The mechanism of acute cytotoxicity of triethylphosphine gold(I) complexes. I. Characterization of triethylphosphine gold chloride-induced biochemical and morphological changes in isolated hepatocytes.

Triethylphosphine gold complexes are effective therapeutic agents used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Many of those molecules are also highly cytotoxic in vitro and can inhibit DNA and protein synthesis. Preliminary experiments have indicated that triethylphosphine gold chloride (TEPAu) may induce the peroxidative decomposition of cellular membrane lipids. The purpose of these investigations therefore was to evaluate the role of lipid peroxidation in the mechanism of acute cytotoxicity of a gold(I) coordination complex, TEPAu, and to examine the early morphological and biochemical changes induced by TEPAu in suspensions of freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. TEPAu caused a rapid loss of cell viability at concentrations above 25 microM which was significantly different from that of control by 60 min and complete by 180 min of incubation. TEPAu also depleted cells of reduced glutathione (GSH) and increased the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) by 60 min. Incubation of cells with either of the antioxidants, N,N'-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPPD) or promethazine blocked the formation of MDA but did not alter the time course of cell death or GSH depletion induced by TEPAu. TEPAu also caused a decrease in cellular NADPH and NADH by 10 min. Electron microscopy of hepatocytes exposed to TEPAu revealed early (5 min) formation of flocculent electron-dense precipitates within condensed mitochondria. These changes characteristically preceded cell death. Energy-dispersive electron-probe microanalysis indicated that the electron-dense precipitates did not contain detectable amounts of gold. TEPAu also caused a concentration-dependent decrease in cellular ATP and oxygen consumption in isolated rat hepatocytes. These data suggest that lipid peroxidation, as indicated by the formation of MDA, is probably not a major mechanism by which triethylphosphine gold complexes lethally injure cells. These data, therefore, suggest that mitochondria may be target organelles in TEPAu-induced toxicity to isolated rat hepatocytes.