title: Changes in elemental content during apoptotic cell death studied by electron probe X-ray microanalysis.
abstract: Recent data suggest that changes in ionic content, primarily potassium, play a pivotal role in the progression of apoptosis. However, the changes in total element content, i.e., sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), phosphorous (P), chlorine (Cl), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca), during apoptosis have not been evaluated. Electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPXMA) was used to measure total element content in U937 cells before and after the induction of apoptosis. As an experimental model we used U937 cells irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) light. Apoptosis was evaluated with phase-contrast microscopy, with scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and with the fluorescent dye bisbenzimide (Hoechst 33342). Plasma membrane permeability as a measure of cell death was determined by trypan blue dye exclusion. To investigate element content with EPXMA, cells were cryoprepared, i.e., cryofixed and freeze-dried, and analyzed as whole cells using a scanning electron microscope. We found that the UV irradiation induced rapid (within 2 h) morphological changes associated with apoptosis, such as plasma membrane blebbing, condensation of the chromatin, and the formation of membrane-bound apoptotic bodies. At this time, 95% of the apoptotic cells excluded trypan blue dye. EPXMA results demonstrated that UV light-irradiated apoptotic cells (cells with membrane-bound apoptotic bodies) had a lower Cl content (P < 0.001) and K content (P < 0.001) and a higher Na content (P < 0.001) in comparison with nonirradiated control cells. Also, P and Ca content was higher in apoptotic cells than in control cells, but this difference did not reach statistical significance. No differences were found in Mg. These data indicated that morphological changes characteristic of apoptotic cell death are related with significant changes in sodium, chlorine, and potassium content. In addition, we demonstrated that these changes in elemental composition were not associated with loss of cell membrane integrity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, Spain. efernandez@histolii.ugr.es
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fernández-Segura
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Cañizares
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cubero
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Warley
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campos
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D048429:Cell Size / Q000502:physiology; D002713:Chlorine / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis; D006801:Humans; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D020298:U937 Cells; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D002713:Chlorine; D012964:Sodium; D008274:Magnesium; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium