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This brief review explores the role of intracellular K+ during the transition of cells from quiescence to proliferation and the induction of apoptosis. We focus on the relationship between intracellular K+ and the growth and proliferation rates of different cells, including transformed cells in culture as well as human quiescent T cells and mesenchymal stem cells, and analyze the concomitant changes in K+ and water content in both proliferating and apoptotic cells. Evidence is discussed indicating that during the initiation of cell proliferation and apoptosis changes in the K+ content in cells occur in parallel with changes in water content and therefore do not lead to significant changes in the intracellular K+ concentration. We conclude that K+, as a dominant intracellular ion, is involved in the regulation of cell volume during the transit from quiescence, and the content of K+ and water in dividing cells is higher than in quiescent or differentiated cells, which can be considered to be a hallmark of cell proliferation and transformation.
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Apoptosis , Potasio , Humanos , División Celular , Proliferación Celular , AguaRESUMEN
Recently, we have developed software that allows, using a minimum of required experimental data, to find the characteristics of ion homeostasis and a list of all unidirectional fluxes of monovalent ions through the main pathways in the cell membrane both in a balanced state and during the transient processes. Our approach has been successfully validated in human proliferating lymphoid U937 cells during transient processes after stopping the Na/K pump by ouabain and for staurosporine-induced apoptosis. In present study, we used this approach to find the characteristics of ion homeostasis and the monovalent ion fluxes through the cell membrane of human erythrocytes in a resting state and during the transient processes after stopping the Na/K pump with ouabain and in response to osmotic challenge. Due to their physiological significance, erythrocytes remain the object of numerous studies, both experimental and computational methods. Calculations showed that, under physiological conditions, the K+ fluxes through electrodiffusion channels in the entire erythrocyte ion balance is small compared to the fluxes through the Na/K pump and cation-chloride cotransporters. The proposed computer program well predicts the dynamics of the erythrocyte ion balance disorders after stopping the Na/K pump with ouabain. In full accordance with predictions, transient processes in human erythrocytes are much slower than in proliferating cells such as lymphoid U937 cells. Comparison of real changes in the distribution of monovalent ions under osmotic challenge with the calculated ones indicates a change in the parameters of the ion transport pathways through the plasma membrane of erythrocytes in this case. The proposed approach may be useful in studying the mechanisms of various erythrocyte dysfunctions.
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Ouabaína , ATPasa Intercambiadora de Sodio-Potasio , Humanos , ATPasa Intercambiadora de Sodio-Potasio/metabolismo , Células U937 , Ouabaína/farmacología , Ouabaína/metabolismo , Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Transporte Iónico , Sodio/metabolismo , Eritrocitos/metabolismo , Cloruros/metabolismo , Potasio/metabolismoRESUMEN
Cation-coupled chloride cotransporters play a key role in generating the Cl- electrochemical gradient on the cell membrane, which is important for regulation of many cellular processes. However, a quantitative analysis of the interplay between numerous membrane transporters and channels in maintaining cell ionic homeostasis is still undeveloped. Here, we demonstrate a recently developed approach on how to predict cell ionic homeostasis dynamics when stopping the sodium pump in human lymphoid cells U937. The results demonstrate the reliability of the approach and provide the first quantitative description of unidirectional monovalent ion fluxes through the plasma membrane of an animal cell, considering all the main types of cation-coupled chloride cotransporters operating in a system with the sodium pump and electroconductive K+, Na+, and Cl- channels. The same approach was used to study ionic and water balance changes associated with regulatory volume decrease (RVD), a well-known cellular response underlying the adaptation of animal cells to a hypoosmolar environment. A computational analysis of cell as an electrochemical system demonstrates that RVD may happen without any changes in the properties of membrane transporters and channels due to time-dependent changes in electrochemical ion gradients. The proposed approach is applicable when studying truly active regulatory processes mediated by the intracellular signaling network. The developed software can be useful for calculation of the balance of the unidirectional fluxes of monovalent ions across the cell membrane of various cells under various conditions.
