Zinc sulfate in the prevention of total-body irradiation-induced early hematopoietic toxicity

Exposure to ionizing total-body radiation suppresses hematopoiesis, resulting in decreased production of blood cells. Many researchers have demonstrated the critical role of zinc (Zn) in diverse physiological processes, such as growth and development, maintenance and priming of the immune system, and tissue repair. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of zinc sulfate (40 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg) on early hematopoietic toxicity, caused by total-body irradiation (TBI) of rats with a single dose of 8 Gy. Both in the Zn 40 and in the Zn 80 groups, there were significantly increased white blood cell (WBC) count, when compared with control group. The WBC count was higher in the control group than in the TBI group. This result was statistically significant (p<0.05). Both the TBI+Zn 40 and the TBI+Zn 80 groups had a significantly protected WBC count against TBI. No difference was detected in any final measurement of thrombocyte count and hemoglobin level with direct comparison among all groups, with the exception that the hemoglobin level in the Zn 80 group compared to the control group. Whereas hemoglobin level in the control group was at a median figure of 13.98 g/dL (13.30–14.80), it was at a median figure of 14.25 g/dL (14.10–15.50) in the Zn 80 group. It would be worth while studying the effect of oral zinc sulfate supplements in radiation-treated cancer patients, in the hope of reducing radiation-induced toxicity.     

Chemical Blocking of Zinc Ions in CNS Increases Neuronal Damage Following Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in Mice

Background

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of disability and death among young people. Although much is already known about secondary brain damage the full range of brain tissue responses to TBI remains to be elucidated. A population of neurons located in cerebral areas associated with higher cognitive functions harbours a vesicular zinc pool co-localized with glutamate. This zinc enriched pool of synaptic vesicles has been hypothesized to take part in the injurious signalling cascade that follows pathological conditions such as seizures, ischemia and traumatic brain injury. Pathological release of excess zinc ions from pre-synaptic vesicles has been suggested to mediate cell damage/death to postsynaptic neurons.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In order to substantiate the influence of vesicular zinc ions on TBI, we designed a study in which damage and zinc movements were analysed in several different ways. Twenty-four hours after TBI ZnT3-KO mice (mice without vesicular zinc) were compared to littermate Wild Type (WT) mice (mice with vesicular zinc) with regard to histopathology. Furthermore, in order to evaluate a possible neuro-protective dimension of chemical blocking of vesicular zinc, we treated lesioned mice with either DEDTC or selenite. Our study revealed that chemical blocking of vesicular zinc ions, either by chelation with DEDTC or accumulation in zinc-selenium nanocrystals, worsened the effects on the aftermath of TBI in the WT mice by increasing the number of necrotic and apoptotic cells within the first 24 hours after TBI, when compared to those of chemically untreated WT mice.

Conclusion/Significance

ZnT3-KO mice revealed more damage after TBI compared to WT controls. Following treatment with DEDTC or selenium an increase in the number of both dead and apoptotic cells were seen in the controls within the first 24 hours after TBI while the degree of damage in the ZnT3-KO mice remained largely unchanged. Further analyses revealed that the damage development in the two mouse strains was almost identical after either zinc chelation or zinc complexion therapy.     

Protection against cisplatin toxicity by administration of glutathione ester

The role of cellular glutathione in the prevention of toxicity due to the anti-cancer drug cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum) was explored in mice treated with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a selective inhibitor of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (and therefore of glutathione synthesis), and with glutathione and glutathione monoisopropyl ester. Pretreatment of mice with BSO enhanced the lethal toxicity of cisplatin by about twofold. Administration of glutathione ester (dose, 2.5-7.5 mmol/kg) protected against lethal cisplatin toxicity; glutathione was also effective, but much less so. Glutathione ester, in contrast to glutathione, is effectively transported into cells and split to glutathione intracellularly. The previous findings that administered glutathione does not protect against lethal toxicity due to cadmium ions and mercuric ions, whereas glutathione ester does, suggest that intracellular glutathione is required for protection against these heavy metal ions. That administration of glutathione has a protective effect on cisplatin toxicity suggests that the toxic effects of cisplatin may be exerted both intracellularly and extracellularly, and that extracellular glutathione (or its degradation products) may form a complex with cisplatin extracellularly. The finding that glutathione ester is more effective than glutathione in protecting against the toxicity of cisplatin suggests that use of glutathione ester may be therapeutically advantageous.     

