ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES RESEARCH CENTER

A National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Center of Excellence

 

EHSRC Investigator Detail

buettner

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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 Cluster

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.

 

Recent Publications

  1. Ahmad IM, Aykin-Burns N, Sim JE, Walsh SA, Higashikubo R, Buettner GR, Venkataraman S, Mackey MA, Flanagan SW, Oberley LW, Spitz DR. (2005) Mitochondrial O2·- and H2O2 mediate glucose deprivation-induced stress in human cancer cells. J Biol Chem. 280: 4254-4263.  
  2. Venkataraman S, Jiang X, Weydert CJ, Zhang Y, Zhang HJ, Goswami PC, Ritchie JM, Oberley LW, Buettner GR. (2005) Manganese superoxide dismutase overexpression inhibits the growth of androgen-independent prostate cancer cells, Oncogene, 24: 77-89.  
  3. Wang M, Kirk JS, Venkataraman S, Domann FE, Zhang HJ, Schafer FQ, Flanagan SW, Weydert CJ, Spitz DR, Buettner GR, Oberley, LW. (2005) Manganese superoxide dismutase suppresses hypoxic induction of hypoxia inducible factor-1a and vascular endothelial growth factor. Oncogene, 24(55):8154-66.  
  4. Wagner BA, Evig CB, Reszka KJ, Buettner GR, Burns CP. (2005) Doxorubicin increases intracellular hydrogen peroxide in PC3 prostate cancer cells. Arch Biochem Biophys. 440: 181-190.   
  5. Chen Q, Espey MG, Krishna MC, Mitchell JB, Corpe CP, Buettner GR, Shacter E, Mark Levine M. (2005) Ascorbic acid at pharmacologic concentrations selectively kills cancer cells: ascorbic acid as a pro-drug for hydrogen peroxide delivery to tissues. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 102: 13604–13609. 
  6. Hummel SG, Fischer AJ, Maritin SM, Schafer FQ, Buettner GR. (2006) Nitric oxide as a cellular antioxidant:  A little goes a long way. Free Radic Biol Med. 40(3):501-6.
  7. Kramarenko GG, Wilke WW, Dayal D, Buettner GR, Schafer FQ. (2006)  Ascorbate Enhances the Toxicity of the Photodynamic Action of Verteporfin in HL-60 Cells. Free Radic Biol Med. 40(9):1615-27.
  8. Yoon, SS, Coakley R, Lau GW, Lymar SV, Gaston B, Karabulut AC, Hennigan RF, Hwang SH, Buettner G, Schurr MJ, Mortensen JE, Burns JL, Speert D, Boucher RC, Hassett DJ. (2006) Anaerobic killing of mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa by acidified nitrite derivatives under cystic fibrosis airway conditions.  The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 116: in press.

  Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, The University of Iowa, 100 Oakdale Campus, #178 IREH, Iowa City, IA 52242

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