Uptake, Metabolic Effects and Toxicity of Arsenate and Arsenite in Astrocytes.

The inorganic arsenic species arsenate and arsenite are common environmental toxins which contaminate the drinking water in many countries. Chronic intoxication with arsenicals has been connected with various diseases, but causes also neurological complications and impairs cognitive development, learning and memory. In brain, astrocytes have a pivotal role as partners of neurons in homeostatic and metabolic processes. In addition, astrocytes are the first parenchymal brain cell type which encounters substances which cross the blood-brain barrier and are considered as first line of defence against the toxic potential of xenobiotics. Therefore, astrocytes are likely to play a prominent role in the metabolism and potential detoxification of arsenicals in brain. This article summarizes the current knowledge on the uptake and toxicity of arsenate and arsenite in astrocytes and discusses the modulation of the astrocytic glucose and glutathione metabolism by arsenicals.

Arsenate stimulates glutathione export from viable cultured rat cerebellar granule neurons.

Arsenate is an environmental pollutant which contaminates the drinking water of millions of people worldwide. Numerous in vitro studies have investigated the toxicity of arsenate for a large number of different cell types. However, despite the known neurotoxic potential of arsenicals, little is known so far about the consequences of an exposure of neurons to arsenate. To investigate acute effects of arsenate on the viability and the glutathione (GSH) metabolism of neurons, we have exposed primary rat cerebellar granule neuron cultures to arsenate. Incubation of neurons for up to 6 h with arsenate in concentrations of up to 10 mM did not acutely compromise the cell viability, although the cells accumulated substantial amounts of arsenate. However, exposure to arsenate caused a time- and concentration-dependent increase in the export of GSH from viable neurons with significant effects observed for arsenate in concentrations above 0.3 mM. The arsenate-induced stimulation of GSH export was abolished upon removal of arsenate and completely prevented by MK571, an inhibitor of the multidrug resistance protein 1. These results demonstrate that arsenate is not acutely toxic to neurons but can affect the neuronal GSH metabolism by stimulating GSH export.

Adsorption and orientation of the physiological extracellular peptide glutathione disulfide on surface functionalized colloidal alumina particles.

Understanding the interrelation between surface chemistry of colloidal particles and surface adsorption of biomolecules is a crucial prerequisite for the design of materials for biotechnological and nanomedical applications. Here, we elucidate how tailoring the surface chemistry of colloidal alumina particles (d50 = 180 nm) with amino (-NH2), carboxylate (-COOH), phosphate (-PO3H2) or sulfonate (-SO3H) groups affects adsorption and orientation of the model peptide glutathione disulfide (GSSG). GSSG adsorbed on native, -NH2-functionalized, and -SO3H-functionalized alumina but not on -COOH- and -PO3H2-functionalized particles. When adsorption occurred, the process was rapid (≤5 min), reversible by application of salts, and followed a Langmuir adsorption isotherm dependent on the particle surface functionalization and ζ potential. The orientation of particle bound GSSG was assessed by the release of glutathione after reducing the GSSG disulfide bond and by ζ potential measurements. GSSG is likely to bind via the carboxylate groups of one of its two glutathionyl (GS) moieties onto native and -NH2-modified alumina, whereas GSSG is suggested to bind to -SO3H-modified alumina via the primary amino groups of both GS moieties. Thus, GSSG adsorption and orientation can be tailored by varying the molecular composition of the particle surface, demonstrating a step toward guiding interactions of biomolecules with colloidal particles.

Characterization of arsenate uptake by cultured primary rat astrocytes.

Arsenate is known to be accumulated by cultured astrocytes and to stimulate astrocytic glutathione export, but the arsenate uptake into astrocytes has not been characterized so far. To address this topic, we have exposed primary rat astrocyte cultures to arsenate and determined the cellular arsenic content by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Viable astrocytes accumulated arsenate in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Their cellular arsenic content increased almost proportional with time for up to 60 min after application of arsenate. Analysis of the concentration-dependent increase in the specific arsenic content of the cells after 30 min of arsenate exposure revealed that cultured astrocytes take up arsenate with saturable kinetics by a transport process that has apparent KM- and Vmax-values of 1.7 ± 0.2 mM and 28 ± 4 nmol/(mg protein × 30 min), respectively. Arsenate uptake in viable astrocytes was strongly inhibited by the presence of phosphate or by lowering the incubation temperature to 4 °C and was completely abolished in a sodium ion-free medium. These results strongly suggest that the saturable temperature-dependent arsenate uptake into astrocytes is mediated by a sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporter.

Adsorption and reduction of glutathione disulfide on α-Al2O3 nanoparticles: experiments and modeling.

Glutathione disulfide (GSSG; γ-GluCysGly disulfide) was used as a physiologically relevant model molecule to investigate the fundamental adsorption mechanisms of polypeptides onto α-alumina nanoparticles. Its adsorption/desorption behavior was studied by enzymatic quantification of the bound GSSG combined with zeta potential measurements of the particles. The adsorption of GSSG to alumina nanoparticles was rapid, was prevented by alkaline pH, was reversed by increasing ionic strength, and followed a nearly ideal Langmuir isotherm with a standard Gibbs adsorption energy of -34.7 kJ/mol. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that only one of the two glutathionyl moieties contained in GSSG binds stably to the nanoparticle surface. This was confirmed experimentally by the release of GSH from the bound GSSG upon reducing its disulfide bond with dithiothreitol. Our data indicate that electrostatic interactions via the carboxylate groups of one of the two glutathionyl moieties of GSSG are predominantly responsible for the binding of GSSG to the alumina surface. The results and conclusions presented here can provide a base for further experimental and modeling studies on the interactions of biomolecules with ceramic materials.

