PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

G Lescoat

Publications and source records attributed to G Lescoat.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Inhibition of iron toxicity in rat and human hepatocyte cultures by the hydroxypyridin-4-ones CP20 and CP94.

The protective effect of the hydroxypyridin-4-ones (CP20 and CP94) was studied on iron-loaded rat and human hepatocytes; desferrioxamine B was used as a chelator reference. Iron load was achieved by addition of 5 up to 50 microM iron citrate to the culture medium. One day after iron treatment, an increase in lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and malondialdehyde extracellular concentrations was measured in rat and human hepatocyte cultures. This enzyme release and the increase in free extracellular malondialdehyde were observed with 5 microM iron and high levels were obtained with 50 microM. The bidentate chelators CP20 and CP94 (150 microM) appeared to be as effective as the hexadentate chelator desferrioxamine (50 microM) in the protection of rat and human hepatocytes against the toxic effect of iron load achieved by culturing the cells for 1 day in the presence of 50 microM iron citrate. In rat and human hepatocytes cultured for 1 day in the presence of 1 microM 55Fe-50 microM iron citrate plus CP20, CP94 or desferrioxamine B, a decrease of iron uptake by the cells was observed. When the hepatocytes were cultured for 1 day in the presence of 1 microM 55Fe-50 microM iron citrate and then for a further day in the presence of CP20, CP94 or desferrioxamine B but not iron, the chelators decreased the intracellular iron level, indicating their iron releasing effect from the loaded cells. The observed effects of the hydroxypyridin-4-ones CP20 and CP94 were as potent as the effect of desferrioxamine B. This study presents new data favoring the potential clinical interest of this new class of chelating agents in the treatment of human iron overload.

Alanine Transaminase

EPR study of antioxidant activity of the iron chelators pyoverdin and hydroxypyrid-4-one in iron-loaded hepatocyte culture: comparison with that of desferrioxamine.

Iron supplementation of hepatocyte culture induced the production of lipid-derived radicals as shown by spin-trapping with alpha-(4-pyridyl 1-oxide)-N-tert-butylnitrone (POBN). The EPR signal corresponding to POBN/lipid-derived radicals (aN = 15.6 G aH = 2.6 G) was concentration dependent on iron (Fe-NTA) added to the culture medium (50, 100, 200 microM). It was also incubation time dependent (0 to 24 h). The EPR signal could be used as a marker for iron-induced lipid peroxidation. The antioxidant activity of two iron chelators, pyoverdin (Pa) and hydroxypyrid-4-one derivative (CP20) was compared with that of desferrioxamine (DFO) on iron-loaded hepatocyte culture. These compounds (100 microM) were tested either in pretreatment or simultaneously with Fe-NTA (100 microM). In each procedure, the EPR signal obtained from the cells supplemented with iron was substantially reduced in the presence of either DFO or CP20 but not with Pa. Moreover, the DFO and CP20 but not Pa showed protective effect on the leakage of the intracellular enzyme lactate dehydrogenase into the culture medium. The present study described a specific spin-trapping technique in conjunction with EPR spectroscopy that is able to demonstrate the cytoprotective effect of iron chelators, as shown by the elimination of lipid-derived radicals in iron-loaded hepatocyte culture.

Antioxidants

Simultaneous measurements of conjugated dienes and free malondialdehyde, used as a micromethod for the evaluation of lipid peroxidation in rat hepatocyte cultures.

Membrane lipid peroxidation in rat hepatocyte cultures was induced by a 5-h incubation with either ethanol (50 mM) or the chelate iron-nitrilotriacetic acid (Fe-NTA) (100 microM). To test the oxidative stress, two indices were measured simultaneously on the same sample: extracellular free malondialdehyde (MDA) measured by HPLC with a size exclusion column, and conjugated dienes (CD) determined by second derivative spectroscopy. With ethanol, both CD and MDA gave nearly the same values of lipid peroxidation, about 135% of the control value. With Fe-NTA, both indices indicated a higher lipid peroxidation, but the MDA and CD values were different. Iron lipid peroxidation evaluated by free MDA and CD was, 290 and 230%, respectively, of the control. This discrepancy could be ascribed to an increased decomposition of hydroperoxides by iron. In addition, the ratio of cis,trans and trans,trans conjugated dienes, which reflects the cellular redox status, remained unchanged after 5 h of lipid peroxidation induced either by ethanol or iron.

