Zinc toxicity in various lung cell lines is mediated by glutathione and GSSG reductase activity

In a previous work, it was shown that in cells after a decrease of cellular glutathione content, toxic zinc effects, such as protein synthesis inhibition or GSSG (glutathione, oxidized form) increases, were enhanced. In this study, zinc toxicity was determined by detection of methionine incorporation as a parameter of protein synthesis and GSSG increase in various lung cell lines (A549, L2, 11Lu, 16Lu), dependent on enhanced GSSG reductase activities and changed glutathione contents. After pretreatment of cells with dl-buthionine-[R,S]-sulfoximine (BSO) for 72 h, cellular glutathione contents were decreased to 15–40% and GSSG reductase activity was increased to 120–135% in a concentration-dependent manner. In BSO pretreated cells, the IC₅₀ values of zinc for methionine incorporation inhibition were unchanged as compared to cells not pretreated. The GSSG increase in BSO pretreated cells by zinc was enhanced in L2, 11Lu, and 16Lu cells, whereas in A549 cells, the GSSG increase by zinc was enhanced only after pretreatment with the highest BSO concentration. Inhibition of GSSG reductase in alveolar epithelial cells was observed at lower zinc concentrations than needed for methionine incorporation inhibition, whereas in fibroblastlike cells, inhibition of GSSG reductase occurred at markedly higher zinc concentrations as compared to methionine incorporation inhibition. These results demonstrate that GSSG reductase is an important factor in cellular zinc susceptibility. We conclude that reduction of GSSG is reduced in zinc-exposed cells. Therefore, protection of GSH oxidation by various antioxidants as well as enhancement of GSH content are expected to be mechanisms of diminishing toxic cellular effects after exposure to zinc.