Nicotinamide "protects" resting lymphocytes exposed to hydrogen peroxide from necrosis but not from apoptosis

The aim of this work was to investigate the relationship between mechanisms of DNA repair and apoptosis induced by oxidative stress (H₂O₂) in human lymphocytes. Using the comet assay, fluorescent microscopy, and DNA electrophoresis, we studied the DNA damage induced by hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) treatment, the time and the amount of repair of strand breaks, the type of cell death, and the influence of inhibitors of repair (nicotinamide). When lymphocytes were treated with H₂O₂, we observed an increased in necrosis compared to apoptosis. However, when nicotinamide (which inhibits DNA repair) was added, the mode of death reversed to increased apoptosis. These results indicate that nicotinamide "protects" resting lymphocytes exposed to H₂O₂ from necrosis but not from apoptosis. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Interindividual differences in initial DNA repair capacity when evaluating H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>-induced DNA damage in extended-term cultures of human lymphocytes using the comet assay

It has been suggested that extended-term cultures of human lymphocytes could be used as a complement to cell lines based on transformed cells when testing the genotoxicity of chemicals. To investigate whether the pattern of induced DNA damage and its subsequent repair differs significantly between cultures based on different blood donors, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced DNA damage was measured in cultures from four different subjects using the comet assay. The DNA damage was significantly increased in all cultures after 10 min exposure to 0.25 mmol/L H₂O₂, and there was a significant decrease in the H₂O₂-induced DNA damage in all cultures after 30 min of DNA repair. The level of damage varied between the different donors, especially after the repair. Using PCR and DNA sequencing, exon 5 of the p53 gene was sequenced in the lymphocytes from the donors with the lowest and highest residual damage. No such mutation was found. Mouse lymphoma L5178Y cells carrying the p53 mutation in exon 5 were included as a reference. These cells were found to be less sensitive toward the H₂O₂-induced DNA damage, and they were also found to have a rather low DNA repair capacity. The demonstrated variation in H₂O₂-induced DNA damage and DNA repair capacity between the cultures from the different subjects may be important from a risk assessment perspective, but is obviously not of decisive importance when it comes to the development of a routine assay for genotoxicity.     

Physiological effects of glycinebetaine on gamma-irradiated stressed fenugreek plants

Irradiation stress adversely affects plant growth and development. The radio protective activity by glycinebetaine in plants has not been reported, and its mechanism has not been known. Gamma rays at doses 0.0, 25, 50, 100, and 150 Gray (Gy) when applied pre-sowingly to dry seeds of fenugreek from a cobalt source (⁶⁰Co) with strength of 500 Ci and the dose rate of 0.54 Gy/min significantly reduced chlorophyll content, total protein, photosynthetic efficiency (¹⁴CO₂-fixation), total dry weight, the accumulation of reducing, non-reducing and total soluble sugars in comparison with un-irradiated control. It also significantly repressed the activities of hydrolytic enzymes (α-amylase and invertase), the carboxylating enzyme (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate-carboxylase/oxygenase) in the developed fenugreek plants. Soaking irradiated seeds with glycinebetaine (50 mM) for 24 h partially alleviated the depression effects of irradiation in these parameters. γ-irradiation treatment increased significantly H₂O₂ content. Presoaking irradiated seeds with GB decreased significantly the H₂O₂ level. The magnitude of the reversal decreased with increasing the irradiation dose. γ-irradiation induced a significant decrease in the level of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) accompanied by a corresponding induction of hydrolytic activities of DNase and RNase in the developed plants in comparison with un-irradiated control. Those changes were more significant at higher γ-ray doses. Post-treatment of irradiated seeds with GB partially alleviated the adverse effects of radiation. It significantly increased nucleic acid levels and repressed the activities of DNase and RNase. The protective role played by glycinebetaine was more significant at lower γ-ray doses. Pretreatment of seeds with GB may play an effective role in the radio-repair mechanism.     

