Program and book of abstracts 1st conference

1 st Conference of European Academy for Molecular Hydrogen Research in Biomedicine “Hydrogen for Biomedicine“

Valachova Katarina

Is a scientist at Centre of Experimental Medicine of Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava. She is focused primarily on studying a biological polysaccharide – hyaluronan, which is a natural polysaccharide of high molecular weight present especially is skin and joints. The aim of the studies is to examine the effects of natural and synthetic antioxidants and drugs on free-radical induced degradation of hyaluronic acid. Another aim is to perform in vivo experiments, where the effects of wound dressings composed of hyaluronan, chitosan and drug/antioxidant are assessed in skin wounds. She published more than 60 papers in journals and books.

MOLECULAR HYDROGEN: THE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS IN SCAVENGING HYDROXIL, ALKYLOXY AND ALKYLPEROXY RADICALS Valachová K., Kura B., Slezák J., Šoltés L. BACKGROUND: High-molar-mass hyaluronan (HMM HA) is a natural polysaccharide present in tissues of all vertebrates. It is present especially in skin, synovial joints and vitreous body. OBJECTIVE: In the experiments HMM HA was subjected to oxidative degradation by cupric ions (1 µM) in the presence of ascorbic acid (100 µM). The impact of the addition of molecular hydrogen (75 µM, dissolved in distilled or drinkable water) into the HMM HA solution was assessed before the polysaccharide degradation began (production of hydroxyl radicals) or one hour after the degradation of HA macromolecules began (production of alkyloxy- and alkylperoxy-type radicals). METHOD: Time-dependent changes in dynamic viscosity of hyaluronan solutions were monitored by rotational viscometry. RESULT: The results showed that the addition of molecular hydrogen resulted in inhibiting hyaluronan degradation evoked by reactive oxygen species [1]. The study was supported by the VEGA grant 2/0019/19. REFERENCES: [1] Kura B., Bagchi A., Singal P., Barancik M., LeBaron T., Valachova K., Soltes L., Slezak J. Molecular hydrogen (H2): Potential in mitigating oxidative stress-induced cardiotoxicity. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 97(2019)287−292.

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