Inhibition and inactivation of NADH-cytochrome c reductase activity of bovine heart submitochondrial particles by the iron(III)-adriamycin complex

Acute and Delayed Doxorubicin-Induced Myocardiotoxicity Associated with Elevation of Cardiac Biomarkers, Depletion of Cellular Antioxidant Enzymes, and Several Histopathological and Ultrastructural Changes

Doxorubicin (DOX; Adricin) is an anthracycline antibiotic, which is an efficient anticancer chemotherapeutic agent that targets many types of adult and pediatric tumors, such as breast cancer, leukemia, and lymphomas. However, use of DOX is limited due to its cardiotoxic effects. This study sequentially investigated the mechanistic pathways of the cardiotoxic process of DOX in rats at different post-treatment periods using cumulative dose, which is used in therapeutic regimes. In this regard, 56 male albino rats were used for the experiment. The experimental animals were divided into seven groups (n = 8/group) based on dose and sacrifice schedule as follows: G1 (2 mg/kg body weight [BW] and sacrificed at day 4), G2 (4 mg/kg BW and sacrificed at day 8), G3 (6 mg/kg BW and sacrificed at day 15), G4 (8 mg/kg BW and sacrificed at day 30), G5 (10 mg/kg BW and sacrificed at day 60), G6 (10 mg/kg BW and sacrificed at day 90), and G7 (10 mg/kg BW and sacrificed at day 120). As expected, G1, G2, and G3-treated groups revealed features of acute toxic myocarditis associated with degenerative and necrotic changes in myocytes, mitochondrial damage, elevation of cardiac biomarkers, and depletion of cellular antioxidant enzymes. However, these changes increased in severity with subsequent treatment with the same dose until reaching a cumulative dose of 10 mg/kg BW for 30 d. Furthermore, after a cumulative dose of 10 mg/kg BW with a withdrawal period of 2–3 months, various predominant changes in chronicity were reported, such as disorganization and atrophy of myocytes, condensation and atrophy of mitochondria, degranulation of mast cells, and fibrosis with occasional focal necrosis, indicating incomplete elimination of DOX and/or its metabolites. Altogether, these data provide interesting observations associated with the cardiotoxic process of DOX in rats that would help understand the accompanying changes underlying the major toxic effects of the drug. Future research is suggested to explore more about the dose-dependent mechanisms of such induced toxicity of DOX that would help determine the proper doses and understand the resulting cardiomyopathy.

Isolation, Purity Assessment, and Proteomic Analysis of Endoplasmic Reticulum

Subcellular proteomics include, in its experimental workflow, steps aimed at purifying organelles. The purity of the subcellular fraction should be assessed before mass spectrometry analysis, in order to confidently conclude the presence of associated specific proteoforms, deepening the knowledge of its biological function. In this chapter, a protocol for isolating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and purity assessment is reported, and it precedes the proteomic analysis through a gel-free/label-free proteomic approach. Dysfunction of quality-control mechanisms of protein metabolism in ER leads to ER stress. Additionally, ER, which is a calcium-storage organelle, is responsible for signaling and homeostatic function, and calcium homeostasis is required for plant tolerance. With such predominant cell functions, effective protocols to fractionate highly purified ER are needed. Here, isolation methods and purity assessments of ER are described. In addition, a gel-free/label-free proteomic approach of ER is presented.

Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiomyopathy in Children

Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in childhood cancer survivors is a growing problem. The population of patients at risk for cardiovascular disease is steadily increasing, as five-year survival rates for all types of childhood cancers continue to improve. Doxorubicin affects the developing heart differently from the adult heart and in a subset of exposed patients, childhood exposure leads to late, irreversible cardiomyopathy. Notably, the prevalence of late-onset toxicity is increasing in parallel with improved survival. By the year 2020, it is estimated that there will be 500,000 childhood cancer survivors and over 50,000 of them will suffer from doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. The majority of the research to-date, concentrated on childhood cancer survivors, has focused mostly on clinical outcomes through well-designed epidemiological and retrospective cohort studies. Preclinical studies have elucidated many of the cellular mechanisms that elicit acute toxicity in cardiomyocytes. However, more research is needed in the areas of early- and late-onset cardiotoxicity and more importantly improving the scientific understanding of how other cells present in the cardiac milieu are impacted by doxorubicin exposure. The overall goal of this review is to succinctly summarize the major clinical and preclinical studies focused on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. As the prevalence of patients affected by doxorubicin exposure continues to increase, it is imperative that the major gaps in existing research are identified and subsequently utilized to develop appropriate research priorities for the coming years. Well-designed preclinical research models will enhance our understanding of the pathophysiology of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and directly lead to better diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. © 2019 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 9:905-931, 2019.

Isolation, Purity Assessment, and Proteomic Analysis of Nuclei

The integrity of a subcellular proteomics is largely dependent on purity of the isolated compartment away from other contaminants. If high-purity nuclei is isolated, nuclear proteomics is a useful approach for investigating the mechanisms underlying plant physiological function. Although the isolation of high-purity nuclei from tissue or organ in plant is a difficult task, successful purification has been achieved through fractionation processes. For purification, there are five protocols such as (1) differential centrifugation, (2) discontinuous Percoll gradients, (3) continuous sucrose gradients, (4) combined continuous Percoll/sucrose gradients, and (5) continuous Percoll gradients. Furthermore, because purity assessment of purified nuclei is an important step, it is also described in this chapter.

Insights into the Response of Soybean Mitochondrial Proteins to Various Sizes of Aluminum Oxide Nanoparticles under Flooding Stress

Rapid developments in nanotechnology have led to the increasing use of nanoparticles (NPs) in the agricultural sector. For possible interactions between NPs and crops under flooding stress to be investigated, the molecular mechanisms in soybeans affected by exposure to various sizes of Al2O3 NPs were analyzed using a proteomic technique. In plants exposed to 30-60 nm Al2O3 NPs, the length of the root including hypocotyl was increased, and proteins related to glycolysis were suppressed. Exposure to 30-60 nm Al2O3 NPs mediated the scavenging activity of cells by regulating the ascorbate/glutathione pathway. Hierarchical clustering analysis indicated that ribosomal proteins were also increased upon exposure to flooding-stressed plants with 30-60 nm Al2O3 NPs. Mitochondrion was the target organelle of Al2O3 NPs under flooding-stress conditions. Mitochondrial proteomic analysis revealed that the abundance of voltage-dependent anion channel protein was increased upon exposure to flooding-stressed soybeans with 135 nm Al2O3 NPs, indicating the permeability of the mitochondrial membrane was increased. Furthermore, isocitrate dehydrogenase was increased upon exposure of plants to 5 nm Al2O3 NPs under flooding conditions. These results suggest that Al2O3 NPs of various sizes affect mitochondrial proteins under flooding stress by regulating membrane permeability and tricarboxylic acid cycle activity.

Nuclear Proteomics Reveals the Role of Protein Synthesis and Chromatin Structure in Root Tip of Soybean during the Initial Stage of Flooding Stress

To identify the upstream events controlling the regulation of flooding-responsive proteins in soybean, proteomic analysis of nuclear proteins in root tip was performed. By using nuclear fractions, which were highly enriched, a total of 365 nuclear proteins were changed in soybean root tip at initial stage of flooding stress. Four exon-junction complex-related proteins and NOP1/NOP56, which function in upstream of 60S preribosome biogenesis, were decreased in flooded soybean. Furthermore, proteomic analysis of crude protein extract revealed that the protein translation was suppressed by continuous flooding stress. Seventeen chromatin structure-related nuclear proteins were decreased in response to flooding stress. Out of them, histone H3 was clearly decreased with protein abundance and mRNA expression levels at the initial flooding stress. Additionally, a number of protein synthesis-, RNA-, and DNA-related nuclear proteins were decreased in a time-dependent manner. mRNA expressions of genes encoding the significantly changed flooding-responsive nuclear proteins were inhibited by the transcriptional inhibitor, actinomycin D. These results suggest that protein translation is suppressed through inhibition of preribosome biogenesis- and mRNA processing-related proteins in nuclei of soybean root tip at initial flooding stress. In addition, flooding stress may regulate histone variants with gene expression in root tip.

