Cadmium-induced toxicity in rat primary mid-brain neuroglia cultures: role of oxidative stress from microglia.

This study examined the role of oxidative stress in neurotoxic effects of cadmium chloride (Cd) in rat primary mid-brain neuron-glia cultures. Cd accumulated in neuron-glia cultures and produced cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner, with IC(50) of 2.5microM 24 h after exposure. (3)H-dopamine uptake into neuron-glia cultures was decreased 7 days after Cd exposure, with IC(50) of 0.9microM, indicative of the sensitivity of dopaminergic neurons to Cd toxicity. To investigate the role of microglia in Cd-induced toxicity to neurons, microglia-enriched cultures were prepared. Cd significantly increased intracellular reactive oxygen species production in microglia-enriched cultures, as evidenced by threefold increases in 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein signals. Using 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide as a spin-trapping agent, Cd increased electron spin resonance signals by 3.5-fold in microglia-enriched cultures. Cd-induced oxidative stress to microglia-enriched cultures was further evidenced by activation of redox-sensitive transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B and activator protein-1 (AP-1), and the increased expression of oxidative stress-related genes, such as metallothionein, heme oxygenase-1, glutathione S-transferase pi, and metal transport protein-1, as determined by gel-shift assays and real-time reverse transcription-PCR, respectively, in microglia-enriched cultures. In conclusion, Cd is toxic to neuron-glia cultures, and the oxidative stress from microglia may play important roles in Cd-induced damage to dopaminergic neurons.