Hydrogen peroxide is critical for UV-induced apoptosis inhibition

Abstract

Apoptosis is an important cell death system that deletes damaged and mutated cells, preventing the induction of cancer. We previously have reported that UV irradiation inhibited the apoptosis induced by serum starvation and cell detachment. This phenomenon is suitable for clarifying the relationship between cancer and the dysregulation of apoptosis by UV irradiation. Here, we have studied the factors responsible for this inhibition of apoptosis, focusing on reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA damage. Treatment with xanthine oxidase in the presence of hypoxanthine, which is known to produce superoxide anion (O₂^??) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), inhibited the induction of apoptosis. The xanthine oxidase-induced anti-apoptotic effect was suppressed in the presence of an H₂O₂-eliminating enzyme, catalase, but not in the presence of an O₂^??-eliminating enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Treatment with H₂O₂ itself significantly inhibited the induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, the effect of the inhibition of cell death by UVB irradiation and by H₂O₂ treatment decreased in H₂O₂-resistant cells. Although both UVB and H₂O₂ are known to induce DNA damage, other DNA damaging agents, like γ-irradiation and treatment with cisplatin and bleomycin, showed no inhibition of apoptosis. These findings suggested that H₂O₂ was essential to the inhibition of apoptosis, in which DNA damage had no role.     

In vivo non-enzymatic repair of DNA oxidative damage by polyphenols

The non-enzymatic repair of DNA oxidative damage can occur in a purely chemical system, but data show that it might also occur in cells. Human hepatoma cells (SMMC-7721) and human hepatocyte cells (LO2) were treated with 200 μM H₂O₂ for 30 min to induce oxidative DNA damage quantified by amount of 8-OHdG and degree of DNA strand breaks, without inducing enzymatic repair. The dynamics of enzymatic repair activity quantified by unscheduled DNA synthesis, within 30 min after removal of H₂O₂ enzymatic repair mechanism has not been initiated. However, pre-incubation with low micromolar level polyphenols, quercetin or rutin can significantly attenuate DNA damage in both cell lines, indicating that the polyphenols did not work through an enzymatic mechanism. Unscheduled DNA synthesis after removal of H₂O₂ was also markedly decreased by quercetin and rutin. Combined with our previous studies of fast reaction chemistry, the inhibitory effect of polyphenols have to be assigned to non-enzymatic repair mechanism rather than to enzymatic repair mechanism or antioxidant mechanism.     

Mechanism of DNA Damage and Apoptosis Induced by Tetrahydropapaveroline, a Metabolite of Dopamine

Tetrahydropapaveroline (THP), a metabolite of dopamine, has been suspected to be associated with dopaminergic neurotoxicity of L-DOPA. THP induced apoptosis in human leukemia cell line HL-60 cells, but did not in its hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-resistant clone HP100. THP-induced DNA ladder formation in HL-60 cells was inhibited by a metal chelator. THP induced damage to ³²P-labeled DNA fragments in the presence of metals. In the presence of Fe(III)EDTA, THP caused DNA damage at every nucleotide. The DNA damage was inhibited by free hydroxy radical (^·OH) scavengers and catalase, suggesting that the Fe(III)EDTA-mediated DNA damage is mainly due to ^·OH generation. In the presence of Cu(II), THP caused DNA damage mainly at T and G of 5′-TG-3′ sequence. The inhibitive effect of catalase and bathocuproine on Cu(II)-mediated DNA damage suggested that H₂O₂ and Cu(I) participate in the DNA damage. This study demonstrated that THP-induced apoptosis via reactive oxygen species generated from reaction of H₂O₂ and metals plays an important role in cytotoxicity of L-DOPA.     

Electrochemical detection of natural DNA damage induced by ferritin/ascobic acid/H2O2 system and amplification of DNA damage by endonuclease Fpg

Oppositely charged natural DNA and chitosan (CS) were assembled into (CS/DNA)_n layer-by-layer films on electrode surface, and Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ (bpy = bipyridyl) in solution was used as electroactive catalyst to detect damage of DNA in the films after incubation of the films in ferritin/AA/H₂O₂ solutions (AA = ascorbic acid). The mechanism of DNA damage caused by the ferritin/AA/H₂O₂ system was similar to that of Fenton reaction, where the reaction of ferritin with AA would release some Fe(II) ions from ferritin and the following reaction between Fe(II) ions and H₂O₂ would produce hydroxyl radical, which could induce DNA oxidative damage. This system provided an in vitro model to imitate the DNA damage indirectly induced by ferritin in real bio-systems. In addition, formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (Fpg), a key endonuclease enzyme in repair of oxidatively damaged DNA, was used to amplify the DNA damage caused by ferritin/AA/H₂O₂ system through conversion of oxidative purine bases into single-strand breaks. The high sensitivity of electrocatalytic method with Ru(bpy)₃²⁺ as the catalyst in detection of DNA damage and the magnification function of Fpg may provide a novel idea to detect natural DNA lesion sensitively.     

Evaluation of antigenotoxicity effects of umbelliprenin on human peripheral lymphocytes exposed to oxidative stress

The protective properties of a prenylated coumarin, umbelliprenin (UMB), on the human lymphocytes DNA lesions were tested. Lymphocytes were isolated from blood samples taken from healthy volunteers. DNA breaks and resistance to H₂O₂-induced damage were measured using a single-cell microgel electrophoresis technique under alkaline conditions (comet assay). Human lymphocytes were incubated in UMB (10, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 μM) alone or a combination of different concentrations of UMB (10, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 μM) and 25 μM H₂O₂. Untreated cells, ascorbic acid (AA; 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 μM) and H₂O₂ (25 μM) were considered as negative control, positive control, and the standard antioxidant agent for our study, respectively. Single cells were analyzed with “TriTek Cometscore version 1.5” software. The DNA damage was expressed as percent tail DNA. UMB exhibited a concentration-dependent increase in protection activity against DNA damage induced by 25 μM H₂O₂ (from 67.28% to 39.17%). The antigenotoxic activity of AA, in the range 0–50 μM, was greater than that of UMB. However, no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the protective activity was found between UMB and AA at concentrations of approximately higher than 50 μM.     

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1) is not involved in DNA double-strand break recovery

Background  

The cytotoxicity and the rejoining of DNA double-strand breaks induced by γ-rays, H₂O₂ and neocarzinostatin, were investigated in normal and PARP-1 knockout mouse 3T3 fibroblasts to determine the role of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1) in DNA double-strand break repair.     

Oxidative Stress-Induced DNA Damage and Repair in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells: Protective Role of Hemoglobin

Background

DNA repair is a cellular defence mechanism responding to DNA damage caused in large part by oxidative stress. There is a controversy with regard to the effect of red blood cells on DNA damage and cellular response.

Aim

To investigate the effect of red blood cells on H₂O₂-induced DNA damage and repair in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Methods

DNA breaks were induced in peripheral blood mononuclear cells by H₂O₂ in the absence or presence of red blood cells, red blood cells hemolysate or hemoglobin. DNA repair was measured by ³H-thymidine uptake, % double-stranded DNA was measured by fluorometric assay of DNA unwinding. DNA damage was measured by the comet assay and by the detection of histone H2AX phosphorylation.

Results

Red blood cells and red blood cells hemolysate reduced DNA repair in a dose-dependent manner. Red blood cells hemolysate reduced % double-stranded DNA, DNA damage and phosphorylation of histone H2AX. Hemoglobin had the same effect as red blood cells hemolysate on % double-stranded DNA.

