PTEN inhibitor bpV(HOpic) confers protection against ionizing radiation

Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 18;11(1):1720. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-80754-8.

Abstract

Exposure to Ionizing radiation (IR) poses a severe threat to human health. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop potent and safe radioprotective agents for radio-nuclear emergencies. Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) mediates its cytoprotective signaling against IR by phosphorylating membrane phospholipids to phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5 triphosphate, PIP3, that serve as a docking site for AKT. Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog on chromosome 10 (PTEN) antagonizes PI3K activity by dephosphorylating PIP3, thus suppressing PI3K/AKT signaling that could prevent IR induced cytotoxicity. The current study was undertaken to investigate the radioprotective potential of PTEN inhibitor (PTENi), bpV(HOpic). The cell cytotoxicity, proliferation index, and clonogenic survival assays were performed for assessing the radioprotective potential of bpV(HOpic). A safe dose of bpV(HOpic) was shown to be radioprotective in three radiosensitive tissue origin cells. Further, bpV(HOpic) significantly reduced the IR-induced apoptosis and associated pro-death signaling. A faster and better DNA repair kinetics was also observed in bpV(HOpic) pretreated cells exposed to IR. Additionally, bpV(HOpic) decreased the IR-induced oxidative stress and significantly enhanced the antioxidant defense mechanism in cells. The radioprotective effect of bpV(HOpic) was found to be AKT dependant and primarily regulated by the enhanced glycolysis and associated signaling. Furthermore, this in-vitro observation was verified in-vivo, where administration of bpV(HOpic) in C57BL/6 mice resulted in AKT activation and conferred survival advantage against IR-induced mortality. These results imply that bpV(HOpic) ameliorates IR-induced oxidative stress and cell death by inducing AKT signaling mediated antioxidant defense system and DNA repair pathways, thus strengthening its potential to be used as a radiation countermeasure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis / radiation effects
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects*
  • Cell Proliferation / radiation effects
  • DNA Damage / drug effects
  • DNA Damage / radiation effects
  • Glycolysis / drug effects
  • Glycolysis / radiation effects
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Oxidative Stress / radiation effects
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Radiation, Ionizing*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / radiation effects
  • Vanadium Compounds / administration & dosage
  • Vanadium Compounds / pharmacology*
  • Whole-Body Irradiation

Substances

  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Vanadium Compounds
  • bisperoxovanadium
  • Akt1 protein, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase
  • Pten protein, mouse