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Studying the transport of monovalent ions across the cell membrane in living cells is complicated by the strong interdependence of fluxes through parallel pathways and requires therefore computational analysis of the entire electrochemical system of the cell. Current paper shows how to calculate changes in the cell water balance and ion fluxes caused by changes in the membrane channels and transporters during a normal regulatory increase in cell volume in response to osmotic cell shrinkage (RVI) followed by a decrease in cell volume associated with apoptosis (AVD). Our recently developed software is used as a computational analysis tool and the established human lymphoid cells U937 are taken as an example of proliferating animal cells. It is found that, in contrast to countless statements in the literature that cell volume restoration requires the activation of certain ion channels and transporters, the cellular responses such as RVI and AVD can occur in an electrochemical system like U937 cells without any changes in the state of membrane channels or transporters. These responses depend on the types of chloride cotransporters in the membrane and differ in a hyperosmolar medium with additional sucrose and in a medium with additional NaCl. This finding is essential for the identification of the true changes in membrane channels and transporters responsible for RVI and AVD in living cells. It is determined which changes in membrane parameters predicted by computational analysis are consistent with experimental data obtained on living human lymphoid cells U937, Jurkat, and K562 and which are not. An essential part of the results is the developed software that allows researchers without programming experience to calculate the fluxes of monovalent ions via the main transmembrane pathways and electrochemical gradients that move ions across the membrane. The software is available for download. It is useful for studying the functional expression of the channels and transporters in living cells and understanding how the cell electrochemical system works.
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Fluxes of monovalent ions through the multiple pathways of the plasma membrane are highly interdependent, and their assessment by direct measurement is difficult or even impossible. Computation of the entire flux balance helps to identify partial flows and study the functional expression of individual transporters. Our previous computation of unidirectional fluxes in real cells ignored the ubiquitous cotransporters NKCC and KCC. Here, we present an analysis of the entire balance of unidirectional Na+, K+, and Cl- fluxes through the plasma membrane in human lymphoid U937 cells, taking into account not only the Na/K pump and electroconductive channels but all major types of cotransporters NC, NKCC, and KCC. Our calculations use flux equations based on the fundamental principles of macroscopic electroneutrality of the system, water balance, and the generally accepted thermodynamic dependence of ion fluxes on the driving force, and they do not depend on hypotheses about the molecular structure of the channel and transporters. A complete list of the major inward and outward Na+, K+, and Cl- fluxes is obtained for human lymphoid U937 cells at rest and during changes in the ion and water balance for the first 4 h of staurosporine-induced apoptosis. It is shown how the problem of the inevitable multiplicity of solutions to the flux equations, which arises with an increase in the number of ion pathways, can be solved in real cases by analyzing the ratio of ouabain-sensitive and ouabain-resistant parts of K+ (Rb+) influx (OSOR) and using additional experimental data on the effects of specific inhibitors. It is found that dynamics of changes in the membrane channels and transporters underlying apoptotic changes in the content of ions and water in cells, calculated without taking into account the KCC and NKCC cotransporters, differs only in details from that calculated for cells with KCC and NKCC. The developed approach to the assessment of unidirectional fluxes may be useful for understanding functional expression of ion channels and transporters in other cells under various conditions. Attached software allows reproduction of all calculated data under presented conditions and to study the effects of the condition variation.
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BACKGROUND/AIMS: Sodium is a key player in the fundamental cell functions. Fluorescent probes are indispensable tools for monitoring intracellular sodium levels in single living cells. Since the fluorescence of sodium-sensitive dyes in cells is significantly different from that in an aqueous solution, the fluorescence signal is calibrated in situ indirectly using ionophores for equalizing external and intracellular ion concentration. Attempts to compare data obtained using fluorescent probes and by direct flame emission analysis are sparse and results are inaccurate. METHODS: We determined the intracellular sodium concentration in U937 cells by flow cytometry using the Na+-sensitive probe Asante Natrium Green-2 (ANG), and by standard flame emission photometry combined with the cellular water determination by cell density in Percoll gradient. The intracellular Na+ concentrations was modified using known ionophores or, alternatively, by blocking the sodium pump with ouabain or by causing cell apoptosis with staurosporine. RESULTS: It is revealed that both methods are comparable when intracellular sodium concentration was modified by ouabain-mediated blockage of the sodium pump or staurosporine-induced apoptosis. The ANG fluorescence of cells treated with ionophores is approximately two times lower than that in cells with the same Na+ concentration but not treated with ionophores. Although the mechanism is still unknown, this effect should be taken into account when a quantitative assessment of the concentration of intracellular sodium is required. CONCLUSION: The sodium sensitive dye ANG-2 is a sensitive and useful probe for determination changes in Na+ content and concentration both in single cells and subcellular microparticles. The ANG fluorescence determined in the studied cells in the absence of ionophores, cannot be used as a measure of the real intracellular concentration of Na+ if calibration was carried out in the presence of ionophores.