Gel-Free/Label-Free Proteomic Analysis of Endoplasmic Reticulum Proteins in Soybean Root Tips under Flooding and Drought Stresses

Soybean is a widely cultivated crop; however, it is sensitive to flooding and drought stresses. The adverse environmental cues cause the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress due to accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins. To investigate the mechanisms in response to flooding and drought stresses, ER proteomics was performed in soybean root tips. The enzyme activity of NADH cytochrome c reductase was two-fold higher in the ER than other fractions, indicating that the ER was isolated with high purity. Protein abundance of ribosomal proteins was decreased under both stresses compared to control condition; however, the percentage of increased ribosomes was two-fold higher in flooding compared to drought. The ER proteins related to protein glycosylation and signaling were in response to both stresses. Compared to control condition, calnexin was decreased under both stresses; however, protein disulfide isomerase-like proteins and heat shock proteins were markedly decreased under flooding and drought conditions, respectively. Furthermore, fewer glycoproteins and higher levels of cytosolic calcium were identified under both stresses compared to control condition. These results suggest that reduced accumulation of glycoproteins in response to both stresses might be due to dysfunction of protein folding through calnexin/calreticulin cycle. Additionally, the increased cytosolic calcium levels induced by flooding and drought stresses might disturb the ER environment for proper protein folding in soybean root tips.

Increased longevity of some C. elegans mitochondrial mutants explained by activation of an alternative energy-producing pathway

The Caenorhabditis elegans misc-1 gene encodes a mitochondrial carrier with a role in oxidative stress response. The knock-out mutant has no lifespan phenotype and fails to upregulate the gei-7-mediated glyoxylate shunt, an extra-mitochondrial pathway of energy production. We show that gei-7 is required for the longevity of the mitochondrial mutant clk-1. Our data suggest that only mitochondrial mutants that upregulate gei-7 can achieve longevity.

Dexrazoxane prevents doxorubicin-induced long-term cardiotoxicity and protects myocardial mitochondria from genetic and functional lesions in rats

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Doxorubicin causes a chronic cardiomyopathy in which reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulate over time and are associated with genetic and functional lesions of mitochondria. Dexrazoxane is a cardioprotective iron chelator that interferes with ROS production. We aim to analyze the effects of dexrazoxane on mitochondria in the prevention of doxorubicin-induced chronic myocardial lesions.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Wistar rats (11 weeks of age) were injected with intravenous doxorubicin (0.8 mg kg(-1) weekly for 7 weeks) with or without simultaneous dexrazoxane (8 mg kg(-1)). Animals were killed at 48 weeks. Cardiomyopathy was scored clinically and histologically and cardiac mitochondria were analyzed.

KEY RESULTS

Compared to control rats receiving saline, rats treated with doxorubicin alone developed a clinical, macroscopic, histological and ultrastructural cardiomyopathy with low cytochrome c-oxidase (COX) activity (26% of controls). The expression of the mtDNA-encoded COX II subunit was reduced (64% of controls). Myocardia exhibited a high production of ROS (malondialdehyde 338% and superoxide 787% of controls). Mitochondria were depleted of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA copy number 46% of controls) and contained elevated levels of mtDNA deletions. Dexrazoxane co-administration prevented all these effects of doxorubicin on mitochondria, except that hearts co-exposed to doxorubicin and dexrazoxane had a slightly lower mtDNA content (81% of controls) and mtDNA deletions at low frequency.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Dexrazoxane prevented doxorubicin induced late-onset cardiomyopathy and also protected the cardiac mitochondria from acquired ultrastructural, genetic and functional damage.

