The ability of zinc to retard oxidative processes has been recognized for many years. In general, the mechanism of antioxidation can be divided into acute and chronic effects. Chronic effects involve exposure of an organism to zinc on a long-term basis, resulting in induction of some other substance that is the ultimate antioxidant, such as the metallothioneins. Chronic zinc deprivation generally results in increased sensitivity to some oxidative stress. The acute effects involve two mechanisms: protection of protein sulfhydryls or reduction of (*)OH formation from H(2)O(2) through the antagonism of redox-active transition metals, such as iron and copper. Protection of protein sulfhydryl groups is thought to involve reduction of sulfhydryl reactivity through one of three mechanisms: (1) direct binding of zinc to the sulfhydryl, (2) steric hindrance as a result of binding to some other protein site in close proximity to the sulfhydryl group or (3) a conformational change from binding to some other site on the protein. Antagonism of redox-active, transition metal-catalyzed, site-specific reactions has led to the theory that zinc may be capable of reducing cellular injury that might have a component of site-specific oxidative damage, such as postischemic tissue damage. Zinc is capable of reducing postischemic injury to a variety of tissues and organs through a mechanism that might involve the antagonism of copper reactivity. Although the evidence for the antioxidant properties of zinc is compelling, the mechanisms are still unclear. Future research that probes these mechanisms could potentially develop new antioxidant functions and uses for zinc.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation whose cellular components are capable of oxidative respiratory bursts that may result in tissue injury. Mucosal biopsies were analyzed for protein carbonyl content (POPs), DNA oxidation products [8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG)], reactive oxygen intermediates (ROIs), trace metals (copper, zinc, and iron) and superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn SOD). In Crohn's disease biopsies, there was an increase in ROIs, POPs, 8-OHdG, and iron, while decreased copper and Cu-Zn SOD activity were found in inflamed tissues compared to controls. For ulcerative colitis, there was an increase in ROIs, POPs, and iron in inflamed tissue compared to controls, while decreased zinc and copper were observed. An imbalance in the formation of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant micronutrients may be important in the pathogenesis and/or perpetuation of the tissue injury in IBD and may provide a rationale for therapeutic modulation with antioxidants.

Background-The ubiquitin proteasome system maintains a dynamic equilibrium of proteins and prevents accumulation of damaged and misfolded proteins, yet its role in human cardiac dysfunction is not well understood. The present study evaluated ubiquitin proteasome system function in human heart failure and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Methods and Results-Proteasome function was studied in human nonfailing donor hearts, explanted failing hearts, and myectomy samples from patients with HCM. Proteasome proteolytic activities were markedly reduced in failing and HCM hearts compared with nonfailing hearts (PϽ0.01). This activity was partially restored after mechanical unloading in failing hearts (PϽ0.01) and was significantly lower in HCM hearts with pathogenic sarcomere mutations than in those lacking these mutations (PϽ0.05). There were no changes in the protein content of ubiquitin proteasome system subunits (ie, 11S, 20S, and 19S) or in active-site labeling of the 20S proteolytic subunit ␤-5 among groups to explain decreased ubiquitin proteasome system activity in HCM and failing hearts. Examination of protein oxidation revealed that total protein carbonyls, 4-hydroxynonenylated proteins, and oxidative modification to 19S ATPase subunit Rpt 5 were increased in failing compared with nonfailing hearts. Conclusions-Proteasome activity in HCM and failing human hearts is impaired in the absence of changes in proteasome protein content or availability of proteolytic active sites. These data provide strong evidence that posttranslational modifications to the proteasome may account for defective protein degradation in human cardiomyopathies. Key Words: apoptosis Ⅲ cardiomyopathy Ⅲ heart failure Ⅲ hypertrophy Ⅲ myocardium Ⅲ proteins P roteolytic degradation is critical for maintaining a dynamic equilibrium of proteins and destroying damaged or misfolded proteins. As the major pathway for intracellular protein degradation, the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) requires precise control to sustain most biological processes. Regulation of proteasome function may occur by altered proteasome composition (ie, association of the 20S proteolytic core with different regulatory complexes such as the 19S or 11S) 1,2 or by posttranslational modifications (ie, phosphorylation, oxidation) that affect proteasome assembly, stability, and activity. [3][4][5][6] Proteasome regulation thus has the potential to provide highly dynamic responses to cellular signals and stresses. Clinical Perspective on p 1004Despite recognition that UPS function is dysregulated in many diseases, 7-11 the importance of UPS function in cardiac diseases is only beginning to gain attention. Desmin-related cardiomyopathy mouse models provide compelling data for UPS dysfunction, in which cardiomyocyte accumulation of protein aggregates is postulated to inhibit proteasome function by restricting entry of ubiquitinated proteins into the proteasome. 12,13 Another notable example is acute cardiac ischemia, in which proteasome inhibition is thought to occur as a resul...