RESUMEN
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in many forms of apoptosis and mediate apoptosis in a number of cell types. In this paper, we use a variant of U937 monocytic cells (U937 HX) that show different biochemical features with respect to standard U937. Apoptotic standard U937 extrude reduced glutathione (GSH) and generate free radicals concomitantly with loss of mitochondria transmembrane potential (mt Deltapsi). These events are correlated with the extrusion of intracellular GSH. Conversely, apoptotic U937 HX cells retain GSH, and the loss of mt Deltapsi is not accompanied by generation of free radicals. The perfect inverse correlation between (a) ROS generation and (b) the presence of intracellular GSH during apoptosis suggests novel mechanisms to finely tune ROS generation in apoptosis.
Asunto(s)
Apoptosis/fisiología , Hipoxia de la Célula/fisiología , Radicales Libres/metabolismo , Glutatión/metabolismo , Apoptosis/efectos de los fármacos , Humanos , Membranas Intracelulares/efectos de los fármacos , Membranas Intracelulares/fisiología , Potenciales de la Membrana/efectos de los fármacos , Potenciales de la Membrana/fisiología , Mitocondrias/efectos de los fármacos , Mitocondrias/fisiología , Puromicina/farmacología , Especies Reactivas de Oxígeno/metabolismo , Células U937RESUMEN
The level of genetic instability, as assessed by micronucleus (MN) formation, was higher in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-converted B-cell lines with one copy of the EBV genome integrated in each cell than in the parental, EBV-negative, B lymphoma cells. MN induced by EBV latency, as analysed by in situ hybridization, contained mainly centromeric regions, indicating that the presence of EBV affects the segregation of entire chromosomes. The instability was inhibited by treatment with antioxidants. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that there was a higher basal level of peroxides in EBV(+) cells. Direct oxidative stress caused by hydrogen peroxide (which is known to be both apoptogenic and mutagenic) enhanced the number of MN only in an EBV-converted clone. These cells were also resistant to apoptosis, as expected, suggesting that in the parental EBV cells apoptosis may efficiently eliminate cells with genetic damage. These results show for the first time a direct involvement of EBV in the induction of genetic instability, suggesting that it could contribute to tumour progression.