CBLB613: a TLR 2/6 agonist, natural lipopeptide of Mycoplasma arginini , as a novel radiation countermeasure

To date, there are no safe and effective drugs available for protection against ionizing radiation damage. Therefore, a great need exists to identify and develop non-toxic agents that will be useful as radioprotectors or postirradiation therapies under a variety of operational scenarios. We have developed a new pharmacological agent, CBLB613 (a naturally occurring Mycoplasma-derived lipopeptide ligand for Toll-like receptor 2/6), as a novel radiation countermeasure. Using CD2F1 mice, we investigated CBLB613 for toxicity, immunogenicity, radioprotection, radiomitigation and pharmacokinetics. We also evaluated CBLB613 for its effects on cytokine induction and radiation-induced cytopenia in unirradiated and irradiated mice. The no-observable-adverse-effect level of CBLB613 was 1.79 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg for single and repeated doses, respectively. CBLB613 significantly protected mice against a lethal dose of (60)Co γ radiation. The dose reduction factor of CBLB613 as a radioprotector was 1.25. CBLB613 also mitigated the effects of (60)Co γ radiation on survival in mice. In both irradiated and unirradiated mice, the drug stimulated induction of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, keratinocyte-derived chemokine, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and tumor necrosis factor-1α. CBLB613 also reduced radiation-induced cytopenia and increased bone marrow cellularity in irradiated mice. Our immunogenicity study demonstrated that CBLB613 is not immunogenic in mice, indicating that it could be developed as a radioprotector and radiomitigator for humans against the potentially lethal effects of radiation exposure.     

Metal ions in biological catalysis: from enzyme databases to general principles

We analysed the roles and distribution of metal ions in enzymatic catalysis using available public databases and our new resource Metal-MACiE (). In Metal-MACiE, a database of metal-based reaction mechanisms, 116 entries covering 21% of the metal-dependent enzymes and 70% of the types of enzyme-catalysed chemical transformations are annotated according to metal function. We used Metal-MACiE to assess the functions performed by metals in biological catalysis and the relative frequencies of different metals in different roles, which can be related to their individual chemical properties and availability in the environment. The overall picture emerging from the overview of Metal-MACiE is that redox-inert metal ions are used in enzymes to stabilize negative charges and to activate substrates by virtue of their Lewis acid properties, whereas redox-active metal ions can be used both as Lewis acids and as redox centres. Magnesium and zinc are by far the most common ions of the first type, while calcium is relatively less used. Magnesium, however, is most often bound to phosphate groups of substrates and interacts with the enzyme only transiently, whereas the other metals are stably bound to the enzyme. The most common metal of the second type is iron, which is prevalent in the catalysis of redox reactions, followed by manganese, cobalt, molybdenum, copper and nickel. The control of the reactivity of redox-active metal ions may involve their association with organic cofactors to form stable units. This occurs sometimes for iron and nickel, and quite often for cobalt and molybdenum. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Dietary Pectin Increases Intestinal Crypt Stem Cell Survival following Radiation Injury

Gastrointestinal (GI) mucosal damage is a devastating adverse effect of radiation therapy. We have recently reported that expression of Dclk1, a Tuft cell and tumor stem cell (TSC) marker, 24h after high dose total-body gamma-IR (TBI) can be used as a surrogate marker for crypt survival. Dietary pectin has been demonstrated to possess chemopreventive properties, whereas its radioprotective property has not been studied. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dietary pectin on ionizing radiation (IR)-induced intestinal stem cell (ISC) deletion, crypt and overall survival following lethal TBI. C57BL/6 mice received a 6% pectin diet and 0.5% pectin drinking water (pre-IR mice received pectin one week before TBI until death; post-IR mice received pectin after TBI until death). Animals were exposed to TBI (14 Gy) and euthanized at 24 and 84h post-IR to assess ISC deletion and crypt survival respectively. Animals were also subjected to overall survival studies following TBI. In pre-IR treatment group, we observed a three-fold increase in ISC/crypt survival, a two-fold increase in Dclk1+ stem cells, increased overall survival (median 10d vs. 7d), and increased expression of Dclk1, Msi1, Lgr5, Bmi1, and Notch1 (in small intestine) post-TBI in pectin treated mice compared to controls. We also observed increased survival of mice treated with pectin (post-IR) compared to controls. Dietary pectin is a radioprotective agent; prevents IR-induced deletion of potential reserve ISCs; facilitates crypt regeneration; and ultimately promotes overall survival. Given the anti-cancer activity of pectin, our data support a potential role for dietary pectin as an agent that can be administered to patients receiving radiation therapy to protect against radiation-induces mucositis.     

