Bacterial cytotoxicity and induction of apoptosis in promyelocytic (line HL-60) cells by novel organotellurium compounds

The increasing importance of tellurium in organic synthesis, in industrial applications, and as a possible component in pesticides means that its intr oduction into the environment will probably increase in the future. A knowl edge of the relative toxicity and the mode of toxic action of tellurium-con taining chemicals is therefore important. The work presented here, using gr owth-rate inhibition effects on Pseudomonas fluorescens of two model compou nds, telluranthrene and tetrachlorodiphenyl ditelluride, suggests that thes e compounds are at least as toxic as the relatively well-known selenium oxy anions, selenate and selenite. Experiments with human promyelocytic (line H L-60) cells indicate that both the above organotellurium compounds induce a Form of cell death called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. The inducti on of apoptosis occurred in both a time- and dose-dependent manner, as assa yed by three different analytical methods: fluorescence microscopy, how cyt ometry, and gel electrophoresis. The results indicate that organotellurium compounds may find applicability in the fields of chemoprevention and cance r therapy, similar to organoselenium compounds.