Relating Oxidative Protein Damage to Antioxidant Status in Health and Disease (Full Technical Report for 24-LW-026)

This two-year project evaluated how dietary antioxidants influence oxidative damage in cancer using complementary analytical and in-vivo approaches.We initially developed a proteinoxidation labeling workflow and a parallel accelerator and molecular mass spectrometry (PAMMS) quantification method, but ultimately discontinued the labeling strategy due to unresolved separation challenges; PAMMS was instead leveraged to quantify radiolabeled catechol in rat plasma as a methodological benchmark.The biological study used a genetically engineered murine model (GEMM) for breast cancer (n = 40; four groups of 10: cancer/highantioxidant diet, cancer/normal diet, healthy/high-antioxidant diet, healthy/normal diet).In lieu of the abandoned labeling assay, untargeted metabolomics profiled plasma across groups, revealing widespread treatment-dependent changes in metabolites.Notably, the lipid mediator 16(R)-HETE was increased in cancer mice fed a high-antioxidant diet versus cancer mice on a normal diet, consistent with antioxidant-modulated inflammatory/oxidative pathways.Together, the work delivers a validated analytical foundation, a well-controlled in-vivo dataset, and initial evidence that antioxidant supplementation can reprogram systemic lipid and redox metabolites in cancer-relevant contexts.Watson, Jim.2013."Oxidants, antioxidants and the current incurability of metastatic cancers."Open Biology 3 (1): 120144.