Roberta Ceci

Oxidative stress responses to a graded maximal exercise test in older adults following explosive-type resistance training.

We recently demonstrated that low frequency, moderate intensity, explosive-type resistance training (EMRT) is highly beneficial in elderly subjects towards muscle strength and power, with a systemic adaptive response of anti-oxidant and stress-induced markers. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of EMRT on oxidative stress biomarkers induced in old people (70–75 years) by a single bout of acute, intense exercise. Sixteen subjects randomly assigned to either a control, not exercising group (n=8) or a trained group performing EMRT protocol for 12-weeks (n=8), were submitted to a graded maximal exercise stress test (GXT) at baseline and after the 12-weeks of EMRT protocol, with blood samples collected before, immediately after, 1 and 24 h post-GXT test. Blood glutathione (GSH, GSSG, GSH/GSSG), plasma malonaldehyde (MDA), protein carbonyls and creatine kinase (CK) levels, as well as PBMCs cellular damage (Comet assay, apoptosis) and stress–protein response (Hsp70 and Hsp27 expression) were evaluated. The use of multiple biomarkers allowed us to confirm that EMRT per se neither affected redox homeostasis nor induced any cellular and oxidative damage. Following the GXT, the EMRT group displayed a higher GSH/GSSG ratio and a less pronounced increase in MDA, protein carbonyls and CK levels compared to control group. Moreover, we found that Hsp70 and Hsp27 proteins were induced after GXT only in EMRT group, while any significant modification within 24 h was detected in untrained group. Apoptosis rates and DNA damage did not show any significant variation in relation to EMRT and/or GXT. In conclusion, the adherence to an EMRT protocol is able to induce a cellular adaptation allowing healthy elderly trained subjects to cope with the oxidative stress induced by an acute exercise more effectively than the aged-matched sedentary subjects.

Evaluation of Levodopa and Carbidopa Antioxidant Activity in Normal Human Lymphocytes In Vitro: Implication for Oxidative Stress in Parkinson’s Disease

The main pathochemical hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the loss of dopamine in the striatum of the brain, and the oral administration of levodopa (l-dopa) is a treatment that partially restores the dopaminergic transmission. In vitro assays have demonstrated both toxic and protective effects of l-dopa on dopaminergic cells, while in vivo studies have not provided any convincing data. The peripheral metabolic pathways significantly decrease the amount of l-dopa reaching the brain; therefore, all of the current commercial formulations require an association with an inhibitor of dopa-decarboxylase, such as carbidopa. However, the dosage and the actual effectiveness of carbidopa have not yet been well defined. PD patients exhibit a reduced efficiency of the endogenous antioxidant system, and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) represent a dopaminergic system for use as a cellular model to study the pharmacological treatments of neurodegenerative disorders in addition to analysing the systemic oxidative stress. According to our previous studies demonstrating a protective effect of both l-dopa and carbidopa on neuroblastoma cells in vitro, we used the PBLs of healthy donors to evaluate the modulation of DNA damage by different concentrations of l-dopa and carbidopa in the presence of oxidative stress that was exogenously induced by H2O2. We utilised a TAS assay to evaluate the in vitro direct scavenging activity of l-dopa and carbidopa and analysed the expression of genes that were involved in cellular oxidative metabolism. Our data demonstrate the antioxidant capacity of l-dopa and carbidopa and their ability to protect DNA against oxidative-induced damage that derives from different mechanisms of action.

The Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase in Lymphocytes from Sedentary and Active Subjects

PURPOSE Endocannabinoids (eCB) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels change during physical activity, thus suggesting their involvement in the modulation of exercise-related processes like inflammation and energy homeostasis. To investigate whether lifestyle might affect the activity of the eCB-degrading enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), active and sedentary subjects were enrolled. METHODS Plasma IL-6 levels and lymphocyte FAAH activity of eight physically active male subjects (mean ± SEM; age = 39.3 ± 2.9 yr, body mass index = 21.1 ± 0.4 kg·m), usually practicing aerobic exercise (8.1 ± 1.2 h·wk), and eight sedentary subjects (38.8 ± 3.7 yr, body mass index = 23.1 ± 0.8 kg·m) were measured. Also, in vitro effect of IL-6 was tested on FAAH expression and activity and on FAAH promoter activity in lymphocytes from sedentary subjects. RESULTS Under resting conditions (at least 12 h from the last exercise), the active group showed plasma IL-6 levels (2.74 ± 0.73 pg·mL) and lymphocyte FAAH activity (215.7 ± 38.5 pmol·min·mg protein) significantly higher than those measured in the sedentary group (0.20 ± 0.02 pg·mL, and 42.0 ± 4.2 pmol·min·mg protein). Increased IL-6 levels paralleled increased FAAH activity, and consistently, the in vitro treatment of lymphocytes from sedentary individuals with 10 ng·mL IL-6 for 48 h significantly increased FAAH expression and activity. Transient transfection experiments showed that IL-6 induced the expression of a reporter gene under the control of a cAMP response element-like region in the human FAAH promoter. A mutation in the same element abolished IL-6 up-regulation, demonstrating that this cytokine regulates FAAH activity at the transcriptional level. CONCLUSION IL-6 leads to activation of the FAAH promoter, thus enhancing FAAH activity that modulates the eCB tone in physically active people.