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Citometría de Flujo/métodos , Colorantes Fluorescentes/química , Ionóforos/metabolismo , ATPasa Intercambiadora de Sodio-Potasio/metabolismo , Sodio/metabolismo , Calibración , Línea Celular Tumoral , Citoplasma/metabolismo , Fluorescencia , Gramicidina/farmacología , Humanos , Iones , Ouabaína/farmacología , Análisis de la Célula Individual , Estaurosporina/farmacologíaRESUMEN
Assessing the expression of channels on the cell membrane is a necessary step in studying the functioning of ion channels in living cells. We explore, first, if endogenous VRAC can be assayed using flow cytometry and a commercially available antibody against an extracellular loop of the LRRC8A, also known as SWELL1, subunit of the VRAC channel. The second goal is to determine if an increase in the number of VRAC channels at the cell membrane is responsible for an increase in chloride permeability of the membrane in two well-known cases: during staurosporine (STS)-induced apoptosis and after water balance disturbance caused by hypotonic medium. Human suspension lymphoid cells U937 were used as they are suitable for flow fluorometry and because we have recently studied their membrane chloride permeability during apoptosis. We found that surface expression of endogenous LRRC8A subunits can be quantified in living U937 cells using flow fluorometry with the Alomone Lab antibody. Further, we revealed that treatment of cells for 1 hour using STS or a hypotonic solution did not change the number of LRRC8A subunits to the extent that would correspond to changes in the membrane chloride permeability determined by ion content analysis. This indicates that prolonged increase in chloride permeability of the cell membrane during apoptotic cell shrinkage or cell volume regulation under hypotonicity in U937 cells occurs without altering cell surface expression of VRAC.
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Citometría de Flujo/métodos , Proteínas de la Membrana/metabolismo , Apoptosis/efectos de los fármacos , Membrana Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Tamaño de la Célula/efectos de los fármacos , Cloruros/metabolismo , Humanos , Proteínas de la Membrana/genética , Estaurosporina/farmacología , Células U937RESUMEN
Many evidence shows that K+ ions are required for cell proliferation, however, changes in intracellular K+ concentration during transition of cells from quiescence to cycling are insufficiently studied. Here, we show using flame emission assay that a long-term increase in cell K+ content per g cell protein is a mandatory factor for transition of quiescent human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to proliferation induced by phytohemagglutinin, phorbol ester with ionomycin, and anti-CD3 antibodies with interleukin-2 (IL-2). The long-term increase in K+ content is associated with IL-2-dependent stage of PBL activation and accompanies the growth of small lymphocytes and their transformation into blasts. Inhibition of PBL proliferation with drugs specific for different steps of G0/G1/S transit prevented both blast-transformation and an increase in K+ content per cell protein. Determination of the water content in cells by measuring the density of cells in the Percoll gradient showed that, unlike the K+ content, the concentration of K+ in cell water remains unchanged, since water and K+ change in parallel. Correlation of proliferation with high cell K+ and water content has been confirmed by the data obtained in comparative study of PBL and permanently cycling Jurkat cells. Our data suggest that K+ is important for successful proliferation as the main intracellular ion that participates in regulation of cell water content during cell transition from quiescence to proliferation. We concluded that high K+ content in cells and the associated high water content is a characteristic feature of proliferating cells.