Role of mtDNA lesions in anthracycline cardiotoxicity

Doxorubicin (adriamycin) is an effective drug in the treatment of many malignancies. Its prolonged use is, however, limited by an irreversible, dose-dependent and progressive cardiomyopathy, which may become evident even years after completion of therapy. Data from rats and humans show that oxidative phosphorylation is impaired rapidly after acute doxorubicin-exposure. Such respiratory chain dysfunction is known to enhance the production of reactive oxygen species and may lead to quantitative and qualitative injury of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and its encoded respiratory chain subunits. MtDNA depletion, mtDNA mutations and respiratory defects then accumulate with time also in the absence of continued anthracycline exposure. Chronic cardiotoxicity then manifests, when the bioenergetic capacity of the organelles is severely impaired. The mitochondrial damage in late-onset doxorubicin cardiomyopathy is heart specific and not found in skeletal muscle. DOXO-EMCH, a 6-maleimidocaproyl hydrazone derivative of doxorubicin has evolved from the search for less cardiotoxic anthracyclines. At equieffective antitumor doses, DOXO-EMCH has a substantially lower heart toxicity than free doxorubicin.

Using cytochome c to monitor electron transport and inhibition in beef heart submitochondrial particles*

We present a two-part undergraduate laboratory exercise. In the first part, electron transport in bovine heart submitochondrial particles causing reduction of cytochrome c is monitored at 550 nm. Redox-active dyes have historically been used in most previous undergraduate laboratory exercises of this sort but do not demonstrate respiratory inhibition by antimycin A and rotenone. By using cytochrome c instead of redox-active dyes, it is possible to observe inhibition of electron transport in the presence of the aforementioned respiratory inhibitors. In the second part, students are asked to design a soluble redox chain between NADH and cytochrome c using catalytic amounts of redox-active dyes. The students are also responsible for designing the assays and control. The entire experiment can be performed in 3 h with single-beam spectrophotometers that are currently used in most undergraduate teaching laboratories. This exercise is suitable for large undergraduate classes of over 200 students and can be performed either by a single student or a student pair.

Doxorubicin-induced cardiac mitochondrionopathy

Doxorubicin (Adriamycin) is a potent and broad-spectrum antineoplastic agent prescribed for the treatment of a variety of cancers, including both solid tumours and leukaemias. Unfortunately, despite its broad effectiveness, long-term therapy with doxorubicin is associated with a high incidence of a cumulative and irreversible dilated cardiomyopathy. Numerous mechanisms have been proposed to account for this toxicity. Although there is general consensus that doxorubicin undergoes redox cycling to generate free radicals that are responsible for mediating the various cytopathologies associated with drug exposure, the source and subcellular targets continue to be debated. This short review provides a synopsis of the evidence implicating cardiac mitochondria as key intracellular targets, both as sites of generation of highly reactive free radical intermediates as well as targets for the interference with cell calcium regulation and bioenergetic failure that are hallmarks of doxorubicin-induced cardiac failure.

Time-resolved in situ measurement of mitochondrial malfunction by energy transfer spectroscopy

To establish optical in situ detection of mitochondrial malfunction, nonradiative energy transfer from the coenzyme NADH to the mitochondrial marker rhodamine 123 (R123) was examined. Dual excitation of R123 via energy transfer from excited NADH molecules as well as by direct absorption of light results in two fluorescence signals whose ratio is a measure of mitochondrial NADH. A screening system was developed in which these signals are detected simultaneously using a time-gated (nanosecond) technique for energy transfer measurements and a frequency selective technique for direct excitation and fluorescence monitoring of R123. Optical and electronic components of the apparatus are described, and results obtained from cultivated endothelial cells are reported. The ratio of fluorescence intensities excited in the near ultraviolet and blue-green spectral ranges increased by a factor 1.5 or 1.35 after inhibition of the mitochondrial respiratory chain by rotenone at cytotoxic or noncytotoxic concentrations, respectively. Concomitantly the amount of mitochondrial NADH increased. Excellent linearity between the number of cells incubated with R123 and fluorescence intensity was found in suspension.

