Inverse correlation between resistance towards copper and towards the redox-cycling compound paraquat: a study in copper-tolerant hepatocytes in tissue culture.

The essential mediatory role of copper or iron in the manifestation of paraquat toxicity has been demonstrated (Kohen and Chevion (1985) Free Rad. Res. Commun. 1, 79-88; Korbashi, P. et al. (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 12472-12476). Several liver cell lines, characterized by their resistance to copper, were challenged with paraquat and their cross-resistance to paraquat and copper was studied. Cell growth and survival data showed that copper-resistant cells, containing elevated copper, are more sensitive towards paraquat than wild type cells. Copper-deprived resistant cells did not have this sensitivity. Paraquat was also shown to cause a marked degradation of cellular glutathione in all cell lines. Albeit the fact that the basal glutathione levels are higher in copper-resistant than in wild type cells, there is more paraquat-induced degradation of cellular glutathione (GSH + GSSG) in resistant cells. It is suggested that in copper-resistant cells which contain elevated levels of copper, paraquat-induced cellular injury is potentiated even where glutathione levels are elevated. Additionally, in vitro experiments are presented that support the in vivo findings demonstrating a role for copper in glutathione degradation.