Zinc wave during the treatment of hypoxia is required for initial reactive oxygen species activation in mitochondria

Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to accumulate during chemical hypoxia, causing adverse effects on cell function and survival. Recent studies show important role zinc accumulation plays in dysfunction associated with hypoxia. It is well known that ROS accumulation also plays a major role in cellular damage by hypoxia. In this study, fluorescent imaging and pharmacological methods were used in live HeLa cells to determine role of zinc in initial ROS accumulation in mitochondria during chemical hypoxia (oxygen glucose depravation with 4 mM sodium dithionite). Accumulation of both was observed as a very rapid phenomenon with initial rapid zinc increase (zinc wave) within 60 seconds of hypoxia onset and ROS increase within 4.5 minutes. Zinc chelation with TPEN removed the initial zinc wave which in turn abolished ROS accumulation. Influx of exogenous zinc induced rapid ROS accumulation. Inhibition of NADPH oxidase with apocynin, a NADPH oxidase inhibitor, showed significant and prolonged reduction in zinc induced ROS accumulation. We proposed a novel mechanism of intracellular zinc increase that activates NADPH oxidase which in turn triggers mitochondrial ROS production.