How Fe3+ binds anthracycline antitumour compounds. The myth and the reality of a chemical sphinx

The interaction of Fe3+ with several anthracycline antitumour antibiotics has been reinvestigated. Absorption and circular dichroism (CD) measurements were carried out (i) in aqueous solution and (ii) in semi-aqueous MeOH to avoid the stacking of the anthracycline molecules. The Fe3+ binding to anthracycline was dependent on the metal-to-ligand molar ratio, antibiotic concentration, ionic strength, and pH. The formation of two major Fe3(+)-anthracycline complexes, I and II, was observed for all the drugs. These species differed in their coordination modes to the anthracycline ligands. Complex I was a monomeric species, where Fe3+ was bound to the anthracycline through the {C(11)-O-; C(12) = O} chelating site. In complex II, Fe3+ was also bound through the {C(5) = O; C(6)-O-} coordination site. Thus, the antibiotic ligand was acting as a bridge between two metal ions, forming oligomeric (or polymeric) structures. The different degree of association of the anthracyclines could be responsible for the reactivity of the metal ion. In fact, complexes I and II could constitute mononuclear, binuclear or polynuclear Fe3+ species depending on the competitive kinetics of both coordination and hydrolysis of the metal ion.

NADPH-cytochrome-P450 reductase promotes hydroxyl radical production by the iron complex of ADR-925, the hydrolysis product of ICRF-187 (dexrazoxane)

ICRF-187 (dexrazoxane) is currently in clinical trials as a cardioprotective agent for the prevention of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. ICRF-187 likely acts through its strongly metal ion-binding rings-opened hydrolysis product ADR-925 by removing iron from its complex with doxorubicin or by chelating free iron. The ability of NADPH-cytochrome-P450 reductase to promote hydroxyl radical formation by iron complexes of ADR-925 and EDTA was compared by EPR spin trapping. The iron-EDTA complex produced hydroxyl radicals at six times the rate that the iron-ADR-925 complex did. The aerobic oxidation of ferrous complexes of ADR-925, its tetraacid analog, EDTA and DTPA was followed spectrophotometrically. The iron(II)-ADR-925 complex was aerobically oxidized 700 times slower than was the EDTA complex. It is concluded that even though ADR-925 does not completely eliminate iron-based hydroxyl radical production, it likely protects by preventing site-specific hydroxyl radical damage by the iron-doxorubicin complex.

The one-ring open hydrolysis product intermediates of the cardioprotective agent ICRF-187 (dexrazoxane) displace iron from iron-anthracycline complexes

The ability of the cardioprotective agent ICRF-187 (dexrazoxane), its one-ring open hydrolysis products, and its two-ring open hydrolysis product, ADR-925, to displace Fe3+ from its complex with doxorubicin, daunorubicin, epirubicin and idarubicin have been studied. At pH 7.4, ICRF-187 at a concentration of 100 microM ICRF-187 slowly but completely displaced Fe3+ from its anthracycline complexes with half-times ranging from 230 to 450 min. The one-ring open intermediate hydrolysis products were also shown to be chelating agents and were also able to displace quickly and completely Fe3+ from its anthracycline complexes with half-times ranging from 1.7 to 16.7 min. Molecular modeling of Fe3+ complexes with the one-ring open intermediates showed that these intermediates were likely acting as tetradentate ligands. Since these intermediates are such good chelating agents, they may also be pharmacologically active species in preventing oxygen-radical derived iron-based anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. Since these one-ring open intermediates are produced by hydrolysis from the parent ICRF-187 more quickly than is ADR-925, the formation of pharmacologically active species might be occurring more quickly than previously thought. The displacement of Fe3+ from its anthracycline complexes by the two-ring open hydrolysis product ADR-925 also took place quickly and completely with half-times ranging from 1 to 3 min.

