title: N-actylcysteine protects Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells from lead-induced oxidative stress.
abstract: In vitro administration of lead acetate (PbA) to cultures of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells had a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on colony formation. Colony formation was returned to control levels in lead-treated cultures that were supplemented with 1 mM N-actylcysteine (NAC), a well-documented synthetic antioxidant. In order to investigate the nature of NAC's protective effect, we measured L-gamma-glutamyl-L-cysteinylglycine (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), malondialdehyde (MDA) and catalase activity both in the presence and absence of NAC in lead-exposed CHO cells. Increases in both MDA levels (p < 0.05) and catalase activity (P < 0.05) were observed in cultures that received only PbA, but supplementation with NAC returned these measures to pretreatment levels. The ratio of GSH to GSSG increased in lead-exposed cells incubated in NAC-enhanced media, but declined in cultures treated with PbA only. Our results suggest that NAC can confer protection against lead-induced oxidative stress to CHO cells, possibly through the enhancement of the cell's own antioxidant defense mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Rolla, 65401, USA. nercal@umr.edu
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ercal
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Treeratphan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Matthews
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006224:Cricetinae; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D007854:Lead / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D007854:Lead; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005978:Glutathione; C008261:lead acetate; D000111:Acetylcysteine