Search Results (5,235)

Microplastic pollution has attracted significant attention in recent years due to evidence that these particles can accumulate in organisms’ tissues and organs and induce adverse health effects, with oxidative stress being a key underlying mechanism of toxicity. The present study investigated the effects of polystyrene microplastics (0.1 μm in diameter) administered at a dose of 0.1 mg/day/animal for 4 weeks, followed by a 2-week recovery period without exposure, on oxidative stress markers in the liver, kidney, and spleen and on hematological and blood biochemical parameters in mice. The results showed a statistically significant increase in white blood cell counts, including lymphocytes, granulocytes, and monocytes, at week 5, indicating the development of an inflammatory response. During the last week of the recovery period (week 6), values returned to levels that approached baseline. Changes in lipid peroxidation demonstrated an induction of oxidative stress, accompanied by alterations in glutathione levels and antioxidant enzyme activities, with a tendency toward recovery after cessation of polystyrene microplastic exposure. In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that even short-term exposure to low doses of polystyrene microplastics could trigger oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, highlighting their potential health risks and the need for further investigation into their long-term biological effects. Full article

Background: The reproductive toxicity of first-line antituberculosis drugs remains poorly understood, particularly when used in combination. Rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol are essential in tuberculosis therapy, but their potential influence on female fertility is uncertain. This pilot study evaluated their effects, given alone or in dual, triple, and quadruple combinations, on oxidative stress, endocrine markers, and reproductive outcomes in healthy female rats. Materials and Methods: Ninety-six albino Wistar-type female rats were divided into sixteen groups of six animals each and treated with single, dual, triple, or quadruple regimens of first-line antituberculosis drugs for 28 days. After treatment, two sexually mature males were introduced per group, and therapy continued for seven additional days. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA), total glutathione (tGSH), prolactin, and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels were measured, and fertility outcomes were evaluated. Results: In single-drug groups, MDA increased and tGSH decreased, but detectable infertility was not recorded. Prolactin remained stable except in the pyrazinamide group, where it declined. Dual-drug regimens increased oxidative imbalance; fertility failure occurred only in pyrazinamide-lacking groups and was accompanied by higher prolactin and lower AMH. Triple and quadruple combinations produced prominent oxidative imbalance. In triple-drug regimens, infertility was lower in pyrazinamide-containing groups than in the pyrazinamide-free group, but this pattern was not maintained in the quadruple regimen. Fertility impairment was not consistently aligned with the degree of oxidative stress and may involve prolactin and AMH alterations. Conclusions: These findings suggest that reproductive impairment under these experimental conditions may involve endocrine alterations and cannot be explained solely by serum oxidative imbalance. Pyrazinamide-associated fertility preservation appeared context-dependent and requires further confirmation in larger mechanistic studies with broader reproductive and endocrine assessment. Full article

Allelopathy means that one plant produces chemical substances to affect the growth of other plants. Crop rotation is considered as a potential strategy to alleviate the allelopathic inhibition. So, it is important to identify rotation crops with wide availability and low inhibitory effects. In this study, the allelopathic potential of soil extracts was investigated on the germination, seedling growth, biomass, and biochemical parameters (malondialdehyde, photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidant enzyme activities) of five crops, by a series of laboratory experiments. Firstly, both soil water extracts (SWE) and soil ethanol extracts (SEE) exhibited allelopathic inhibition on the seed germination and the root length of all seedlings in a dose-dependent relationship. The SWE significantly promoted the shoot length of bok choy and Chinese lettuce, while the SEE had no significant effect in bok choy. The application of SEE resulted in a significant increase in the dry weight of bok choy and rocket. In contrast, SWE had a negligible effect on bok choy and lettuce. Both of them caused decrease in the dry weight of the other seedlings. Then, the allelopathic synthetic effect index of water/ethanol extracts was chemo-inhibitory, and the inhibitory effect increased with increasing extract concentration. The SWE had the strongest inhibition on rocket and the SEE on lettuce. Both of them had the weakest effect on bok choy. The extracts significantly inhibited the photosynthetic capacity in five crops, manifested as decrease in photosynthetic pigments and dose-dependent effects. The malondialdehyde (MDA) content in all crops increased in a dose-dependent manner, confirming that the extracts caused lipid peroxidation. However, the defense strategies of different crops vary significantly. There is crop with active defense, such as bok choy treated with SWE. It delayed oxidative damage by continuously upregulating the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). This is the key physiological mechanism for tolerance. There is also the oxidative stress failure type, as follows: CAT activity of rocket and cabbage increased, but the SOD activity did not increase by SEE. This reveals the physiological essence of their sensitivity—the lack of persistent scavenging ability for reactive oxygen species. Based on the inhibition of peroxidase (POD) and ascorbic acid peroxidase (APX), it is speculated that the extracts may inhibit the hydrogen peroxide scavenging pathway, which centered on the ascorbate–glutathione cycle. It is the fundamental reason why the continuous accumulation of MDA though SOD/CAT is up. This study confirmed the allelopathic effects of the water and ethanol extracts on five vegetable crops, and found that bok choy was less affected by them. The soil extracts affected the growth and development of seedlings by regulating their oxidative metabolism and photosynthetic capacity. These results support recommending pak choi as a rotation crop. This provides crops for subsequent field experiments and a new direction for next-step research on continuous cropping obstacles. Full article