Conclusion

Red blood cells, via red blood cells hemolysate and hemoglobin, reduced the effect of oxidative stress on peripheral blood mononuclear cell DNA damage and phosphorylation of histone H2AX. Consequently, recruitment of DNA repair proteins diminished with reduction of DNA repair. This suggests that anemia predisposes to increased oxidative stress induced DNA damage, while a higher hemoglobin level provides protection against oxidative-stress-induced DNA damage.     

Comparative DNA Damage and Repair in Echinoderm Coelomocytes Exposed to Genotoxicants

The capacity to withstand and repair DNA damage differs among species and plays a role in determining an organism''s resistance to genotoxicity, life history, and susceptibility to disease. Environmental stressors that affect organisms at the genetic level are of particular concern in ecotoxicology due to the potential for chronic effects and trans-generational impacts on populations. Echinoderms are valuable organisms to study the relationship between DNA repair and resistance to genotoxic stress due to their history and use as ecotoxicological models, little evidence of senescence, and few reported cases of neoplasia. Coelomocytes (immune cells) have been proposed to serve as sensitive bioindicators of environmental stress and are often used to assess genotoxicity; however, little is known about how coelomocytes from different echinoderm species respond to genotoxic stress. In this study, DNA damage was assessed (by Fast Micromethod) in coelomocytes of four echinoderm species (sea urchins Lytechinus variegatus, Echinometra lucunter lucunter, and Tripneustes ventricosus, and a sea cucumber Isostichopus badionotus) after acute exposure to H₂O₂ (0–100 mM) and UV-C (0–9999 J/m²), and DNA repair was analyzed over a 24-hour period of recovery. Results show that coelomocytes from all four echinoderm species have the capacity to repair both UV-C and H₂O₂-induced DNA damage; however, there were differences in repair capacity between species. At 24 hours following exposure to the highest concentration of H₂O₂ (100 mM) and highest dose of UV-C (9999 J/m²) cell viability remained high (>94.6±1.2%) but DNA repair ranged from 18.2±9.2% to 70.8±16.0% for H₂O₂ and 8.4±3.2% to 79.8±9.0% for UV-C exposure. Species-specific differences in genotoxic susceptibility and capacity for DNA repair are important to consider when evaluating ecogenotoxicological model organisms and assessing overall impacts of genotoxicants in the environment.     

Is Vitamin E Toxic to Neuron Cells?

Besides acting as potent free radical scavengers, tocopherols and tocotrienols have been known to have non-antioxidant properties such as the involvement of α-tocopherol (αT) in PKC pathway and the anti-cancer properties of γ-tocotrienol (γT3). This study aims to elucidate whether protective effects shown by αT and γT3 in H₂O₂-induced neuron cultures have anti-apoptotic or pro-apoptotic tendency toward the initiation of neuronal apoptosis. H₂O₂ is used to induce apoptosis in primary cerebellar neuron cultures which is attenuated by pretreatment of αT or γT3 at concentrations ≤10 μM. Similar to our previous work, γT3 was found to be neurotoxic at concentrations ≥100 μM, whereas αT showed no neurotoxicity. Cellular uptake of γT3 was higher than that of αT. Treating cells simultaneously with either γT3 or αT and with then H₂O₂ led to higher expression of Bax and Bcl-2 than in neurons exposed to H₂O₂ alone. Analysis of Bcl-2/Bax ratio as ‘survival index’ showed that both pretreatment of γT3 and αT followed by H₂O₂ increase the ‘survival index’ of Bcl-2/Bax ratio compared to H₂O₂-treated cells, while treatment of γT3 alone decrease the ratio compared to unchanged Bcl2/Bax ratio of similar treatment with αT alone. Similar treatment of γT3 decreased p53 expression and activates p38 MAPK phosphorylation, whereas αT did not alter its expression compared to H₂O₂-treated cells. Treating neurons with only γT3 or αT increased the expression of Bax, Bcl-2, p53, and p38 MAPK compared to control with γT3 exerting stronger expression for proteins involved than αT. In conclusion, low doses of γT3 and αT confer neuroprotection to H₂O₂-treated neurons via their antioxidant mechanism but γT3 has stronger pro-apoptosis tendency than αT by activating molecules involved in the neuronal apoptotic pathway in the absence of H₂O₂.     

Promyelocytic leukemia protein interacts with werner syndrome helicase and regulates double-strand break repair in γ-irradiation-induced DNA damage responses

We show here that γ-irradiation leads to the translocation of endogenous Werner syndrome helicase (WRN) from nucleoli to nucleoplasmic DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), and WRN plays a role in damage repair. The relocation of WRN after irradiation was perturbed by promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) knockdown and enhanced by PML IV over-expression. PML IV physically interacted with WRN after irradiation. Amino acids (a.a.) 394 to 433 of PML were necessary for this interaction and the nucleoplasmic translocation of WRN and were involved in DSB repair and cellular sensitivity to γ-irradiation. Taken together, our results provide molecular support for a model in which PML IV physically interacts with and regulates the translocation of WRN for DNA damage repair through its 394–433 a.a. domain.     

The use of comet assay in measuring DNA damage and repair efficiency in child,adult, and old age populations

In the present study, we used the Comet assay to estimate basal DNA damage in three distinct populations aged 5–10, 40–50, and 60–70 years old. The DNA damage induced by hydrogen peroxide and γ-irradiation in the lymphocytes of these populations, as well as their repair activity, was also studied. Finally, we measured apoptosis and necrosis after the effect of these agents. Our results indicate that the older population (60–70 years old) showed higher basal levels of DNA damage and was more sensitive to the effects of the DNA-damaging agents than the adult one (40–50 years old), who, in turn, was more sensitive than the younger population (5–10 years old). A decline of the repair efficiency with age to the DNA damage induced by the two agents was also observed. Apoptosis and necrosis were also affected by age.     

Detection of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis in Drosophila testes upon γ-irradiation

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activity is widespread among eukaryotes. Upon DNA damage PARP binds to DNA strand breaks and transfers ADP-ribose residues from NAD⁺ to acceptor proteins and to ADP-ribosyl protein adducts. This leads to branched polymers of protein-coupled poly(ADP-ribose) (pADPr). Because the germline of Drosophila has recently become important in the study of DNA double-strand break repair (DSBR) as opposed to somatic DSBR we tested whether the catalytic activity of PARP can be stimulated by γ-irradiation during Drosophila spermatogenesis. Using antibodies against pADPr we detected a significant increase in PARP activity in male germline cells during spermatogenesis upon γ-irradiation. Different stages of spermatogenesis revealed different subnuclear localization patterns of pADPr. In premeiotic and postmeiotic cells pADPr localized in a pattern overlapping with lamin and topoisomerase II at the nuclear rim. In primary spermatocytes pADPr is associated with three loci corresponding to the chromosomes at the nuclear periphery. Received: 12 October 1998; in revised form: 21 December 1998 / Accepted: 23 December 1998     

Gamma irradiation induced apoptotic changes in the chromatin structure of human erythroleukemia K562 cells

Exponentially growing human erythroleukemia K562 cells were synchronized by centrifugal elutriation prior to and after Co⁶⁰ γ-irradiation (4 Gy). Forward scatter flow cytometry used for size analysis revealed the increase of an early apoptotic cell population ranging from lower (0.05 C-value) to higher DNA content (∼1 C) as the cells progressed through the S phase. The increase in cellular DNA content expressed in C-values correlated with apoptotic chromatin changes manifested as many small apoptotic bodies in early S phase and larger but less numerous disintegrated apoptotic bodies in late S phase. Most significant changes after exposure to γ-irradiation took place in early S phase resulting in an increase of nuclear size by more than 50%. Cell fractions containing irradiated cells showed enhanced growth arrest at 2.4 C-value, which was accompanied by apoptosis. Apoptotic cell cycle arrest near to the G₁/G₀ checkpoint and apoptotic changes indicate that the radiation resistance of K562 cells is related to the bypass of the early stage of the p53 apoptotic pathway. Apoptotic changes in chromatin structure induced by γ-irradiation indicate that these injury-specific changes can be identified and distinguished from chromatin changes induced by UV radiation or heavy metals.     

