Opposite effects of two zinc(II) dithiocarbamates on NF-kB pathway

Inhibiting nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kB) activation in anticancer and antiinflammatory therapy is of topical interest. Current research in molecular biology has dramatically advanced in the understanding of the cellular events involved in NF-kB induction. Dithiocarbamates, in particular diethyldithiocarbamate and pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate, have been known and widely used as strong inhibitors of NF-kB signaling pathway for more than ten years. Their activity is frequently thought to be due to chelating of zinc or copper present in serum supplemented in the culture medium. Zinc(II) diethyldithiocarbamate (Et2Zn) and zinc(II) dibenzyldithiocarbamate (Bz2Zn) were prepared by direct synthesis in aqueous millieu. They were structurally characterized by X-ray analysis (solid phase) and mass spectrometry (aqueous conditions). Et2Zn and Bz2Zn both in 20 micromolar concentration were applied to HeLa cells. The status of NF-kB signaling was assessed as nuclear translocation of p65 subunit. Surprisingly, Et2Zn activated NF-kB pathway, while TNF-dependent activation of NF-kB was inhibited by Bz2Zn. Our results are preliminary