Interactions of iron-anthracycline complexes with living cells: a microspectrofluorometric study

The interaction of iron-anthracycline complexes with tumor cells has been studied using microspectrofluorometry. The anthracyclines used were adriamycin, 4'-O-tetrahydropyranyladriamycin and daunorubicin. In every case, a 1:3 Fe(III)-anthracycline complex is formed. The three daunorubicin molecules that bind to one Fe(III) are not chemically modified through complexation with iron. In the case of the Fe(III)-adriamycin and Fe(III)-4'-O-tetrahydropyranyladriamycin complexes, about one of the three anthracycline molecules is chemically modified, yielding a highly lipophilic derivative, the 7,8-dehydro-9,10-desacetyladriamycin. The others molecules remain unchanged, i.e., highly hydrophilic in the case of adriamycin. These two species have a different fluorescent spectrum and can be identified inside the cell, using microspectrofluorometry. In the case of the Fe(III)-adriamycin complex, the lipophilic derivative is more rapidly internalized in the cell than the hydrophilic one. Diffusion into the plasmic membrane is the limiting step for the uptake of anthracycline by cells; this means that the plasmic membrane speeds up the dissociation of the Fe(III)-anthracycline complex.

The removal of metal ions from transferrin, ferritin and ceruloplasmin by the cardioprotective agent ICRF-187 [(+)-1,2-bis(3,5-dioxopiperazinyl-1-yl)propane] and its hydrolysis product ADR-925

The ability of the metal ion binding rings-opened hydrolysis product of the anthracycline cardioprotective agent ICRF-187 [dexrazoxane; (+)-1,2-bis(3,5-dioxopiperazinyl-1-yl)propane] to remove iron from transferrin and ferritin, and copper from ceruloplasmin was examined. ADR-925 completely removed Fe3+ from transferrin at below physiological pH but was unreactive at pH 7.4. ADR-925 slowly removed copper from ceruloplasmin at physiological pH (68% removal after 4.8 days). ADR-925 was capable of removing 18% of the iron from ferritin in 7.0 days. All of the metalloproteins displayed saturation behavior in their initial rates of metal ion removal by ADR-925. ICRF-187 may be, in part, preventing doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by depleting iron and copper from these storage and transport proteins or by scavenging metal ions released from these proteins, thus inhibiting hydroxyl radical production by iron-doxorubicin complexes.

Inactivation of cytochrome c oxidase activity in mitochondrial membranes during redox cycling of doxorubicin

Interactions of doxorubicin (DX) with the cardiolipin-dependent cytochrome c oxidase have been examined by using pig heart submitochondrial particles (SMP). A progressive and irreversible loss of oxidase activity is demonstrated in 2 hr incubations of the SMP with 10-100 microM DX in air-equilibrated medium with excess NADH to support redox-cycling of the drug. This oxidative mechanism for oxidase inactivation occurs in connection with a peroxidation process in the bulk membrane lipid, and is independent on turnover of the enzyme. It is related in a complex manner to the electron flux in the respiratory chain with antioxidant properties, and is maximal at the high reduction level of respiratory chain Complex I obtained in the presence of rotenone. Reduction of DX per se plays a minor role, and trace concentrations of chelatable metal ions (iron) are required to catalyse the reaction. Iron in the iron storage protein ferritin is released by DX, and at physiological low O2 concentrations ([O2] less than 20 microM), this iron is a better promoter of oxidase inactivation than is endogenous iron in the SMP. Kinetic analysis of inactivation data indicates the interaction of DX with low affinity (Km 35-55 microM) binding sites in the SMP membranes. Overall, the results point to the possible role of ferritin-iron in the mechanism of DX mitochondrial toxicity and argue against site specific effects of the DX-reduction/oxidation cycle on the cytochrome c oxidase or on its essential phospholipid (cardiolipin) environment.