Indium inhibits gap junctional communication between rat hepatocytes in primary culture

Developmental toxicity of indium: embryotoxicity and teratogenicity in experimental animals

Indium, a precious metal classified in group 13 (IIIB) in the periodic table, has been used increasingly in the semiconductor industry. Because indium is a rare metal, technology for indium recycling from transparent conducting films for liquid crystal displays is desired, and its safety evaluation is becoming increasingly necessary. The developmental toxicity of indium in experimental animals was summarized. The intravenous or oral administration of indium to pregnant animals causes growth inhibition and the death of embryos in hamsters, rats, and mice. The intravenous administration of indium to pregnant animals causes embryonic or fetal malformation, mainly involving digit and tail deformities, in hamsters and rats. The oral administration of indium also induces fetal malformation in rats and rabbits, but requires higher doses. No teratogenicity has been observed in mice. Caudal hypoplasia, probably due to excessive cell loss by increased apoptosis in the tailbud, in the early postimplantation stage was considered to account for indium-induced tail malformation as a possible pathogenetic mechanism. Findings from in vitro experiments indicated that the embryotoxicity of indium could have direct effects on the conceptuses. Toxicokinetic studies showed that the embryonic exposure concentration was more critical than the exposure time regarding the embryotoxicity of indium. It is considered from these findings that the risk of the developmental toxicity of indium in humans is low, unless an accidentally high level of exposure or unknown toxic interaction occurs because of possible human exposure routes and levels (i.e. oral, very low-level exposure).

Applications of electroporation of adherent cells in situ, on a partly conductive slide

Nontraumatic, simple, and reproducible procedures for the introduction of nonpermeant molecules into adherent mammalian cells by in situ electroporation are described. Cells are grown on a glass slide, half of which is coated with electrically conductive, optically transparent, indium-tin oxide. An electric pulse is applied in the presence of the molecules to be introduced, and their effect on the cellular phenotype can be observed. The cells growing on the nonconductive side of the slide do not receive any pulse and serve as controls. Careful adjustment of electric field strength can achieve the introduction of the molecules into essentially 100% of the cells, and this treatment causes no detectable disruption to cellular metabolism. This is applied in the presence of the fluorescent dye, Lucifer yellow, causing its penetration into the cells growing on the conductive half of the slide. The migration of the dye to the nonelectroporated cells growing on the nonconductive area is microscopically observed under fluorescence illumination.

Cell culture assays for chemicals with tumor-promoting or tumor-inhibiting activity based on the modulation of intercellular communication

The ability of chemicals with tumor-promoting or tumor-inhibiting activity to modulate gap junctional intercellular communication is reviewed. The two most extensively used types of assays for screening tests are (1) metabolic cooperation assays involving exchange between cells of precursors of nucleic acid synthesis and (2) dye-transfer assays that measure exchange of fluorescent dye from loaded cells to adjacent cells. About 300 substances of different biological activities have been studied using various assays. For tumor promoters/epigenetic carcinogens, metabolic cooperation assays have a sensitivity of 62% and dye-transfer assays 60%. Thirty percent of DNA-reactive carcinogens also possess the ability to uncouple cells. The complete estimation of the predictive power of these assays could not be made because the majority of the substances studied for intercellular communication effects in vitro have not yet been studied for promoting activity in vivo. Both metabolic cooperation assays and dye transfer assays respond well to the following classes of substances: phorbol esters, organochlorine pesticides, polybrominated biphenyls, promoters for urinary bladder, some biological toxins, peroxisome proliferators, and some complex mixtures. Results of in vitro assays for such tumor promoters/nongenotoxic carcinogens, such as some bile acids, some peroxides, alkanes, some hormones, mineral dusts, ascorbic acid, okadaic acid, and benz(e)pyrene, do not correlate with the data of in vivo two-stage or complete carcinogenesis. Enhancement of intercellular communication was found for 18 chemicals. Among these, cAMP, retinoids, and carotenoids have demonstrated inhibition of carcinogenesis. We examine a number of factors that are important for routine screening, including the requirement for biotransformation for some agents to exert effects on gap junctions. We also discuss the mechanisms of tumor promoter and tumor inhibitor effects on gap junctional permeability, including influences of protein kinase activation, changes in proton and Ca2+ intracellular concentrations, and effects of oxy radical production.

Inhibition of hepatocyte gap junctional communication by 25-hydroxycholesterol may be mediated through free radicals

25-Hydroxycholesterol, an autoxidation product of cholesterol, has been shown to inhibit gap junctional communication between rat hepatocytes. In this study, we investigated whether free radicals are responsible for the effect of 25-hydroxycholesterol on hepatocytes. Addition of superoxide dismutase, hydroxyl radical scavenger mannitol, or the antioxidants diphenylphenylenediamine and alpha-tocopherol markedly decreased the inhibitory effect of 25-hydroxycholesterol. However, addition of catalase or the catalase inhibitor aminotriazole did not influence the inhibition of gap junctional communication by 25-hydroxycholesterol. Data from this study suggest that free radicals other than hydrogen peroxide are involved in the mechanism of 25-hydroxycholesterol-induced inhibition of gap junctional communication.

Oxysterols inhibit gap junctional communication between rat hepatocytes in primary culture

Several oxysterols were examined for their effect on gap junctional communication between rat hepatocytes in primary culture. 25-Hydroxycholesterol, 22(S)-hydroxycholesterol and 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol, in decreasing order of potency, markedly inhibited gap junctional communication. In contrast, 7-ketocholesterol showed no inhibitory effect. The inhibition of gap junctional communication by oxysterols was not a consequence of changes in cell viability, as measured by lactate dehydrogenase leakage and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction activity. The addition of exogenous cholesterol to the culture medium did not abolish the effect of 25-hydroxycholesterol, suggesting that the capacity of oxysterols to inhibit gap junctional communication is independent of their inhibitory effect on cholesterol synthesis. We suppose that inhibition of gap junctional communication may be an early sign of oxysterols-induced toxicity on hepatocytes.