Invited Speaker

Novel Bioactive Prostaglandins and Isoprostanes in Health and Inflammatory Diseases
Samar Basu
Sweden

Arachidonic acid oxidation through free radicals and by cyclooxygenaes results in several short-lived unique bioactive compounds in the mammalian body namely, prostaglandins (PG) and isoprostanes. These eicosanoids are reliable parameters of oxidative stress and inflammation in addition to their vasoconstrictive, inflammatory and platelet-aggrigatory properties. Prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) is a potent vasoconstrictory compound and is involved in various acute and chronic inflammation. 8-Iso-PGF2alpha, a major F2 -isoprostane evokes vasoconstriction in lung and kidney, and also serves as a reliable indicator of oxidative stress. By raising highly specific antibodies against 8-iso-PGF2alpha and PGF2alpha metabolite, we have investigated tissue injury and also their role in vivo. These methods have been successfully applied for studies of oxidative stress and inflammation and also drugs/antioxidants/radical scavengers supplementation studies, namely experimental septic shock and acute inflammation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and brain injury after cardiac arrest, asthma, bone mineral density, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), pecutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and angiography and several rheumatic diseases and risk factors of atherosclerosis. Rapid increase of these bioactive eicosanoids in experimental septic shock, CPR, CPB, PCI/angiography, and a higher levels of these parameters in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, obesity, asthma, rheumatic diseases and smokers have seen in the body fluids with a distinct kinetics of appearance and disappearance, in addition to their regulation by various drugs and antioxidants. Thus, both isoprostanes and prostaglandins are involved in various diseases and riskfactors for atherosclerosis, and are potent target compounds to study oxidative stress and inflammation. In addition, these compounds have profound activity in physiology, like pregnancy which increases their novelty.