Oxidative Stress and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathways Involved in Cadmium-Induced BRL 3A Cell Apoptosis

Abstract EN

In this study, BRL 3A cells were treated with different Cd concentrations (0, 10, 20, and 40 μmol/L) for 12 h and preincubated with or without N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) (2 mmol/L) for 30 min, and cells were treated with Cd (0 and 20 μmol/L), pretreated with p38 inhibitor (SB203580), JNK (c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases) inhibitor (SP600125), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor (U0126) for 30 min, and then treated with 20 μmol/L Cd for 12 h.

Cd decreased cell viability, SOD, and GSH-Px activity in a concentration-dependent manner.

Increased MDA level, ROS generation, nuclear condensation, shrinkage, and fragmentation in cell morphology were inhibited by NAC.

Cd-induced apoptosis was attenuated by pretreatment with SB203580, SP600125, and U0126.

The results of western blot showed that NAC preincubation affected Cd-activated MAPK pathways, p38 and ERK phosphorylation.

Cd treatment elevated the mRNA levels of Bax and decreased the mRNA levels of Bcl-2, respectively.

The same effect was found in their protein expression levels.

These results suggest that oxidative stress and MAPK pathways participate in Cd-induced apoptosis and that the balance between pro- and antiapoptotic genes (Bax and Bcl-2) is important in Cd-induced apoptosis.