Effect of N-acetylcysteine and deferoxamine on endogenous antioxidant defense system gene expression in a rat hepatocyte model of cocaine cytotoxicity

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta 2000-04, Vol.1496 (2), p.183-195
• Main Authors: Zaragoza, Asunción, Dı́ez-Fernández, Carmen, Alvarez, Alberto M., Andrés, David, Cascales, Marı́a
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetylcysteine - pharmacology; Animals; Antioxidant enzyme expression; Antioxidants - metabolism; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Apoptosis/necrosis; Catalase - genetics; Catalase - metabolism; Cells, Cultured; Cocaine - toxicity; Cocaine cytotoxicity; Deferoxamine - pharmacology; Diploidy; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Flow Cytometry; Gene Expression Regulation; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic - drug effects; Glutathione Peroxidase - genetics; Glutathione Peroxidase - metabolism; Hydrogen Peroxide - analysis; Liver - drug effects; Liver - enzymology; Liver - metabolism; Male; Oxidative stress; Peroxide; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - analysis; Superoxide Dismutase - genetics; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism
• ISSN: 0167-4889; 0006-3002; 1879-2596
• DOI: 10.1016/S0167-4889(00)00036-7

In the present study we investigated on cultures of hepatocytes from phenobarbital-pretreated rats, the effect of the antioxidants, 0.5 mM N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or 1.5 mM deferoxamine (DFO), previously incubated for 24 h and coincubated with cocaine (0–1000 μM) for another 24 h. Cocaine cytotoxicity was monitored by either the lysis of the cell membranes or apoptosis. Lysis of the cell membranes was evidenced by lactate dehydrogenase leakage, apoptosis was observed by detecting a hypodiploid peak (