable of de novo synthesis of ascorbic acid.

RMI 12330A, an inhibitor of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases and adenylate cyclase in kidney preparations

N-(cis-2-phenylcyclopentyl)azacyclotridecan-2-imine hydrochloride (RMI 12330A) inhibited cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase activities in kidney preparations from rat and mouse. The drug was effective in the concentration range 0.1-1 mM. The agent was much less effective in inhibiting chick kidney cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases. The onset of inhibition of rat particulate cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activities was rapid (less than 30 s) and irreversible. The inhibition of the low Km forms of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in mouse kidney homogenates was of the non-competitive type. RMI 12330A inhibited cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activities in intact rat renal tubules. Adenylate cyclase activity, both basal and stimulated, was inhibited in all three species by the drug. Since RMI 12330A affects cyclic GMP metabolism as well as cyclic AMP metabolism, caution must be exercised in interpreting its effects upon cellular processes in terms of its actions upon the adenylate cyclase-cyclic AMP pathway alone.

Toxicity of certain products of lipid peroxidation to the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

Aldehydes generated during radical-induced lipid peroxidation, in particular 4-hydroxynonenal, are known to inhibit growth of certain cells. To extend our arguments that free radicals might be involved in the host response against malaria parasites we tested 26 carbonyls (n-alkanals, C6-C11; 2-alkenals, C3-C9; 2,4-alkadienals, C7, C9, C10; 4-OH-2-alkenals, C6, C8, C9; 2-alkanones, C3-C9; and malonyldialdehyde) against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro. We had previously detected many of these substances in oxidant-stressed, malaria-infected erythrocytes. Three 2,4-alkadienals (C7, C9 and C10) and three 4-OH-2-alkenals (C6, C8 and C9), at 20-100 microM concentrations, markedly inhibited incorporation of [3H]-hypoxanthine by P. falciparum. Acrolein had low effect, and none of the other compounds (12 aldehydes and 7 ketones) were active at concentrations up to 100 microM. Malonyldialdehyde was without effect at concentrations up to 450 microM. The aldehydes found to be inhibitory against P. falciparum could contribute to both the non-antibody host responses against this parasite and the antimalarial effects of radical-generating compounds such as t-butyl hydroperoxide, hydrogen peroxide, alloxan, isouramil, divicine and primaquine.

Antioxidants in plasma from mice infected with Plasmodiumvinckei

The late stage of infection of mice with the malarial parasite Plasmodium vinckei was accompanied by significant changes in the content of most antioxidants within plasma. The plasma concentrations of uric acid and vitamin C increased, in contrast to those of vitamin E and total plasma proteins, whilst the activity of superoxide dismutase did not change significantly. In contrast to the situation within erythrocytes, the ratio of partly oxidized forms of vitamin C (dehydroascorbate and diketogulonic acid) to reduced ascorbic acid failed to decrease as a result of malarial infection. These results are consistent with earlier findings and add to the idea that malarial infection may result in oxidative tissue damage.