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Gap Junctional Intercellular Communication: A Functional Biomarker to Assess Adverse Effects of Toxicants and Toxins, and Health Benefits of Natural Products
05:27

Gap Junctional Intercellular Communication: A Functional Biomarker to Assess Adverse Effects of Toxicants and Toxins, and Health Benefits of Natural Products

Published on: December 25, 2016

The vitamin E analog tocopherol succinate strongly inhibits gap junctional intercellular communication in rat liver

Catherine Chaumontet1, Valérie Bex, Frédéric Véran

  • 1Laboratoire de Nutrition et Sécurité Alimentaire, INRA, Domaine de Vilvert, Jouy-en-Josas Cedex, France. catherine.chaumontet@jouy.inra.fr

The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry
|August 9, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Vitamin E analogs, particularly tocopherol succinate (TS), can disrupt cell communication. This finding helps explain vitamin E

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, scavenging free radicals in cell membranes.
  • However, some vitamin E forms can induce reactive oxygen species and apoptosis in cancer cells.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of various vitamin E analogs on gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC).
  • To determine if tocopherol succinate (TS) impacts GJIC in rat liver cells.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the rat liver epithelial cell line IAR203.
  • Measured GJIC by assessing the transfer of Lucifer yellow dye.
  • Tested alpha-tocopherol, tocopherol acetate, tocopherol phosphate, and tocopherol succinate (TS).

Main Results:

  • Alpha-tocopherol, tocopherol acetate, and tocopherol phosphate showed moderate inhibition of dye transfer.
  • Tocopherol succinate (TS) significantly inhibited dye transfer at concentrations of 10 and 25 microM.
  • TS-induced inhibition is likely due to the hypophosphorylation of connexin 43.

Conclusions:

  • Vitamin E analogs, especially TS, can negatively affect GJIC.
  • These adverse effects on cell communication may contribute to the controversial roles of vitamin E in carcinogenesis.

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