Mechanisms by which ascorbic acid increases ferritin levels in cultured lens epithelial cells

A previous study demonstrated that ascorbic acid increased the concentration of the iron storage protein, ferritin. In cultured lens epithelial cells. The current study was designed to determine the mechanism by which ascorbic acid exerts this effect. Ascorbic acid increased both ferritin mRNA levels (by about 30%) and translation of ferritin (de novo synthesis was increased up to 15-fold) within 6 hr. Cycloheximide completely abolished the ability of ascorbic acid to increase ferritin levels, whereas actinomycin D only decreased it by about 30%. Therefore, the ascorbic-acid induced increase in ferritin concentration is due mainly to an increase in ferritin synthesis at the translational levels. This is a novel role for ascorbic acid. Addition of iron with ascorbic acid further increased de novo synthesis of ferritin, but this additive effect was only noted at a later time point (20 hr). Factors which decrease ferritin mRNA translation, such as the reducing agent dithiothreitol or the iron chelator desferrioxamine, reduced the ascorbic acid effect on de novo ferritin synthesis. The effects of ascorbic acid on ferritin mRNA levels may be mediated by its oxidation product, H2O2, since, like ascorbic acid, H2O2 increased ferritin mRNA levels by 30%. However, in contrast to the ascorbic acid-induced increase in translation of ferritin, H2O2 substantially decreased de novo ferritin synthesis. This effect of H2O2 could have physiological significance in eyes where concentrations of H2O2 in the aqueous humor are elevated. High levels of H2O2 could decrease the concentration of ferritin within the lens. Since ferritin sequesters iron and has been shown to decrease oxidative damage by limiting the availability of iron to catalyse free radical reactions, H2O2-induced reduction in ferritin concentration in the lens could have deleterious effects. The ability of ascorbic acid to increase ferritin concentration in lens epithelial cells could provide an additional protective mechanism for this antioxidant vitamin. The importance of ferritin to normal lens functioning is underscored by the recent finding that humans with a dominantly inherited abnormality in ferritin synthesis exhibit early bilateral cataracts.