DNA damage in mouse lymphocytes exposed to curcumin and copper

Dietary polyphenolics, such as curcumin, have shown antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Some antioxidants cause DNA strand breaks in excess of transition metal ions, such as copper. The aim of this study was to evaluate thein vitro effect of curcumin in the presence of increasing concentrations of copper to induce DNA damage in murine leukocytes by the comet assay. Balb-C mouse lymphocytes were exposed to 50 μM curcumin and various concentrations of copper (10 μM, 100 μM and 200 μM). Cellular DNA damage was detected by means of the alkaline comet assay. Our results show that 50 μM curcumin in the presence of 100–200 μM copper induced DNA damage in murine lymphocytes. Curcumin did not inhibit the oxidative DNA damage caused by 50 μM H₂O₂ in mouse lymphocytes. Moreover, 50 μM curcumin alone was capable of inducing DNA strand breaks under the tested conditions. The increased DNA damage by 50 μM curcumin was observed in the presence of various concentrations of copper, as detected by the alkaline comet assay.     

A requirement for PARP-1 for the assembly or stability of XRCC1 nuclear foci at sites of oxidative DNA damage

The molecular role of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 in DNA repair is unclear. Here, we show that the single-strand break repair protein XRCC1 is rapidly assembled into discrete nuclear foci after oxidative DNA damage at sites of poly (ADP-ribose) synthesis. Poly (ADP-ribose) synthesis peaks during a 10 min treatment with H₂O₂ and the appearance of XRCC1 foci peaks shortly afterwards. Both sites of poly (ADP-ribose) and XRCC1 foci decrease to background levels during subsequent incubation in drug-free medium, consistent with the rapidity of the single-strand break repair process. The formation of XRCC1 foci at sites of poly (ADP-ribose) was greatly reduced by mutation of the XRCC1 BRCT I domain that physically interacts with PARP-1. Moreover, we failed to detect XRCC1 foci in Adprt1^–/– MEFs after treatment with H₂O₂. These data demonstrate that PARP-1 is required for the assembly or stability of XRCC1 nuclear foci after oxidative DNA damage and suggest that the formation of these foci is mediated via interaction with poly (ADP-ribose). These results support a model in which the rapid activation of PARP-1 at sites of DNA strand breakage facilitates DNA repair by recruiting the molecular scaffold protein, XRCC1.     

Regulation of a novel cell differentiation-associated gene,JWA during oxidative damage in K562 and MCF-7 cells

Oxidative stress, or the production of oxygen-centered free radicals, has been hypothesized as the major source of DNA damage that can lead to a variety of diseases including cancer. It is known that 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) is a useful biomarker of oxidative DNA damage. Our recent data showed that JWA, initially being cloned as a novel cell differentiation-associated gene, was also actively responsive to environmental stressors, such as heat-shock, oxidative stress and so on. In the present study, we have applied a modified comet assay and bacterial repair endonucleases system (endonuclease III and formamidopyrimidine glycosylase) to investigate if JWA is involved in hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced DNA damage and repair in K562 and MCF-7 cells, and to demonstrate if the damage is associated with 8-oxo-dG. The results from the comet assay have shown that the average tail length and the percentage of the cells with DNA tails are greatly induced by H₂O₂ treatment and further significantly enhanced by the post-treatment of repair endonucleases. The H₂O₂-induced 8-oxo-dG formation in K562 and MCF-7 cells is dose-dependent. In addition, the data have clearly demonstrated that JWA gene expression is actively induced by H₂O₂ treatment in K562 and MCF-7 cells. The results suggest that JWA can be regulated by oxidative stress and is actively involved in the signal pathways of oxidative stress in the cells.