The effect of the presence of PrP^C on the susceptibility of cells to transition metal-induced toxicity.

<p>Cells were tested for survival after treatment with transition metals for 24 h and cell viability was determined using alamarBlue assay. Values are compared to those of the untreated controls and are expressed as percentage. The cells Zpl 2-1-PrP (open triangles) and Zpl 2-1-vector (black triangles) are compared (panels A through D) during treatments with increasing concentrations of metals, as follows: Cu²⁺-Gly (A), of Zn²⁺ (B), Mn²⁺ (C) and Co²⁺ (D). The cell lines ZW 13–2 (open circles), Zpl 2–1 (black circles) were treated similarly with increasing concentrations of metals and all four types of cells are compared on panels E through H, as follows: increasing concentration of Cu²⁺-Gly (E), of Zn²⁺ (F), Mn²⁺ (G) and of Co²⁺(H). The data are presented as means ± standard deviation (S.D.) of minimum 3 independent experiments performed in 5 replicates. *p<0.05, **p<0.01 and ***p<0.001 indicate significant differences between treated and untreated cells on panels A through D; ^μp<0.05, ^μμp<0.01 and ^μμμp<0.001 indicate significant differences between treated Zpl 2-1-PrP cells and treated Zpl 2-1-vector cells; ⁺p<0.05, ⁺⁺p<0.01 and ⁺⁺⁺p<0.001 indicate significant differences between the treated ZW 13–2 cells and treated Zpl 2–1 cells; ^δp<0.05, ^δδp<0.01 and ^δδδp<0.001indicate significant differences between the treated ZW 13–2 cells and treated Zpl 2-1-vector cells, and ^φp<0.05, ^φφp<0.01 and ^φφφp<0.001 indicate significant differences between the treated ZW 13–2 cells and treated Zpl 2-1-PrP cells.