Objective: To investigate the oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by 2, 2', 4, 4'-polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE-47) in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells, and to explore the involved role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on apoptosis.
Methods: The rate of cellular survivors, intracellular ROS level, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and percentage of apoptosis were measured respectively after the SH-SY5Y cell were exposed to 2, 4, 8 microg/ml PBDE-47 for 24 h in vitro.
Results: The rate of cellular survivors in the low dose PBDE-47-treated group was higher than the control group (P < 0.05), but the moderate and high dose PBDE-47-treated groups were significantly lower than the control group (P < 0.05). The MDA contents in the moderate and high dose PBDE-47-treated groups were significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.05) and increased with increase of PBDE-47 exposure concentrations. Compared with the control group, the levels of ROS were significantly increased with increase of PBDE-47 concentrations (P < 0.05). In the moderate and high dose PBDE-47-treated groups, the percentages of apoptosis were significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: PBDE-47 can induce oxidative stress and apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cell. ROS may play an important role in the apoptosis induced by PBDE-47.