Visualization of labile zinc and its role in apoptosis of primary airway epithelial cells and cell lines

• DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.2000.279.6.l1172
• Publication Date: 2017-12-23T20:30:58Z
• Authors: Ai Q. Truong-Tran; Richard E. Ruffin; Peter D. Zalewski
• Keywords: Nigericin

The respiratory epithelium is vulnerable to noxious substances, resulting in the shedding of cells and decreased protection. Zinc (Zn), an antioxidant cytoprotectant, can suppress apoptosis a variety cells. Here we used novel Zn-specific fluorophore Zinquin visualize quantify labile intracellular Zn epithelial fluorescence isolated ciliated tracheobronchial intact from sheep pigs revealed intense apical mitochondria-rich cytoplasm below cilia. was quenched by chelator N, N′, N′-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine (TPEN) increased ionophore pyrithione. We also assessed whether changes would influence susceptibility these hydrogen peroxide. Our results confirm that deficiency enhanced peroxide-induced caspase activation 1.24 ± 0.12 2.58 0.53 units · μg protein −1 h ( P ≤ 0.05); supplementation suppressed effects. These findings are consistent with hypothesis protects upper may have implications for human asthma where there hypozincemia damage.