Abstract
The carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide, Ge-132, is an organogermanium compound which has been shown to modulate leukocyte functions. In this study, we examined the effect of Ge-132 on the generation of superoxide radicals (O2 −) either from leukocytes or in cell-free system, employing the highly sensitive 2-methyl-6-[p-methoxy-phenyl]-3,7-dihydroimidazo[1,2-alpha] pyrazin-3-one (MCLA) -dependent chemiluminescence method and the specific electron spin resonance/spin trapping method, respectively. In addition, thein vitro protective effect of Ge-132 on the leukocytes irradiated with60Co was studied.
The incubation with Ge-132 resulted in an increase in basal O2 − release of intact leukocytes, but had no effect on OZ generation from leukocytes stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Irradiation with60Co decreased the Oz generation from leukocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Ge-132 had no effect on basal O2 − release from60Co-irradiated leukocytes, but it prevented the decrease in PMA-stimulated O2 − generation by irradiated leukocytes. Ge-132 itself had no superoxide scavenging activity in cell-free system. On the other hand, higher concentrations of Ge-132 had decreasing effects on both basal O2 −1 release and PMA-stimulated O2 − generation from leukocytes, but they did not affect leukocyte viability. Above results indicate that 1) Ge-132 can stimulate the basal O2 − release from leukocytes, 2) Ge-132 can prevent the decrease of O2 − generation by60Co-irradiated leukocytes, 3) in higher concentrations, Ge-132 may have a membrane stabilizing effect.
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Prónai, L., Arimori, S. Protective effect of carboxyethylgermanium sesquioxide (Ge-132) on superoxide generation by60Co-irradiated leukocytes. Biotherapy 3, 273–279 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02171692
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02171692