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Nanosized copper oxide induces apoptosis through oxidative stress in podocytes

  • Inorganic Compounds
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Abstract

Nanosized copper oxide (nano-CuO) has been widely used in many fields. Recent studies have shown that nano-CuO has toxic effects on various organs, but the effects of nano-CuO on kidney remain unclear. The aim of this study was to assess whether nano-CuO can induce the apoptosis of podocytes. The result of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay indicated that nano-CuO decreased podocyte viability in a concentration-dependent and time-dependent manner. The apoptotic assay by flow cytometry showed that nano-CuO induced podocyte apoptosis significantly. Meanwhile, the result of flow cytometric assay gave a clear indication that nano-CuO increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. The measurement of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) showed that nano-CuO decreased SOD and increased MDA levels in podocytes. These results may provide basic information for the safe application of nano-CuO in the future.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grant from the National Basic Research Program of China (2011CB944003) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31070890). The authors gratefully acknowledge the kind gift of nanoparticles and the suggestions of Dr. GG Ren.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China

    Jing Xu, Zhigui Li, Pengjuan Xu, Lu Xiao & Zhuo Yang

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  1. Jing Xu
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  2. Zhigui Li
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  3. Pengjuan Xu
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  4. Lu Xiao
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  5. Zhuo Yang
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Correspondence to Zhuo Yang.

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Xu, J., Li, Z., Xu, P. et al. Nanosized copper oxide induces apoptosis through oxidative stress in podocytes. Arch Toxicol 87, 1067–1073 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-012-0925-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-012-0925-0

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