Up-regulation of divalent metal transporter 1 in 6-hydroxydopamine intoxication is IRE/IRP dependent

Iron plays a key role in Parkinson＇s disease （PD）. Increased iron content of the substantia nigra （SN） has been found in PD patients, and divalent metal transporter 1 （DMT1） has been shown to be up-regulated in the SN of both MPTP-induced PD models and PD patients. However, the mechanisms underlying DMT1 up-regulation are largely unknown. In the present study, we observed that in the SN of 6-hydroxydopamine （6-OHDA）-induced PD rats, DMT1 with the iron responsive element （IRE, DMTI＋IRE）, but not DMT1 without IRE （DMTI-IRE）, was up- regulated, suggesting that increased DMTI＋IRE expression might account for nigral iron accumulation in PD rats. This possibility was further assessed in an in vitro study using 6-OHDA-treated and DMTl＋IRE-over-expressing MES23.5 cells. In 6-OHDA-treated MES23.5 cells, increased iron regulatory protein （IRP） 1 and IRP2 expression was observed, while silencing of IRPs dramatically diminished 6-OHDA-indueed DMTI＋IRE up-regulation. Pre- treatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine fully suppressed IRPs up-regulation by inhibition of 6-OHDA-indueed oxidative stress. Increased DMTI＋IRE expression resulted in increased iron influx by MES23.5 cells. Our data provide direct evidence that DMTI＋IRE up-regulation can account for IRE/IRP-dependent 6-OHDA-induced iron accumulation initiated by 6-OHDA-induced intracellular oxidative stress and that increased levels of intracellular iron result in ag- gravated oxidative stress. The results of this study provide novel evidence supporting the use of anti-oxidants in the treatment of PD, with the goal of inhibiting iron accumulation by regulation of DMT1 expression.