Arié Pinson

Nitroxide stable radicals protect beating cardiomyocytes against oxidative damage.

The protective effect of stable nitroxide radicals against oxidative damage was studied using cardiomyocyte cultures obtained from newborn rats. Monolayered cardiomyocytes were exposed to H2O2 and the effect on spontaneous beating and leakage of LDH was determined. Hydrogen peroxide irreversibly blocked rhythmic beating and resulted in a significant membrane injury as shown by release of LDH. The injury was prevented by catalase which removes H2O2 and by cell-permeable, metal-chelating agents such as desferrioxamine or bipyridine. In contrast, reagents which are excluded from the cell such as superoxide dismutase or DTPA did not protect the cells against H2O2. Five- and six-membered ring, stable nitroxide radicals which have previously been shown to chemically act as low-molecular weight, membrane-permeable, SOD-mimetic compounds provided full protection. The nitroxides prevented leakage of LDH and preserved normal cardiomyocyte contractility, presumably by intercepting intracellular O2-radicals. Alternatively, protection may result through nitroxides reacting with reduced transition metal ions or by detoxifying secondary organic radicals.

CHANGES IN CYTOPLASMIC AND LYSOSOMAL ENZYME ACTIVITIES IN CULTURED RAT HEART CELLS: THE RELATIONSHIP TO CELL DIFFERENTIATION AND CELL POPULATION IN CULTURE

SummaryPostnatal rat heart cells in culture enriched with respect to muscle cells were obtained by either high density seeding or by the replating technique. [3H]Thymidine incorporation to DNA and the enzymatic pattern of cytoplasmic and lysosomal enzymes have been studied as a function of the culture’s age, of seeding density, and replating. It was shown that (a) replating maintains predominance of myocyte population for at least 2 wk in culture; (b) heavy seeding density allows homogeneous myocyte population for the 1st wk in culture; and (c) the enzyme profile of the culture may serve as an indicator for the type of cell population in culture and its state of differentiation.

Prevention of anthracycline cardiotoxicity by iron chelation.

The use of anthracycline antineoplastic drugs is limited by a cumulative, dose-dependent toxicity to the heart. Of the cellular organelles proposed as possible primary sites of anthracycline toxicity, the mitochondrial membrane appears to be most likely target. Cardiolipin, a major phospholipid component of the inner mitochondrial membrane is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and is particularly susceptible to peroxidative injury by harmful radicals produced by redox cycling of anthracyclines. This, in turn, leads to the inactivation of key enzymes in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Since the formation of free radicals is catalyzed by iron through the Haber-Weiss reaction, it was hypothesized that iron depletion by deferoxamine (DFO) may limit anthracycline cardiotoxicity. Recent studies indicate that iron-loading aggravates doxorubicin cardiotoxicity by enhancing mitochondrial damage, and this can be prevented by prior DFO treatment. Although these observations are intriguing, further studies are required to show that the cardioprotective effects of DFO do not interfere with the therapeutic, antitumoral action of anthracyclines.

BOTH HYDROXYLAMINE AND NITROXIDE PROTECT CARDIOMYOCYTES FROM OXIDATIVE STRESS

The unique anti-oxidative activity of nitroxide radicals protecting against reactive oxygen-derived species (ROS) has been recently demonstrated in several model systems. The present study focuses on the activity of nitroxide and of its reduced form in cultured rat ventricular cardiomyocytes exposed to O2.- and H2O2 generated by hypoxanthine (HX) and xanthine oxidase (XO). To evaluate cell injury, spontaneous beating, leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and depletion of cellular ATP were determined. The protective effect of 4-OH-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidine-N-oxyl (TPL) was compared with that of 4-OH-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-hydroxypiperidine (TPL-H) and of several common anti-oxidants. A rapid exchange between TPL and TPL-H, is mediated by cellular metabolism and through reactions with ROS. In particular, TPL under O2.- flux is oxidized to oxo-ammonium cation (TPL+) which comproportionates with TPL-H yielding two nitroxide radicals. Because this exchange limits the distinction between the biological activities of TPL and TPL-H, NADH which can reduce TPL+ was included in order to maintain the nitroxide in its reduced form. The results demonstrate that both TPL and TPL-H protect cardiomyocytes against beating loss and LDH leakage. Conversely, cellular ATP depletion induced by HX/XO is inhibited by TPL-H, though not by TPL, suggesting that different mechanisms underlie their protective activities. Through a flip-flop between the two forms, which coexist in the system, the levels of TPL-H and TPL are continuously replenished. The conversion, upon reaction, of each antioxidant into the other one enables them, contrary to common antioxidants which operate in a stoichiometric mode, to act catalytically.