Obesity is a major global health challenge characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation, oxidative stress, and an increased risk of cardiometabolic disorders. Although sex-related differences in inflammatory and redox biomarkers have been reported in obese populations, the molecular mechanisms underlying this heterogeneity remain incompletely understood. In this study, we applied a proteomics-based approach to investigate urinary extracellular vesicles from 45 obese individuals (BMI 30–40 kg/m²; age 50–70 years) in order to identify molecular signatures associated with metabolic dysregulation. Shotgun proteomics analysis performed by nanoLC–MS/MS enabled the identification of 3822 proteins. Hierarchical clustering of proteomic profiles revealed two distinct molecular groups, predominantly enriched in males (Group I) and females (Group II). Label-free quantitative analysis identified 466 differentially abundant proteins between the two clusters. Functional enrichment analysis highlighted pathways associated with immune response, metabolic regulation, and redox homeostasis, including glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, lysosome activity, leukocyte transendothelial migration, and glutathione, cysteine and methionine metabolism. Notably, proteins related to ferroptosis were enriched, suggesting the involvement of iron-dependent oxidative cell death mechanisms in the metabolic imbalance observed in a subset of subjects. Furthermore, the non-enzymatic glycosylation of urinary proteins was significantly higher in Group I compared with Group II (p = 0.0002), indicating increased formation of advanced glycation products in individuals with a more pronounced pro-oxidant state. Preliminary follow-up data suggested a higher incidence of pathological events, including cardiovascular complications, among individuals belonging to Group I. Overall, these findings demonstrate that urinary proteomic profiling can identify distinct molecular phenotypes among obese individuals and highlight oxidative stress, ferroptosis, and protein glycation as potential determinants of metabolic vulnerability, supporting the use of non-invasive proteomic approaches for improved risk stratification in obesity. Full article

The skin is a complex immunological organ in which reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related pathways and host–microbe interactions synergically maintain immune homeostasis. Dysregulation of several oxidative mechanisms, including lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, ferroptosis, and impaired antioxidant defenses, alongside gut microbiome imbalance, is increasingly recognized as a key modulator of the immune response involved in disease onset and progression. However, their role in immune-mediated dermatoses remains incompletely defined. This narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the contribution of these altered pathways to the pathogenesis and prognosis of the major immune-mediated skin diseases. Across all conditions examined, elevated oxidative biomarkers, such as malondialdehyde (MDA), advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and reduced antioxidant capacity are consistently reported. Ferroptosis, driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation and dysfunction of Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), emerges as a relevant cell death pathway, particularly in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (AD). In parallel, dysbiosis of the gut and skin microbiomes, characterized by depletion of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing taxa such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Bifidobacterium, and Akkermansia muciniphila, has been reported across multiple diseases. Particular attention is given to shared molecular axes, such as the disruption of epithelial barrier integrity, activation of innate and adaptive immune responses, and the role of microbial-derived metabolites in modulating redox signaling, unraveling a bidirectional crosstalk. Emerging therapeutic strategies targeting these bidirectional crosstalks show biological plausibility and promising preliminary results. Integrating redox and microbial profiling into clinical practice may improve patient stratification and foster the development of more personalized therapeutic approaches beyond conventional immunological treatments. Full article