Alkenes

Regulation of ferritin and transferrin receptor expression by iron in human hepatocyte cultures.

HepG2 cell cultures and human hepatocyte primary cultures were used to develop appropriate hepatocytic in vitro models of iron load in order to further understand the pathophysiological mechanisms occurring in the liver of patients with hemochromatosis. The first step of this study was to obtain an efficient iron supply in conditions of minimal toxicity. It was demonstrated that iron complexed to citrate entered efficiently into HepG2 cells and human hepatocytes. This iron load was obtained with minimal toxicity in both culture models as evaluated by the intracellular LDH activity and the total protein content. The second step was to study the effect of iron on ferritin and transferrin receptor expression. In HepG2 cell cultures, intracellular and extracellular ferritin concentrations were strikingly increased by iron in dose- and time-dependent manners. However, the relative amounts of H and L ferritin mRNAs were not significantly affected by iron, suggesting that ferritin regulation occurred at a translational level. On the other hand, in human hepatocyte cultures, the increase of intracellular and extracellular ferritin concentrations was accompanied by an increase in the amounts of H and L ferritin mRNAs. In this model, iron-induced ferritin biosynthesis seemed to be more complex than in HepG2 cells and to be governed by transcriptional and/or post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. However, an additional translational level of regulation could not be excluded. In contrast, transferrin receptor expression was decreased by iron in HepG2 cells as well as in human hepatocyte cultures. This decrease was associated with a decrease in the mRNA steady-state level. In both culture models, transferrin receptor regulation seemed to occur at a transcriptional or post-transcriptional level. These results demonstrate that normal human hepatocytes in primary culture respond to iron in a manner close to that observed in vivo and thereby provide a promising experimental model for further understanding pathophysiological mechanisms involved in human hemochromatotic liver.

Blotting, Northern

Inhibition of iron overload toxicity in rat hepatocyte cultures by pyoverdin Pf, the siderophore of Pseudomonas fluorescens.

The effect of the pyoverdin Pf (an iron chelating agent isolated and purified from Pseudomonas fluorescens CCM 2798) was studied on iron overloaded rat hepatocyte cultures. Iron overload was obtained by addition of 5-80 microM ferric nitrilotriacetate to the culture medium. Twenty-four hours after iron treatment, a significant increase in aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase in the culture medium was observed. This corresponded to intracellular decrease in the activity of these two enzymes and correlated with a decrease in albumin secretion and an increase in total free malondialdehyde production. The iron toxicity was inhibited by desferrioxamine B. Pyoverdin Pf added to the hepatocyte cultures served as an effective agent to prevent iron toxicity induced in overload. The observed effect of the pyoverdin Pf was as potent as that of desferrioxamine B.

Amino Acid Sequence

Ontogeny of the receptor for polymeric immunoglobulins in rat hepatocytes.