Coniferyl Aldehyde Attenuates Radiation Enteropathy by Inhibiting Cell Death and Promoting Endothelial Cell Function

Radiation enteropathy is a common complication in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate whether radiation-induced intestinal injury could be alleviated by coniferyl aldehyde (CA), an HSF1-inducing agent that increases cellular HSP70 expression. We systemically administered CA to mice with radiation enteropathy following abdominal irradiation (IR) to demonstrate the protective effects of CA against radiation-induced gastrointestinal injury. CA clearly alleviated acute radiation-induced intestinal damage, as reflected by the histopathological data and it also attenuated sub-acute enteritis. CA prevented intestinal crypt cell death and protected the microvasculature in the lamina propria during the acute and sub-acute phases of damage. CA induced HSF1 and HSP70 expression in both intestinal epithelial cells and endothelial cells in vitro. Additionally, CA protected against not only the apoptotic cell death of both endothelial and epithelial cells but also the loss of endothelial cell function following IR, indicating that CA has beneficial effects on the intestine. Our results provide novel insight into the effects of CA and suggest its role as a therapeutic candidate for radiation-induced enteropathy due to its ability to promote rapid re-proliferation of the intestinal epithelium by the synergic effects of the inhibition of cell death and the promotion of endothelial cell function.     

Histone deacetylase inhibitors protect against and mitigate the lethality of total-body irradiation in mice

It was hypothesized that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors may increase survival after total-body irradiation (TBI) based on previous reports demonstrating that HDAC inhibitors stimulate the proliferation of bone marrow stem cells. Using the time for mice to lose 20% or more of their weight as the end point, two HDAC inhibitors, valproic acid and trichostatin-A, were found to reduce lethality in a dose-dependent manner. HDAC inhibitors were effective at reducing lethality when given either 24 h before or 1 h after TBI. The results indicate that HDAC inhibitors have potential for protecting against and mitigating radiation-induced lethality.     

Effect of metallothionein on cell viability and its interactions with cadmium and zinc in HEK293 cells

Metallothioneins (MTs) are thought to participate in a wide variety of physiological roles, but the mechanisms involved are still unclear. The study was designed to examine the possible factors related to these mechanisms. Methods, including transfection, MTT assay and flow cytometry, were used to investigate the effect of MTs on cell viability and their interactions with cadmium and zinc in HEK293 cells. The results showed that transient overexpression of human MT1A, MT2 and MT3 genes dynamically affected cell viability, and the effect was influenced by zinc and cadmium ions. Overexpressed MTs with added zinc showed a greater inhibitory effect on cell viability. Overexpressed MTs protected cells against low concentrations of cadmium ions (10 microM), but increased cell death in response to high concentrations (20-50 microM). Out of the three MTs, MT1A was more efficient than MT2 and MT3 in its resistance to cadmium (10 microM), and MT3 together with zinc showed more cell growth inhibition than MT1 and MT2. These results indicate that both of the divalent metal ions that could bind MTs, as well as the individual MT isoforms, affect the role of MTs on cell viability, which may explain in part why the comprehensive effect of MTs on the cells was elusive.     

重组人血小板生成素早期干预救治重症急性放射病猴的实验研究

重组人血小板生成素（rhTPO）是一种能促进巨核系祖细胞增殖、分化生成血小板的造血因子,研究表明它能促进射线照射小鼠造血功能恢复,前期工作证明rhTPO早期干预可显著提高致死剂量照射小鼠的活存率.本文以7.0Gy照射恒河猴为重度骨髓型急性放射病（ARS）模型,研究了rhTPO早期干预对重症ARS的治疗作用,并与WR2721和＂500＂的辐射防护作用进行了比较,结果发现rhTPO早期干预可明显促进ARS猴造血功能恢复,改善ARS猴症状,简化对症治疗措施,提高重度骨髓型ARS猴活存率,其对重度骨髓型ARS的防治作用优于现有的辐射防护药WR2721和＂500＂,有望开发成安全有效的新型辐射防治药物.     

The zinc/thiolate redox biochemistry of metallothionein and the control of zinc ion fluctuations in cell signaling

Free zinc ions are potent effectors of proteins. Their tightly controlled fluctuations ("zinc signals") in the picomolar range of concentrations modulate cellular signaling pathways. Sulfur (cysteine) donors generate redox-active coordination environments in proteins for the redox-inert zinc ion and make it possible for redox signals to induce zinc signals. Amplitudes of zinc signals are determined by the cellular zinc buffering capacity, which itself is redox-sensitive. In part by interfering with zinc and redox buffering, reactive species, drugs, toxins, and metal ions can elicit zinc signals that initiate physiological and pathobiochemical changes or lead to cellular injury when free zinc ions are sustained at higher concentrations. These interactions establish redox-inert zinc as an important factor in redox signaling. At the center of zinc/redox signaling are the zinc/thiolate clusters of metallothionein. They can transduce zinc and redox signals and thereby attenuate or amplify these signals.     

