Assessment of DNA damage in C6 glioma cells after antidepressant treatment using an alkaline comet assay.

The effects of acute (24 h) exposure to the antidepressants amitriptyline, imipramine (both tricyclics), fluoxetine (a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor) and tranylcypromine (a monoamine oxidase inhibitor) on DNA damage in cultured C6 rat glioma cells were determined using an alkaline comet assay. The effects of manipulation of intracellular cyclic AMP by pretreatment with dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dBcAMP) and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) were also studied. For fluoxetine, the effects of addition of exogenous glutathione (GSH) and pretreatment with L-buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) were also assessed. There were increases in DNA damage with increasing concentrations of antidepressants. IBMX pretreatment protected against antidepressant-induced DNA damage in C6 cells pretreated with dBcAMP. Addition of exogenous reduced GSH and BSO increased DNA damage after fluoxetine exposure. The data show that the antidepressants induce significant amounts DNA damage in C6 cells.

Antioxidant defense against antidepressants in C6 and 1321N1 cells.

The effects of pretreatment with the antioxidants reduced glutathione (GSH), ascorbate (ASC), Trolox (TROL), and combined ascorbate and Trolox (ASC/TROL) exposure on the acute (24 h) toxicities (EC50 value) of the antidepressants amitriptyline, imipramine (tricyclic antidepressants), fluoxetine (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor; SSRI), and tranylcypromine (a monoamine oxidase inhibitor; MAOI) were determined in the rat (C6) glioma and human (1321N1) astrocytoma cell lines using the neutral red uptake assay. The effects of pretreatment with buthionine-[S, R]-sulfoximine (BSO), and manipulation of intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) using isoproterenol (beta-receptor agonist), 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX; a phosphodiesterase inhibitor), and dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dBcAMP; cAMP analogue) on antidepressant toxicity were also determined. Protective responses were observed after antioxidant treatments and manipulation of cAMP in both C6 cells pretreated with dBcAMP (+dBcAMP) and 1321N1 cells not pretreated with dBcAMP (-dBcAMP), with a few exceptions in 1321N1 cells (-dBcAMP). Some protective responses occurred in C6 cells (-dBcAMP) and 1321N1 cells (+dBcAMP) after isoproterenol and combined IBMX/isoproterenol pretreatment but not after just IBMX pretreatment. Pretreatment with BSO enhanced toxicity with the exception of fluoxetine. The antidepressants caused increases in intracellular GSH in the C6 cells at subcytotoxic concentrations, with decreases in GSH occurring at higher concentrations. Cytotoxicity of the antidepressants may be partly mediated through oxidative stress with alterations in signal transduction pathways.

Astrocyte phenotype and prevention against oxidative damage in neurotoxicity.

Astrocytes possess a potent array of protective systems. These are chiefly targeted against oxidised products and radicals, which are frequently present in increased amounts following exposure of nervous tissue to a range of toxic insults. Following exposure to the toxic chemicals astrocytes commonly respond by alteration in phenotype with upregulation of a large number of molecules, including those controlling the protective systems. This article summarizes evidence, largely obtained from in vitro studies, which supports the concept that some of the changes in astrocyte phenotype are associated with increased protection against the cytotoxicity caused by the oxidative damage that results from exposure to range of neurotoxicants.

Glutathione modifies the toxicity of triethyltin and trimethyltin in C6 glioma cells.

It has been demonstrated that exposure to mercury or cadmium compounds causes alterations in the glutathione system in a model glial cell line, C6. Here we report that two organic tin compounds, triethyltin (TET) and trimethyltin (TMT), are also toxic to these cells with EC50 values for cell death of c. 0.02 microM and 0.8 microM respectively. Exposure for 24 h to either of these compounds at sub-toxic concentrations caused increases in the amount of reduced glutathione (GSH) per cell. Increases in glutathione-S-transferase enzyme activity were also demonstrated after TET or TMT exposure. This suggests that glutathione increases occur in glial cells after toxic insults below that required to cause cell death, possibly acting as a protective mechanism. To test whether GSH plays a role in organotin-induced cell death we manipulated GSH in the culture media or via intracellular GSH and looked at the effects on sensitivity to TET or TMT toxicity. Adding GSH to the culture media did not protect the cells. Depletion of intracellular GSH with buthionine-[S,R] sulphoximine did not alter cytotoxicity of TET or TMT. However, pre-treatment with (-)-2-oxo-4-thiazolidine carboxylic acid (OTC), which increases intracellular GSH levels, protected the cells against both compounds. The EC50 for TMT was increased from 0.77 to 1.8 microM, a 2.3-fold shift, whereas the EC50 for TET was increased > 20-fold, from 0.022 to 0.47 microM. One interpretation of these results is that GSH protects cells against the toxicity of organic tin compounds without reacting directly with them to any significant extent. Under conditions where GSH is depleted, additional protective mechanisms may be active.