Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Effect of hypoxic cell radiosensitizers on glutathione level and related enzyme activities in isolated rat hepatocytes

Journal Article · · Life Sci.; (United States)

A comparative study of the effect of misonidazole and novel radiosensitizers on glutathione (GSH) levels and related enzyme activities in isolated rat hepatocytes was performed. Incubation of hepatocytes with 5 mM radiosensitizers led to a decrease in the intracellular GSH level. The most pronounced decrease in cellular GSH was evoked by 2,4-dinitromidazole-1-ethanol (DNIE); after incubation for only 15 min, GSH was hardly detected. DNIE-mediated GSH loss was dependent upon its concentration. DNIE reacted with GSH nonenzymatically as well as with diethylmaleate, while misonidazole and 1-methyl-2-methyl-sulfinyl-5-methoxycarbonylimidazole (KIH-3) did not. Addition of partially purified glutathione S-transferase (GST) did not enhance DNIE-mediated GSH loss in a cell-free system. DNIE inhibited glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), GST, and glutathione reductase (GSSG-R) activities in hepatocytes, while misonidazole and KIH-3 did not. GSH-Px activity assayed with H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ as substrate was the most inhibited. Inhibition of GSH-Px activity assayed with cumene hydroperoxide as substrate and GST was less than that of GSH-Px assayed with H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ as substrate. GSSG-R activity was decreased by DNIE, but not significantly. Incubation of purified GSH-Px with DNIE resulted in a little change in the activity when assayed with H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ as substrate. 26 references, 2 figures, 4 tables.

Research Organization:
Chiba Univ., Japan
OSTI ID:
5438715
Journal Information:
Life Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: Life Sci.; (United States) Vol. 37:7; ISSN LIFSA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English