Standard Sub-Thermoneutral Caging Temperature Influences Radiosensitivity of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells

The production of new blood cells relies on a hierarchical network of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). To maintain lifelong hematopoiesis, HSPCs must be protected from ionizing radiation or other cytotoxic agents. For many years, murine models have been a valuable source of information regarding factors that either enhance or reduce the survival of HSPCs after exposure of marrow to ionizing radiation. In a recent series of studies, however, it has become clear that housing-related factors such as the cool room temperature required for laboratory mice can exert a surprising influence on the outcome of experiments. Here we report that the mild, but chronic cold-stress endured by mice housed under these conditions exerts a protective effect on HSPCs after both non-lethal and lethal doses of total body irradiation (TBI). Alleviation of this cold-stress by housing mice at a thermoneutral temperature (30°C) resulted in significantly greater baseline radiosensitivity to a lethal dose of TBI with more HSPCs from mice housed at thermoneutral temperature undergoing apoptosis following non-lethal TBI. Cold-stressed mice have elevated levels of norepinephrine, a key molecule of the sympathetic nervous system that binds to β-adrenergic receptors. We show that blocking this signaling pathway in vivo through use of the β-blocker propanolol completely mitigates the protective effect of cold-stress on HSPC apoptosis. Collectively this study demonstrates that chronic stress endured by the standard housing conditions of laboratory mice increases the resistance of HSPCs to TBI-induced apoptosis through a mechanism that depends upon β-adrenergic signaling. Since β-blockers are commonly prescribed to a wide variety of patients, this information could be important when predicting the clinical impact of HSPC sensitivity to TBI.     

Toxicity and mutual interactions of cadmium and zinc ions in normal and carcinogen-transformed mouse cells

The toxicity of chloride salts of physiological (zinc, manganese, nickel) and non physiological (cadmium) bivalent metal ions was studied in normal or carcinogen-transformed mouse embryo fibroblast cells. The dose response curves for toxicity to both types of cells exhibited similar shapes. The transformed cells, however, were about twice as sensitive to zinc toxicity as normal cells. When normal and transformed cells were grown together and incubated for several hours with an appropriate concentration of zinc, the malignant cells were selectively killed. Cadmium was much more toxic than the three other metal ions in both types of cells. Its toxic effect was reversed by simultaneous addition of zinc at nontoxic concentrations.Abbrevications CFA colony forming ability - MCA 3-methylcholanthrene     

Kojic acid and its manganese and zinc complexes as potential radioprotective agents

The naturally occurring fungal metabolite kojic acid and its manganese and zinc complexes have been evaluated as potential radioprotectors in mice. Their toxicity and radioprotective activity (survival rate) have been determined and compared with that of WR-2721 (amifostine). The results of in vivo radioprotection showed that these compounds exhibited significant radioprotective effects against lethal dose of gamma-irradiation in mice.     

Pentoxifylline enhances the radioprotective properties of γ-tocotrienol: differential effects on the hematopoietic, gastrointestinal and vascular systems

The vitamin E analog γ-tocotrienol (GT3) is a potent radioprotector and mitigator. This study was performed to (a) determine whether the efficacy of GT3 can be enhanced by the addition of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor pentoxifylline (PTX) and (b) to obtain information about the mechanism of action. Mice were injected subcutaneously with vehicle, GT3 [400 mg/kg 24 h before total-body irradiation (TBI)], PTX (200 mg/kg 30 min before TBI), or GT3+PTX before being exposed to 8.5-13 Gy TBI. Overall lethality, survival time and intestinal, hematopoietic and vascular injury were assessed. Cytokine levels in the bone marrow microenvironment were measured, and the requirement for endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) was studied in eNOS-deficient mice. GT3+PTX significantly improved survival compared to GT3 alone and provided full protection against lethality even after exposure to 12.5 Gy. GT3+PTX improved bone marrow CFUs, spleen colony counts and platelet recovery compared to GT3 alone. GT3 and GT3+PTX increased bone marrow plasma G-CSF levels as well as the availability of IL-1α, IL-6 and IL-9 in the early postirradiation phase. GT3 and GT3+PTX were equally effective in ameliorating intestinal injury and vascular peroxynitrite production. Survival studies in eNOS-deficient mice and appropriate controls revealed that eNOS was not required for protection against lethality after TBI. Combined treatment with GT3 and PTX increased postirradiation survival over that with GT3 alone by a mechanism that may depend on induction of hematopoietic stimuli. GT3+PTX did not reduce GI toxicity or vascular oxidative stress compared to GT3 alone. The radioprotective effect of either drug alone or both drugs in combination does not require the presence of eNOS.     

