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High susceptibility of activated lymphocytes to oxidative stress-induced cell death (2008)

Abstract
The present study provides evidence that activated spleen lymphocytes from Walker 256 tumor bearing rats are more susceptible than controls to tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH)-induced necrotic cell death in vitro. The iron chelator and antioxidant deferoxamine, the intracellular Ca2+ chelator BAPTA, the L-type Ca2+ channel antagonist nifedipine or the mitochondrial permeability transition inhibitor cyclosporin A, but not the calcineurin inhibitor FK-506, render control and activated lymphocytes equally resistant to the toxic effects of t-BOOH. Incubation of activated lymphocytes in the presence of t-BOOH resulted in a cyclosporin A-sensitive decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. These results indicate that the higher cytosolic Ca2+ level in activated lymphocytes increases their susceptibility to oxidative stress-induced cell death in a mechanism involving the participation of mitochondrial permeability transition.

Publication details
Download http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0001-37652008000100009
Repository SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online (Brazil)
Keywords cell death, free radicals, immune response, lymphopenia, mitochondrial permeability transition, spleen lymphocyte
Type journal article
Language English