Dichloroacetonitrile induces cytotoxicity through oxidative stress-mediated and p53-dependent apoptosis pathway in LO2 cells

Dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN), one of the disinfection byproducts of water chlorination, induces cell proliferation and apoptosis; however, the detailed mechanism remains unclear. Oxidative stress participates in various biological processes, including DNA damage and cytotoxicity. To explore whether oxidative stress mediated DCAN-induced cell proliferation and apoptosis, we assessed the effect of redox imbalance and apoptosis in LO2 cells. We observed increase of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde and increased apoptosis by 13.6% in 500 μM DCAN compared with the control group. We also observed a decrease of antioxidant ability damage including glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and total antioxidant capacity depletion. Furthermore, DCAN might activate oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis pathway via up-regulation of p53 expression and caspase-3 activity. Therefore, we conclude that DCAN may activate apoptotic signals via p53 up-regulation and oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis in LO2 cells.