title: Adriamycin-induced, TNF-alpha-mediated central nervous system toxicity.
abstract: The clinical effectiveness of adriamycin (ADR), a potent chemotherapeutic, is known to be limited by severe cardiotoxic side effects. However, the effect of ADR on brain tissue is not well understood. It is generally thought that ADR is not toxic to the brain because ADR does not pass the blood-brain barrier. The present study demonstrates that ADR autofluorescence was detected only in areas of the brain located outside the blood-brain barrier, but a strong tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha immunoreactivity was detected in the cortex and hippocampus of ADR-treated mice. Systemic injection of ADR led to a decline in brain mitochondrial respiration via complex I substrate shortly after ADR treatment (P < 0.05). Cytochrome c release, increased caspase 3 activity, and TUNEL-positive cell death all were suggestive of apoptosis in brain following systemic ADR treatment. The levels of the known pro-apoptotic proteins, p53 and Bax, were increased in brain mitochondria at 3 h following ADR treatment and declined by 48 h. In contrast, the anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-xL, was increased later at 6 h post-ADR treatment and was sustained throughout 72 h. Furthermore, p53 migrated to mitochondria and interacted with Bcl-xL, supporting the hypothesis that mitochondria are targets of ADR-induced CNS injury. Neutralizing antibodies against circulating TNF completely abolished both the increased TNF in the brain and the observed mitochondrial injury in brain tissues. These results are consistent with the notion that TNF is an important mediator by which ADR induces central nervous system (CNS) injury. This study, the first to provide direct biochemical evidence of ADR toxicity to the brain, revealed novel mechanisms of ADR-induced CNS injury and suggests a potential therapeutic intervention against circulating TNF-induced CNS effects.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Center for Toxicology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
authors.forename: Jitbanjong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tangpong
authors.forename: Marsha P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: Rukhsana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sultana
authors.forename: Gururaj
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Estus
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vore
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: St Clair
authors.forename: Suvina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ratanachaiyavong
authors.forename: Daret K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: St Clair
authors.forename: D Allan
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Butterfield
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000633:toxicity*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019069:Cell Respiration / Q000187:drug effects; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000633:toxicity*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051020:bcl-X Protein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; C494812:Bcl2l1 protein, mouse; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D004317:Doxorubicin; D045304:Cytochromes c; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases