Intralysosomal iron chelation protects against oxidative stress‐induced cellular damage

Oxidant‐induced cell damage may be initiated by peroxidative injury to lysosomal membranes, catalyzed by intralysosomal low mass iron that appears to comprise a major part of cellular redox‐active iron. Resulting relocation of lytic enzymes and low mass iron would result in secondary harm to various cellular constituents. In an effort to further clarify this still controversial issue, we tested the protective effects of two potent iron chelators – the hydrophilic desferrioxamine (dfo) and the lipophilic salicylaldehyde isonicotinoyl hydrazone (sih), using cultured lysosome‐rich macrophage‐like J774 cells as targets. dfo slowly enters cells via endocytosis, while the lipophilic sih rapidly distributes throughout the cell. Following dfo treatment, long‐term survival of cells cannot be investigated because dfo by itself, by remaining inside the lysosomal compartment, induces apoptosis that probably is due to iron starvation, while sih has no lasting toxic effects if the exposure time is limited. Following preincubation with 1 mm dfo for 3 h or 10 µm sih for a few minutes, both agents provided strong protection against an ensuing ∼LD50 oxidant challenge by preventing lysosomal rupture, ensuing loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and apoptotic/necrotic cell death. It appears that once significant lysosomal rupture has occurred, the cell is irreversibly committed to death. The results lend strength to the concept that lysosomal membranes, normally exposed to redox‐active iron in high concentrations, are initial targets of oxidant damage and support the idea that chelators selectively targeted to the lysosomal compartment may have therapeutic utility in diminishing oxidant‐mediated cell injury.