Role of glutathione in the induction of apoptosis and c-fos and c-jun mRNAs by oxidative stress in tumor cells.

We have used two tumor cell clones (B9 and G2), derived from the methylcholanthrene-induced murine fibrosarcoma GR9 and normal BALB/c3T3 fibroblasts, to study the ability of t-BOOH derived reactive oxygen radicals to induce oxidative stress, apoptosis and c-fos and c-jun mRNA transcription. These clones differ in terms of their major histocompatibility complex (MHC) (H-2) class I genes expression, their tumor induction and metastatic potential and their reduced glutathione (GSH) levels. Incubation of both cell clones in the presence of t-BOOH results in the increase of 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) and malondialdehyde and the decrease of GSH. The xenobiotic also induces the transcripti…