Importance of Locations of Iron Ions to Elicit Cytotoxicity Induced by a Fenton-Type Reaction

Abstract

The impact of the site of the Fenton reaction, i.e., hydroxyl radical (•OH) generation, on cytotoxicity was investigated by estimating cell lethality in rat thymocytes. Cells were incubated with ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), or pre-incubated with FeSO4 and then H2O2 was added after medium was replaced to remove iron ions or after the medium was not replaced. Cell lethality in rat thymocytes was estimated by measuring cell sizes using flow cytometry. High extracellular concentrations of FeSO4 exerted protective effects against H2O2-induced cell death instead of enhancing cell lethality. The pre-incubation of cells with FeSO4 enhanced cell lethality induced by H2O2, whereas a pre-incubation with a high concentration of FeSO4 exerted protective effects. FeSO4 distributed extracellularly or on the surface of cells neutralized H2O2 outside cells. Cytotoxicity was only enhanced when the Fenton reaction, i.e., the generation of •OH, occurred inside cells. An assessment of plasmid DNA breakage showed that •OH induced by the Fenton reaction system did not break DNA. Therefore, the main target of intracellularly generated •OH does not appear to be DNA.