No abstract

The present study aimed to clarify changes of oxidative stress and antioxidative functions in treadmill-exercised Thoroughbred horses (n=5, 3 to 7 years old), using recently developed techniques for measurement of serum d-ROMs for oxidative stress, and BAP for antioxidative markers. Also, the effect of nasogastric administration of hydrogen-rich water (HW) or placebo water preceding the treadmill exercise on these parameters was examined. Each horse was subjected to a maximum level of treadmill exercise in which the horses were exhausted at an average speed of 13.2 ± 0.84 m/sec. Blood samples were taken 4 times, immediately before the intake of HW or placebo water at 30 min preceding the treadmill exercise, immediately before the exercise (pre-exercise), immediately after the exercise (post-exercise) and at 30 min following the exercise. In all horses, both d-ROMs and BAP values significantly increased at post-exercise. The increase in d-ROMs tended to be lower in the HW trial, as compared to the placebo trial at pre-exercise. The increase in BAP was considerable at approximately 150% of the pre-exercise values in both the HW and placebo treatment trials. The BAP/d-ROMs ratio was significantly elevated at post-exercise in both treatment trials, while a significant elevation was also observed at pre-exercise in the HW trial. BAP, d-ROM, and the BAP/d-ROM ratio tended to decline at 30 min after the exercise, except BAP and BAP/d-ROMs in the placebo trial. These results demonstrate that the marked elevation of oxidative stress and anitioxidative functions occurred simultaneously in the intensively exercised horses, and suggest a possibility that HW has some antioxidative efficacy.

-The in vitro effects of 2 representative mycotoxins, T-2 toxin and deoxynivalenol (DON), of trichothecene group on the electron transport system (ETS) of mitochondria in rat cardiomyocytes were investigated by measuring oxygen consumption rates (OCR). The ATP-linked OCR and the reserve capacity (RC) of the mitochondria ETS were quantified by a "mitochondria stress test" which was estimated by the OCR responses to oligomycin and carbonyl cyanide-p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone, with an extracellular flux analyzer. The basal OCR was significantly inhibited by the application of T-2 toxin at concentrations of 6 × 10 -1 to 6 × 10 -5 μM and DON at concentrations of 0.78 to 100 μM for 24 hr. The threshold of cardiomyocyte toxicity was estimated to be between 6.0 × 10 -6 and 6.0 × 10 -5 μM for T-2 toxicity on both ATP-linked OCR and RC and between 0.39 and 0.78 μM on ATP-linked OCR or between 1.56 and 3.13 μM on RC for DON. The decrease in OCR of cardiomyocytes exposed to T-2 toxin with a concentration of 6.0 × 10 -3 and 6.0 × 10 -4 μM was significantly inhibited by antioxidants, catalase and vitamin C. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated, through the direct and real-time measurement of respiratory function in mitochondria, that a marked inhibition of mitochondrial ETS function in cardiomyocytes was induced by T-2 toxin and DON and that the mitochondrial dysfunction by T-2 toxin was largely associated with oxidative stress.

The present study aimed to clarify the effects of Agaricus brasiliensis KA21 (i.e., Agaricus blazei) mushroom on circulatory function. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were fed 10% A. blazei-containing pellets (agaricus group) or normal pellets (control group) for 5 weeks from 6 to 11 weeks of age. For Experiment 1, tail blood pressure and heart rate were measured in the conscious SHRs. For Experiment 2, echocardiographic and blood biochemical measurements were performed in the anesthetized SHRs. In Experiment 1, blood pressure and heart rate were significantly lower in the agaricus group compared with the control group throughout the observation period. In Experiment 2, the agaricus group also showed a significant decrease in cardiac output accompanied by a decrease in heart rate and an increase in early and late ventricular filling velocity (E/A ratio). Moreover, levels of escape enzymes such as creatine kinase (CK), CK-BB, CK-MB, asparate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and aldolase were significantly lower than in the control group. We concluded that the ingestion of feed containing A. brasiliensis KA21 can improve hypertensive cardiovascular hemodynamics by decreasing the working load of the heart, presumably by lowering the sympathetic nervous tone in SHRs.

Systemic oxidative stress is considered to cause aging. In this study, to estimate the oxidative stress level in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8), we evaluated serum reactive oxygen species production and reduction capacity by measurement of Diacron-Reactive Oxygen Metabolites (d-ROM) and Biological Antioxidant Potential (BAP), respectively, with age. SAMP8 showed earlier increase of d-ROM value with age than SAM resistant 1 (SAMR1), the control strain. The BAP level was the highest in adult SAMP8, whereas SAMR1 presented the sustained BAP values between ages. These results indicate that oxidative stress in SAMP8 is higher than SAMR1. Our study is the first detailed report about d-ROM and BAP in SAMP8 and will provide useful fundamental data for future aging studies.