Ataxia telangiectasia and rad3 related (ATR)-promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) pathway of the DNA damage response in the brain of rats administered arsenic trioxide

To examine the in vivo responses of promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) to arsenic, rats (male, 6 weeks old, Sprague Dawley) were administered a single intraperitoneal dose of 5 mg/kg arsenic trioxide (ATO). The protein was examined in the heart, lung, liver, and brain 6 and 48 hours after administration: a significant response of PML was observed in the brain. Oxidative DNA modification was also observed in the brain as revealed by increased immunoreactivity to anti-8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) antibody. In contrast, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) stain reactivity was only slightly increased, suggesting oxidative cellular stress without apoptotic cell death in the ATO-administered rat brain. Among the DNA damage response pathways, the ATR-Chk1 axis was activated, while the ATM-Chk2 axis was not, implying that the PML response is associated with activation of the ATR-Chk1 DNA repair pathway in the brain.