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Zinc protects against arsenic-induced apoptosis in a neuronal cell line, measured by DEVD-caspase activity

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Abstract

Acute and chronic arsenic exposure results in toxicity in humans and causes many neurological and other manifestations. For the first time the present study reports that zinc decreases arsenic-induced apoptosis and also confirms a single report of apoptosis induced by arsenic in a neuronal cell line. Apoptosis measured by DEVD-caspase activity peaked between 10 μM and 20 μM of arsenic trioxide. Higher concentrations of arsenic up to 40 μM caused increasing cell death with diminishing DEVD-caspase activity. The beneficial effect of zinc was proportional to its concentration with a significant decrease in arsenic-induced DEVD-caspase activity at 50 μM and 75 μM zinc (P<0.05). This finding may be of therapeutic benefit in people suffering from chronic exposure to arsenic from natural sources, a global problem especially relevant to millions of people on the Indian subcontinent.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville, South Australia

    Austin Graham Milton, Peter David Zalewski & Ranjit Nihal Ratnaike

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  1. Austin Graham Milton
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  2. Peter David Zalewski
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  3. Ranjit Nihal Ratnaike
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Milton, A.G., Zalewski, P.D. & Ratnaike, R.N. Zinc protects against arsenic-induced apoptosis in a neuronal cell line, measured by DEVD-caspase activity. Biometals 17, 707–713 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10534-004-1210-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10534-004-1210-3

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