Objective: Glioma is the most common human primary brain tumor which is highly resistant to oxidative stress-based anticancer. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of rotenone-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the modulation of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) expression and cell viability in human glioblastoma (GBM) T98G cells.
Methods:In this in vitro experimental study, T98G cells were treated with high-dose rotenone (0.5, 5, and 50 μM, respectively). Following rotenone treatment and intracellular ROS, both peroxide and superoxide radicals were determined. Moreover, we analyzed MnSOD mRNA expression, protein, and specific activity, as well as cell survival including viability, proliferation, apoptosis, and mitochondrial structure.Results: High-dose rotenone treatment of T98G cells significantly increased intracellular ROS and MnSOD mRNA, but its protein and specific activity definitely decreased. The treatment also led to a reduction of cell viability, enhancement of apoptosis, and disruption of mitochondrial integrity.
Conclusion:Overproduction of ROS in rotenone-treated human GBM T98G cells could suppress the MnSOD protein level and activity even though mRNA synthesis has been increased. This modulation led to reduced survival of T98G cells through induction of cell death rather than inhibition of cell proliferation.Keywords: Cell viability, Glioblastoma multiforme, Manganese superoxide dismutase, Rotenone.
INTRODUCTIONGlioma is the most common human primary brain tumor which arises from glial cells [1]. Nowadays, the use of conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation does not significantly enhance the life expectancy of glioma patients, particularly those with high-grade malignant (the WHO Grade IV) multiforme glioblastoma (GBM) patients, which is highly resistant to therapy [2]. Combinatorial treatment strategy has been reported to have improved the chemotherapeutic delivery to tumor cells in the brain [3,4]. Nevertheless, accumulating evidence suggests that dysregulation of cell cycle and apoptosis could lead to radiotherapy resistance [5]. A plausible mechanism for this resistance might involve high antioxidant status in tumor cells which could affect cell survival in response to radiation-induced oxidative stress [6].Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) is a major cellular antioxidant located in the mitochondrial matrix. This enzyme catalyzes the reactive superoxide anion into hydrogen peroxide which will be later eliminated by catalase or peroxidase. The previous studies have reported that the upregulation of MnSOD expression could inhibit the phenotype of various cancer cells, suggesting that MnSOD is a tumor suppressor [7][8][9][10]. However, this assumption is still controversial, since it has been demonstrated that MnSOD was overexpressed in several human cancers including GBM [11]. Furthermore, MnSOD has been reported to have an important role on tumor cell growth and proliferation in ovarian cancer through regulation of superoxide level [12]. Our recent s...