Effects of N-acetyl-L-cysteine on bleomycin induced oxidative stress in malignant testicular germ cell tumors

Testicular cancer is a very common cancer in males aged 15-44 years. Bleomycin is used in chemotherapy regimens in the treatment of patients having testicular germ-cell tumor. Bleomycin generates oxygen radicals, induces oxidative cleavage of DNA strand and induces apoptosis in cancer cells. There is no study in the literature investigating effects of N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) on bleomycin-induced oxidative stress in testicular germ cell tumors. For this reason, we studied effects of NAC on oxidative stress produced in wild-type NTera-2 and p53-mutant NCCIT testis cancer cells incubated with bleomycin and compared the results with H2O2 which directly produces oxidative stress. We determined protein carbonyl content, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), glutathione (GSH), 8-isoprostane, lipid hydroperoxide levels and total antioxidant capacity in both testicular cancer cells. Bleomycin and H2O2 significantly increased 8-isoprostane, TBARS, protein carbonyl and lipid hydroperoxide levels in NTera-2 and NCCIT cells. Bleomycin and H2O2 significantly decreased antioxidant capacity and GSH levels in both cell lines. Co-incubation with NAC significantly decreased lipid hydroperoxide, 8-isoprostane, protein carbonyl content and TBAR5 levels increased by bleomycin and H2O2. NAC enhanced GSH levels and antioxidant capacity in the NTera-2 and NCCIT cells. It can be concluded that NAC diminishes oxidative stress in human testicular cancer cells induced by bleomycin and H2O2. (C) 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.