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Clioquinol kills astrocyte-derived KT-5 cells by the impairment of the autophagy–lysosome pathway

  • Organ Toxicity and Mechanisms
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Abstract

Clioquinol has been implicated as a causative agent for subacute myelo-optico-neuropathy (SMON) in humans, although the mechanism remains to be elucidated. In this study, we utilized astrocyte-derived cell line, KT-5 cells to explore its potential cytotoxicity on glial cells. KT-5 cells were exposed in vitro to a maximum of 50 μM clioquinol for up to 24 h. 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenylte trazolium bromide (MTT) assay of the cells revealed that clioquinol induced significant cell damage and death. We also found that clioquinol caused accumulation of microtubule-associated protein light chain-3 (LC3)-II and sequestosome-1 (p62) in a dose- and time-dependent manner, suggesting the abnormality of autophagy–lysosome pathway. Consistent with these findings, an exposure of 20 μM clioquinol induced the accumulation of cellular autophagic vacuoles. Moreover, an exposure of 20 μM clioquinol provoked a statistically significant reduction of intracellular lysosomal acid hydrolases activities but no change in lysosomal pH. It also resulted in a significant decline of intracellular ATP levels, enhanced cellular levels of reactive oxygen species, and eventually cell death. This cell death at least did not appear to occur via apoptosis. 10 μM Chloroquine, lysosomal inhibitor, blocked the autophagic degradation and augmented clioquinol-cytotoxicity, whereas rapamycin, an inducer of autophagy, rescued clioquinol-induced cytotoxicity. Thus, our present results strongly suggest clioquinol acts as a potentially cytotoxic agent to glial cells. For future clinical application of clioquinol on the treatment of neurological and cancer disorders, we should take account of this type of cell death mechanism.

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Availability of data and material

The datasets generated for this study are available on request to the corresponding author.

Abbreviations

SMON:

Subacute myelo-optico-neuropathy

DMSO:

Dimethyl sulfoxide

LC3:

Microtubule-associated protein light chain-3

p62:

Sequestosome-1

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

NAC:

N-Acetyl cysteine

p-Akt:

Phosphorylated Akt kinase

MTT:

3-(4,5-Di-methylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide

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Funding

The present work was partly supported by a Grant-in-Aid for the NEXT-Supported Program for the Strategic Research Foundation at Private Universities and Scientific Research (C) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, as well as a Research Grant for Intractable Diseases from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan to T Mutoh.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake, Aichi, 470-1192, Japan

    Yasuaki Mizutani, Toshiki Maeda, Kenichiro Murate, Shinji Ito, Hirohisa Watanabe & Tatsuro Mutoh

Authors
  1. Yasuaki Mizutani
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  2. Toshiki Maeda
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  3. Kenichiro Murate
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  4. Shinji Ito
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  5. Hirohisa Watanabe
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  6. Tatsuro Mutoh
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Contributions

YM performed the experiments, and analyzed the data, and wrote the initial version of the manuscript. KM and TM contributed to western blotting assays and the measurements of lysosomal hydrolase activity. SI contributed the measurement of intracellular ATP levels and MTT assays and intellectual contents. All of them contributed to the intellectual contents. HW contributed to the statistical analysis. TM contributed the conception, designed the study, supervision, and revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the submission of the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Tatsuro Mutoh.

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The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Mizutani, Y., Maeda, T., Murate, K. et al. Clioquinol kills astrocyte-derived KT-5 cells by the impairment of the autophagy–lysosome pathway. Arch Toxicol 95, 631–640 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-020-02943-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-020-02943-8

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