Protection against radiation-induced bone marrow and intestinal injuries by Cordyceps sinensis, a Chinese herbal medicine

Bone marrow and intestinal damage limits the efficacy of radiotherapy for cancer and can result in death if the whole body is exposed to too high a dose, as might be the case in a nuclear accident or terrorist incident. Identification of an effective nontoxic biological radioprotector is therefore a matter of some urgency. In this study, we show that an orally administered hot-water extract from a Chinese herbal medicine, Cordyceps sinensis (CS), protects mice from bone marrow and intestinal injuries after total-body irradiation (TBI). CS increased the median time to death from 13 to 20 days after 8 Gy TBI and from 9 to 18 days after 10 Gy TBI. Although CS-treated mice receiving 10 Gy TBI survived intestinal injury, most died from bone marrow failure, as shown by severe marrow hypoplasia in mice dying between 18 and 24 days. At lower TBI doses of 5.5 and 6.5 Gy, CS protected against bone marrow death, an effect that was confirmed by the finding that white blood cell counts recovered more rapidly. In vitro, CS reduced the levels of free radical species (ROS) within cells, and this is one likely mechanism for the radioprotective effects of CS, although probably not the only one.     

Inhibition of cellulase-catalyzed lignocellulosic hydrolysis by iron and oxidative metal ions and complexes

Enzymatic lignocellulose hydrolysis plays a key role in microbially driven carbon cycling and energy conversion and holds promise for bio-based energy and chemical industries. Cellulases (key lignocellulose-active enzymes) are prone to interference from various noncellulosic substances (e.g., metal ions). During natural cellulolysis, these substances may arise from other microbial activities or abiotic events, and during industrial cellulolysis, they may be derived from biomass feedstocks or upstream treatments. Knowledge about cellulolysis-inhibiting reactions is of importance for the microbiology of natural biomass degradation and the development of biomass conversion technology. Different metal ions, including those native to microbial activity or employed for biomass pretreatments, are often tested for enzymatic cellulolysis. Only a few metal ions act as inhibitors of cellulases, which include ferrous and ferric ions as well as cupric ion. In this study, we showed inhibition by ferrous/ferric ions as part of a more general effect from oxidative (or redox-active) metal ions and their complexes. The correlation between inhibition and oxidation potential indicated the oxidative nature of the inhibition, and the dependence on air established the catalytic role that iron ions played in mediating the dioxygen inhibition of cellulolysis. Individual cellulases showed different susceptibilities to inhibition. It is likely that the inhibition exerted its effect more on cellulose than on cellulase. Strong iron ion chelators and polyethylene glycols could mitigate the inhibition. Potential microbiological and industrial implications of the observed effect of redox-active metal ions on enzymatic cellulolysis, as well as the prevention and mitigation of this effect in industrial biomass conversion, are discussed.     

Live attenuated Salmonella carrying platelet factor 4 cDNAs as radioprotectors

To determine whether live attenuated Salmonella carrying platelet factor 4 cDNAs can protect mice from radiation damage, the attenuated Salmonella SL3261 was used as oral vector for targeted gene delivery. The recovery of mice receiving sublethal total-body irradiation (TBI) was investigated after the oral administration of attenuated Salmonella carrying cDNA for platelet factor 4 (PF4) or truncated PF4. This oral gene therapy protected mice from radiation damage after TBI. The number of bone marrow cells and high proliferative potential colony-forming cells (HPP-CFCs) increased significantly at day 7. Similarly, the administration of PF4 or PF4(17-70) protein also improved the survival of mice after TBI. Both PF4 gene therapy and protein administration accelerated hematopoietic recovery in vivo in mice after irradiation. In vitro, PF4 also promoted survival and proliferation of 5-fluorouracil-resistant hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells after irradiation. These data demonstrate a novel biological function of PF4 as a protector against radiation injury and suggest that attenuated Salmonella could be used in vivo as a PF4 DNA delivery vector in the management of radiation injury.