Cadmium-induced inhibition of proliferation and differentiation of embryonal carcinoma cells and mechanistic aspects of protection by zinc

S100P is a potential molecular target of cadmium-induced inhibition of human placental trophoblast cell proliferation

Cadmium, a common and highly toxic pollutant, has been known to accumulate high concentrations in placenta with deleterious effects on placental structure and function. Cadmium inhibits cell proliferation in placenta via targeting metal binding proteins. S100P, a Ca²⁺-binding protein, plays an important role in promoting cell proliferation and our previous study found its downregulation was linked to cadmium exposure in Guiyu, a famous e-waste recycling town in China. So, the present study was aimed to define whether cadmium inhibited cell proliferation through interfering with S100P. Using human trophoblast-derived HTR-8/SVneo cells as a model in vitro, we showed that cadmium exposure led to decreases in both cell proliferation and S100P expression. Knockdown of S100P in HTR-8/SVneo cells led to an obvious decrease of cell proliferation, and upregulation of S100P resulted in a significant increase of cell proliferation. Furthermore, after 24h of exposure to cadmium (20μM), cells transfected with pcDNA3.1-S100P showed a 1.3-fold higher S100P protein level, 38% higher proliferation evaluated with MTT assay than cells with no transfection, indicating that S100P expression attenuated cadmium-induced inhibition of cell proliferation. Taken together, we demonstrate that cadmium inhibits S100P expression and cell proliferation in placenta, meanwhile, S100P expression affects cell proliferation. Thus, our study is the first to indicate that cadmium may induce inhibition of placental trophoblast cell proliferation through targeting S100P.

Cadmium-Induced Pathologies: Where Is the Oxidative Balance Lost (or Not)?

Over the years, anthropogenic factors have led to cadmium (Cd) accumulation in the environment causing various health problems in humans. Although Cd is not a Fenton-like metal, it induces oxidative stress in various animal models via indirect mechanisms. The degree of Cd-induced oxidative stress depends on the dose, duration and frequency of Cd exposure. Also the presence or absence of serum in experimental conditions, type of cells and their antioxidant capacity, as well as the speciation of Cd are important determinants. At the cellular level, the Cd-induced oxidative stress either leads to oxidative damage or activates signal transduction pathways to initiate defence responses. This balance is important on how different organ systems respond to Cd stress and ultimately define the pathological outcome. In this review, we highlight the Cd-induced oxidant/antioxidant status as well as the damage versus signalling scenario in relation to Cd toxicity. Emphasis is addressed to Cd-induced pathologies of major target organs, including a section on cell proliferation and carcinogenesis. Furthermore, attention is paid to Cd-induced oxidative stress in undifferentiated stem cells, which can provide information for future therapies in preventing Cd-induced pathologies.

A Comparative Study of Selected Trace Element Content in Malay and Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine (THM) Using an Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS)

A total of 60 products of traditional herbal medicine (THM) in various dosage forms of herbal preparation were analyzed to determine selected trace elements (i.e., Zn, Mn, Cu, Cd, and Se) using ICP-MS. Thirty types of both Chinese and Malay THMs were chosen to represent each population. The closed vessel acid microwave digestion method, using CEM MARS 5, was employed for the extraction of the selected trace elements. The digestion method applied was validated by using certified reference material from the Trace Element in Spinach Leaves (SRM1570a). The recoveries of all elements were found to be in the range of 85.3%-98.9%. The results indicated that Zn, Mn, Cu, Cd and Se have their own trends of concentrations in all samples studied. The daily intake concentrations of the elements were in the following order: Mn > Zn > Cu > Se > Cd. Concentrations of all five elements were found to be dominant in Chinese THMs. The essentiality of the selected trace elements was also assessed, based on the recommended daily allowance (RDA), adequate intake (AI) and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) for trace elements as reference. The concentrations of all elements studied were below the RDA, AI and USP values, which fall within the essential concentration range, except for cadmium.

Development of a high-throughput screening assay for chemical effects on proliferation and viability of immortalized human neural progenitor cells

There is considerable public concern that the majority of commercial chemicals have not been evaluated for their potential to cause developmental neurotoxicity. Although several chemicals are assessed annually under the current developmental neurotoxicity guidelines, time, resource, and animal constraints prevent testing of large numbers of chemicals using this approach. Thus, incentive is mounting to develop in vitro methods to screen chemicals for their potential to harm the developing human nervous system. As an initial step toward this end, the present studies evaluated an automated, high-throughput method for screening chemical effects on proliferation and viability using ReNcell CX cells, a human neural progenitor cell (hNPC) line. ReNcell CX cells doubled in approximately 36 h and expressed the neural progenitor markers nestin and SOX2. High-throughput assays for cell proliferation (5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation) and viability (propidium iodide exclusion) were optimized and tested using known antiproliferative compounds. The utility of this in vitro screen was evaluated further using a set of compounds containing eight known to cause developmental neurotoxicity and eight presumably nontoxic compounds. Six out of eight developmental neurotoxicants significantly inhibited ReNcell CX cell proliferation and/or viability, whereas two out of eight nontoxic chemicals caused only minimal effects. These results demonstrate that chemical effects on cell proliferation and viability can be assessed via high-throughput methods using hNPCs. Further development of this approach as part of a strategy to screen compounds for potential effects on nervous system development is warranted.