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Ciclo Celular , Activación de Linfocitos , Linfocitos/metabolismo , Potasio/metabolismo , Agua/metabolismo , Transporte Biológico , Biomarcadores , Cationes/metabolismo , Línea Celular Tumoral , Humanos , Interleucina-2/metabolismo , Espacio Intracelular , Linfocitos/inmunologíaRESUMEN
Monovalent ions are involved in a vast array of cellular processes. Their movement across the cell membrane is regulated by numerous channels and transporters. Identification of the pathways responsible for redistribution of ions and cell water in living cells is hampered by their strong interdependence. This difficulty can be overcome by computational analysis of the whole cell flux balance. Our previous computational studies were concerned with monovalent ion fluxes in cells under the conditions of balanced ion distribution or during transition processes after stopping the Na+/K+ pump. Here we analyze a more complex case-redistribution of ions during cell apoptosis when the parameters keep changing during the process. New experimental data for staurosporine-induced apoptosis of human lymphoma cells U937 have been obtained: the time course of changes in cellular K+, Na+, Cl-, and water content, as well as Rb+ fluxes as a marker of the Na/K pump activity. Using a newly developed computational tool, we found that alteration of ion and water balance was associated with a 55% decrease in the Na+/K+-ATPase rate coefficient over a 4-h period, with a time-dependent increase in potassium channel permeability, and a decrease in sodium channel permeability. The early decrease in [Cl-]i and cell volume were associated with an ~5-fold increase in chloride channel permeability. The developed approach and the presented executable file can be used to identify the channels and transporters responsible for alterations of cell ion and water balance not only during apoptosis but in other physiological scenarios.
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The response of fluorescent ion probes to ions is affected by intracellular environment. To properly calibrate them, intracellular and extracellular concentrations of the measured ion must be made equal. In the first, computational, part of this work, we show, using the example of potassium, that the two requirements for ion equilibration are complete dissipation of membrane potential and high membrane permeability for both potassium and sodium. In the second part, we tested the ability of various ionophores to achieve potassium equilibration in Jurkat and U937â¯cells and found a combination of valinomycin, nigericin, gramicidin and ouabain to be the most effective. In the third part, we applied this protocol to two potassium probes, APG-4 and APG-2. APG-4 shows good sensitivity to potassium but its fluorescence is sensitive to cell volume. Because ionophores cause cell swelling, calibration buffers had to be supplemented with 50â¯mM sucrose to keep cell volume constant. With these precautions taken, the average potassium concentrations in U937 and Jurkat cells were measured at 132â¯mM and 118â¯mM, respectively. The other tested probe, APG-2, is nonselective for cations; this is, however, a potentially useful property because the sum [K+] + [Na+] determines the amount of intracellular water.
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Colorantes Fluorescentes/química , Calibración , Línea Celular Tumoral , Tamaño de la Célula/efectos de los fármacos , Citometría de Flujo/normas , Colorantes Fluorescentes/farmacología , Humanos , Modelos Teóricos , Valinomicina/farmacologíaRESUMEN
A decrease in flow cytometric forward light scatter (FSC) is commonly interpreted as a sign of apoptotic cell volume decrease (AVD). However, the intensity of light scattering depends not only on the cell size but also on its other characteristics, such as hydration, which may affect the scattering in the opposite way. That makes estimation of AVD by FSC problematic. Here, we aimed to clarify the relationship between light scattering, cell hydration (assayed by buoyant density) and cell size by the Coulter technique. We used human lymphoid cells U937 exposed to staurosporine, etoposide or hypertonic stress as an apoptotic model. An initial increase in FSC was found to occur in apoptotic cells treated with staurosporine and hypertonic solutions; it is accompanied by cell dehydration and is absent in apoptosis caused by etoposide that is consistent with the lack of dehydration in this case. Thus, the effect of dehydration on the scattering signal outweighs the effect of reduction in cell size. The subsequent FSC decrease, which occurred in parallel to accumulation of annexin-positive cells, was similar in apoptosis caused by all three types of inducers. We conclude that an increase, but not a decrease in light scattering, indicates the initial cell volume decrease associated with apoptotic cell dehydration.
