title: Inhibition of apoptosis by zinc: a reappraisal.
abstract: Apoptosis--or programmed cell death--is an active type of cell death, occurring in several pathophysiological conditions. One of the most important characteristics of apoptosis is that cell death is preceded by DNA fragmentation, consequent to the activation of nuclear calcium- and magnesium-dependent endonuclease(s). DNA fragmentation can be inhibited by zinc ions. By using several techniques, such as DNA agarose gel electrophoresis, cytofluorimetric analysis of DNA content and of cell cycle, 3H-thymidine incorporation and trypan blue dye exclusion test, we show that zinc, despite completely inhibiting DNA fragmentation and the consequent loss of nuclear DNA content, does not protect rat thymocytes from spontaneous or dexamethasone-induced death. Our data also suggest that DNA fragmentation, although characteristic, is not a critical event for thymocyte death of apoptotic type.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Patologia Generale, University of Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barbieri
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Troiano
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grassilli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agnesini
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Cristofalo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Monti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Capri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cossarizza
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Franceschi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D015032:Zinc