Effects of cadmium on cell death and cell proliferation in chick embryos

The aim of this study was to examine cell death and cell proliferation in chick embryos destined to have ventral body wall defects as a result of cadmium (Cd) treatment. Embryos in shell-less culture were treated with 50 microL Cd acetate (8.9x10(-5)M Cd2+) at Hamilton-Hamburger (H.-H.) stage 16-17, or with equimolar sodium acetate. TdT-Mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) showed the mode of cell death to be apoptosis commencing 4 h after treatment in somites and neural tube. Desquamation also occurred in the peridermal layer of the ectoderm. Cd caused no changes in the S-phase population of any tissue except ectoderm. The peridermal layer of the latter had a 40% reduction in labeling index (LI) 5.25 h after treatment but increased thereafter, being 30% greater than control values at 25.25 h. The occurrence of gross malformation was strongly correlated with the degree of apoptosis and in turn with the extent of peridermal desquamation. Pre-treatment with zinc acetate (10x the dose of Cd) prevented gross malformation, apoptosis and the effect of Cd on peridermal proliferation. We hypothesize that the ventral body wall defect resulting from Cd treatment in chick embryos is the result of changes in the somites perhaps following interruption of a signalling pathway originating in ectoderm.

Effects of cadmium on formation of the ventral body wall in chick embryos and their prevention by zinc pretreatment

BACKGROUND

Cadmium (Cd) is an established experimental teratogen whose effects can be reversed by pretreatment with zinc. Mesodermal development is a frequently reported target for Cd teratogenicity. The aim of this study was to examine the mechanisms of Cd induced body wall defects in chick embryos.

METHODS

Chick embryos in shell-less culture were treated with 50 microl of cadmium acetate (8.9 x 10(-5) M Cd(2+)) at 60-hr incubation (H.-H. stages 16-17). Controls received equimolar sodium acetate. Other embryos were treated with various concentrations of zinc acetate and then with Cd or NaAc 1 hrs later. Development was evaluated 48 hrs later. Resin-embedded 1-microm sections were examined at earlier stages.

RESULTS

Cd caused embryolethality (35%), ventral body wall defect with malpositioned lower limbs (40%), and weight reduction in survivors. After 4-hr treatment with Cd, breakdown of junctions between peridermal cells with rounding up and desquamation occurred. Shape changes were also seen in the basal layer of the ectoderm. At 4 hr, cell death was evident in lateral plate mesoderm, somites, and neuroepithelium; the lateral plate mesoderm began to grow dorsally, carrying the attached limb buds with it. Zn pretreatment protected against the lethal, teratogenic, and growth-retarding effects of Cd, as well as ectodermal changes and cell death.

CONCLUSIONS

Cd disrupts peridermal cell adhesion and induces cell death in the mesoderm. This may result in abnormal growth of lateral plate mesoderm and in a body wall defect. Zn pretreatment prevents both the gross teratogenic effects and the cellular changes, most likely by competition with Cd.

Effects of glutathione depletion on cadmium-induced metallothionein synthesis, cytotoxicity, and proto-oncogene expression in cultured rat myoblasts

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic metal and a known carcinogen. Although the carcinogenic mechanism of action is unknown, Cd will induce transcriptional activation of c-myc and c-jun. We have previously found that the extent of Cd-induced oncogene expression is limited by the presence of cellular metallothionein (MT) in rat L6 myoblasts. Glutathione (GSH) is thought to play an important role in protection against Cd before the onset of MT synthesis. Thus, this study examined the effects of GSH depletion on Cd-induced MT synthesis, cytotoxicity, and proto-oncogene expression in rat L6 myoblasts after pretreatment with L-buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a potent inhibitor of gamma-glutamyl-cysteine synthetase, which effectively depletes GSH. Exposure of L6 cells to BSO (5 or 25 microM) resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in cellular GSH levels. GSH depletion had no effect on Cd- or zinc-induced MT synthesis. Although the depletion of GSH was not itself cytotoxic in L6 cells, BSO pretreatment, particularly at the higher dose (25 microM), resulted in a dose-dependent increase in the sensitivity to Cd cytotoxicity, as assessed by a tetrazolium-based dye (MTT) assay. Low levels of Cd (1 microM) slightly increased the expression of both c-myc and c-jun as assessed by increases in gene-specific mRNA levels, in accordance with previous studies. GSH depletion (5 muM BSO) likewise caused an increase in expression of c-myc and c-jun. However, combined GSH depletion and Cd exposure decreased levels of c-myc and c-jun transcription well below control levels. These results suggest that increased cytotoxicity resulting from exposure to Cd after BSO depletion of cellular GSH abrogates the oncogene activation observed after either treatment alone. Thus proto-oncogene expression induced by Cd appears to be dependent on the absence of over Cd-induced cytotoxicity.

Cytotoxicity, zinc protection, and stress protein induction in rat proximal tubule cells exposed to cadmium chloride in primary cell culture

Primary cell culture was utilized to study the relationships between stress protein induction by zinc in vivo and cadmium toxicity in vitro. Effects of cadmium on cell viability were evaluated by the alamar blue assay, in conjunction with the ultrastructural morphology of cells by transmission electron microscopy. The expression of stress protein gene products was evaluated by 35S two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The results showed cytotoxicity of CdCl2 at and above 129 microM (14.55 micrograms cadmium/mL medium) following 4 h of exposure. Prior zinc administration (20 mg zinc/kg, s.c., two daily doses) in vivo significantly protected the cells in vitro as demonstrated by improved cell viability. The 35S labeling of proteins induced by CdCl2 exposure clearly demonstrated for the first time that gene product of the 70-kDa family was induced in cultured rat proximal tubule cells which are the target cells for cadmium toxicity in vivo. Zinc in vivo pretreatment of animals induced proteins in the 90-, 70-, and 38-kDa families, which may act together with metallothionein to protect cells against cadmium toxicity. The results also indicate that the protective effect of zinc remains after the cells have been put in culture and thus provides a system in which we can study the changes that occur as a result of zinc exposure that decreases cadmium toxicity.