The Role of Iron and Iron Chelators in Anthracycline Cardiotoxicity

The redox cycling of anthracyclines promotes the formation of free radicals which are believed to play a central role in their cardiotoxicity. A number of observations indicate that the mechanism of the antineoplastic effect of anthracyclines is independent of their cardiotoxic effect and that it may be possible to prevent toxicity without interfering with therapeutic effect. Iron plays an important role in anthracycline toxicity by promoting the conversion of superoxide into highly toxic hydroxyl radicals through the Haber-Weiss reaction. Conversely, iron deprivation by its high-affinity binding to iron chelating compounds may inhibit anthracycline toxicity by interfering with free radical formation. ICRF-187, a bispiperazonedione which is hydrolyzed intracellularly into a bidentate chelator resembling EDTA, is able to decrease adriamycin-induced free hydroxyl radical formation and to prevent the development of clinical cardiac toxicity in patients receiving long-term anthracycline therapy. Our studies in rat heart cell cultures have shown that iron overload aggravates anthracycline toxicity and that this interaction can be prevented by prior iron chelating treatment. Since iron overload caused by multiple blood transfusions and bone marrow failure is a common condition in patients requiring anthracycline therapy, these observations may have significant clinical implications to the prevention of anthracycline cardiotoxicity.

Do nitroxides protect cardiomyocytes from hydrogen peroxide or superoxide

The aim of the research was to study the role played by extracellular O2.- radicals, which are implicated in cardiac cell damage and the protective effect by cell-permeable, nitroxide, superoxide dismutase-mimics. Cardiomyocytes cultures from 1-day-old rats served as the test-system. Experiments were performed since 5th day in culture when >80% of the cells were beating myocardial cells. Oxidative damage was induced by 0.5 mM hypoxanthine and 0.06 U/ml xanthine oxidase or by 10 mM glucose and 0.15 U/ml glucose oxidase. The parameters used to evaluate damages were spontaneous beating, lactate dehydrogenase release and ATP level. The rhythmic pulsation was followed microscopically. To determine the kinetics of cytosolic enzyme release from the cells, media samples were collected at various points of time and assayed for enzyme activity. To determine the cellular ATP, cells were washed with sodium phosphate buffer, scraped off and boiled for 3 min with sodium phosphate buffer. Following centrifugation the supernatant was collected and ATP was determined by the chemiluminogenic assay using firefly tails. The present results indicate that nitroxide stable free radicals, in the millimolar concentration range, provide full protection without toxic side-effect. Unlike exogenously added SOD that failed to protect, exogenous catalase provided almost full protection. In addition, the metal-chelating agent dipyridyl, but not diethylene-triamine-pentaacetate or desferrioxamine, protected the cultured cells. The present results suggest that H2O2 is the predominant toxic species mediating the oxidative damage whereas extracellular superoxide radical does not contribute to cultured cardiomyocyte damage. Since nitroxides do not remove H2O2 they can protect the cells possibly by oxidizing the metal ions and inhibiting the Fenton reaction. The superoxide dismutase-mimic activity of nitroxides does not seem to underlie their protective effect, however, the involvement of intracellular O2.- cannot be excluded.

