Cobalt chloride and desferrioxamine antagonize the inhibition of erythropoietin production by reactive oxygen species.

We have recently proposed a H2O2-generating b-type cytochrome as part of the cellular oxygen sensor that controls O2-dependent erythropoietin (Epo) production in the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2. H2O2 could act as an intracellular signaling molecule because its production in HepG2 cells is strictly dependent on the pericellular PO2. High cellular levels of H2O2 inhibit hypoxia-induced Epo production while low levels-as under hypoxic conditions-allow full expression of the Epo gene. Since cobalt chloride (CoCl2) and the iron chelator desferrioxamine (DSF) both mimic the hypoxic induction of Epo production we studied the influence of CoCl2 and DSF on the formation and on the action of reactive O2-species with respect to Epo production. Both chemicals reduced the H2O2-dependent 123-dihydrorhodamine fluorescence in HepG2 cells. The inhibition of Epo production by exogenous H2O2 was completely antagonized by DSF. This might indicate that H2O2 exerts its inhibition through a Fenton type reaction. On the other hand, NADPH and pyrogallol which stimulate the production of O2- inhibited Epo production. CoCl2 antagonized their effects. From our results we propose different sites of interaction with the putative signaling chain for DSF and CoCl2. While DSF appears to reduce the action of the H2O2 molecule, CoCl2 might act further upstream through the induction of H2O2-scavenger systems or by interfering with its production.