Biochemical Modulators in Chronic Diseases: The Antioxidant /Anti-inflammatory Interdependence

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmaceutical Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2021) | Viewed by 13840

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Guest Editor
Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
Interests: redox modulator; ozone therapy; oxidative stress in chronic diseases; antioxidants; anti-inflammatory agents; gaseous signaling molecules
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

An increasing amount of evidence suggests that inflammation and oxidative stress play a key role in the pathogenesis of many chronic diseases. In fact, oxidative stress underpins molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of a large series of chronic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and neurodegeneration. Moreover, in addition to oxidative stress leading to an inflammatory response, it has been suggested that inflammation itself may elicit free radical formation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated by phagocytic cells, neutrophils, and macrophages during the inflammatory reaction, and chronic infections and inflammatory disorders also provoke increased production of free radicals. Thus, a close connection was found to exist between oxidative and inflammatory systems and the development and progression of chronic diseases. It is clear that both inflammation and oxidative stress act in concert, exacerbating each other’s effects, leading to further progression of organ damage. However, the interdependence between these two biochemical pathways appears to be more complicated than expected, as suggested by the inability of antioxidants trials to show beneficial health effects in the treatment of chronic diseases and the discovery of the antioxidant paradox. The selection of biochemical agents able to modulate the antioxidant/anti-inflammatory interdependence appears to be a challenge in the prevention and treatment of the chronic diseases. This Special Issue provides an overview of emerging topics on the future perspectives of biochemical modulators acting as selective inhibitors of part of inflammatory and oxidative pathways as well as the appropriate quantification of both redox and inflammatory status before, during, and after antioxidant or anti-inflammatory therapy. For this Special Issue, original research articles, reviews, and short reports on various aspects of antioxidants/anti-inflammatory interdependence in chronic diseases are welcome, in addition to the prediction of future trends in related fields.

Dr. Emma Borrelli
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • oxidative stress
  • inflammation
  • redox modulator
  • anti-inflammatory agents
  • chronic diseases
  • antioxidant paradox
  • reactive oxygen species

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 3721 KiB  
Article
Fullerene C60 Protects Against Intestinal Injury from Deoxynivalenol Toxicity by Improving Antioxidant Capacity
by Simeng Liao, Guang Liu, Bie Tan, Ming Qi, Jianjun Li, Xiaoqing Li, Changfeng Zhu, Jiamei Huang, Yulong Yin and Yulong Tang
Life 2021, 11(6), 491; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11060491 - 27 May 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3784
Abstract
Oxidative stress is involved in a wide variety of pathologies, and fullerene has been shown to have an antioxidant ability. Mycotoxins exert toxic effects through induction of excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here, we evaluated water-soluble fullerene C60 for its anti-mycotoxin and antioxidant [...] Read more.
Oxidative stress is involved in a wide variety of pathologies, and fullerene has been shown to have an antioxidant ability. Mycotoxins exert toxic effects through induction of excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here, we evaluated water-soluble fullerene C60 for its anti-mycotoxin and antioxidant effects in vitro and in vivo. Intestinal epithelial cells were cultured with fullerene during deoxynivalenol (DON) exposure. The results revealed that fullerene C60 significantly promoted cell viability, decreased apoptosis and necrotic cell number, and significantly reduced intracellular ROS levels during DON exposure (p < 0.05). To investigate the role of fullerene in antioxidant capacity in vivo further, 40 three-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups. There were no significant differences between the control and fullerene groups (p > 0.05). In mice exposed to DON, supplementation with fullerene C60 significantly improved growth performance, and enhanced the total antioxidant status and the activities of SOD and GPX in the intestine and liver (p < 0.05). In addition, fullerene C60 supplementation improved intestinal morphology, as indicated by a higher villus height and tight junction protein expression (p < 0.05). Furthermore, fullerene supplementation decreased serum concentrations of inflammatory cytokine and lipopolysaccharide (LPS; a penetrability marker) compared to the DON-challenged group (p < 0.05). The current study suggests that fullerene C60 improves intestinal antioxidant status against DON-induced oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo. Full article
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Review

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21 pages, 746 KiB  
Review
Altered Bone Status in Rett Syndrome
by Alessandra Pecorelli, Valeria Cordone, Maria Lucia Schiavone, Carla Caffarelli, Carlo Cervellati, Gaetana Cerbone, Stefano Gonnelli, Joussef Hayek and Giuseppe Valacchi
Life 2021, 11(6), 521; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11060521 - 3 Jun 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4719
Abstract
Rett syndrome (RTT) is a monogenic neurodevelopmental disorder primarily caused by mutations in X-linked MECP2 gene, encoding for methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2), a multifaceted modulator of gene expression and chromatin organization. Based on the type of mutation, RTT patients exhibit a broad [...] Read more.
Rett syndrome (RTT) is a monogenic neurodevelopmental disorder primarily caused by mutations in X-linked MECP2 gene, encoding for methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2), a multifaceted modulator of gene expression and chromatin organization. Based on the type of mutation, RTT patients exhibit a broad spectrum of clinical phenotypes with various degrees of severity. In addition, as a complex multisystem disease, RTT shows several clinical manifestations ranging from neurological to non-neurological symptoms. The most common non-neurological comorbidities include, among others, orthopedic complications, mainly scoliosis but also early osteopenia/osteoporosis and a high frequency of fractures. A characteristic low bone mineral density dependent on a slow rate of bone formation due to dysfunctional osteoblast activity rather than an increase in bone resorption is at the root of these complications. Evidence from human and animal studies supports the idea that MECP2 mutation could be associated with altered epigenetic regulation of bone-related factors and signaling pathways, including SFRP4/WNT/β-catenin axis and RANKL/RANK/OPG system. More research is needed to better understand the role of MeCP2 in bone homeostasis. Indeed, uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying RTT bone problems could reveal new potential pharmacological targets for the treatment of these complications that adversely affect the quality of life of RTT patients for whom the only therapeutic approaches currently available include bisphosphonates, dietary supplements, and physical activity. Full article
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19 pages, 1928 KiB  
Review
Interdependence of Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Properties of Squalene–Implication for Cardiovascular Health
by Nurul ‘Izzah Ibrahim and Isa Naina Mohamed
Life 2021, 11(2), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11020103 - 29 Jan 2021
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 4539
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have been recognized as the leading cause of mortality worldwide, accounting for 31% of global mortality. Among the risk factors of CVD, hyperlipidemia has been established as the most potent risk factor. Statins, a class of drug that reduces lower-density [...] Read more.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have been recognized as the leading cause of mortality worldwide, accounting for 31% of global mortality. Among the risk factors of CVD, hyperlipidemia has been established as the most potent risk factor. Statins, a class of drug that reduces lower-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), are the preferred medical treatment. However, due to the development of statin-associated muscle symptoms, statins are associated with patients’ discontinuation and nonadherence. Other statin-induced side effects, such as hepatotoxicity and gastrointestinal upset, all contribute to patients choosing alternative medicines. Squalene (SQ), an unsaturated hydrocarbon naturally synthesized in plants and animals, could become the alternative treatment or supplementary agent for cardiovascular health. SQ has been shown to exert cardioprotective effect via its antioxidant activity. Oxidative stress and inflammatory responses are closely related to each other, which proposes an interdependence relation between antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Therefore, this review explores the interdependence between the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of SQ implicated on cardiovascular health. Full article
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