Establishment of cell model for the study of cytotoxicity induced by microcystin-LR

Abstract

Microcystins are a group of closely related cyclic heptapeptides produced by a variety of common cyanobacteria. These toxins cause hepatocyte damage by inhibiting protein phosphastases I and 2A, resulting in hyperphosphorylation of a number of different proteins. Furthermore, high incidence of primary liver cancer in Qidong and Haimen in China has been associated with bloom contaminated drinking water. The mechanisms of MC-induced hepatotoxicity and tumor promotion activity have not been fully elucidated. In this study, Using 18 cell lines as materials, the cytotoxicity induced by different concentrations of microcystin-LR (20 and 50 mu g/mL) was studied. The morphological observation showed that five cell lines (PC-3, J82, 786-O, 5637 and VERO-E6) underwent obviously morphological changes after 30h treatment with microcystin-LR ( MCLR) with a dose-dependent manner. The cytoxicity of MCLR was determined by LDH leakage that showed a dose-dependent increase in five cell lines treated with MCLR, of which LDH leakage for 5637 and PC-3 were more serious under the same treatment. The SOD activity for five cell lines tended to increase in 20 mu g/mL MCLR treatment but sharply decrease in 50 mu g/mL MCLR treatment compared with the control cells; the GSH content decreased totally in different treatment. Based on the analysis of the sensitivity discrepancy for MCLR, 5637 cell lines was chosen for the establishment of a cell model for the study of cytotoxicity induced by microcystin-LR