Oxidative Damage of Copper Chloride Overload to the Cultured Rat Astrocytes

Disorders of copper metabolism are associated with neurological dysfunction including Wilson's disease (WD). WD is a autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the ATP7B gene resulting in the inability of the hepatocytes to remove excess copper. Gradual copper accumulation causes damage to liver, brain and other organs manifesting in liver disease, neurological and psychiatric symptoms. Also scond copper-neurometaboic disorder: Menkes disease charaterized with mutated ATP7A gene, is ralated with abnormally neuroal transmission and synaptogenesis. Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease both are refered to some degree of copper/iron metabolism changes. The precise mechanisms by which excess copper causes neurological damage remain to be elucidated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the influence of excessive amounts of Cu(2+) on the oxidative damage response and survival of primary astrocytes from newborn rats. Primary cultured rat astrocytes were divided into three groups: 30 μmol/L CuCl2, 100 μmol/L CuCl2 and control. At 12, 24, 48, 96 and 120 hours of CuCl2 intervention, cell viability, intracellular reduced glutathione level and glutathion reductase activity, and nitric oxide secretion were determined. It was found that 30 μmol/L CuCl2 might stimulate the exaltation and the compensatory proliferation of astrocytes. The survival rate of astrocytes in the 100 μmol/L CuCl2 group was significantly decreased relative to the 30 μmol/L CuCl2 group. At 24 hours of CuCl2 intervention, intracellular reduced glutathione level and glutathion reductase activity were significantly decreased in the 100 μmol/L CuCl2 group compared to the control group. At 120 hours of CuCl2 intervention, nitric oxide secretion in the 100 μmol/L CuCl2 group was significantly greater than in the control group. Under pathological conditions, excessive amounts of Cu(2+) greatly damaged the growth and proliferation of astrocytes, reduced the anti-oxidative capacity of astrocytes by reducing intracellular glutathione level and glutathion reductase activity, worsened oxidative stress, and activated inflammation pathway by increasing nitric oxide secretion. By the way, all these findings might provide potential molecular therapeutic targets for the neurodegenerative diseases related Cu(2+) Metabolic Disorders, e.g., Wilson's disease, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.