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The role of oxidative stress on the effect of 1,4,7,10,13,16-hexathiacyclooctadecane on copper and zinc toxicity in HepG2 cells

Scientific Institute of Public Health, Division Toxicology, Laboratory of Biochemical Toxicology, J Wytsmanstraat 16, 1050 Brussels, Belgium, peter.smet{at}iph.fgov.be

M Elskens

F Bolle

Scientific Institute of Public Health, Food Division, J Wytsmanstraat 16, 1050 Brussels, Belgium

P J Dierickx

Scientific Institute of Public Health, Division Toxicology, Laboratory of Biochemical Toxicology, J Wytsmanstraat 16, 1050 Brussels, Belgium

Experiments have shown that 1,4,7,10,13,16-hexathiacy clooctadecane (L3) increased the Cu² toxicity on HepG2 cells, whereas the combination Zn² /L3 was less toxic relative to the metal control. In all cases, glutathione (GSH) levels were decreased and vitamins C and E supplementation partially counteracted the increased toxicity in the Cu² /L3-treated cells. The previously observed effects of this hexathiamacrocyclic ligand (L3) on the Cu² and Zn² toxicity were further investigated by first depleting the intracellular GSH levels by means of L-buthionine S,R-sulphoximine. Combined treatment with Cu² /L3 resulted in complete cell death, whereas for Zn² /L3 no severe effects were observed. Direct measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) revealed that Cu² induced a high degree of oxidative stress on the cells. This was not the case for Zn². The results proved a previously proposed mechanism in which GSH is used to conjugate the metal–ligand complex, but as a result of this, GSH is no longer available for inactivation of ROS. Also, both the intracellular copper and zinc content were determined for each experiment by means of inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectroscopy. According to these data, zinc is depleted in Cu² /L3-treated cells, which could have consequences on superoxide dismutase and as a result of this on the amount of oxidative stress.

Key Words: BSO • chelating ligands • copper • DCFH-DA • GSH • HepG2 • ICP-AES • macrocyclic ligands • metal toxicity • oxidative stress • ROS • zinc

Human & Experimental Toxicology, Vol. 22, No. 2, 89-93 (2003)
DOI: 10.1191/0960327103ht340oa


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