1,721,097 research outputs found
Dicarbonyl stress and glyoxalases in ovarian function
No full textThe ovary is the main regulator of female fertility. Changes in maternal health and physiology can disrupt intraovarian homoeostasis thereby compromising oocyte competence and fertility. Research has only recently devoted attention to the involvement of dicarbonyl stress in ovarian function. On this basis, the present review focuses on clinical and experimental research supporting the role of dicarbonyl overload and AGEs (advanced glycation end-products) as key contributors to perturbations of the ovarian microenvironment leading to lower fertility. Particular emphasis has been given to oocyte susceptibility to methylglyoxal, a powerful glycating agent, whose levels are known to increase during aging and metabolic disorders. According to the literature, the ovary and the oocyte itself can rely on the glyoxalase system to counteract the possible dicarbonyl overload such as that which may occur in reproductive-age women and patients with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) or diabetes. Overall, although biochemical methods for proper evaluation of dicarbonyl stress in oocytes and the ovarian microenvironment need to be established, AGEs can be proposed as predictive markers and/or therapeutic targets in new strategies for improving reproductive counselling and infertility therapies.The ovary is the main regulator of female fertility. Changes in maternal health and physiology can disrupt intraovarian homoeostasis thereby compromising oocyte competence and fertility. Research has only recently devoted attention to the involvement of dicarbonyl stress in ovarian function. On this basis, the present review focuses on clinical and experimental research supporting the role of dicarbonyl overload and AGEs (advanced glycation end-products) as key contributors to perturbations of the ovarian microenvironment leading to lower fertility. Particular emphasis has been given to oocyte susceptibility to methylglyoxal, a powerful glycating agent, whose levels are known to increase during aging and metabolic disorders. According to the literature, the ovary and the oocyte itself can rely on the glyoxalase system to counteract the possible dicarbonyl overload such as that which may occur in reproductive-age women and patients with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) or diabetes. Overall, although biochemical methods for proper evaluation of dicarbonyl stress in oocytes and the ovarian microenvironment need to be established, AGEs can be proposed as predictive markers and/or therapeutic targets in new strategies for improving reproductive counselling and infertility therapies. ©The Authors Journal compilation ©2014 Biochemical Society
Catecholamine concentrations in plasma and adrenal medulla after infusion or incubation with liposome-entrapped tyrosinase
No full textModulazione del ciclo del citrato nei mitocondri degli oociti di Xenopus laevis e bioritmi 1. Caratteristiche di mitocondri "olocoerenti"
No full textHypotaurine protection on cell damage by singlet oxygen
No full textSinglet oxygen (1O2), generated byirradiating methylene blue, is toxic to melanoma cell cultures. Hypotaurine is known to scavenge efficiently singlet oxygen; the addition of hypotaurine (800 μM) to the medium during irradiation of the dye produces a greater protective effect on cells than taurine added at the same concentration. The assay of some detoxifying enzymatic activities indicate a different mechanism of protection of the two molecules: taurine induces anefficient detoxifying enzymatic action with respect to the control; hypotaurine exerts its effect greatly by specifically scavenging singlet oxygen
The complexity of Rett syndrome models: Primary fibroblasts as a disease-in-a-dish reliable approach
No full textRett syndrome (RTT) is a progressive neurodevelopmental disease, which affects almost exclusively the female gender (prevalence of about 1:10,000). RTT symptoms are usually characterized by loss of purposeful hand skills, mental retardation and motor impairment, resulting in a plethora of other systemic co-morbidities. Mutations in the methyl-CpG binding protein 2 gene (MECP2) are the main genetic cause of the disorder, however molecular mechanisms leading from MeCP2 defects to this complicated pathology still need to be clarified. To investigate this and other aspects of RTT, several experimental models have been generated that include animal models, and in vitro approaches. In this article we briefly summarized the main models used for RTT investigations, and special focus is given to the use of primary fibroblasts isolated from RTT patients, since they represent a reliable disease-in-a-dish model, which can help researcher to elucidate cellular and molecular mechanisms of this disease
Glyoxalase I activity in two lines of corn (Zea mays) with different sensitivity to cold stress
No full textRegulation of glutamate oxidation in mitochondria of B.bufo blastulae. I-mitochondria isolated by sucrose density gradient
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