Disturbance of the transmembrane phosphatidylserine asymmetry in hepatocytes as an apoptosis marker under the action of xenobiotics on rats

Abstract

It has been reported that unfavorable chemical environmental factors affect the functional state of liver, activate free radical processes against the background of the reduced antioxidant activity, change physico-chemical properties and membrane phospholipid composition of hepatocytes. The aim of our research was to estimate phosphatidylserine distribution in the phospholipid bilayer of hepatocyte membranes and apoptosis stages in hepatocytes of rats under the influence of surfactants: ethyleneglycol (EG), polyethyleneglycol 400, (PEG-400) and polypropyleneglycol (PPG) at a dose of 1/10 DL50. It was found in the subacute toxicological experiment on rats that the investigated xenobiotics EG, PEG-400 and PPG at a dose of 1/10 DL50 caused phosphatidylserine translocation to the outer membrane in the phospholipid bilayer of hepatocytes. This is a specific signal for macrophages aiming at recognition and elimination of apoptotic cells. Analysis of cell death modes under the influence of the investigated xenobiotics at a dose of 1/10 DL50 revealed that the intake of xenobiotics was associated with an increase in the amount of apoptotic/necrotic hepatocytes.

Keywords

• apoptosis
• membrane
• phosphatidylserine
• phospholipid bilayer of hepatocytes
• xenobiotics