Mechanism of Deca-BDE-induced apoptosis in Neuro-2a cells: Role of death-receptor pathway and reactive oxygen species-mediated mitochondrial pathway

Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) is a prevalent polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congener known to have neurotoxicity. Effects of BDE-209 on Neuro-2a cells were performed in the present study and the possible apoptotic pathway was discussed. Results indicated that BDE-209 induced Neuro-2a cell apoptosis, increased the protein expression of Fas and Fas-associated death domain-containing protein (FADD) and activated the caspase-8 and -3 activities in a concentration-dependent manner, inferring the death-receptor pathway was involved in the apoptotic process. Meanwhile, BDE-209 exposure increased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and decreased the cellular mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) which led to cytochrome C released to the cytoplasm. The intracellular caspase-9 was elevated simultaneously, which caused downstream caspase cascade and triggered cell apoptosis. Moreover, BDE-209 exposure increased cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in a concentration-dependent manner and the addition of N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), known as ROS scavengers, obviously reduced the apoptotic rate and a positive relationship was observed between the degree of apoptosis blocking and the loss of MMP and ROS production. We thus concluded that BDE-209 induced Neuro-2a cell apoptosis via the combination of the death-receptor signaling pathway and the mitochondrial signaling pathway. The elevated ROS production was considered to magnify the intracellular apoptosis signal and played a crucial role in apoptosis of Neuro-2a cells induced by BDE-209.     

内质网应激在氟暴露致小鼠睾丸损伤中的作用

探讨了内质网应激在亚慢性氟暴露致小鼠睾丸损伤中的作用及分子机制.选用健康初断乳ICR雄性小鼠30只,随机分为对照组（C）、低氟组（LF）和高氟组（HF）,分别饮用自来水、5、30 mg·L^-1氟化钠水溶液90 d.亚慢性氟暴露结束后,以睾丸脏器系数、睾丸组织氧化/抗氧化酶和形态结构、精子质量、睾丸细胞凋亡、葡萄糖调节蛋白78（GRP78）、CCAAT/增强子结合蛋白同源蛋白（CHOP）、半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白酶12（CASPASE-12）、半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白酶3（CASPASE-3）为观测点.结果表明,与对照组比,LF组和HF组LDH、SOD、T-AOC活性下降,MDA含量上升,HF组GSH-PX活性下降,差异有统计学意义（p<0.05或p<0.01）;LF组可见细胞层次减少、间隙变大,成熟精子数量减少,HF组细胞溶解、层次紊乱,空泡化严重,少见成熟精子;LF组和HF组小鼠的精子活力降低,HF组小鼠精子数量下降,畸形率上升,差异有统计学意义（p<0.05或p<0.01）;LF组和HF组睾丸细胞凋亡指数上升,差异有统计学意义（p<0.01）;LF组和HF组Grp78、Caspase-12、Caspase-3基因表达水平上升,差异有统计学意义（p<0.05或p<0.01）.结果提示,除氧化应激以外,Caspase-12和Caspase-3基因表达异常可能是氟暴露致小鼠睾丸细胞凋亡异常的分子机制之一.     

内质网应激和氧化应激通路对DINP诱发Allergic March的介导作用

为了研究增塑剂邻苯二甲酸二异壬酯（diisononyl phthalate,DINP）致Allergic March的作用机制,以雄性BALB/c小鼠为受试动物,随机分为5组,包括空白对照组（生理盐水）、20 mg·kg^-1 DINP组、OVA组、20 mg·kg^-1 DINP+OVA组和4-苯基丁酸（4-PBA）拮抗组（20 mg·kg^-1 DINP+OVA+4-PBA）,染毒周期为47 d.以肺组织匀浆测定活性氧（reactive oxygen species,ROS）、还原型谷胱甘肽（glutathione,GSH）、丙二醛（malondialdehyde,MDA）和一氧化氮（nitric oxide,NO）.采用ELISA试剂盒检测血清中总免疫球蛋白E（T-IgE）、OVA特异性免疫球蛋白E（OVA-IgE）和白细胞介素-33（IL-33）评价机体的炎症因子,并同时观察肺组织的病理变化结果.与生理盐水组比较,OVA组的肺功能、Th2免疫系统功能亢进的分子、氧化应激指标和肺组织病理学损伤都有所加重.与OVA组比较,20 mg·kg^-1 DINP+OVA组的肺功能、Th2免疫系统功能亢进的分子、氧化应激指标和肺组织病理学损伤同样也有所加重.而4-PBA拮抗组（20 mg·kg^-1 DINP+OVA+4-PBA）与20 mg·kg^-1 DINP+OVA组相比较,其各项指标都有了明显的减轻.实验结果表明,20 mg·kg^-1的DINP能加重小鼠的Allergic March,内质网应激拮抗剂4-PBA可使Allergic March症状减轻,对小鼠肺组织起保护作用,说明内质网应激通路可能通过调节氧化应激介导了DINP所致的Allergic March.     

