Spermine copper(II) perchlorate

Polyamine modulation of iron uptake in CHO cells

Polyamines are ubiquitous molecules, which, like iron, are essential for cell growth. All eukaryotic cells are equipped with a specific polyamine transport system (PTS). Polyamines have primary and secondary amino groups which chelate bivalent metal cations such as Fe and Cu. In the present study, we investigated the potential contribution of naturally occurring polyamines and their active transport system to iron uptake. In presence of subtoxic Fe(III) (10microM), treatment of CHO cells with spermine, and to a lesser extent with spermidine (10-100microM), resulted in a marked cytotoxic effect. This cytotoxicity was prevented by the addition of an iron-chelator, deferioxamine, and was not observed in CHO-MG cells, a mutant cell line devoid of polyamine transport activity. Experiments using 14C-polyamines and 55Fe(III) revealed that these toxic effects were related to polyamine-modulation of iron uptake, and were dependent on the presence of the active PTS. These results demonstrated active uptake of polyamine-iron complexes via the PTS. The number of amino groups affected the efficacy of the studied natural polyamines to transport iron via the PTS. Spermine, a tetramine, was more efficient than the triamine spermidine. Co-transport of iron by the diamine putrescine was not observed. These results demonstrate that the cell polyamine transport system is a potential cell entry pathway for iron. The studied polyamines, spermine and spermidine, may be components of the pool of transferrin-independent iron-chelating vectors, which have recently attracted the attention of many investigators.

Spermine prevent iron accumulation and depress lipofuscin accumulation in cultured myocardial cells

The present work demonstrates that spermine prevents aging in cultured myocytes exposed to oxidative stress. It is found that physiological levels of spermine reduce lipofuscin accumulation with 20%, and that the antioxidative effect compares with vitamin E. By autometallography we also demonstrate that spermine prevent accumulation of free iron in the myocytes, probably by acting as a chelating agent. The effect compares to that of deferoxamine. These data provide additional insight into the antioxidative mechanism of spermine, and suggest that spermine may prevent diseases related to the Fenton reaction, as well as retard aging reactions.

Thermodynamics of simple and mixed complexes of copper(II) with adenosine 5'-monophosphate and spermine

Thermodynamic parameters pertinent to the equilibria of ternary system copper(II), adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP), and 4,9-diazadodecane-1,12-diamine (Spermine, Spe) were determined by means of potentiometric and calorimetric techniques, together with the corresponding parent binary complex parameters. This system could be considered as a model in the study of more complicated biological systems. In particular, it could give useful evidence in the investigation of the interaction between tetramine and DNA. The experimental results seem to suggest that the major contribution in DNA stabilization by means of tetramines is due to the electrostatic interactions occurring between the protonated nitrogen atoms of the amine molecules and the phosphate groups of nucleotides in the nucleic chains.