Therapeutic Concentrations of Mitoxantrone Elicit Energetic Imbalance in H9c2 Cells as an Earlier Event

Mitoxantrone (MTX) is a chemotherapeutic agent that emerged as an alternative to anthracycline therapy. However, MTX also causes late cardiotoxicity, being oxidative stress and mitochondrial-impaired function proposed as possible mechanisms. This work aimed to investigate the relevance of these mechanisms to the MTX toxicity in H9c2 cells, using therapeutic concentrations. The observed cytotoxicity of MTX was time and concentration dependent in both lactate dehydrogenase leakage assay and MTT reduction assay. Two therapeutic concentrations (100 nM and 1 lM) and three time points were selected (24, 48, and 96 h) for further studies. Both MTX concentrations caused a significant increase in caspase-3 activity, which was not prevented by inhibiting MTX CYP450-metabolism. Significant decreases were observed in the total and reduced glutathione levels only in MTX 100 nM at 96 h; however, neither alterations in oxidized glutathione nor increases in the malondialdehyde levels were observed at any time or concentrations tested. On the other hand, changes in the intracellular ATP levels, mitochondrial membrane potential, and intracellular calcium levels were observed in both concentrations and all time tested. Noteworthy, decreased levels of ATP-synthase expression and activity and increases in the reactive species generation were observed at 96 h in both working concentrations. However, the radical scavenger N-acetylcysteine or the mitochondrial function enhancer L-carnitine did not prevent MTX cytotoxicity. Thus, this work evidenced the early MTX-induced energetic crisis as a possible key factor in the cell injury.This work received financial support from ‘‘Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT),’’ Portugal (EXPL/ DTP-FTO/0290/2012) and by ‘‘Fundo Comunitário Europeu’’ (FEDER) under the frame of ‘‘Eixo I do Programa Operacional Fatores de Competitividade (POFC) do QREN’’ (COMPETE: FCOMP- 01-0124-FEDER-027749). The work was also supported by FCT within the framework of Strategic Projects for Scientific Research Units of R&D (project PEst-C/EQB/LA0006/2011). LGR and VVB thank FCT for their PhD Grant (SFRH/BD/63473/2009 and SFRH/ BD/82556/2011, respectively) and VMC thank FCT for her Post-doc Grant (SFRH/BPD/63746/2009)