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Apoptosis/fisiología , Tamaño de la Célula , Citometría de Flujo , Dispersión de Radiación , Agua/análisis , Apoptosis/efectos de los fármacos , Línea Celular Tumoral , Tamaño de la Célula/efectos de los fármacos , Electrofisiología , Inhibidores Enzimáticos/farmacología , Etopósido/farmacología , Humanos , Luz , Presión Osmótica/fisiología , Estaurosporina/farmacología , Factores de Tiempo , Células U937 , Agua/metabolismoRESUMEN
Monovalent ion traffic across the cell membrane occurs via various pathways. Evaluation of individual fluxes in whole cell is hampered by their strong interdependence. This difficulty can be overcome by computational analysis of the whole cell flux balance. However, the previous computational studies disregarded ion movement of the self-exchange type. We have taken this exchange into account. The developed software allows determination of unidirectional fluxes of all monovalent ions via the major pathways both under the balanced state and during transient processes. We show how the problem of finding the rate coefficients can be solved by measurement of monovalent ion concentrations and some of the fluxes. Interdependence of fluxes due to the mandatory conditions of electroneutrality and osmotic balance and due to specific effects can be discriminated, enabling one to identify specific changes in ion transfer machinery under varied conditions. To test the effectiveness of the developed approach we made use of the fact that Li/Na exchange is known to be an analogue of the coupled Na/Na exchange. Thus, we compared the predicted and experimental data obtained on U937 cells under varied Li+ concentrations and following inhibition of the sodium pump with ouabain. We found that the coupled Na/Na exchange in U937 cells comprises a significant portion of the entire Na+ turnover. The data showed that the loading of the sodium pump by Li/Na exchange involved in the secondary active Li+ transport at 1-10 mM external Li+ is small. This result may be extrapolated to similar Li+ and Na+ flux relationships in erythrocytes and other cells in patients treated with Li+ in therapeutic doses. The developed computational approach is applicable for studying various cells and can be useful in education for demonstrating the effects of individual transporters and channels on ion gradients, cell water content and membrane potential.
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Litio/metabolismo , Sodio/metabolismo , Cationes Monovalentes , Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Humanos , Transporte Iónico , Células U937RESUMEN
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Many vital processes in animal cells depend on monovalent ion transport across the plasma membrane via specific pathways. Their operation is described by a set of nonlinear and transcendental equations that cannot be solved analytically. Previous computations had been optimized for certain cell types and included parameters whose experimental determination can be challenging. METHODS: We have developed a simpler and a more universal computational approach by using fewer kinetic parameters derived from the data related to cell balanced state. A file is provided for calculating unidirectional Na(+), K(+), and Cl(-) fluxes via all major pathways (i.e. the Na/K pump, Na(+), K(+), Cl(-) channels, and NKCC, KC and NC cotransporters) under a balanced state and during transient processes. RESULTS: The data on the Na(+), K(+), and Cl(-) distribution and the pump flux of K(+) (Rb(+)) are obtained on U937 cells before and after inhibiting the pump with ouabain. There was a good match between the results of calculations and the experimentally measured dynamics of ion redistribution caused by blocking the pump. CONCLUSION: The presented approach can serve as an effective tool for analyzing monovalent ion transport in the whole cell, determination of the rate coefficients for ion transfer via major pathways and studying their alteration under various conditions.
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Transporte Iónico/fisiología , Simportadores de Cloruro de Sodio-Potasio/metabolismo , Equilibrio Hidroelectrolítico/fisiología , Animales , Línea Celular Tumoral , Membrana Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Cloruros/metabolismo , Humanos , Iones/metabolismo , Cinética , Potenciales de la Membrana/efectos de los fármacos , Ouabaína/farmacología , Potasio/metabolismo , Sodio/metabolismo , Células U937RESUMEN
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Osmotic cell shrinkage is a powerful trigger of suicidal cell death or apoptosis, which is paralleled and enforced by apoptotic volume decrease (AVD). Cells counteract cell shrinkage by volume regulatory increase (RVI). The present study explored the response of human U937 cells to hypertonic solution thus elucidating the relationship between RVI and AVD. METHODS: Cell water, concentration of monovalent ions and the appearance of apoptotic markers were followed for 0.5-4 h after the cells were transferred to a hypertonic medium. Intracellular water, K+, Na+, and Cl- content, ouabain-sensitive and -resistant Rb+ influxes were determined by measurement of the cell buoyant density in Percoll density gradient, flame emission analysis and 36Cl- assay, respectively. Fluorescent microscopy of live cells stained by acridine orange and ethidium bromide was used to verify apoptosis. RESULTS: After 2-4 h incubation in hypertonic media the cell population was split into light (L) and heavy (H) fractions. According to microscopy and analysis of monovalent ions the majority of cells in the L population were healthy, while the H fractions were enriched with apoptotic cells. The density of L cells was decreasing with time, while the density of H cells was increasing, thus reflecting the opposite effects of RVI and AVD. At the same time, some of the cells were shifting from L to H fractions, indicating that apoptosis was gradually extending to cells that were previously displaying normal RVI. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that apoptosis can develop in cells capable of RVI.
