ATLA::Alternatives to Laboratory Animals

Volume 24, Number 4

Prooxidant agents induce modifications in the cytoskeletal organisation of fibroblasts.

ATLA 24, 557-565, July/August 1996

Antonella Miglietta, Elean Gadoni, Claudia Bocca and Ludovica Gabriel

Dipartimento di Medicina e Oncologia Sperimentale, Sezione di Patologia Generale, Universita di Torino, C.so Raffaello 30, 10125 Torino, Italy

SUMMARY

An important modulatory role of free-radicals and related species in controlling the cell cycle has recently been revealed. The cytoskeletal system is an intracellular structure that participates in the regulatory mechanisms of the cell cycle and is involved in reactions which generate free-radicals. We studied the effects of three different prooxidant systems (ascorbate/iron II sulphate, adenosine diphosphate/iron III chloride and cumene hydroperoxide) on BALB/C 3T3 fibroblasts, in order to establish a relationship between cytoskeletal alterations and changes in cell proliferation under oxidative stress conditions. We found that prooxidant systems markedly influence cytoskeletal organisation, but only slightly modify the proliferation rate. The mechanism of cytoskeletal alteration is unclear, but does not depend on oxidative damage. The main components of the cytoskeleton appear to be involved in free-radicalgenerated cell reactions, even though a relationship with cell growth has yet to be identified.

Keywords: cytoskeleton, oxidative stress, proliferation, fibroblasts