Dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential by exogenous phospholipid monohydroperoxide and protection against this effect by transfection of cells with phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase gene.

Two hours after its addition to cultures of a guinea pig cell line, 104C1, dilinoleoyl phosphatidylcholine monohydroperoxide (PCOOH) at concentrations of 5-160 microM induced a dissipation of the mitochondrial inner membrane potential (delta psi m), without any apparent morphological changes, in the cells. The PCOOH-induced loss of delta psi m was restored 4 hr after the replacement of the medium with PCOOH-free fresh medium. In contrast, 104C1/O4C cells, a stable clone from 104C1 cells transfected with the human phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPx) gene encoding a sequence including a signal peptide towards mitochondria, were resistant to the loss of delta psi m after a 2-hr exposure to PCOOH at concentrations up to 160 microM. Even after an 8-hr exposure to 80 microM PCOOH, the transfected cells retained their delta psi m intact, though the parent cells were killed by the same treatment. The present results strongly suggest that the expression of PHGPx protected the host cells from PCOOH-mediated injury at least by protecting their mitochondria from lipid hydroperoxide-induced loss of delta psi m.