Large doses of antioxidants may be harmful to neuronal stem cells
Stem cells are especially sensitive to oxygen radicals and antioxidants
2015-06-11
(Press-News.org) Stem cells are especially sensitive to oxygen radicals and antioxidants shows new research from the group of Anu Wartiovaara in the Molecular Neurology Research Program of University of Helsinki. The research led by researcher Riikka Martikainen was published in Cell Reports -journal May 28th 2015.
Mitochondria are cellular power plants that use oxygen to produce energy. As a by-product they produce reactive oxygen. Excessive oxygen radicals may cause damage to cells but they are needed in small quantities as important cellular signaling molecules. One of their main functions is to control function of stem cells. Antioxidants are widely used to block the damage caused by reactive oxygen. To enhance their effect some new antioxidants are targeted to accumulate into mitochondria.
The current research showed that a small increase in oxygen radicals did not directly lead to cellular damage but disrupted intracellular signaling in stem cells and lead to decrease in their stemness properties. Treatment with antioxidants was able to improve the stemness properties in these cells. However, surprisingly, the researchers found that an antioxidant targeted to mitochondria showed dose-dependent toxic effects especially on neural stem cells.
The use of antioxidants as dietary supplements is common, but little is known of their effects on stem cells. This new research shows that large doses of antioxidants may be harmful to neural stem cells. Additional research on stem cells should be done to assess safety of mitochondria targeted antioxidants.
INFORMATION:
Article: Hämäläinen RH, Ahlqvist KJ, Ellonen P, Lepistö M, Logan A, Otonkoski T, Murphy MP, Suomalainen A. MtDNA Mutagenesis Disrupts Pluripotent Stem Cell Function by Altering Redox Signaling. Cell Reports 2015
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2015-06-11
A team of Swedish researchers finds that early cardiopulmonary resuscitation more than doubles the chance of survival for patients suffering out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The percentage of patients who receive life-saving resuscitation has also increased substantially thanks to so-called SMS Lifesavers. These results are published simultaneously in two studies in the highly reputed New England Journal of Medicine.
The two studies were conducted by researchers at the Center for Resuscitation Science at Karolinska Institutet and Södersjukhuset (Stockholm South General ...
2015-06-11
A paper published today in the International Journal of Epidemiology confirms a link between peanut and nut intake and lower mortality rates, but finds no protective effect for peanut butter. Men and women who eat at least 10 grams of nuts or peanuts per day have a lower risk of dying from several major causes of death than people who don't consume nuts or peanuts.
The reduction in mortality was strongest for respiratory disease, neurodegenerative disease, and diabetes, followed by cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The effects are equal in men and women. Peanuts show ...
2015-06-11
Rome, Italy, 11 June 2015: The results of a large population study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2015) showed an increased risk of developing Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) among psoriasis patients exposed to physical trauma, particularly when the trauma involved bone and/or joints.
"This is the first sizable population-based cohort study to determine the risk of PsA following trauma in psoriasis patients," said Dr Thorvardur Love, senior author from Landspitali University Hospital, Iceland. "Our findings highlight the importance ...
2015-06-11
Rome, June 11 -- The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2015) show that diclofenac, naproxen and etoricoxib significantly inhibit ovulation in women with mild musculoskeletal pain. Of the women receiving NSAIDs, only 6.3 percent (diclofenac), 25 percent (naproxen) and 27.3 percent (etoricoxib) ovulated, compared with 100 percent of the control group.
These findings suggest that readily available non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) could have a harmful effect on fertility, and should be used ...
2015-06-11
Rome, Italy, 11 June 2015: The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2015) Press Conference showed that a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) can be predicted by low birth weight, having older siblings and hospitalisation for infection between the ages of 5-16 years. These data suggest that these factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease.
AS is a painful and progressive form of arthritis caused by chronic inflammation of the joints in the spine. Prevalence of AS varies globally, ...
2015-06-11
Rome, Italy, 11 June 2015: The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2015) demonstrated the value of a new interactive iPad app that helps young people with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) describe their pain. Almost all of the children preferred the new digital tool, aptly titled 'This Feeling', to other conventional methods and felt it was an interesting and engaging way to communicate about their experiences of pain.1
"It is vital for children and young people to be able to communicate about their pain ...
2015-06-11
Rome, Italy, 11 June 2015: The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2015) Press Conference showed that people with systemic sclerosis (SSc) have a unique bacterial signature in their colon, when compared with healthy people. These findings suggest that changes in the gut ecology could contribute to the clinical symptoms of SSc, and could be used to diagnose the condition, and in the development of alternative treatments.
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease affecting multiple organs. Up to 90% ...
2015-06-11
Rome, June 11 -- New recommendations by EULAR for women's health and pregnancy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and/or antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) were presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2015). Developed by expert consensus, these evidence-based recommendations provide crucial guidance to support family planning, assisted reproduction, pregnancy and the menopause in these patients.
'APS and SLE disproportionately affect women, typically starting when they are at their most fertile, and leaving women ...
2015-06-11
The constant movement of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be distracting -- but the fidgeting also may improve their cognitive performance, a study by researchers with the UC Davis MIND Institute has found.
The study of pre-teens and teenagers with ADHD examined how movement -- its intensity and frequency -- correlated with accuracy on cognitively demanding tasks requiring good attention. It found that participants who moved more intensely exhibited substantially better cognitive performance.
The study, "A trial-by-trial analysis reveals ...
2015-06-11
Researchers studying banded mongooses in Uganda have discovered that these small mammals are able to discriminate between relatives and non-relatives to avoid inbreeding even when mating within their own closely related social group.
Inbreeding can be a big problem for social species such as banded mongooses because they grow up in social groups consisting mainly of close relatives. This study is the first to suggest that social animals are able to avoid the costs of inbreeding without relying on un-related mating partners from other social groups.
Dr Jennifer Sanderson, ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Large doses of antioxidants may be harmful to neuronal stem cells
Stem cells are especially sensitive to oxygen radicals and antioxidants