Adaptive responses of heart and skeletal muscle to spermine oxidase overexpression: Evaluation of a new transgenic mouse model.

ABSTRACT Spermine oxidase oxidizes spermine to produce H2O2, spermidine, and 3‐aminopropanal. It is involved in cell drug response, apoptosis, and in the etiology of several pathologies, including cancer. Spermine oxidase is an important positive regulator of muscle gene expression and fiber size and, when repressed, leads to muscle atrophy. We have generated a transgenic mouse line overexpressing Smox gene in all organs, named Total‐Smox. The spermine oxidase overexpression was revealed by &bgr;‐Gal staining and reverse‐transcriptase/PCR analysis, in all tissues analysed. Spermine oxidase activity resulted higher in Total‐Smox than controls. Considering the important role of this enzyme in muscle physiology, we have focused our study on skeletal muscle and heart of Total‐Smox mice by measuring redox status and oxidative damage. We assessed the redox homeostasis through the analysis of the reduced/oxidized glutathione ratio. Chronic H2O2 production induced by spermine oxidase overexpression leads to a cellular redox state imbalance in both tissues, although they show different redox adaptation. In skeletal muscle, catalase and glutathione S‐transferase activities were significantly increased in Total‐Smox mice compared to controls. In the heart, no differences were found in CAT activity level, while GST activity decreased compared to controls. The skeletal muscle showed a lower oxidative damage than in the heart, evaluated by lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation. Altogether, our findings illustrate that skeletal muscle adapts more efficiently than heart to oxidative stress H2O2‐induced. The Total‐Smox line is a new genetic model useful to deepen our knowledge on the role of spermine oxidase in muscle atrophy and muscular pathological conditions like dystrophy. Graphical abstract Figure. No Caption Available. HighlightsThe Total‐SMOX mouse line overexpresses SMOX in all organs.SMOX oxidizes spermine producing spermidine, 3‐aminopropanal and H2O2.SMOX chronical H2O2 production alters the redox state of skeletal muscle and hearth.Skeletal muscle and hearth show different responses to SMOX overexpression.The Total‐SMOX line is a new genetic model useful for muscle physiological study.

Influence of the PDE5 inhibitor tadalafil on redox status and antioxidant defense system in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells

Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is), widely known for their beneficial effects onto male erectile dysfunction, seem to exert favorable effects onto metabolism as well. Tadalafil exposure increases oxidative metabolism of C2C12 skeletal muscle cells. A rise in fatty acid (FA) metabolism, requiring more oxygen, could induce a larger reactive oxygen species (ROS) release as a byproduct thus leading to a redox imbalance. The aim of this study was to determine how PDE5I tadalafil influences redox status in skeletal muscle cells to match the increasing oxidative metabolism. To this purpose, differentiated C2C12 skeletal muscle cells were treated with tadalafil and analyzed for total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and glutathione levels as marker of redox status; enzyme activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) engaged in antioxidant defense; and lipid peroxidation (TBARS) and protein carbonyls (PrCar) as markers of oxidative damage. Tadalafil increased total intracellular glutathione (tGSH), CAT, SOD, and GPx enzymatic activities while no changes were found in TAC. A perturbation of redox status, as showed by the decrease in the ratio between reduced/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG), was observed. Nevertheless, it did not cause any change in TBARS and PrCar levels probably due to the enhancement in the antioxidant enzymatic network. Taken together, these data indicate that tadalafil, besides improving oxidative metabolism, may be beneficial to skeletal muscle cells by enhancing the enzymatic antioxidant system capacity.

Protein kinase C in cell proliferation and differentiation.

Calcium-, phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (PKC), an amphitropic single-chain protein of 79 kDalton, is a key enzyme in the signal transduction system based on phosphoinositide hydrolysis. PKC may be found either in association with the membrane lipids or soluble in the cytoplasm, its calcium-mediated specific association with phosphatidylserine (PS) being essential for the enzyme activity. Diacylglycerol (DG) produced during phosphoinositide hydrolysis increases PKC affinity for calcium and PS, thereby activating the enzyme.’ Since PKC activators such as DG and TPA (a potent tumor promoter which mimics DG in its ability to activate PKC) affect cell proliferation and differentiation, it is tempting to speculate that changes in PKC activity and subcellular localization may occur along with spontaneous changes of the cell proliferative and differentiative condition. Human fibroblasts (HF) seeded at widely different initial densities (e.g., 20% and 120% confluency) and cultured in medium containing 10% fetal calf serum allow the comparison between actively proliferating and mitotically quiescent cells exposed to the same external environment. PKC activity was extracted and measured as previously described.* While in proliferating cells 70% of PKC activity is membraneassociated (and can be solubilized by the use of cation chelators), membraneassociated PKC drops to 24% in mitotically quiescent cells (FIG. 1). We have shown that this shift in the ratio of membrane-associated versus soluble PKC is not dependent on the cell density but on the proliferation rate.* Terminal differentiation of mononucleated myoblasts (MB) into multinucleated striated myotubes (MT), and the expression of muscle-specific products in MT, is selectively inhibited by TPA.3 The subcellular distribution of PKC was measured in MB and in MT, representing cells of the same lineage exposed to the same environment but distinct in terms of stage of differentiation. Although in 24-hr MB 81% of PKC activity is membrane-associated, only 26% of 96-hr MT PKC activity is membraneassociated. Although in our experimental conditions the vast majority of 24-hr MB is

