title: N-acetylcysteine attenuates arsenite-induced oxidative injury in dorsal root ganglion explants.
abstract: Chronic exposure to arsenic causes health problems, including peripheral neuropathy. Oxidative stress is one of the mechanisms underlying arsenic-induced neurotoxicity. For this report, we studied the protective effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on arsenic-induced oxidative injury in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) explants. After 24-h incubation, NAC concentration-dependently attenuated arsenite-induced depletion in glutathione (GSH) content and increases in the ratio of oxidized GSH/reduced GSH (GSSG/GSH ratio) in DRG explants. Furthermore, NAC inhibited arsenite-induced elevation in the expression of stress proteins, such as heat shock protein 70 and heme oxygenase 1, as well as arsenite-induced phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. Incubation with NAC ameliorated arsenite-induced apoptosis by abolishing both mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) pathways. In the mitochondrial pathway, NAC attenuated arsenite-induced elevation in Bcl-2 level and cytosolic cytochrome c, as well as arsenite-induced reduction in procaspase-3 levels. In the ER pathway, NAC suppressed arsenite-induced increases in activating transcription factor 6 and C/EBP homologous protein in the nuclear fraction. Furthermore, arsenite-induced reductions in procaspase-12 and elevation in BIP and caspase-12, an ER-specific enzyme, were prevented after NAC incubation. Taken together, our results demonstrate that NAC is neuroprotective against arsenite-induced oxidative injury in DRG explants. Furthermore, NAC inhibits arsenite-induced toxicity by inhibiting ER and mitochondrion activation. Our data indicate that NAC is potentially therapeutic for arsenite-induced peripheral neuropathy.
authors: Department of Medical Research and Education, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: P L
authors: PL
authors: Chao
authors: S F
authors: SF
authors: Fan
authors: Y H
authors: YH
authors: Chou
authors: Anya M Y
authors: AM
authors: Lin
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051702:Activating Transcription Factor 6; D000818:Animals; D018053:Arsenites / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D005978:Glutathione; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D008297:Male; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: C497111:ATF6 protein, human; D051702:Activating Transcription Factor 6; D018053:Arsenites; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; C052617:Bcl2 protein, mouse; D020169:Caspases; D005978:Glutathione; C015001:arsenite; D000111:Acetylcysteine