Caloric restriction (CR) is known to activate a broad spectrum of cytoprotective signaling pathways and enhance tissue tolerance to various stressors, including those associated with the cytotoxic effects of pharmaceutical agents. Nephrotoxic drugs, such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, remain a major clinical concern due to their frequent use and potential to cause acute kidney injury (AKI), for which effective preventive strategies are still limited. In this study, we investigated whether CR applied for 5 weeks (4-week pretreatment + 1-week concurrent with AKI induction) can alleviate AKI triggered by the antibiotic gentamicin, with a focus on evaluating changes in antioxidant-related parameters and autophagy-associated signaling during CR-mediated nephroprotection. CR’s nephroprotective effects were evaluated using diagnostic assays, Western blotting, and histological analysis. Additionally, oxidative stress markers and mitochondrial integrity were assessed to analyze the impact of CR on antioxidant-related pathways. CR significantly improved renal function and structure, with reduced kidney injury markers (KIM-1, NGAL) and alleviated histological damage. Critically, CR mitigated oxidative stress, evidenced by decreased thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and protein carbonylation, as well as increased levels of the reduced form of glutathione and activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx). A lowered Bcl-X_L/X_S ratio was consistent with reduced apoptotic signaling, while reduced leukocyte infiltration reflected attenuated renal inflammation. Additionally, a reduction in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lesions suggested that CR was associated with modulation of mitochondrial and metabolism-related pathways, with concurrent improvements in mitochondrial stability. Our findings demonstrate that CR attenuated gentamicin-induced AKI and was associated with changes in antioxidant-related parameters, reduced mtDNA damage, a decrease in inflammatory cell infiltration, and modulation of autophagy-related signaling. Full article

Background: To examine the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of sitagliptin in restoring the intestinal mucosal barrier in rats with colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered 5% DSS in their drinking water to induce colitis. Sitagliptin was administered intragastrically at a dose of 15 mg/kg/day for a duration of eight days. Changes in the colon tissue were histologically examined, and the disease activity index (DAI) score was measured. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase were evaluated. Gene expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, tight junction proteins occludin and ZO-1 was assessed. Levels of SGOT, SGPT, and serum iron were also measured. Results: Sitagliptin diminished DAI and histological index scores, as well as MDA levels, while augmenting SOD, GPx, and catalase levels over an eight-day period. Based on proinflammatory cytokines, sitagliptin reduced colon inflammation. Compared to the untreated DSS group, sitagliptin increased serum iron and lowered SGOT and SGPT. Conclusions: The present results indicate that administering sitagliptin orally for a week could aid in the recovery from DSS-induced colitis by reducing oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Additional studies are required to make this applicable for patients suffering from colitis. Full article

Background: Paclitaxel is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent whose clinical efficacy is limited by gonadotoxic side effects. Oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation are key mechanisms underlying paclitaxel-induced testicular injury. This study aimed to comparatively evaluate the protective effects of melatonin and apigenin in a rat model. Methods: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to seven groups: control, solvent control, melatonin, apigenin, paclitaxel, paclitaxel + melatonin, and paclitaxel + apigenin. Testicular malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels were measured, together with apoptotic activity (caspase-3), oxidative DNA damage (8-OHdG), inflammatory signaling (NF-κB/p65, immunoreactivity), and histopathological alterations (Johnsen score). Results: Paclitaxel significantly increased MDA levels and decreased GSH content, accompanied by elevated caspase-3, 8-OHdG, and NF-κB/p65 immunoreactivity, as well as marked degeneration of seminiferous tubules. Melatonin improved redox balance, suppressed apoptotic and inflammatory responses, and preserved testicular architecture. Apigenin reduced lipid peroxidation and improved antioxidant status in paclitaxel-treated rats while decreasing GSH levels under basal conditions without inducing histological damage, suggesting a context-dependent redox-modulating effect. Both agents significantly improved Johnsen scores compared with paclitaxel alone. Conclusions: Paclitaxel-induced testicular injury is mediated by a coordinated interplay of oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and structural degeneration. Melatonin and apigenin effectively mitigate these processes, with apigenin exhibiting context-dependent antioxidant activity. These findings suggest that melatonin and apigenin may serve as adjunctive strategies for preserving male reproductive function during chemotherapy. Full article

Background/Objectives: Glutathione (GSH) is a fundamental tripeptide essential for maintaining cellular redox homeostasis, detoxification, and immune regulation. While GSH is synthesized endogenously, its levels typically decline with age, potentially increasing susceptibility to oxidative stress-related conditions. This review aims to discuss the benefits of GSH for the body and clarify the distinctions between dietary intake, endogenous synthesis, and supplementation as strategies for maintaining optimal GSH levels. Results: All studies show that GSH is a powerful antioxidant that plays a crucial role in maintaining various physiological processes in the body. It offers several benefits, primarily through its antioxidant properties and involvement in detoxification and immune regulation. This effect has potential implications for various health conditions associated with oxidative stress and inflammation, including neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic disorders. Whether through diet or supplementation, ensuring adequate GSH levels can have profound benefits on longevity, immunity, and overall well-being. There are many foods known to contain GSH, and there are also many GSH supplements available on the market, but precursor-based supplements and compounds that activate GSH synthesis pathways show stronger and more consistent increases in human GSH. A diet rich in protein (for amino acids) and phytochemical-dense plants can support this, while targeted precursors (e.g., glycine, γ-glutamylcysteine) and Nrf2-activating foods or agents provide the most robust increases shown so far. Such supplementation can be beneficial, and it is most effective when combined with a diet rich in sulfur-containing foods and other nutrients that support GSH synthesis. Full article

Oxidative stress is a key contributor to aging and chronic diseases, highlighting the need for safe and effective natural antioxidants. Monascus yellow pigments (MYPs) and ginsenoside Rg3 exhibit antioxidant activity, but their applications are restricted by low solubility and limited natural abundance. In this research, a bidirectional liquid fermentation system of Monascus ruber using ginseng decoction was established for the simultaneous production of water-soluble MYPs (WSMYPs) and ginsenoside Rg3. Process conditions were optimized to enhance the yields and the antioxidant activity of the system. Antioxidant assays and H₂O₂-induced RAW264.7 cell models confirmed that WSMYPs were strongly correlated with antioxidant capacity, with ABTS and DPPH scavenging activities showing 2.28-fold and 3.33-fold increases, respectively, compared to the control. Their combination with Rg3 exerted synergistic protective effects by enhancing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT). Network pharmacology and molecular docking further revealed that Monapurone C, a representative WSMYP, and Rg3 act through a multi-target, multi-pathway antioxidant network involving signaling pathways such as PI3K-Akt. This study demonstrates a cost-effective strategy for co-producing WSMYPs and Rg3, providing new insights into the value-added utilization of edible and medicinal resources. Full article

Vitis coignetiae Pulliat ex Planch, commonly referred to as “meoru” in Korea (crimson glory vine), is a grape species belonging to the Vitaceae family, native to East Asia. This study investigated the protective effects of a hot water extract prepared from the vine stems of V. coignetiae (CG) in a model of CCl₄-induced acute liver injury. Mice received oral administration of CG (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) or silymarin (200 mg/kg) once daily for 7 consecutive days, followed by intraperitoneal injection of CCl₄ (0.5 mL/kg). CG attenuated CCl₄-induced oxidative stress, as indicated by reduced hepatic malondialdehyde production and decreased 4-hydroxynonenal-positive cells. These effects were accompanied by restoration of antioxidant defense systems, including increased glutathione levels and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, along with increased nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) mRNA expression. Hepatic inflammatory responses were also attenuated by CG treatment, with reductions in TNF-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 levels, inflammatory cell infiltration, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) mRNA expression. Furthermore, CG attenuated apoptotic cell death, as evidenced by decreased cleaved caspase-3-positive and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-positive cells. CG also lowered serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyl transferase levels, and alleviated hepatocellular degeneration in histopathological analysis. Collectively, these findings suggest that CG may exert protective effects against CCl₄-induced liver injury by regulating oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. Full article

Amino acids are organic compounds that serve as the fundamental building blocks of proteins and are additionally responsible for a multitude of other biological functions. This review synthesizes recent evidence elucidating that amino acids function as vital players in nitrogen transport, stress defense, and perhaps most intriguingly as signaling molecules. For example, glutamate triggers calcium signals through GLR receptors to guide root growth and pollen tubes. Others, like proline and glutathione, protect cells from drought, salt, and oxidative damage. Aromatic and sulfur-containing amino acids also feed into the production of hormones (auxin, ethylene) and a wide range of defense compounds. Beyond metabolism, we highlighted how plants sense amino acid status via ancient sensors such as PII and the TOR pathway, which fine-tune growth and resource allocation. Understanding this hidden side of amino acids opens new doors for agriculture. We discussed how these insights could lead to smarter biostimulants, gene-edited crops with better nutrient efficiency, and nano-based delivery systems. In short, amino acids are not just food for plants—they are signals, shields, and switches that shape how plants grow and cope with stress. Full article

