Effects of diverse intracellular thiol delivery agents on glutathione peroxidase activity, the ratio of reduced/oxidized glutathione, and ornithine decarboxylase induction in isolated mouse epidermal cells treated with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.

Since the enhancement of the activity of the natural glutathione (GSH)-dependent antioxidant protective system of the epidermal cells appears to inhibit the oxidative challenge presumably linked to skin tumor promotion by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), we have compared the effectiveness of diverse intracellular thiol delivery agents as inhibitors of the effects of TPA on GSH metabolism and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC; L-ornithine carboxylase, EC 4.1.1.17) induction in isolated mouse epidermal cells. Here we report at a 2-mM concentration, the monoethyl and monomethyl esters of GSH, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, and L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate are all significantly more effective than GSH in inhibiting the sharp decline in the intracellular ratio of reduced GSH/oxidized glutathione (GSSG), the prolonged decrease in GSH peroxidase (GSH:H2O2 oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.9) activity, and the induction of ODC activity caused by 1 microM TPA. Moreover, diethyldithiocarbamate prevents totally the initial drop in the GSH/GSSG ratio of TPA-treated cells and is the most potent inhibitor of TPA-decreased GSH peroxidase activity in relation with its remarkable 98% inhibition of TPA-induced ODC activity, suggesting that the potential antitumor-promoting activity of this compound in mouse skin may be far superior to that previously demonstrated by GSH in the initiation-promotion protocol.