Thursday, January 17, 2008

GLUTATHIONE REDOX STATUS IN THE HUMAN CELL LINE

GLUTATHIONE REDOX STATUS IN THE HUMAN CELL LINE, A549, FOLLOWING INTRACELLULAR GLUTATHIONE DEPLETION AND EXTRACELLULAR GLUTATHIONE ADDITION
Pendergrass J. A.; Srinivasan J. V.; Clark E. P.; Kumar K. S.

The redox status of Glutathione (L-gamma-glutamyl-L-cysteinylglycine, GSH) plays an im portant role in a number of different cellular reactions including cellular oxidative stress.

Using A549 human sm all cell lung carcinoma fibroblasts, we investigated the role of exogenous GSH on the intracellular GSH/Glutathione disulfide (oxidized Glutathione, GSSG) redox ratio in GSH-depleted cells by treating with L-buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO).

GSH levels decreased after BSO treatment. Although BSO is a well-recognized inhibitor of GSH biosynthesis and has no known effect on GSSG reductase, surprisingly, the levels of GSSG also decreased. Incubation of control or GSH-depleted cells with exogenous GSH did not alter intracellular GSH or GSSG levels to any significant extent.

Therefore, the ratio of GSH/GSSG also was not altered significantly either in the controls or the BSO-treated cells. It appears that there m ay be cellular hom eostatic mechanisms that would maintain a constant GSH/GSSG ratio, irrespective of the changes in intracellular GSH concentration.

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