PROOXIDANT AGENTS INDUCE MODIFICATIONS IN THE CYTOSKELETAL ORGANIZATION OF FIBROBLASTS

An important modulatory role of free-radicals and related species in c ontrolling the cell cycle has recently been revealed. The cytoskeletal system is an intracellular structure that participates in the regulat ory mechanisms of the cell cycle and is involved in reactions which ge nerate free-radicals. We studied the effects of three different prooxi dant systems (ascorbate/iron II sulphate, adenosine diphosphate/iron I II chloride and cumene hydroperoxide) on BALB/C 3T3 fibroblasts, in or der to establish a relationship between cytoskeletal alterations and c hanges in cell proliferation under oxidative stress conditions. me fou nd that prooxidant systems markedly influence cytoskeletal organisatio n, but only slightly modify the proliferation rate. The mechanism of c ytoskeletal alteration is unclear, but does not depend on oxidative da mage. The main components of the cytoskeleton appear to be involved in free-radical-generated cell reactions, even though a relationship wit h cell growth has yet to be identified.