title: Protective effects of quercetin on cadmium-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultures of rat proximal tubular cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the protective effects of quercetin on cadmium-induced cytotoxicity in primary cultures of rat proximal tubular (rPT) cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary cultures of rPT cells undergoing exponential growth were incubated with 1.0 μg/mL quercetin and/or cadmium (2.5, 5.0 μmol/L), in a serum-free medium at 37 °C at different time intervals. Commercial kits were used and flow cytometric analyses were performed on rPT cell cultures to assay apoptosis and oxidative stress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposure of rPT cells to cadmium acetate (2.5, 5.0 µmol/L) induced a decrease in cell viability, caused an increase in apoptotic rate and apoptotic morphological changes. Simultaneously, elevation of intracellular reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde and calcium levels, depletion of mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular glutathione, and inhibition of Na+, K+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were revealed during the cadmium exposure of rPT cells. However, simultaneous supplementation with 1 µg/mL quercetin protected rPT cells against cadmium-induced cytotoxicity through inhibiting apoptosis, attenuating lipid peroxidation, renewing mitochondrial function and elevating the intracellular antioxidants (non-enzymatic and enzymic) levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study has suggested that quercetin, as a widely distributed dietary antioxidant, contributes potentially to prevent cadmium-induced cytotoxicity in rPT cells.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shu Qian
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yuan Long
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhen Yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D002105:Cadmium Poisoning / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007687:Kidney Tubules, Proximal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D011794:Quercetin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D002104:Cadmium; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D011794:Quercetin; D000252:Calcium-Transporting ATPases; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Apoptosis; Cadmium; Oxidative stress; Primary cell culture; Proximal tubular cells; Quercetin