title: Subcellular distribution of two spin trapping agents in rat heart: possible explanation for their different protective effects against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.
abstract: Previous investigations, performed on isolated rat atria, showed that the lipophylic spin-trapping agent N-tert-butyl- alpha-phenylnitrone (PBN) is able to prevent the acute cardiotoxic effects produced by doxorubicin (DXR), whereas the hydrophylic compound 5,5-dimethyl-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) is inactive. The present study was designed to ascertain whether differences in the pharmacological effects of the two spin traps are related to their different subcellular distribution. Langendorff rat hearts were perfused for 60 minutes with [14C]-DXR and either PBN or DMPO. The subcellular mapping of the three compounds was performed by measuring DXR by liquid scintillation counting, PBN by GC/MS, and DMPO by HPLC in the following isolated fractions: nuclei, mitochondria, sarcoplasmic reticulum, sarcolemma, cytosol. DMPO was shown to accumulate in the cytosolic compartment; both PBM and DXR are taken up by nuclei and mitochondria, while only trace amounts of DXR were detected in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. These results suggest that mitochondrial (and not sarcoplasmic) enzymes are mainly involved in DXR-induced free radical production, which is thought to cause the acute cardiotoxic effects of DXR. An involvement of DXR-induced free radical generation in the nuclear compartment seems unlikely in the short-term "in vitro" effects observed with the experimental model adopted for these studies, although it may play a role in the delayed pathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, CNR Center of Cytopharmacology, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cova
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: De Angelis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Monti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Piccinini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003497:Cyclic N-Oxides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D005609:Free Radicals; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D013113:Spin Labels; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003497:Cyclic N-Oxides; D005609:Free Radicals; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides; D013113:Spin Labels; C029217:phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone; C017245:5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide; D004317:Doxorubicin