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is associated with redox imbalance; however, the early temporal changes in enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant responses are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in selected oxidative stress markers during the early phase of AIS. The study was designed as a longitudinal within-subject analysis, with each patient serving as their own reference between day 1 and day 8. A total of 48 patients (mean age 69.31 ± 1.59 years; 56.3% male; mean body mass index (BMI) 27.05 ± 0.61 kg/m²), predominantly presenting with mild to moderate stroke severity, were enrolled in a prospective observational study. The cohort was characterized by a high prevalence of hypertension (87.5%), dyslipidemia (45.8%), and diabetes or prediabetes (45.9%). Blood samples were collected on day 1 and day 8 after stroke onset. Depending on the distribution of paired differences, either the paired Student’s t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test was applied. A significant increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was observed (1932.73 vs. 2086.55 U/g Hb, p = 0.032), whereas catalase (CAT; 403.19 vs. 415.30 × 10³ U/g Hb, p = 0.444) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx; 24.70 vs. 24.40 U/g Hb, p = 0.477) showed no significant changes. Similarly, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels remained stable in both erythrocytes (182.96 vs. 187.15 nmol/g Hb, p = 0.838) and plasma (0.41 vs. 0.41 nmol/mL, p = 0.922). In contrast, melatonin (59.65 vs. 55.49 pg/mL, p = 0.042) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D; 19.31 vs. 16.52 ng/mL, p < 0.001) concentrations significantly decreased. These findings suggest that the early phase of AIS may be associated with a selective and potentially maladaptive antioxidant response, involving increased SOD activity alongside depletion of systemic modulators, which may contribute to persistent redox imbalance. Full article

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is a globally crucial food crop and a model plant for studying symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legumes. Triacontanol (TRIA) is a natural plant growth regulator that enhances photosynthetic efficiency, stress tolerance, antioxidant enzyme activities and yield in crops. However, its regulatory role in nodulation and nitrogen fixation in legumes remains unclear. In this study, soybean seedlings inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum strain USDA110 were treated with different concentrations of TRIA (0, 0.33, 0.5, 1 and 2 μg/mL). Then, oxidative stress indicators and comparative transcriptomic analysis were performed to check the oxidative status and screen the candidate genes under TRIA treatment. Our results showed that the 0.5 μg/mL TRIA treatment produced the greatest nodule number. TRIA treatment significantly induced antioxidant responses in soybean roots. Comparative transcriptome identified 867 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses of DEGs revealed that a large number of genes were enriched in pathways related to oxidative activity. Combined with the expression pattern, we identified a Glutathione S-Transferase family gene, GmHSP26 (Glyma.07G139700), whose expression was induced by both TRIA and rhizobial infection, with its promoter activity was activated throughout the entire process of nodule development. Further function study using overexpression and gene editing proved that GmHSP26 was a positive regulator of soybean nodulation. Collectively, this study identifies the optimal TRIA concentration for promoting soybean nodulation, reveals the function and mechanism of GmHSP26 in response to TRIA-regulated nodulation, and provides a theoretical basis and genetic resource for enhancing nodulation and nitrogen fixation in leguminous crops through exogenous growth regulators. Full article

Background/Objectives: The dysregulation of thiol metabolites is strongly linked to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pathogenesis. However, quantifying these highly polar and oxidation-prone thiols in clinical serum samples via conventional liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) remains challenging due to their poor sensitivity and reproducibility. Methods: We developed a sensitive and robust iodoacetamine-alkyne (IAM) derivatization–based LC-MS method for quantification of seven trans-sulfuration pathway thiols in human serum. Results: IAM derivatization markedly improved the method’s specificity due to enhanced chromatographic retention and diagnostic MS/MS fragments containing both the alkyne tag and analyte backbone. Sensitivity increased 33-to-160-fold versus underivatized analytes, with limits of detection of 0.02–0.1 nM. All analytes exhibited good linearity, acceptable precision with intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations in the range of 1.2–13.8%, and high recovery from 88.6% to 102.9%. Conclusions: From the thiol quantification in human serum from 40 HCC patients and 40 healthy controls, it was found that levels of cysteine, homocysteine, glutathione, and cysteinylglycine were significantly lower in HCC patients (p < 0.05). A two-variable logistic regression model using cysteine and cysteinylglycine achieved 90.0% specificity and 80.0% sensitivity for robust HCC discrimination between HCC patients and healthy controls to some extent, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.88 (95% confidence interval: 0.792–0.968). Full article