NEUROTOXIC EFFECTS OF MICROBIAL TOXINS

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FINNISH RESEARCH PROGRAMME

ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

SYTTY

NEUROTOXIC EFFECTS OF MICROBIAL TOXINS

Project leader: Kai Savolainen, Finnish Institute of Occupational

Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 a A,

FIN-00250 Helsinki, Finland, tel. 358-9-4747200, e-mail:

Kai.Savolainen@...

Researcher:

Helene Stockmann-Juvala, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health

tel. +358-9-47472143, e-mail: Helene.Stockmann@...

Consortium: Moisture, mould and health.

Financing SYTTY organization: The Academy of Finland

Funding from SYTTY / Total funding of project (€): 121398 / 131489

Person-months of work funded by SYTTY / Total person-months of work:

37 / 38,5

KEY WORDS: mycotoxin, fumonisin B1, neurotoxicity

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

1 Introduction

Fusarium moulds are commonly present in buildings with moisture

problems and finding of Fusarium indicate that water spills and

subsequent water damages may have occurred in these premises.

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium

verticillioides (= F. moniliforme). It is commonly found in corn and

its occurrence is also highly likely in buildings with water damage

and Fusarium mould growth.

FB1 is known to inhibit the normal metabolism of sphingolipids, with

subsequent accumulation of ceramide, in cells, as the structure of

FB1 is very similar to that of sphingolipids. This inhibition is

thought to be the reason why FB1 is toxic to cells.

The neuronal effects of FB1 have not been studied very well. Studies

with cell cultures show that FB1 inhibits normal growth of neuronal

cells and disturbs myelin formation. Experimental animals that were

given FB1 had smaller brains than controls and changes in

sphingolipid metabolism could be observed in the central nervous

system. In glioblastoma cells FB1 causes cell death and apoptosis

and inhibits protein synthesis.

In vivo FB1 has been associated with animal diseases like

leukoencephalomalacia and hemorrhage in the brain of rabbits after

systemic administration, and also horses fed with FB1 have suffered

from equine leukoencephalomalacia. In humans, FB1 has also been

connected with central nervous system effects because FB1

metabolites were found in the urine of patients with chronic

idiopathic spastic paraparesis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms whereby the

mycotoxin FB1 affects neuronal and glial cells.

2 Methods

Materials. Cell lines used: human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, human

U-118MG glioblastoma cells, mouse GT1-7 hypothalamic cells and rat

C6 glioblastoma cells. 2',7'-Dichlorofluorescein diacetate,

monochlorobimane, propidium iodide and digitonin were obtained from

Molecular Probes Inc. (Eugene, OR, USA). Caspase-3 substrate and

anti-rabbit IgG were from Calbiochem (La Jolla, CA, USA). Dulbecco´s

modified Eagle medium, foetal bovine serum, trypsin, penicillin-

streptomycin solution and Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS; Ca2+-

and Mg2+-free) were from Gibco (Paisley, UK). Phosphate buffered

saline (PBS; Ca2+- and Mg2+-free) was from Orion diagnostica (Espoo,

Finland). Nonidet P40 and proteinase K were from Roche Diagnostics

(Mannheim, Germany). Loading Dye Solution was obtained from MBI

Fermentas (Hanover, MD, USA). Agarose and ethidium bromide were from

Bio Rad (Hercules, CA, USA). p53 protein (DO-7) monoclonal antibody

was from Novocastra Laboratories (Newcastle, UK), p53 (Pab 240)

monoclonal antibody and MDM2 (H-221) polyclonal antibody were from

Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Santa Cruz, CA, USA) and anti-mouse IgG

was from AmershamPharmacia Biotech (Piscataway, NJ, USA). All other

chemicals were obtained from Sigma Co. (St. Louis, MO, USA).

Cell culture. All cells were cultured in Dulbecco´s modified Eagle

medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10 % inactivated foetal bovine serum

(FBS) and 50 U/ml penicillin and 50 µg/ml streptomycin. The cells

were incubated in +37 oC in 5% CO2 in an air-ventilated humidified

incubator. The cells were grown in 80 cm2 cell culture flasks

(Nunc, Denmark) and harvested either by 0,02% EDTA in PBS or by

0,02% EDTA-0,05% trypsin in PBS.

Treatment of cells. When treating cells with fumonisin B1, the

concentrations 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 30 and 100 µM were used. The

production of reactive oxygen species, the glutathione levels, cell

viability, caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation were measured

after exposing cells to fumonisin B1 for 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 12,

24, 36, 48, 72 and 144 hours. Some experiments were carried out in

the presence or absence of 0.02% diethyl maleate (DEM), which

effectively depletes intracellular glutathione.

Measurement of intracellular reactive oxygen species. Cells cultured

on 48 well plates (Costar, USA) were loaded with 40 µM 2',7'-

dichlorofluorescein diacetate for 20 minutes. After loading, the

cells were washed twice with HBSS. In long-term experiments (12

hours or longer), the cells were incubated with FB1 before loading

with 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate, and in short-term

experiments after loading. The formation of the fluorescent

compound, dichlorofluorescein, was monitored at an excitation

wavelength of 485 nm (bandwidth 15 nm) and an emission wavelength of

535 nm (bandwidth 30 nm) using a Wallac Victor II Multilabel

Counter.

