Interaction of metals and thiols in cell damage and glutathione distribution: potentiation of mercury toxicity by dithiothreitol
Author
Summary, in English
In the present study, we have investigated the effects of extracellular redox status and metal/thiol interactions on glutathione distribution in HeLa cell cultures. No effects were seen on glutathione distribution after the addition of different thiols, whereas the pro-oxidant copper ions affected glutathione distribution in several ways. The addition of dithiothreitol (DTT) but not the other thiols potentiated the effects of mercury ions on glutathione distribution and cell toxicity. In the presence of DTT, increased intra- and extracellular glutathione concentrations were noted already at 0.05 micromol/l, which was below the previously reported toxicity threshold for mercury ions in blood. Likewise DTT potentiated the effects of copper ions on glutathione distribution and cell toxicity, whereas the addition of DTT to cell cultures with a non-metal thiol reactive agent (hydroquinone) or an oxidative agent (hydrogen peroxide) did not affect glutathione distribution or cell toxicity. Thus, it seems as the synergistic effects between DTT and thiol reactive agents only apply to metal ions.
Department/s
Publishing year
2001
Language
English
Pages
93-100
Publication/Series
Toxicology
Volume
156
Issue
2-3
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Elsevier
Topic
- Medicinal Chemistry
- Pharmacology and Toxicology
Keywords
- Cell culture
- Copper ions
- Dithiothreitol
- Glutathione
- Homocysteine
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Hydroquinone
- Mercury ions
- N-acetylcysteine
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0300-483X