In Vitro Analysis of CsA-Induced Hepatotoxicity in HepG2 Cell Line: Oxidative Stress and α2 and β1 Integrin Subunits Expression

Abstract

Background: Cyclosporine A (CsA)-induced hepatotoxicity could be due to a reduction in α2β1 integrin expression that may either be from the direct effect of CsA itself or from reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction. Objectives: In this study we aimed to identify the cellular mechanisms underlying CsA-induced hepatic injury by investigating the activation patterns of the antioxidant enzymes, using HepG2 as an in vitro model. Materials and Methods: HepG2 cells were cultured with different concentrations of CsA (0, 0.1, 1, 10 μg/ml) for 72 h. Effect of CsA on, 1) cellular integrity, 2) glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, 3) cellular levels of glutathione (GSH), 4) intracellular ROS, 5) ALT and AST activities, 6) urea production and 7) α2β1 integrin expression were assayed. Results: CsA treatment demonstrated a dose dependent increase in intracellular levels of ROS, GPx activity and decrease in GSH levels (P Conclusions: The observed reduction of α2β1 integrin expression following CsA treatment could be proposed as a possible pathway of CsA-induced hepatotoxicity. Further studies are required to elucidate whether this attenuated expression is due to the direct effect of CsA or caused by overproduction of ROS.