Abnormal orotic acid metabolism associated with acute hyperammonaemia in the rat

The effect of acute ammonium acetate intoxication upon orotic acid-6-14C urinary excretion, distribution between blood and liver, and its incorporation into acid-soluble liver nucleotides, was studied in rats. Increased urinary orotic acid excretion was demonstrated following ammonium acetate treatment. In the first series of experiments, the rats pretreated with ammonium acetate were sacrificed at various time intervals after 14C-OA injection ranging from 1 to 60 min. The radioactivity content of the acid-soluble liver fraction 30–60 min following ammonium acetate treatment showed values lower by a factor of 1.5-2 when compared with saline or sodiumacetate-treated controls. The clearance of the label from blood was slower than in controls. In vivo, 14C-OA conversion to uracil nucleotides in the liver was decreased, falling to 50% 15 min after ammonium acetate treatment. In control animals 1 min after orotic acid injection, all the radioactivity recovered from the acid-soluble liver fraction was in the form of uracil nucleotides (100% conversion). In the second series of experiments, the rats were injected with ammonium acetate followed by 14C-OA at various time intervals from 1 min to 3 hr and sacrificed 5 min later. The most marked decrease in the liver radioactivity content was reached 20 min following ammonium acetate injection. The highest degree of 14C-OA accumulation in the acid-soluble liver fraction was shown 20 min after ammonium acetate treatment. A transient accumulation of endogenously produced orotic acid in the livers of rats treated with ammonium acetate was demonstrated. The rats treated with ammonium acetate showed a twofold increase in the liver acid-soluble uracil nucleotide content. The effect of acute ammonia intoxication on orotic acid formation and disposal is discussed.

Studies on oxygen and volume restrictions in cultured cardiac cells I. A model for ischemia and anoxia with a new approach

SummaryA novel incubation unit is described that is highly suitable for thorough studies of oxygen deprivation states. Its application with cultured heart cells is experimentally demonstrated. The release of enzymes, taken as a marker for cell damage, has clearly shown that restriction of the volume of extracellular medium combined with oxygen plus glucose deprivation caused greatest cellular damage. It may be considered as an experimental ischemia-like state. Furthermore, the onset of cellular damage followed a time table very much like that occurring in vivo under similar conditions, more so than any other previously described studies. A time lag between the release of cytoplasmic enzymes and lysosomal enzymes and other observations made in the present study suggests a sequential order of events in which the release of cytoplasmic enzymes occurs at a stage of reversible damage due to oxygen deprivation, whereas the release of lysosomal enzymes may point at irrepairable damage.

Interactions of cardiac glycosides with cultured cardiac cells: II. Biochemical and electron microscopic studies on the effects of ouabain on muscle and non-muscle cells

Electron microscopic and biochemical studies revealed a salient difference in the response to toxic doses of ouabain by cultured cardiac muscle and non-muscle cells from neonatal rats. Progressive cellular injury in myocytes incubated with 1 . 10(-4)--1 . 10(-3) M ouabain ultimately leads to swelling and necrosis. The morphological damage in myocytes was accompanied by a drastic decrease in 14CO2 formation from 14C-labeled stearate or acetate but not glucose. Neither morphological nor biochemical impairments were observed in non-muscle cells. The interaction between ouabain and the cultured cells, using therapeutic doses of ouabain (i.e., less than 1 . 10(-7) M), was characterized. Two binding sites were described in both classes of cells, one site is a saturable K+-sensitive site whereas the other is non-saturable and K+-insensitive. The complexes formed between the sarcolemma receptor(s) and ouabain, at low concentrations of the drug (e.g., 7.52 . 10(-9) M), had Kd values of 8.9 . 10(-8) and 2.3 . 10(-8) M for muscle and non-muscle cells, respectively. The formation and dissociation of the complexes were affected by temperature and potassium ions.

Enzymatic radioiodination of phospholipids catalyzed by lactoperoxidase

Abstract Phospholipids were iodinated with iodide by a lactoperoxidase-catalyzed reaction in the presence of controlled amounts of H2O2 which were continuously supplied by glucose oxidase + glucose. Different molecular and ionic species of inorganic iodine present in the reaction mixture (i.e., I−, I2, I3−) were eliminated by thiosulfate reduction to I− followed by gel filtration on Sephadex LH-20 which separated I− from the phospholipids completely. Final separation and identification of individual phospholipids were done on a column of silica gel H using a single solvent mixture consisting of CHCl3:CH3OH:CH3COOH:H2O (25:15:4:2, by volume). Application of phospholipases A2 and D or transesterification provided evidence to indicate a covalent iodination of the fatty acid moiety of the lipids by the enzymatic process, which apparently is substitution but could also proceed by addition to the double bonds, when present.