Based on in vitro experiments measuring daily secretion rates in the culture media of rat hepatocytes and in vivo experiments using pulse labeling of intracellular precursors, the present study examines the ontogenic expression of the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor and secretory component by hepatocytes during growth. Our data indicate that hepatocytes from infant and suckling rats (day 5, 15) cultured in serum-free and hormone-free conditions only secreted trace amounts of secretory component. Beginning on day 20, basal secretion rate showed a marked upsurge with a 10-fold increase by day 35. The addition of dexamethasone (10(-7) mol/L) to the culture media enhanced by 2.5-fold the basal secretion of secretory component by hepatocytes from 20-, 25-, and 35-day-old rats, while addition of insulin to the media had no effect. The response to dexamethasone was dose-dependent (10(-5), 10(-6), 10(-7) mol/L) and specific. In vivo pulse labeling of receptor precursors in hepatocytes from 40-day-old rats allowed the identification of three intracellular forms: a 105-kilodalton peptide and a 116-120-kilodalton mature doublet. In 13-day-old rats, three immature precursors were detected: a 105-kilodalton peptide and a high molecular weight doublet of 185-190 kilodaltons. Sucklings (13 days) treated with corticosterone showed a pattern of precursors similar to controls. These findings support the following conclusions: (a) hepatocytes from infant and suckling rats synthesize and process immature receptor precursors whose expression is unaffected by corticosterone treatment, and (b) active secretion of secretory component is initiated at weaning independently from humoral and hormonal factors while the magnitude of its production by the liver is under the control of glucocorticoids.

Aging

Antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of the iron chelators pyoverdin and hydroxypyrid-4-ones in iron-loaded hepatocyte cultures: comparison of their mechanism of protection with that of desferrioxamine.

The protective effect on iron-supplemented hepatocyte cultures of three iron chelators, pyoverdin Pa and hydroxypyrid-4-one derivatives CP20 and CP22, was compared to that of the widely known desferrioxamine B (Desferal:DFO), on the basis of two criteria: (a) their effectiveness in inhibiting free malondialdehyde (MDA) production as an index of iron-induced lipid peroxidation; and (b) their ability to reduce intracellular enzyme leakage. In view of these two markers of iron toxicity, the protective effect of these chelators was classified as follows: DFO > CP20 > or = CP22 > Pa. The mechanism of cellular protection was elucidated by investigating both the iron-chelating activity and the free radical scavenging property of these agents. As concerns the iron chelation, DFO and Pa exerted the same rank order as for cytoprotection (DFO > Pa). The free radical scavenging property toward hydroxyl radical .OH and peroxyl radical ROO. was investigated in a cell-free experimental model. The two siderophores, DFO and Pa, appeared to have a lower antiradical activity toward .OH than hydroxypyrid-4-one CP22. This .OH scavenging activity was classified as follows: CP22 >> Pa > DFO. Moreover, the chelators exhibited for the quenching of ROO. the same order of effectiveness as that observed for cellular protection: DFO > CP20 > or = CP22 > Pa. These data indicate that, in addition to the iron-chelating activity which represents the most important property for determining the protection capacity of these iron chelators, their free radical scavenging ability also must be taken into account. This direct demonstration of a strong association between the free radical scavenging activity and the protective effect of iron chelators further increases the prospects for the development and clinical applications of new oral chelating drugs.

Animals

Liver fibrosis in genetic hemochromatosis. Respective roles of iron and non-iron-related factors in 127 homozygous patients.

A retrospective study of 127 patients with untreated homozygous genetic hemochromatosis (HGH) was conducted to evaluate the respective roles of iron overload and non-iron-related factors in the development of hepatic fibrosis in HGH. Twenty-seven percent of the patients had cirrhosis, 21% had liver fibrosis and 52% had no fibrosis (prefibrotic group). The mean value of liver iron concentration was increased significantly (p < 0.001) in cirrhotic (378 +/- 144 mumol/g dry wt.) and in fibrotic (331 +/- 168) subjects compared to prefibrotic (237 +/- 108) patients. Of 13 patients with liver iron concentration > or = 500, 12 had liver fibrosis or cirrhosis, versus 48/134 with liver iron concentration < 500. Chronic alcoholic men exhibited hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis more frequently than non-alcoholic men (p < 0.001). Non-alcoholic men had hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis more often than non-alcoholic women (p < 0.05). Cirrhotic and fibrotic patients were significantly older than prefibrotic patients whilst a significant correlation between age and liver iron concentration was found in younger patients only. These results suggest that the iron overload threshold necessary to induce fibrosis is modulated by non-iron-related factors such as alcoholism, sex and age. The development of fibrosis in HGH with liver iron concentration < 500 mumol/g is frequent and must lead to a search for associated non-iron-related fibrogenic factors.

