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Purpose: Protective effects of estradiol against H2O2-induced oxidative stress have been demonstrated in lens epithelial cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 17β-estradiol (E2) on the different superoxide dismutase (SOD) isoenzymes, SOD-1, SOD-2, and SOD-3, as well as estrogen receptors (ERs), ERα and ERβ, in primary cultured human lens epithelial cells (HLECs).

Materials and methods: HLECs were exposed to 0.1 µM or 1 µM E2 for 1.5 h and 24 h after which the effects were studied. Protein expression and immunolocalization of SOD-1, SOD-2, ERα, and ERβ were studied with Western blot and immunocytochemistry. Total SOD activity was measured, and gene expression analyses were performed for SOD1, SOD2, and SOD3.

Results: Increased SOD activity was seen after 1.5 h exposure to both 0.1 µM and 1 µM E2. There were no significant changes in protein or gene expression of the different SODs. Immunolabeling of SOD-1 was evident in the cytosol and nucleus; whereas, SOD-2 was localized in the mitochondria. Both ERα and ERβ were immunolocalized to the nucleus, and mitochondrial localization of ERβ was evident by colocalization with MitoTracker. Both ERα and ERβ showed altered protein expression levels after exposure to E2.

Conclusions: The observed increase in SOD activity after exposure to E2 without accompanying increase in gene or protein expression supports a role for E2 in protection against oxidative stress mediated through non-genomic mechanisms.

This study investigated interfacial reactions between aqueous Ce(III) and two synthetic nanosized Mn (hydr-) oxides (manganite: gamma-MnOOH, and vernadite: delta-MnO2) in the absence and presence of Nordic Lake fulvic acid (NLFA) at circumneutral pH by batch experiments and cryogenic X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The surfaces of manganite and vernadite were negatively charged (XPS-derived loadings of (Na+ K)/Cl > 1) and loaded with 0.42-4.33 Ce ions nm(-2). Manganite stabilized Ce-oxidation states almost identical to those for vernadite (approximately 75% Ce(IV) and 25% Ce(III)), providing the first experimental evidence that also a Mn (III) phase (manganite) can act as an important scavenger for Ce(IV) and thus, contribute to the decoupling of Ce from its neighboring rare earth elements and the development of Ce anomaly. In contrast, when exposed to Ce (III)-NLFA complexes, the oxidation of Ce by these two Mn (hydr-) oxides was strongly suppressed, suggesting that the formation of Ce(III) complexes with fulvic acid can stabilize Ce(III) even in the presence of oxidative Mn-oxide surfaces. The experiments also showed that Ce(III) complexed with excess NLFA was nearly completely removed, pointing to a strong preferential sorption of Ce(III)-complexed NLFA over free NLFA. This finding suggests that the Ce(III)-NLFA complexes were most likely sorbed by their cation side, i.e. Ce(III) bridging between oxide groups on the Mn (hydr-) oxides and negatively-charged functional groups in NLFA. Hence, Ce(III) was in direct contact with the oxidative manganite and vernadite but despite that not oxidized. An implication is that in organic-rich environments there may be an absence of Ce(IV) and Ce anomaly despite otherwise favorable conditions for Ce(III) oxidation.