Glucocorticoids and oxidative stress

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J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol. 2007;18(2):115-27.

*Glucocorticoids and oxidative stress.*

Bjelakovic' G, Beninati S, Pavlovic' D, Kocic' G, Jevtovic' T,

Kamenov B, Saranac LJ, Bjelakovic' B, Stojanovic' I, Basic' J.

Institute of Biochemistry, CC Nis, Faculty of Medicine, University

of Nisg, Nis, Serbia. bjelakovic@...

Glucocorticoids (GC) are used widely for the treatment of patients

with various disorders, including autoimmune diseases, allergies,

and lymphoproliferative disorders. Glucocorticoid therapy is often

limited by several adverse reactions associated with GC excess.

Excess GC can elicit a variety of symptoms and signs, including

growth retardation in children; immunosuppression; cardiovascular

disorders like hypertension and atherosclerosis; osteoporosis;

myopathy; and diabetes mellitus. Currently, attention is focused on

oxidative stress as one of the major determinants of endothelial

dysfunction and cardiovascular senescence. The main reason for all

unwanted effects of GC is that dexamethasone induces the

overproduction of reactive oxygen species, causing dysregulation of

physiological processes. Humans and animals with GC-induced

hypertension exhibit reduced nitric oxide levels; patients with

excess GC levels also suffer from depression as a consequence of low

levels of serotonin and melatonin. The common cofactor for the

production of these vasoactive molecules is tetrahydrobiopterin

(BH4), which is required for nitric oxide synthesis.

PMID: 17715567

- - - - *Oxidative stress in autism* - a sampling of citations - - - -

1: Metabolic biomarkers of increased oxidative stress and impaired

methylation

capacity in children with autism.

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PMID: 15585776 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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PMID: 15624347 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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PMID: 16766163 [PubMed - in process]

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Arch Neurol. 2006 Aug;63(8):1161-4.

PMID: 16908745 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

5: Metabolic endophenotype and related genotypes are associated with

oxidative

stress in children with autism.

Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2006 Dec 5;141(8):947-56.

PMID: 16917939 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

6: Evidence of toxicity, oxidative stress, and neuronal insult in autism.

J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2006 Nov-Dec;9(6):485-99. Review.

PMID: 17090484 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

7: The effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on oxidative stress,

inflammation, and

symptoms in children with autism: an open-label pilot study.

BMC Pediatr. 2007 Nov 16;7(1):36 [Epub ahead of print]

PMID: 18005455 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

8: How environmental and genetic factors combine to cause autism: A

redox/methylation hypothesis.

Neurotoxicology. 2007 Oct 13; [Epub ahead of print]

PMID: 18031821 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]