Measurement of intracellular glutathione levels. When studying

changes in intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels the cells were

incubated with FB1 on 48-well plates (Costar). The incubations were

carried out in cell culture medium in +37 oC if the incubation time

was 12 hours or more, and if it was shorter then the incubations

were carried out in HBSS at room temperature. After the treatments,

the cells were loaded with 40 µM monochlorobimane (MBCL) for 15

minutes in room temperature. The formation of a fluorescent GSH-MBCL-

complex was monitored at an excitation wavelength of 355 nm

(bandwidth 30 nm) and an emission wavelength of 460 nm (bandwidth 30

nm) using a Wallac Victor II Multilabel Counter.

Measurement of cell viability. Cells were grown on 48 well plates

(Costar) and incubated with FB1 for 0-144 hours. After the

incubation, the cells were washed with HBSS and 50 µM propidium

iodide was added. After 20 minutes the fluorescence was measured at

an excitation wavelength of 530 nm (bandwidth 12 nm) and an emission

wavelength of 590 nm (bandwidth 25 nm) using a Wallac Victor II

Multilabel Counter. At the end 160 µM digitonin was added for 20

minutes to permeabilize the cells and to obtain 100 % cell death.

The fluorescence at this point was measured using the same

wavelengths as previously and the percent viability was counted as

follows: V=100-[(F-blank1)/(Fmax-blank2)]x100%. V is percent

viability, F is the fluorescence after incubating, Fmax is the

fluorescence after permeabilizing of the cells, and blank1 is the

baseline fluorescence after adding propidium iodide and blank2 is

the baseline fluorescence after the addition of digitonin.

Measurement of caspase-3 activity. The cells were cultured on 6-

well plates (Costar) and incubated with fumonisin B1. After the

incubation the cells were moved to eppendorf tubes and centrifuged.

The caspase-3 activity measurement was carried out after incubating

cells with a fluorogenic caspase-3 substrate (DEVD-AMC) on black 96-

well plates (Nunc) for 60 minutes. The fluorescence was monitored at

an excitation wavelength of 355 nm (bandwidth 30 nm) and an emission

wavelength of 460 nm (bandwidth 30 nm) using a Wallac Victor II

Multilabel Counter.

Measurement of DNA-fragmentation (DNA ladder). The cells were

cultured on 6-well plates (Costar) and incubated with FB1 for 0-144

hours. After the incubation the cells were suspended into lysis

buffer and RNAse A and proteinase K were added. The samples were run

on an agarose gel, stained by ethidium bromide.

Measurement of DNA damage (Comet assay). The cells were cultured on

6-well plates (Costar) and incubated with FB1 for 0-72 hours. After

incubation the cells were collected and counted and added to agarose

coated slides. After treatment with lysis buffer the microgel slides

were electrophoresed, neutralised, stained with ethidium bromide and

visualised by fluorescence microscope.

Measurement of p53 and MDM2*). The cells were cultured on petri

dishes (Nunc) and incubated with FB1 for 72 hours. After incubation

the cells were treated with protease inhibitors and the cytoplasmic

and nuclear protein extracts were collected. The expression of p53

and MDM2 proteins was measured by Western blot.

*) This study was carried out in collaboration with professor Kirsi

Vähäkangas, Katerina Chvalova and Virpi Koponen at the Department of

Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Kuopio.

3 Results and discussion

An increased production of reactive oxygen species was seen in SH-

SY5Y cells exposed to FB1 for 0,5-5 hours. In U-118MG cells, a

decreased production of reactive oxygen species, compared to control

cells, was observed after 12-144 hours of exposure, and in C6 cells

the same trend was observed after 144 hours of exposure.

Intracellular glutathione levels decreased in U-118MG cells exposed

to FB1 for 12-144 hours, in GT1-7 and C6 cells after 48-144 hours

and in SH-SY5Y cells after 144 hours.

Necrotic cell death was observed in all cells treated with FB1 for

144 hours. Caspase-3 activation, which is an indicator if apoptosis,

took place in GT1-7 cells, which had been exposed to FB1 for 72

hours. DNA-fragmentation could be seen in U-118MG cells after 144

hours and in C6 cells after 24-144 hours of FB1 exposure.

According to our preliminary results obtained by the Comet assay,

FB1 does not seem to cause DNA damages in cells. Preliminary studies

on the expression of the proteins p53 and MDM2 indicate that FB1

does not clearly affect these proteins. A slight decrease in the

expression of MDM2 in GT1-7 cells, treated with FB1 for 72 hours,

may occur.

The results obtained in this study show that FB1 has clear effects

on both neuronal and glial cells. At late time points (144 hours of

FB1 exposure) the effects seem to be quite similar in different cell

lines. Especially the human U-118MG glioblastoma cell line seems to

be sensitive to FB1.

The induction of the production of reactive oxygen species in SH-

SY5Y cells at early time points compared to the decreased production

in U-118MG and C6 cells at late time points can perhaps be explained

by alterations in the expression of protecting genes.

We will continue studying the mechanisms whereby FB1 affects

neuronal and glial cells, by exploring of cytokines and chemokines

at mRNA level with a quantitative PCR, Taqman, and expression of pro-

and antiapoptotic proteins and transcription factors.

4 Conclusions

FB1 does affect the production of reactive oxygen species in SH-

SY5Y, U-118MG and C6 cells. FB1 lowers the levels of intracellular

glutathione in U-118MG, C6 and GT1-7 cells and decreases cell

viability in U-118MG, C6, SH-SY5Y and GT1-7 cells. FB1 exposure also

leads to caspase-3 activation in GT1-7 cells and to DNA-

fragmentation in U-118MG and C6 cells.

The results obtained in the study can be used when assessing the

health effects and health risks of mycotoxin producing moulds in

buildings. The results can also be useful when evaluating the needs

of protection towards mycotoxins and when planning how to avoid

mycotoxin exposure.

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