title: Inhibition of tumoral cell respiration and growth by nordihydroguaiaretic acid.
abstract: The effects of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), best known as an inhibitor of lipoxygenase activities, on the culture growth, oxygen consumption, ATP level, viability, and redox state of some electron carriers of intact TA3 and 786A ascites tumor cells have been studied. NDGA inhibited the respiration rate of these two tumor cell lines by preventing electron flow through the respiratory chain. Consequently, ATP levels, cell viability and culture growth rates were decreased. NDGA did not noticeably inhibit electron flow through both cytochrome oxidase and ubiquinone-cytochrome b-c1 complex. Also, the presence of NDGA changed to redox state of NAD(P)+ to a more reduced level, and the redox states of ubiquinone, cytochrome b and cytochromes c + c1 changed to a more oxidized level. These observations suggest that the electron transport in the tumor mitochondria was inhibited by NDGA at the NADH-dehydrogenase-ubiquinone level (energy-conserving site 1). As a consequence, mitochondrial ATP synthesis would be interrupted. This event could be related to the cytotoxic effect of NDGA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pavani
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fones
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oksenberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cordano
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mancilla
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guerrero
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D004579:Electron Transport; D008297:Male; D009637:Masoprocol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D009637:Masoprocol; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate