Mitochondrial antioxidants in normal oral epithelial and oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines

Abstract

Mitochondrial antioxidants play an important role in regulation of oral cancer progression. In our study we profiled the expression levels of various mitochondrial antioxidants such as reduced glutathione, lipid peroxides, mitochondrial catalase, mitochondrial superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), and mitochondrial glutaredoxin 2( GLRX2) in normal oral epithelial cell line and oral squamous cell carcinoma cell (OSCC) line. Our comparative study on these cell lines using UV-Vis Spectrophotometry and Immunoblotting reveal there is an altered profile of the mitochondrial antioxidants in oral squamous cell carcinoma. While the expression levels of mitochondrial Catalase, mitochondria Lipid Peroxide, mitochondrial Superoxide Dismutase 2 and mitochondrial Glutaredoxin 2 decrease in oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line as compared to oral epithelial cell line, the levels of reduced glutathione increase. Our results indicate there is a complex interplay of mitochondrial antioxidants in regulation of oral squamous cell carcinoma.