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Apoptosis , Leucemia/metabolismo , Leucemia/patología , Tamaño de la Célula , Cloro/metabolismo , Humanos , Presión Osmótica , Potasio/metabolismo , Sodio/metabolismo , Células U937 , Agua/metabolismoRESUMEN
Cells dying according to the apoptotic program, unlike cells dying via an unprogrammed mode, are able to avoid swelling and osmotic bursting with membrane disruption.There are indications that apoptosis is accompanied by suppression of the Na+/K+ pump and changes in the K+ and Cl− channels. It remains unclear how ion fluxes through individual ion pathways are integrated so as to induce loss of intracellular ions and concomitant apoptotic volume decrease. A decrease in activity of the sodium pump during apoptosis should cause cell swelling rather than shrinkage. We have made the first systemic analysis of the monovalent ion flux balance in apoptotic cells. Experimental data were obtained for human U937 cells treated with staurosporine for 45 h, which is known to induce apoptosis. The data include cellular Cl− content and fluxes, K+, Na+, water content and ouabain-sensitive and -resistant Rb+ fluxes.Unidirectional monovalent ion fluxeswere calculated using these data and a cell model comprising the double Donnan system with the Na+/K+ pump, Cl−, K+, Na+ channels, the Na+K+2Cl−cotransporter (NKCC), the Na+Cl− cotransporter (NC), and the equivalent Cl−/Cl− exchange.Apoptotic cell shrinkage was found to be caused, depending on conditions, either by an increase in the integral channel permeability of membrane for K+ or by suppression of the pump coupledwith a decrease in the integral channel permeability of membrane for Na+. The decrease in the channel permeability of membrane for Na+ plays a crucial role in cell dehydration in apoptosis accompanied by suppression of the pump. Supplemental Table S1 is given for easy calculating flux balance under specified conditions.
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Apoptosis , Tamaño de la Célula , Cloruros/metabolismo , Potasio/metabolismo , ATPasa Intercambiadora de Sodio-Potasio/metabolismo , Sodio/metabolismo , Apoptosis/efectos de los fármacos , Permeabilidad de la Membrana Celular , Tamaño de la Célula/efectos de los fármacos , Inhibidores Enzimáticos/farmacología , Humanos , Transporte Iónico , Potenciales de la Membrana , Modelos Biológicos , Ósmosis , Ouabaína/farmacología , Simportadores del Cloruro de Sodio/metabolismo , Simportadores de Cloruro de Sodio-Potasio/metabolismo , ATPasa Intercambiadora de Sodio-Potasio/antagonistas & inhibidores , Estaurosporina/farmacología , Factores de Tiempo , Células U937 , Agua/metabolismoRESUMEN
Ouabain-sensitive (OS) and -resistant (OR) Rb(+) influx was examined in three sublines of U937 cells to compare alterations of K(+) channel permeability and the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase pump leading to the shift in ion and water balance during apoptosis induced by 0.2 and 1microM staurosporine (STS) for 4-5 h. Cell K(+), Rb(+), Na(+) and Cl(-) content was determined by flame photometry and (36)Cl distribution. Changes in cell water content were monitored by measurement of buoyant cell density and distribution of [(3)H]-glycerol or 3-O-methyl-D-[(3)H]glucose. Apoptosis was detected by DNA flow cytometry and light microscopy of the native cells stained with acridine orange. Treatment with 0.2 microM STS for 5 hours led to mild apoptosis with 10-13 % cell dehydration and either moderate increase of channel mediated Rb(+) influx without significant changes in the pump activity or moderate decrease of pump Rb(+) influx without significant change of channel influx, depending on the cell line used. Treatment with 1 microM STS was followed by 18-23 % cell dehydration, a decrease of the pump activity and a small or insignificant increase in the OR Rb(+) influx in all studied sublines. It is concluded that moderate apoptotic cell shrinkage may be associated with both an increase in K(+) channel permeability and inhibition of the pump whereas more remarkable shrinkage occurs presumably due to inhibition of the pump.
