title: Beryllium-stimulated reactive oxygen species and macrophage apoptosis.
abstract: Beryllium (Be), the etiologic agent of chronic beryllium disease, is a toxic metal that induces apoptosis in human alveolar macrophages. We tested the hypothesis that Be stimulates the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which plays a role in Be-induced macrophage apoptosis. Mouse macrophages were exposed to 100 microM BeSO4 in the absence and presence of the catalytic antioxidant MnTBAP (100 microM). Apoptosis was measured as the percentage of TUNEL+ and caspase-8+ cells. ROS production was measured by flow cytometry using the fluorescence probes, dihydroethidine (DHE) and dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA). Be-exposed macrophages had increased TUNEL+ cells (15+/-1% versus controls 1+/-0.2%, P<0.05) and increased caspase-8+ cells (18.7+/-2% versus controls 1.8+/-0.4%, P<0.05). Be-induced caspase-8 activation, and a 4-fold increase in ROS formation, was ameliorated by exposure to MnTBAP. Hydrogen peroxide (30 microM) exposure potentiated Be-induced caspase-8 activation, and was also attenuated by MnTBAP. Our data are the first to demonstrate that Be stimulates macrophage ROS formation which plays an important role in Be-induced macrophage apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Robert H. Hollis Laboratory of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver, 1400 Jackson Street, CO 80206, USA. sawyerr@njc.org
authors.forename: Richard T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Sawyer
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Dobis
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Velsor
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Fontenot
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Silveira
authors.forename: Lee S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Day
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001608:Beryllium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053181:Caspase 8; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008665:Metalloporphyrins / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D008665:Metalloporphyrins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C097284:manganese(III)-tetrakis(4-benzoic acid)porphyrin; C020711:beryllium sulfate; C505530:CASP8 protein, human; C505526:Casp8 protein, mouse; D053181:Caspase 8; D020169:Caspases; D001608:Beryllium