Mitochondrial electron transport chain is involved in microcystin-RR induced tobacco BY-2 cells apoptosis

Microcystin-RR （MC-RR） has been suggested to induce apoptosis in tobacco BY-2 cells through mitochondrial dysfunction including the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential . TO further elucidate the mechanisms involved in MC-RR induced apoptosis in tobacco BY-2 cells, we have investigated the role of mitochondrial electron transport chain （ETC） as a potential source for reactive oxygen species （ROS）. Tobacco BY-2 cells after exposure to MC-RR （60 mg/L） displayed apoptotic changes in association with an increased production of ROS and loss of Am. All of these adverse effects were significantly attenuated by ETC inhibitors including Rotenone （2 μmol/L, complex I inhibitor） and antimycin A （0.01 μmol/L, complex III inhibitor）, but not by thenoyltrifluoroacetone （S μmol/L, complex Ⅱinhibitor）. These results suggest that rnitochondrial ETC plays a key role in mediating MC-RR induced apoptosis in tobacco BY-2 cells through an increased mitochondrial production of ROS.     

Surfactant 4-nonylphenyl-polyethylene glycol stimulates reactive oxygen species generation and apoptosis in human neuroblastoma cells

The formulation of most pesticides is proprietary and individual components are therefore not generally known. In a preliminary study, we identified six compounds that are often present in pesticides, of which 4-nonylphenyl-polyethylene glycol(NP-40) was found to be the most toxic. In this study, we investigated the toxicity of NP-40 and underlying mechanism in neuronal SK-N-SH cells. Exposure to NP 40 at concentrations higher than60 μmol/L for 24 hr decreased cell viability. The cytotoxicity of NP-40 was time-and concentration-dependent. Nuclear fragmentation and chromatin condensation were apparent starting at 50 μmol/L NP-40, and increased at higher concentrations. The expression of apoptotic factors including p53 and B-cell lymphoma(Bcl)-2-associated X protein was upregulated, while that of the anti-apoptotic marker Bcl-2 was downregulated at 80 μmol/L NP-40. Cytochrome c release was observed from 80 to 100 μmol/L by confocal microscopy. Caspase-9 and-3/7 activities increased according to concentration, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis showed that apoptosis was induced at50 μmol/L and was increased at 80 μmol/L. Our findings indicate that NP-40 stimulates the mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis pathway and reactive oxygen species production in a concentration-dependent manner, and suggest that antioxidant administration may be an effective treatment for patients with acute NP-40 poisoning.     

[C8mim]Cl对HepG2细胞凋亡和内质网应激通路的影响

为研究离子液体氯化1-辛基-3-甲基咪唑（[C₈mim]Cl）是否通过内质网应激（ERS）通路诱导细胞凋亡,在MTT法检测细胞活力的基础上,用0,50,100,200μmol/L[C₈mim]Cl处理HepG2细胞24h后,采用流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡,western blot检测ERS通路相关蛋白表达.结果显示：[C₈mim]Cl处理后HepG2细胞凋亡呈浓度依赖性增高.ERS相关蛋白葡萄糖调节蛋白78（GRP78）、磷酸化RNA依赖的蛋白激酶样内质网激酶（p-PERK）、磷酸化真核起始因子2α（p-eIF2α）、磷酸化肌醇需求酶-1（p-IRE1）、激活转录因子4（ATF4）和ATF6显著上调.[C₈mim]Cl还显著诱导了C/EBP同源蛋白（CHOP）和半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白酶4（caspase 4）蛋白表达,促进了caspase 9和caspase 3活性升高.因此,[C₈mim]Cl可通过ERS通路诱导HepG2细胞凋亡.