Bacterial Cytotoxicity and Induction of Apoptosis in Promyeloctic (Line
HL-60) Cells by Novel Organotellurium Compounds
B. L. Sailer%,
T. Prow%,
S. Dickerson%,
J. Watson%,
N. Liles%,
S. J. Patel#,
V. Van Fleet-Stalder#,
and T. G. Chasteen#
#Department
of Chemistry, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, 77341-2117
%Department
of Biological Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas,
77341-2117
Summary of work
Joint work carried out in two research groups has resulted in an examination
of the relative toxicity of two organotellurium compounds, both synthgesized
by Dr. Thomas Junk, LSU Baton Rouge. These two compounds, 3,3',4,4',-tetrachlorodiphenyl
ditelluride (ditelluride) and telluranthrene. Growth rate inhibition experiments
using a strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens (K27, isolated by Dr.
Ray Fall, University of Colorado, Boulder) showed that these molecules
are comparable in toxicity to the invironmentally important selenium oxyanions,
selenate and selenite.
Work with human promyelocytic cells indicate that both compounds induced
apoptosis, so-called programmed cell death. Apoptotic induction was does
and time dependent as monitored by three different analytical methods:
fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, and gel electrophoresis.
Like some organoselenium compounds, use of organotellurium compounds
may be applicable in chemoprevention and cancer theatment.
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