title: Gossypol-induced free radical toxicity to isolated islet cells.
abstract: 1. The cytotoxicity of the polyphenolic potential male antifertility agent gossypol was investigated on isolated mouse islets cells. 2. Gossypol shared many properties with the diabetogenic agent alloxan. 3. Gossypol (0.1-1.0 mmol/l) induced a concentration-dependent increase of Trypan Blue uptake by the cells, indicating an increase of membrane permeability to the dye. 4. Trypan Blue uptake induced by 0.5 mmol/l gossypol was inhibited by concomitant incubation of the cells with enzymatic (200 mg/l superoxide dismutase, 200 mg/l catalase, 3 mmol/l cytochrome-c), or low-molecular weight (50 mmol/l D-mannitol) scavengers of oxygen radicals, and the metal chelator diethylenetriaminepentacetic acid (DTPA) (50 mumol/l). 5. The results support the hypothesis that gossypol is B-cytotoxic by generation of noxious free radicals and that when proposing gossypol as a male antifertility agent, studies to exclude gossypol as a diabetogenic agent should first be performed in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, Umeå University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grankvist
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005609:Free Radicals; D006072:Gossypol / Q000633:toxicity*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008820:Mice, Obese; D010100:Oxygen / Q000633:toxicity; D014343:Trypan Blue
chemical_list: D005609:Free Radicals; D014343:Trypan Blue; D006072:Gossypol; D010100:Oxygen