Cellular reducing potential

Saito G, Amidon GL, Lee KD (2003) Enhanced cytosolic delivery of plasmid DNA by a sulfhydryl-activatable listeriolysin O/protamine conjugate utilizing cellular reducing potential. Gene Ther 10 72-83... 

Bcl-2 and Bc1-Xl can potentially translocate molecules across membranes. Bcl-2 and Bc1-Xl may interact physically or functionally with the MPT pore or with non-MPT pore proteins that control volume regulation of the matrix. In several experimental paradigms, Bcl-2 further reduces the cellular redox potential. Moreover, free radical-induced cell death is accompanied by lipid peroxidation, which is attenuated with Bcl-2 overexpression. More research is needed to determine whether intracellular redox status is a key regulator in apoptosis-signaling pathways. 

In addition to its role as a cofactor, lipoic acid is also gaining notoriety as a broad-spectrum antioxidant and regulator of certain cellular processes. The reversible midpoint potential for its two-electron reduction to dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) has been measured to be —0.325 V at pH 7 and 25 °C, and —0.294 V at pH 6.8 and 22 °C. This redox potential is lower than that of other common cellular reducing agents such as the... 

Augmentation of the GST activity and biosynthesis of cellular reduced glutathione Inhibition of the formation of carcinogen-DNA adducts Induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in malignant cells Inhibition of neoplastic transformation and angiogenesis Onion Potentiation of cellular antioxidant capacity through up-regulation of y-... 

Ascorbate, with a one-electron reduction potential, Eo of 282 mV vs. NHE [26], is another critical source of cellular reducing equivalents. Regenerated in... 

This thiol-disulfide interconversion is a key part of numerous biological processes. WeTJ see in Chapter 26, for instance, that disulfide formation is involved in defining the structure and three-dimensional conformations of proteins, where disulfide "bridges" often form cross-links between q steine amino acid units in the protein chains. Disulfide formation is also involved in the process by which cells protect themselves from oxidative degradation. A cellular component called glutathione removes potentially harmful oxidants and is itself oxidized to glutathione disulfide in the process. Reduction back to the thiol requires the coenzyme flavin adenine dinucleotide (reduced), abbreviated FADH2. 

TNF is a pleiotropic cytokine exerting a wide range of cellular responses, that affect biological processes such as lipid metabolism, coagulation, and insulin resistance and the function of endothelial cells. As a major proinflammatory cytokine TNF is also involved in progression of diseases like cancer, Alzheimer, Diabetes type II, cardiovascular, pulmonary or neurological disorders, and many autoimmune diseases. Blocking the action of TNF clearly reduces its inflammatory potential on various autoimmune disorders like Crohn s disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and psoriasis. 

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