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Apoptosis , Linfocitos/citología , Canales de Potasio/metabolismo , Rubidio/metabolismo , ATPasa Intercambiadora de Sodio-Potasio/metabolismo , Apoptosis/efectos de los fármacos , Bumetanida/farmacología , ADN/metabolismo , Humanos , Linfocitos/efectos de los fármacos , Linfocitos/enzimología , Microscopía Confocal , Ouabaína/farmacología , Estaurosporina/farmacología , Células U937RESUMEN
Staurosporine (STS) and etoposide (Eto) induced apoptosis of the human histiocytic lymphoma cells U937 were studied to determine the role of monovalent ions in apoptotic cell shrinkage. Cell shrinkage, defined as cell dehydration, was assayed by measurement of buoyant density of cells in continuous Percoll gradient. The K+ and Na+ content in cells of different density fractions was estimated by flame emission analysis. Apoptosis was evaluated by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry of acridine orange stained cells, by flow DNA cytometry and by effector caspase activity. Apoptosis of U937 cells induced by 1 muM STS for 4 h was found to be paralleled by an increase in buoyant density indicating cell shrinkage. An increase in density was accompanied by a decrease in K+ content (from 1.1 to 0.78 mmol/g protein), which exceeded the increase in Na+ content (from 0.30 to 0.34 mmol/g) and resulted in a significant decrease of the total K+ and Na+ content (from 1.4 to 1.1 mmol/g). In contrast to STS, 50 microM Eto for 4 h or 0.8-8 microM Eto for 18-24 h induced apoptosis without triggering cell shrinkage. During apoptosis of U937 cells induced by Eto the intracellular K(+)/Na+ ratio decreased like in the cells treated with STS, but the total K+ and Na+ content remained virtually the same due to a decrease in K+ content being nearly the same as an increase in Na+ content. Apoptotic cell dehydration correlated with the shift of the total cellular K+ and Na+ content. There was no statistically significant decrease in K+ concentration per cell water during apoptosis induced by either Eto (by 13.5%) or STS (by 8%), whereas increase in Na+ concentration per cell water was statistically significant (by 27% and 47%, respectively). The data show that apoptosis can occur without cell shrinkage-dehydration, that apoptosis with shrinkage is mostly due to a decrease in cellular K+ content, and that this decrease is not accompanied by a significant decrease of K+ concentration in cell water.
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Apoptosis , Potasio/metabolismo , Sodio/metabolismo , Apoptosis/efectos de los fármacos , Tamaño de la Célula/efectos de los fármacos , Etopósido/farmacología , Humanos , Estaurosporina/farmacología , Células U937RESUMEN
The mechanism of apoptotic cell volume decrease was studied in rat thymocytes treated with dexamethasone (Dex) or etoposide (Eto). Cell shrinkage, i.e. dehydration, was quantified by using buoyant density of the thymocytes in a continuous Percoll gradient. The K+ and Na+ content of cells from different density fractions were assayed by flame emission analysis. Apoptosis was tested by microscopy and flow cytometry of acridine orange stained cells as well as by flow DNA cytometry. Treatment of the thymocytes with 1 microM Dex for 4-5.5 h or 50 microM Eto for 5 h resulted in the appearance of a new distinct high-density cell subpopulation. The cells from this heavy subpopulation but not those with normal buoyant density had typical features of apoptosis. Apoptotic increase of cell density was accompanied by a decrease in cellular K+ content, which exceeded the simultaneous increase in cellular Na+ content. Cellular loss of K+ contributed to most of the estimated loss of cellular osmolytes, but owing to the parallel loss of cell water, the decrease in cytosolic K+ concentration was less than one third. Due to gain of Na+ and loss of cell water the cytosolic Na+ concentration in thymocytes rose following treatment with Dex (5.5 h) or Eto (5 h) by a factor of about 3.6 and 3.1, respectively.