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EHSRC Investigator Detail

Garry R. Buettner, Ph.D.
Professor and Assistant Director, Free Radical and Radiation Biology Graduate Program and Director, ESR Facility
Email: garry-buettner@uiowa.edu
Phone: (319) 335-6749
EHSRC Role(s): Member, Oxidative Stress and Metabolism Research Core

Dr. Buettner's research interests include the following:

  • The fundamental chemistry and biochemistry of vitamins C and E.

  • Nitric Oxide is being investigated (NIH funded) as an important membrane antioxidant in cells and tissue. We hypothesize that it is as important as Vitamin E.

  • The use of the ascorbate radical as a marker for free radical oxidative stress. This research has provided the foundation for many ongoing free radical-related research projects here at Iowa and around the world.

  • Nitric oxide production during stress. We are developing methods to monitor NO-production in vivo. We have demonstrated that NO is produced during heat stress and we have now extended this to local hyperthermia. We have extended this research (NIH-funded) into the world of hyperthermia as used in the treatment of cancer. We have already demonstrated that local hyperthermia of tumor tissue results in both free-radical and NO-production.

  • Redox state - This research effort has as a goal to arrive at a quantitative measurement of the redox environment of a cell/tissue.

  • Free radicals in membrane lipid peroxidation (NIH funded). This ongoing theme addresses the fundamental mechanisms of how vitamin E protects cell membranes from oxidant stress. We have development methods to monitor lipid radical formation in real time from intact, functioning cells.

  • Photodynamic Cancer Therapy (NIH funded). This research has been an important theme in the lab for many years. We have demonstrated mechanisms by which PDT produces free radicals in cells and tissues.

  • Free radicals in myocardial ischemia reperfusion and defibrillation injury (NIH funded). This project is being done with Dr. Richard Kerber's research group. Dr. Mukesh Sharma won the American College of Cardiology 1992 Young Investigator Award with the results of this project.

  • The role of metals in free radical oxidations. This has been a long time area of research. We were the first to demonstrate that adventitious iron can change the results observed in free radical experiments and that chelating agents could be used to modulate the catalytic activity of metals.

  • The chemistry of EPR spin trapping. This represents the ongoing developmental aspects of the ESR Facility.

  • UV light and free radical production in skin. Thus far, the results of this project are the first to demonstrate directly UV light production of radicals in skin and that antioxidants blunt this radical formation with a concomitant reduction of skin tumor formation.

 

Selected Publications

Song Y, Wagner BA, Witmer JR, Lehmler H-J, Buettner GR. (2009) Non-enzymatic displacement of chlorine and formation of free radicals upon the reaction of glutathione with PCB quinones. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 106:9725–9730.  PMID: 19497881.  PMCID: PMC2689812.

Song Y, Buettner GR. (2010) Thermodynamic and kinetic considerations for the reaction of semiquinone radicals to form superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. Free Radic Biol Med. 46:919-962.  PMID: 20493944  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2010.05.009  PMCID: PMC2936108.

Kaewpila S, Venkataraman S, Buettner GR, Oberley LW. (2008) Manganese superoxide dismutase modulates Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1α induction via superoxide. Cancer Res. 68(8):2781-2788. PMID: 18413745. PMCID: PMC2633869.

Song Y, Buettner GR, Parkin S, Wagner BA, Robertson LW, Lehmler H-J. (2008) Chlorination increases the persistence of semiquinone free radicals derived from polychlorinated biphenyl hydroquinones and quinones. J Org Chem. 73:8296-8304.  PMID: 18839991  http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jo801397g  PMCID: PMC2629131 

Venkatesha VA, Venkataraman S, Sarsour EH, Kalen AL, Buettner GR, Robertson LW, Lehmler H-J, Goswami PC. (2008) Catalase ameliorates polychlorinated biphenyl-induced cytotoxicity. in non-malignant human breast epithelial cells. Free Radic Biol Med.  45:1094-1102. PMID: 18691649. PMCID: PMC2614346.

Du J, Martin SM, Levine M, Wagner BA, Buettner GR, Wang SH, Taghiyev AF, Du C, Knudson CM, Cullen JJ. (2010) Mechanisms of ascorbate-induced cytotoxicity in pancreatic cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 16(2):509-520. PMID: 20068072,  PMCID: PMC2807999.

    Islami AC, Pasanphan W, Wagner BA, Buettner GR. (2010) Free radicals produced by the oxidation of gallic acid: An electron paramagnetic resonance study. Chemistry Central Journal 4:15  PMID: 20687941. PMCID: PMC2924338. 

    Wangpradit O, Moman E, Nolan KB, Buettner GR, Robertson LW, Luthe G. (2010) Observation of an unusual electronically distorted semiquinone radical of PCB metabolites in the active site of prostaglandin H synthase-2. Chemosphere. 2010 Sep 13. [Epub ahead of print]  PMID: 20843536. NIHMS236361 

  Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, The University of Iowa, University Research Park, #178 IREH, Iowa City, IA 52242

Tel: (319) 335-4756 / Fax: (319) 335-4225 / E-mail: nancy-wyland@uiowa.edu