Project description:Compelling evidence support an involvement of oxidative stress and intestinal inflammation as early events in the predisposition and development of obesity and its related comorbidities. Here we show that deficiency of the major mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) in the gastrointestinal tract drives spontaneous obesity. Intestinal epithelium-specific Sod2 ablation in mice induced adiposity, inflammation and insulin resistance via phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activation and increased synthesis of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid arachidonic acid. Remarkably, this obese and hyperinsulinemic phenotype was rescued when fed an essential fatty acid deficient diet, which abrogates de novo biosynthesis of arachidonic acid. Data from clinical samples revealed that the negative correlation between intestinal SOD2 mRNA levels and obesity features, such as body mass index and omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio, appears to be conserved between mice and humans. Collectively, our findings suggest a role of intestinal SOD2 levels, PLA2 activity and arachidonic acid in obesity presenting new potential targets of therapeutic interest in the context of this metabolic disorder.
Project description:Compelling evidence support an involvement of oxidative stress and intestinal inflammation as early events in the predisposition and development of obesity and its related comorbidities. Here, we show that deficiency of the major mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) in the gastrointestinal tract drives spontaneous obesity. Intestinal epithelium-specific Sod2 ablation in mice induced adiposity and inflammation via phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activation and increased release of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid arachidonic acid. Remarkably, this obese phenotype was rescued when fed an essential fatty acid-deficient diet, which abrogates de novo biosynthesis of arachidonic acid. Data from clinical samples revealed that the negative correlation between intestinal Sod2 mRNA levels and obesity features appears to be conserved between mice and humans. Collectively, our findings suggest a role of intestinal Sod2 levels, PLA2 activity, and arachidonic acid in obesity presenting new potential targets of therapeutic interest in the context of this metabolic disorder.
Project description:Superoxide radical anion and other Reactive Oxygen Species are constantly produced during respiration. In mitochondria, the dismutation of the superoxide radical anion is accelerated by the mitochondrial superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), an enzyme that has been traditionally associated with antioxidant protection. However, increases in SOD2 expression promote oxidative stress, indicating that there may be a prooxidant role for SOD2. We show that SOD2, which normally binds manganese, can incorporate iron and generate an alternative isoform with peroxidase activity. The switch from manganese to iron allows FeSOD2 to utilize H2O2 to promote oxidative stress. We found that FeSOD2 is formed in cultured cells. FeSOD2 causes mitochondrial dysfunction and higher levels of oxidative stress in cultured cells. We show that formation of FeSOD2 converts an antioxidant defense into a prooxidant peroxidase that leads to cellular changes seen in multiple human diseases.
Project description:Sepsis-induced liver injury is an important cause of septicemia deaths, this injury is characterized by an overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the liver, which activates the inflammatory response and results in the release of numerous inflammatory factors, ultimately leading to liver damage. Thus, the development of medicines capable of eliminating ROS and reducing inflammatory factors holds significant prospects. In this study, we synthesized and characterized a natural superoxide dismutase-mimicking carbon dots (G-CDs) form a greenery Glycyrrhiza with distinctive ROS scavenging ability for SILI therapy. The abundant surface unsaturated groups especially oxhydry and carbonyl groups enable G-CDs to exhibit excellent SOD-like enzyme activity exceeding 10000 U/mg and significantly reduce the excessive production of ROS and inflammatory factors. In addition, G-CDs reduced inflammation, oxidative damage, and tissue damage in the liver of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced SILI mice model. Mechanistically, G-CDs protect liver tissue by activating Keap-1/Nrf-2 mediated antioxidant signaling and inhibiting NF-κB-dependent inflammatory responses. In conclusion, this study establishes the potential of G-CDs as a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment SILI.
Project description:As a life-threatening infectious disease in clinics, sepsis is characterized by uncontrolled systemic inflammatory response and multi-organ damage due to the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The lung is the most frequently affected organ that is susceptible to developing acute lung injury (ALI) with high morbidity and mortality rates. Nevertheless, there are currently no effective drugs for the treatment of ALI. Herein, we developed a natural superoxide dismutase-mimicking carbon dots (H-CDs) derived from a fruit, hawthorn, with distinctive ROS scavenging ability for ALI therapy. The carboxyl/oxygen-based groups give the generated H-CDs excellent SOD-like activity of > 9000 U mg-1 and acted as a SOD-like nanozyme in the protection of cells from oxidative damage by scavenging ROS and ameliorating the levels of pro-inflammatory factors. Importantly, H-CDs reduced lung inflammatory response, oxidative damage, and histological severity in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI mice model with minimal adverse effects. Mechanistically, H-CDs protected lung tissues by activating Nrf-2/HO-1 mediated antioxidant signaling and inhibiting NF-κB-dependent inflammatory responses. Collectively, this study establishes the potential of H-CDs as a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of ALI.
Project description:The importance of manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), an evolutionarily ancient metalloenzyme maintaining the integrity and functions of mitochondria, was studied in oxidative stress treated Aspergillus fumigatus cultures. Deletion of the Mn-SOD gene (sodB) increased both the menadione sodium bisulfite (MSB) elicited oxidative stress, and the deferiprone (DFP) induced iron limitation stress sensitivity of the strain. Moreover, DFP treatment enhanced the MSB sensitivity of both the gene deletion mutant and the reference strain. Concurring with these results, RNS sequencing data also demonstrated that deletion of sodB largely altered the MSB induced oxidative stress response. The difference between the oxidative stress responses of the two strains manifested mainly in the intensity of the response. Importantly, upregulation of “Ribosome protein”, “Iron uptake”, and Fe-S cluster assembly” genes, alterations in the transcription of “Fe-S cluster protein” genes, downregulation of “Heme binding protein” genes under MSB stress were characteristic for only the DsodB gene deletion mutant. We assume that the elevated superoxide level generated by MSB treatment may have destroyed Fe-S cluster proteins of mitochondria in the absence of SodB mediated protection. Re-synthesis of Fe-S cluster proteins enhanced translation and increased iron demand changing iron metabolism and increasing DFP sensitivity considerably.