Accumulation of silver nanoparticles by cultured primary brain astrocytes.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are components of various food industry products and are frequently used for medical equipment and materials. Although such particles enter the vertebrate brain, little is known on their biocompatibility for brain cells. To study the consequences of an AgNP exposure of brain cells we have treated astrocyte-rich primary cultures with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-coated AgNP. The incubation of cultured astrocytes with micromolar concentrations of AgNP for up to 24 h resulted in a time- and concentration-dependent accumulation of silver, but did not compromise the cell viability nor lower the cellular glutathione content. In contrast, the incubation of astrocytes for 4 h with identical amounts of silver as AgNO(3) already severely compromised the cell viability and completely deprived the cells of glutathione. The accumulation of AgNP by astrocytes was proportional to the concentration of AgNP applied and significantly lowered by about 30% in the presence of the endocytosis inhibitors chloroquine or amiloride. Incubation at 4 °C reduced the accumulation of AgNP by 80% compared to the values obtained for cells that had been exposed to AgNP at 37 °C. These data demonstrate that viable cultured brain astrocytes efficiently accumulate PVP-coated AgNP in a temperature-dependent process that most likely involves endocytotic pathways.

Uptake and toxicity of arsenite and arsenate in cultured brain astrocytes.

Inorganic arsenicals are environmental toxins that have been connected with neuropathies and impaired cognitive functions. To investigate whether such substances accumulate in brain astrocytes and affect their viability and glutathione metabolism, we have exposed cultured primary astrocytes to arsenite or arsenate. Both arsenicals compromised the cell viability of astrocytes in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. However, the early onset of cell toxicity in arsenite-treated astrocytes revealed the higher toxic potential of arsenite compared with arsenate. The concentrations of arsenite and arsenate that caused within 24h half-maximal release of the cytosolic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase were around 0.3mM and 10mM, respectively. The cellular arsenic contents of astrocytes increased rapidly upon exposure to arsenite or arsenate and reached after 4h of incubation almost constant steady state levels. These levels were about 3-times higher in astrocytes that had been exposed to a given concentration of arsenite compared with the respective arsenate condition. Analysis of the intracellular arsenic species revealed that almost exclusively arsenite was present in viable astrocytes that had been exposed to either arsenate or arsenite. The emerging toxicity of arsenite 4h after exposure was accompanied by a loss in cellular total glutathione and by an increase in the cellular glutathione disulfide content. These data suggest that the high arsenite content of astrocytes that had been exposed to inorganic arsenicals causes an increase in the ratio of glutathione disulfide to glutathione which contributes to the toxic potential of these substances.

Arsenite stimulates glutathione export and glycolytic flux in viable primary rat brain astrocytes.

Intoxication with inorganic arsenicals leads to neuropathies and impaired cognitive functions. However, little is known so far on the cellular targets that are involved in the adverse effects of arsenite to brain cells. To test whether arsenite may affect neural glucose and glutathione (GSH) metabolism, primary astrocyte cultures from rat brain were used as a model system. Exposure of cultured astrocytes to arsenite in concentrations of up to 0.3mM did not compromise cell viability during incubations for up to 6h, while 1mM arsenite damaged the cells already within 2h after application. Determination of cellular arsenic contents of astrocytes that had been incubated for 2h with arsenite revealed an almost linear concentration-dependent increase in the specific cellular arsenic content. Exposure of astrocytes to arsenite stimulated the export of GSH and accelerated the cellular glucose consumption and lactate production in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Half-maximal stimulation of GSH export and glycolytic flux were observed for arsenite in concentrations of 0.1mM and 0.3mM, respectively. The arsenite-induced stimulation of both processes was abolished upon removal of extracellular arsenite. The strong stimulation of GSH export by arsenite was prevented by MK571, an inhibitor of the multidrug resistance protein 1, suggesting that this transporter mediates the accelerated GSH export. In addition, presence of MK571 significantly increased the specific cellular arsenic content, suggesting that Mrp1 may also be involved in arsenic export from astrocytes. The data observed suggest that alterations in glucose and GSH metabolism may contribute to the reported adverse neural consequences of intoxication with arsenite.

Arsenate accumulation and arsenate-induced glutathione export in astrocyte-rich primary cultures.

Arsenate is a toxic compound that has been connected with neuropathies and impaired cognitive functions. To test whether arsenate affects the viability and the GSH metabolism of brain astrocytes, we have used primary astrocyte cultures as model system. Incubation of astrocytes for 2h with arsenate in concentrations of up to 10mM caused an almost linear increase in the cellular arsenic content, but did not acutely compromise cell viability. The presence of moderate concentrations of arsenate caused a time- and concentration-dependent loss of GSH from viable astrocytes which was accompanied by a matching increase in the extracellular GSH content. Half-maximal effects were observed for arsenate in a concentration of about 0.3 mM. The arsenate-induced stimulated GSH export from astrocytes was prevented by MK571, an inhibitor of the multidrug resistance protein 1. Exposure of astrocytes to arsenite increased the specific cellular arsenic content and stimulated GSH export to values that were similar to those observed for arsenate-treated cells, while dimethylarsinic acid was less efficiently accumulated by the cells and did not modulate cellular and extracellular GSH levels. The observed strong stimulation of GSH export from astrocytes by arsenate suggests that disturbances of the astrocytic GSH metabolism may contribute to the observed arsenic-induced neurotoxicity.