Adult

Short-term prednisolone followed by recombinant human alpha-interferon alone or combined with adenine-arabinoside in chronic hepatitis B. A prospective and randomized trial.

Twenty-nine patients with chronic hepatitis B, presenting both hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid in serum, were studied in a randomized trial treatment consisting of oral prednisolone for 28 days followed 14 days after steroid withdrawal, by either a 55 s.c. injection course of 5 M unit recombinant human alpha-interferon (group 1, 14 patients) or by adenine-arabinoside (for 21 days) combined from the fourteenth day on with the same 55 s.c. injection schedule of interferon (IFN) (group 2, 15 cases). The two groups were well matched with respect to demographic, biochemical, virological and histologic features. Significant side-effects leading to premature discontinuation of interferon were observed in only four cases in group 2 and were always reversible. Efficacy was judged on a mean follow-up period of 17 months. For the whole population, 17 patients (59%) exhibited a sustained serum hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid disappearance which corresponded to a marked improvement in liver function as demonstrated by a quasi-normalization of their serum transaminase values (ALT with n less than 22 UI/l: 23 +/- 24 vs. 139 +/- 115 before treatment; P less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Increase in glycosylated and nonglycosylated serum ferritin in chronic alcoholism and their evolution during alcohol withdrawal.

Increase in serum ferritin, which occurs in 40 to 70% of chronic alcoholics, remains poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis which links hyperferritinemia in chronic alcoholism not only to ferritin release from damaged liver cells, but also to increased ferritin secretion. Fifty-eight chronic alcoholic patients hospitalized for alcohol withdrawal were subdivided into three groups according to liver damage. Their serum levels of ferritin and ferritin bound to concanavalin A (ferritin Con A, which represents glycosylated, i.e., secreted ferritin) were measured serially on days 1, 7, and 11 of withdrawal and compared with a control group. The results were: (1) Total serum ferritin increased in alcoholics. Both free and Con A ferritins increased in equal proportions, the ferritin Con A to total ferritin ratio remaining unchanged. The increase was dependent on liver disease, as both free and Con A ferritins increased significantly with the severity of liver illness. Serum ferritin levels were related to iron status: it correlated with hepatic iron concentration (obtained in 19 patients); however, high ferritin values were not related to the degree of iron overload, which remained low. Finally, there was no correlation between serum ferritin and the average of alcohol consumption. (2) Both free and Con A ferritin decreased by about 40% during alcohol withdrawal. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that (1) total serum ferritin is increased in chronic alcoholism and (2) that this ferritin increase is due in part to an increase in ferritin Con A, proof of the induction of ferritin secretion by alcohol in humans.

Adult

Iron load increases ferritin synthesis and secretion in adult human hepatocyte cultures.

In order to determine if iron load was able to stimulate specifically ferritin synthesis and secretion in adult human hepatocytes, primary cultures were submitted to increasing concentrations of ferric iron. The following results were obtained: 1. iron incorporation within the hepatocytes increased as a function of culture time and reached a high level after 48 h of treatment; 2. a dose-dependent significant stimulation of ferritin synthesis and secretion was observed when the medium iron concentration increased from 1 to 40 mumols.1(-1); 3. transferrin and albumin secretions were unaffected. The present data demonstrate that, in adult human primary cultures, iron load increases ferritin synthesis and secretion in a specific manner.

Cells, Cultured

Kinetic evaluation of free malondialdehyde and enzyme leakage as indices of iron damage in rat hepatocyte cultures. Involvement of free radicals.

