Main description:

Since the appearance of photosynthesis on our planet, all living organisms have been facing a new abundant, extremely reactive element, oxygen. This element is used for the synthesis of highly energetic compounds, but can also generate molecules capable of damaging constituents of living structures, including proteins, nucleic acids and lipids. It is therefore no surprise that all biological organisms have evolved multiple and sophisticated ways to reduce the detrimental effects of oxygen. For cells and tissues of highly organized animals, particularly cells of the immune system, superoxidation products play an important role, via oxidative stress, in activation, inflammation and viral and bacterial infections. We must be grateful to Drs. C. Pasquier, C. Auclair, L. Packer and R. Olivier for having brought together many specialists in an international meeting held in Paris in March 1993, at the Ministry of Research. This book comprises an impressive amount of recent knowledge, a real mine for the reader in this fast developing field of research. Furthermore, we should not forget that this basic research may lead in the future to new therapeutic approaches to the most important pathologies of the latter part of this century, including AIDS.

Contents:

DNA glycosylases involved in the repair of oxidized bases in Escherichia coli.- Potential role of protein oxidation and proteasome in antigen processing.- Involvement of hydrogen peroxide in the actions of TGF ?1.- Oxidative stress and growth factor-mediated signal transduction.- Cellularly generated active oxygen species as signals in the activation of tumour cell growth.- Effect of oxygen radicals on the IL-1 production by monocytes and IL-2 receptor expression in lymphocytes during primary and secondary immunodeficiency.- The effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on human T and B lymphoid cells.- Leukocyte adhesion and endothelial cytokine production in hypoxia/reoxygenation.- Effects of antioxidants on IL-6 secretion induced by IL-1 in human cultured lung fibroblasts. Involvement of NF kB.- Hydrogen peroxide-induced synthesis of the 32kDa stress protein (HO-1) in endothelial cells is serum dependent.- The antioxidant effects of glutathione and ascorbic acid.- Structural consequences of NF-kB inhibition by natural antioxidants: ?-lipoic acid and vitamin E.- d-?-tocopherol and cell proliferation.- Effects of intracellular redox status on cellular regulation and viral infection.- Mechanisms of regulation of cell growth by cytokines of the immune system.- Oxidization of human low density lipoproteins measured by Laser Doppler electrophoresis.- Selective modulation of brain antioxidant defense capacity by genetic or metabolic manipulations.- Protective effect of Poly(A)-poly(U) against immune oxidative injury. Role of thiols released by activated macrophages.- Reactive oxygen, antioxidants, and autotoxicity in viral diseases.- Redox control of gene expression by eukaryotic transcription factors NF-kB, AP-1 and SRF/TCF.- Redox mechanisms in Tcell activation.- Implication of oxydative phenomena in T cell activation.- Intracellular damages induced by singlet oxygen are signals for HIV-1 reactivation.- Abnormal redox regulation in HIV infection and other immunodeficiency diseases.- Influence of redox status of lymphocytes and monocytes on HIV expression and immune functions. Evaluation in vitro of antioxidant molecules as potential anti-HIV therapy.- Place for an antioxidant therapy in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.- Prevention of early cell death in peripheral blood lymphocytes of HIV infected individuals by an antioxidant: N-Acetyl-cysteine.- Alcanes measurements in human immunodeficiency virus infection.- Plasma antioxidant status (selenium, retinol and ?-tocopherol) in HIV infection.- Author index.- Keyword index.