Fluctuations in the glutathione content of confluent cultured astrocytes and glioma cells.
Cultured astrocytes and glioma cells in a confluent state do not have a constant cellular concentration of glutathione. After exposure of the cells to fresh culture medium, the glutathione content of both cell types rose sharply and after a few days, fell back. For the glioma cells, the glutathione rise was higher and earlier and the fall was sharper than that of the astrocytes. Glutathione added to the culture medium had little effect on the cellular content of glutathione of astrocytes except at the highest concentrations (1 mM). Exogenous glutathione did increase the glutathione content of glioma cells and appeared to have a toxic effect at the highest concentrations. Both cell types maintained a low, constant concentration of reduced glutathione in the medium and consumed the added excess.
Mokrasch
L C
LC
Department of Biochemistry, LSU Medical Center, New Orleans, LA 70119, U.S.A.