%0 Journal Article
%T Alteration of mitochondrial membrane potential (DELTA_PSI_m) and phosphatidylserine translocation as early indicators of heavy metal-induced apoptosis in the earthworm Eisenia hortensis
%A FM Bearoff
%A SL Fuller-Espie
%J Invertebrate Survival Journal
%D 2011
%I ISJ
%X The effects of the heavy metals cadmium and copper (50-500 ━M) on the apoptotic events involving changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (  m) and phosphatidylserine (PS) translocation were investigated in the immune cells (celomocytes) of the earthworm Eisenia hortensis. Using the fluorescent probe JC-1, loss of membrane potential due to depolarization was detected in a greater proportion of cases when induced by cadmium compared to copper (58.7 % vs. 37 %) and at a lower concentration (50 ━M vs. 125━M). With the use of the general caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-fmk, PS translocation detected by annexin V-FITC was found to be caspase-dependent when induced by cadmium at 125-250 ━M but not at 50 ━M or 500 ━M; a high proportion of earthworms (60 %) exhibited inhibitory effects. Additionally, the collapse in membrane potential and PS translocation were found to strongly correlate (r > 0.5) in 89 % of cases when induced by cadmium and copper. Thus, heavy metals appear to induce death in celomocytes of E. hortensis through apoptosis by means of caspase dependent pathways
%K cadmium and copper
%K JC-1
%K annexin V-FITC
%K mitochondrial membrane depolarization
%K phosphatidylserine translocation
%K caspases
%U http://www.isj.unimo.it/articoli/ISJ240.pdf