title: 2,3,7,8-TCDD neurotoxicity in neuroblastoma cells is caused by increased oxidative stress, intracellular calcium levels, and tau phosphorylation.
abstract: One of the most notorious environmental toxicants, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), easily accumulates in the environment and most organisms, including humans, because of its high lipophilicity and resistance to degradation. TCDD exposure causes a variety of adverse health effects in humans including immunotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and carcinogenesis. For the most part, studies regarding the adverse effects of TCDD on the central nervous system (CNS) have been limited to neurodevelopmental processes. In this study, we investigated the neurotoxicity of TCDD in neuronal cells using a neuroblastoma cell line (clone N2a) and explored the possible mechanisms of action. MTT and Comet assays were conducted to determine if TCDD is cytotoxic and if it causes DNA damage, respectively. The results of these assays revealed that treatment with 100, 300, 500 and 1000 nM TCDD decreased the viability of N2a cells and increased DNA damage in a dose-dependent manner compared to controls. Additionally, a malondialdehyde (MDA) assay was performed to determine if TCDD induces lipid peroxidation. The results of this assay revealed that 100, 300 and 500 nM TCDD induced lipid peroxidation in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, TCDD neurotoxicity (300 nM or higher) in N2a cells was accompanied by elevated intracellular calcium levels. These increased calcium levels increased the phosphorylation of tau via up-regulation of phospho-glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta). Taken together, these results indicate that TCDD exposure induces neurotoxicity in N2a cells by increasing DNA damage, oxidative stress and intracellular calcium levels. The TCDD-mediated increase of tau phosphorylation in particular indicates an important role for tau hyperphosphorylation in TCDD-induced neurotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Medicine, Korea University, Anamdong 5, Seoul 136-705, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Donggun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sul
authors.forename: Hyo-Shin
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun-Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyun Sook
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Woon-Won
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Kwang Woo
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: So-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D020552:Comet Assay; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 / Q000378:metabolism; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000473:pathology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016875:tau Proteins; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D019363:Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; C000605506:GSK3B protein, human; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D002118:Calcium