Chronic consumption of quercetin reduces erythrocytes oxidative damage: Evaluation at resting and after eccentric exercise in humans

The polyphenolic flavonoid quercetin has been shown to be a powerful antioxidant, in vitro and in murine models. However, its effect on redox status has been poorly examined in humans, particularly in combination with strenuous exercise. We hypothesized that quercetin supplementation would beneficially affect redox homeostasis in healthy individuals undergoing eccentric exercise. To test this hypothesis, the effects of chronic consumption of quercetin on glutathione system (reduced, oxidized, and reduced to oxidized glutathione ratio), oxidative damage [thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs)], antioxidant enzymatic network (catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase) and resistance to lysis, were investigated in erythrocytes, a traditional model widely used to study the effects of oxidative stress as well as the protective effects of antioxidants. In a two weeks controlled, randomized, crossover, intervention trial, 14 individuals ingested 2 caps (1 g/d) of quercetin or placebo. Blood samples were collected before, after 2 weeks of supplementation and after a bout of eccentric exercise. Quercetin, reduced significantly erythrocytes lipid peroxidation levels and the susceptibility to hemolysis induced by the free radical generator AAPH, while no differences in antioxidant enzyme activities and glutathione homeostasis were found between the two groups. After a single bout of eccentric exercise, quercetin supplementation improved redox status as assessed by reduced/oxidized glutathione ratio analysis and reduced TBARs levels both in erythrocytes and plasma. In conclusion, our study provides evidences that chronic quercetin supplementation has antioxidant potential prior to and after a strenuous eccentric exercise thus making the erythrocytes capable to better cope with an oxidative insult.

Skeletal Muscle Pathophysiology: The Emerging Role of Spermine Oxidase and Spermidine

Skeletal muscle comprises approximately 40% of the total body mass. Preserving muscle health and function is essential for the entire body in order to counteract chronic diseases such as type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Prolonged physical inactivity, particularly among the elderly, causes muscle atrophy, a pathological state with adverse outcomes such as poor quality of life, physical disability, and high mortality. In murine skeletal muscle C2C12 cells, increased expression of the spermine oxidase (SMOX) enzyme has been found during cell differentiation. Notably, SMOX overexpression increases muscle fiber size, while SMOX reduction was enough to induce muscle atrophy in multiple murine models. Of note, the SMOX reaction product spermidine appears to be involved in skeletal muscle atrophy/hypertrophy. It is effective in reactivating autophagy, ameliorating the myopathic defects of collagen VI-null mice. Moreover, spermidine treatment, if combined with exercise, can affect D-gal-induced aging-related skeletal muscle atrophy. This review hypothesizes a role for SMOX during skeletal muscle differentiation and outlines its role and that of spermidine in muscle atrophy. The identification of new molecular pathways involved in the maintenance of skeletal muscle health could be beneficial in developing novel therapeutic lead compounds to treat muscle atrophy.

The p75NTR-mediated effect of nerve growth factor in L6C5 myogenic cells

ObjectiveDuring muscle development or regeneration, myocytes produce nerve growth factor (NGF) as well as its tyrosine-kinase and p75-neurotrophin (p75NTR) receptors. It has been published that the p75NTR receptor could represent a key regulator of NGF-mediated myoprotective effect on satellite cells, but the precise function of NGF/p75 signaling pathway on myogenic cell proliferation, survival and differentiation remains fragmented and controversial. Here, we verified the role of NGF in the growth, survival and differentiation of p75NTR-expressing L6C5 myogenic cells, specifically inquiring for the putative involvement of the nuclear factor κB (NFκB) and the small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) αB-crystallin and Hsp27 in these processes.ResultsAlthough NGF was not effective in modulating myogenic cell growth or survival in both standard or stress conditions, we demonstrated for the first time that, under serum deprivation, NGF sustained the activity of some key enzymes involved in energy metabolism. Moreover, we confirmed that NGF promotes myogenic fusion and expression of the structural protein myosin heavy chain while modulating NFκB activation and the content of sHSPs correlated with the differentiation process. We conclude that p75NTR is sufficient to mediate the modulation of L6C5 myogenic differentiation by NGF in term of structural, metabolic and functional changes.