Acrolein toxicity: comparative in vitro study with lung slices and pneumocytes type II cell line from rats

• Published in: Toxicology (Amsterdam) Vol. 133; no. 2; pp. 129 - 138
• Main Authors: Monteil, C, Le Prieur, E, Buisson, S, Morin, J.P, Guerbet, M, Jouany, J.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 15.04.1999; Amsterdam Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Acrolein; Acrolein - toxicity; Adenosine Triphosphate - metabolism; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon Radioisotopes; Cell Line; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Choline - metabolism; Culture Techniques; Epithelial Cells - drug effects; Epithelial Cells - enzymology; Female; gamma-Glutamyltransferase - metabolism; Glutathione; Glutathione - metabolism; Glutathione Reductase - metabolism; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase - metabolism; Lung - cytology; Lung - drug effects; Lung - enzymology; Lung Diseases - chemically induced; Lung Diseases - enzymology; Lung Diseases - metabolism; Medical sciences; Phase II metabolism; Phosphatidylcholines - biosynthesis; Pneumocytes II; Rat lung slices; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Toxicity in vitro; Toxicology; Various organic compounds; GGT, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase; Pneumocytes II; Toxicity in vitro; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; GSH, total glutathione; Acrolein; GRED, glutathione reductase; GPX, glutathione peroxidase; GST, glutathione- S-transferase; Phase II metabolism; Rat lung slices; ATP, adenosine triphosphate; Glutathione; Alveolar type II cell; Rat; Respiratory disease; Toxicity; Lung; Rodentia; Detoxication; In vitro; Histological section; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Investigation method; Animal; Established cell line
• DOI: 10.1016/S0300-483X(99)00015-3
• ISSN: 0300-483X

Toxicological effects of acrolein have been studied in precision-cut rat lung slices and in L2 cells, a rat pneumocyte II cell line. These two models were cultured for 24 h with or without acrolein (0–100 μM in L2 cells; 0–200 μM in lung slices). Treatment with this pneumotoxicant produced a concentration dependent decrease in intracellular ATP levels. Acrolein concentrations higher than 50 μM induced ATP decrease in slices, while this decrease occurred from 10 μM acrolein in L2 cells. Detoxification marker evaluations showed that mostly the glutathione pathway was altered after acrolein treatment in both models. Intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels were drastically increased with an acrolein concentration of 10 μM. This increase was concomitant with glutathione- S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GRED) activities in L2 cells. After this strong increase, these enzymatic activities as well as GSH levels were quickly decreased. In precision-cut rat lung slices, the induction of the glutathione pathway was less clear-cut. A bell-shaped dose response curve was observed with a maximum for 5 μM acrolein for GST and GRED activities. These differences between acrolein toxic ranges could be explained by the presence of an active detoxification pathway in slices compared to its relative lack in L2 cells.