Oxidative stress in acidic conditions increases the production of inositol phosphates in chick retinal cells in culture

The effect of oxidative stress on the production of [ 3H]inositol phosphates (InsP) by retinal cells in culture was analyzed. The process of oxidation was induced by incubating the cells with ascorbic acid and ferrous sulphate, and increased extent of oxidation was obtained by varying the pH from neutral to moderate acidosis (pH 6.5). The oxidative process significantly reduced cell viability (about 15%) by decreasing the capacity of mitochondria dehydrogenases to reduce tetrazolium salts, but had no effect on the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase. The production of [ 3H] InsP, in the absence of receptor activation, was increased dose dependently by oxidative stress. Maximal increases to 189 ± 7%, 197 ± 13%, and 329 ± 22% were observed, respectively, for inositol monophosphates (InsP 1), inositol bisphosphates (InsP 2), and inositol trisphosphates (InsP 3), at 2.5 nmol thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)/mg protein. The response to cholinergic receptor activation was slightly decreased in cells oxidized in acidic conditions. Antagonists of glutamate receptors failed to inhibit the enhancement in InsP that occurred upon cellular oxidation, suggesting that the effect was not mediated by activation of glutamate receptors. Cellular oxidation increased by about two fold the uptake of 45Ca 2+ in the absence of agonist stimulation. However, stimulation of phospholipase C by Ca 2+ did not mediate the increase in [ 3H]InsP upon cell oxidation in acidic conditions, because the addition of 1-[6-[[17β-3-methoxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-17-yl]amino]hexyl]-1- H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (U-73122), an inhibitor of phospholipase C-dependent processes, did not affect the production of [ 3H]InsP in oxidized cells. Nevertheless, U-73122 significantly inhibited carbachol- and K +-stimulated accumulation of [ 3H]InsP. Furthermore, the enhancement of [ 3H]InsP induced by ascorbate/Fe 2+ was still observed in the absence of external Ca 2+. This increase in the production of InsP did not substantially induce the release of Ca 2+ from internal stores. The results suggest that both Ca 2+-dependent and Ca 2+-independent pathways are involved in oxidative stress-mediated InsP increment, and that the enzymes of the InsP metabolism may be affected by oxidation.