The present study relates to the effect of ferric iron supplementation on lipid peroxidation of adult rat hepatocyte pure cultures. Lipid peroxidation was evaluated by free malondialdehyde (MDA) using size exclusion chromatography (HPLC) as a specific and sensitive method. The ferric iron used under its complexed form with nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) exhibited a prooxidant activity corresponding to an increase of free MDA recovery in the cells and in the culture medium. This enhancement of lipid peroxidation in the hepatocyte cultures supplemented with ferric iron was correlated with an intracellular enzyme leakage (lactate dehydrogenase and transaminase), suggesting that lipid peroxidation and enzyme release represented good parameters for cytotoxicity evaluation. The toxic effect of Fe-NTA on hepatocyte cultures was a function of the incubation time (from 0 to 48 hr) and of the concentration of ferric iron loading (i.e. 5, 20 and 100 microM). The mechanism by which Fe-NTA induced cellular damage involved free radical production, as increasing amounts of free radical scavengers corresponded to diminishing rates of both total free MDA and enzyme release. However, this reducing capacity varied from one scavenger to another, where they exhibited preferentially a decrease in lipid peroxidation or in enzyme leakage. This suggested a dissociation between the two parameters of cytotoxicity considered. Lipid peroxidation corresponding to alterations of both inner membranes and the plasma membrane, whereas enzyme release mainly corresponded to the damage of plasma membrane. Subsequently, some scavengers (superoxide dismutase, mannitol, alpha tocopherol, beta carotene) presented an intracellular activity, as they reduced mostly lipid peroxidation. Other ones (catalase, dimethylpyrroline N-oxide, thiourea) seemed essentially efficient in protecting the external plasma membrane, as shown an important decrease in enzyme leakage.

Acetates

Alcohol induction of ferritin expression in a human hepatoblastoma cell line (HEP G2).

Hyperferritinemia, an unclear mechanism, is frequently observed in chronic alcoholics. The aim of this work was to study the effect of alcohol on ferritin expression in a human hepatoblastoma cell line, HepG2. This cell line proved to be sensitive to alcohol, since alcohol increased gamma-GT activity both in cells and media. The most striking result was the increase of ferritin in cells and media by alcohol. Moreover, this effect was specific, since it contrasted with a decrease in total protein synthesis and secretion, a decrease in transferrin excretion and a lack of effect on orosomucoid. In our model, alcohol was able to induce, in a specific manner, ferritin expression.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular

Iron induction of ferritin synthesis and secretion in human hepatoma cell (Hep G2) cultures.

In order to determine if iron was able to stimulate specifically ferritin synthesis and secretion in transformed human hepatocytes in culture, human hepatoma cell (HepG2) cultures were submitted to increasing doses of ferric nitrilotriacetate. Iron uptake by the cells was demonstrated by incorporation of 59 Fe and the staining method of Perls. The following results were obtained: 1. iron incorporation within the hepatocytes increased as a function of culture time; 2. during the first 24 h of treatment, ferritin synthesis increased progressively, in parallel to the iron uptake; 3. a dose-dependent significant stimulation of ferritin synthesis and secretion were observed when the medium iron concentration increased from 5 to 20 mumol/l; 4. albumin, transthyretin and transferrin secretions were unaffected. These data demonstrated that, in our hepatocyte culture model, iron load increased the expression of ferritin in a highly specific manner.

Albumins

Modulation of albumin secretion by ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate in adult rat hepatocyte cultures and a human hepatoma cell line (HepG2).

Cocultured adult rat hepatocytes and a human hepatoma cell line (HepG2) were maintained in an arginine-free medium with or without ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate. This drug increased greatly hepatocyte albumin secretion in both culture models. L-Ornithine was the component accounting for these effects since similar data were obtained by using this sole amino acid. Moreover, we observed that L-ornithine stimulation of albumin production was via polyamine synthesis. Since a correlated increase in albumin mRNA was observed, it may be postulated that ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate acts at a pretranslational level.

Albumins