Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine

November 2013, Volume 156, Issue 1, pp 7-10

Date: 24 Nov 2013

Effect of Interleukin-4 on Antioxidant

Protection of the Brain in Rats during
Acute Emotional Stress
L. S. Kalinichenko, S. S. Pertsov, E. V. Koplik

We studied the effect of IL-4 on antioxidant enzyme activity in brain structures

(hypothalamus, sensorimotor cortex, and amygdala) in behaviorally passive and active rats.
One-hour immobilization of animals with simultaneous delivery of subthreshold
electrocutaneous stimulation was used as the model of acute stress. Intraperitoneal injection
of IL-4 (5 g/kg) was followed by an increase in activities of glutathione peroxidase and
Cu/Zn SOD in the hypothalamus of non-stressed rats. Activities of glutathione peroxidase
and Cu/Zn SOD in the amygdala were shown to decrease. Administration of IL-4 was
accompanied by activation of glutathione peroxidase (active and passive rats), glutathione
reductase (passive rats), and Cu/Zn SOD (active rats) in the sensorimotor cortex. These data
indicate that the efficiency of antioxidant protection increases in the hypothalamus and
sensorimotor cortex, but decreases in the amygdala of rats receiving IL-4. Pretreatment with
IL-4 abolished a poststress increase in glutathione peroxidase activity in the sensorimotor
cortex of passive animals.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10517-013-2264-4 on 22 - 4 2015
 Green tea polyphenolic antioxidants and
skin photoprotection (Review)

Authors: Santosh K. Katiyar, Craig A. Elmets

Published online on: Friday, June 1, 2001
Pages: 1307-1313 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.18.6.1307

Abstract
Green tea is consumed as a popular beverage worldwide particularly in Asian
countries like China, Korea, Japan and India. It contains polyphenolic compounds
also known as epicatechins, which are antioxidant in nature. Many laboratories have
shown that topical treatment or oral consumption of green tea polyphenols inhibits
chemical carcinogen- or ultraviolet radiation-induced skin tumorigenesis in different
animal models. Studies have shown that green tea extract also possesses anti-
inflammatory activity. These anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties of
green tea are due to their polyphenolic constituents present therein. The major and
most chemopreventive constituent in green tea responsible for these biochemical or
pharmacological effects is (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Understanding the
molecular mechanisms of these effects of green tea is a subject of investigation in
many laboratories. Treatment of green tea polyphenols to skin has been shown to
modulate the biochemical pathways involved in inflammatory responses, cell
proliferation and responses of chemical tumor promoters as well as ultraviolet (UV)
light-induced inflammatory markers of skin inflammation. Topical treatment with
EGCG on mouse skin also results in prevention of UVB-induced immunosuppression,
and oxidative stress. The protective effects of green tea treatment on human skin
either topically or consumed orally against UV light-induced inflammatory or
carcinogenic responses are not well understood. Based on documented extensive
beneficial effects of green tea on mouse skin models and very little in human skin,
many pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies are supplementing their skin care
products with green tea extracts. Therefore, the focus of this communication is to
review and analyze the photoprotective effects of green tea polyphenols to skin

http://www.spandidos-publications.com/ijo/18/6/1307 on 22/4/2015

Absorption, Metabolism, and Antioxidant Effects of Pomegranate (Punica

granatum L.) Polyphenols after Ingestion of a Standardized Extract in
Healthy Human Volunteers

Susanne U. Mertens-Talcott ,* Petra Jilma-Stohlawetz , Jolian Rios , Lal Hingorani , and Hartmut
Derendorf
Pharmaceutics Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, Food Science and Human
Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, and Pharmanza Herbals Pvt. Ltd., 31
Park West, West Premises Co-operative Society, Union Park, Pali Hill Road, Khar, Mumbai 400052, India
J. Agric. Food Chem., 2006, 54 (23), pp 89568961
DOI: 10.1021/jf061674h
Publication Date (Web): October 13, 2006
Copyright 2006 American Chemical Society
Abstract

The intake of polyphenols has been demonstrated to have health-promoting and disease-preventive
effects. The pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), which is rich in several polyphenols, has been
used for centuries in ancient cultures for its medicinal purposes. The potential health benefits of
pomegranate polyphenols have been demonstrated in numerous in vitro studies and in vivo
experiments. This study investigated the absorption and antioxidant effects of a standardized
extract from pomegranate in healthy human volunteers after the acute consumption of 800 mg of
extract. Results indicate that ellagic acid (EA) from the extract is bioavailable, with an
observed Cmax of 33 ng/mL at tmax of 1 h. The plasma metabolites urolithin A, urolithin B, hydroxyl-
urolithin A, urolithin A-glucuronide, and dimethyl ellagic acid-glucuronide were identified by HPLC-
MS. The antioxidant capacity measured with the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay
was increased with a maximum effect of 32% after 0.5 h, whereas the generation of reactive oxygen
species (ROS) was not affected. The inflammation marker interleukin-6 (IL-6) was not significantly
affected after 4 h after the consumption of the extract. Overall, this study demonstrated the
absorbability of EA from a pomegranate extract high in ellagitannin content and its ex vivo
antioxidant effects.

Keywords: Pomegranate extract; absorption; antioxidant; metabolism; punicalagins; ellagitannins;

ellagic acid

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf061674h 22/4/2015 on 22/4/2015

Free Radical Biology and Medicine

Volume 31, Issue 11, 1 December 2001, Pages 12871312

Reactive oxygen species, antioxidants, and the mammalian

 thioredoxin system1

Jonas Nordberga, Elias S.J. Arnr, a,

Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known mediators of intracellular signaling cascades.
Excessive production of ROS may, however, lead to oxidative stress, loss of cell function, and
ultimately apoptosis or necrosis. A balance between oxidant and antioxidant intracellular
systems is hence vital for cell function, regulation, and adaptation to diverse growth
conditions. Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) in conjunction with thioredoxin (Trx) is a ubiquitous
oxidoreductase system with antioxidant and redox regulatory roles. In mammals,
extracellular forms of Trx also have cytokine-like effects. Mammalian TrxR has a highly
reactive active site selenocysteine residue resulting in a profound reductive capacity,
reducing several substrates in addition to Trx. Due to the reactivity of TrxR, the enzyme is
inhibited by many clinically used electrophilic compounds including nitrosoureas,
aurothioglucose, platinum compounds, and retinoic acid derivatives. The properties of TrxR
in combination with the functions of Trx position this system at the core of cellular thiol
redox control and antioxidant defense. In this review, we focus on the reactions of the Trx
system with ROS molecules and different cellular antioxidant enzymes. We summarize the
TrxR-catalyzed regeneration of several antioxidant compounds, including ascorbic acid
(vitamin C), selenium-containing substances, lipoic acid, and ubiquinone (Q10). We also
discuss the general cellular effects of TrxR inhibition. Dinitrohalobenzenes constitute a
unique class of immunostimulatory TrxR inhibitors and we consider the immunomodulatory
effects of dinitrohalobenzene compounds in view of their reactions with the Trx system.

Keywords
Thioredoxin; Thioredoxin reductase; Redox regulation; Inflammation; Oxidative
stress; Antioxidant;Dinitrohalobenzene; Reactive oxygen species; Free radicals

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891584901007249 on 22-4-2015