Biomaterial Database

Protective effects of glutathione on diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) cytotoxicity: a possible mechanism. 1988

L D Trombetta, and M Toulon, and I S Jamall

Toxicology Program, St. John's University, Jamaica, New York 11439.

Rat cerebral astrocytes grown in culture were exposed to 35 micrograms diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC)/ml of medium for 1 hr and treated with 0 or 10 mM reduced glutathione (GSH) 1 hr post-DDC. DDC treatment resulted in a 90% reduction in cell adherence within 24 hr and complete inhibition of growth. The most pronounced ultrastructural lesion in DDC-treated cells was on mitochondria. Numerous lipofuscin-like deposits were seen in these cells. In addition, DDC treatment resulted in a greater than 400% increase in cellular copper. The activity of the selenoenzyme glutathione peroxidase was reduced by about 40% with no concomitant effect on cytosolic superoxide dismutase activity. The data suggest that DDC cytoxicity is peroxidative in nature, presumably due to the massive influx of copper into the astrocyte. GSH treatment 1 hr after exposure of the cells to DDC completely prevented the DDC-induced reduction in cell adherence and growth inhibition. Ultrastructurally, cells post-treated with GSH prevented much of the damage caused by DDC. This protection was associated with marked reduction in cellular copper and a return to control glutathione peroxidase activity.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D011919	Rats, Inbred Strains	Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. This also includes animals with a long history of closed colony breeding.	August Rats,Inbred Rat Strains,Inbred Strain of Rat,Inbred Strain of Rats,Inbred Strains of Rats,Rat, Inbred Strain,August Rat,Inbred Rat Strain,Inbred Strain Rat,Inbred Strain Rats,Inbred Strains Rat,Inbred Strains Rats,Rat Inbred Strain,Rat Inbred Strains,Rat Strain, Inbred,Rat Strains, Inbred,Rat, August,Rat, Inbred Strains,Rats Inbred Strain,Rats Inbred Strains,Rats, August,Rats, Inbred Strain,Strain Rat, Inbred,Strain Rats, Inbred,Strain, Inbred Rat,Strains, Inbred Rat
D002448	Cell Adhesion	Adherence of cells to surfaces or to other cells.	Adhesion, Cell,Adhesions, Cell,Cell Adhesions
D002470	Cell Survival	The span of viability of a cell characterized by the capacity to perform certain functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, some form of responsiveness, and adaptability.	Cell Viability,Cell Viabilities,Survival, Cell,Viabilities, Cell,Viability, Cell
D002478	Cells, Cultured	Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.	Cultured Cells,Cell, Cultured,Cultured Cell
D003300	Copper	A heavy metal trace element with the atomic symbol Cu, atomic number 29, and atomic weight 63.55.	Copper-63,Copper 63
D004050	Ditiocarb	A chelating agent that has been used to mobilize toxic metals from the tissues of humans and experimental animals. It is the main metabolite of DISULFIRAM.	Diethyldithiocarbamate,Diethylcarbamodithioic Acid,Diethyldithiocarbamic Acid,Dithiocarb,Ditiocarb Sodium,Ditiocarb, Ammonium Salt,Ditiocarb, Bismuth Salt,Ditiocarb, Lead Salt,Ditiocarb, Potassium Salt,Ditiocarb, Sodium Salt,Ditiocarb, Sodium Salt, Trihydrate,Ditiocarb, Tin(4+) Salt,Ditiocarb, Zinc Salt,Imuthiol,Sodium Diethyldithiocarbamate,Thiocarb,Zinc Diethyldithiocarbamate,Ammonium Salt Ditiocarb,Bismuth Salt Ditiocarb,Diethyldithiocarbamate, Sodium,Diethyldithiocarbamate, Zinc,Lead Salt Ditiocarb,Potassium Salt Ditiocarb,Sodium Salt Ditiocarb,Sodium, Ditiocarb,Zinc Salt Ditiocarb
D005978	Glutathione	A tripeptide with many roles in cells. It conjugates to drugs to make them more soluble for excretion, is a cofactor for some enzymes, is involved in protein disulfide bond rearrangement and reduces peroxides.	Reduced Glutathione,gamma-L-Glu-L-Cys-Gly,gamma-L-Glutamyl-L-Cysteinylglycine,Glutathione, Reduced,gamma L Glu L Cys Gly,gamma L Glutamyl L Cysteinylglycine
D005979	Glutathione Peroxidase	An enzyme catalyzing the oxidation of 2 moles of GLUTATHIONE in the presence of HYDROGEN PEROXIDE to yield oxidized glutathione and water.	Cytosolic Glutathione Peroxidase,Glutathione Lipoperoxidase,Selenoglutathione Peroxidase,Glutathione Peroxidase, Cytosolic,Lipoperoxidase, Glutathione,Peroxidase, Glutathione,Peroxidase, Selenoglutathione