Lysosomal membrane fragility

One consequence of the uptake of some contaminants is a reduction in the ability of lysosomes to retain the dye Neutral Red. As a consequence, the Neutral Red retention time has been developed as an index of lysosomal membrane fragility and thus of toxicity. The test has been used on the digestive cells involved with intracellular digestion of endocytosed food following administration of organic contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [71]. The phenomenon has been reported many times after exposure to... 

Moore, M. N. and Viarengo, A. (1987). Lysosomal membrane fragility and catabolism of cytosolic proteins evidence for a direct relationship, Experientia, 15, 320-323. 

Finally, high doses of glucocorticoids appear to stabilize lysosomal membranes, thereby making them less fragile and susceptible to rupture.35 Lysosomes are subcellular organelles that contain a variety of degra-... 

One of the characteristic cellular changes occurring following chemical exposure is the increased fragility of the lysosomal membrane. Lowe el al. (1992) developed an in vitro technique to measure the stability of the lysosomal membrane in isolated liver cells in fish caught in clean and contaminated sites. The technique was based on the ability of cell lysosome to retain neutral red dye. On the basis of this technique, further modifications were implemented by Weeks and Svendsen (1996) to enable use with terrestrial invertebrates. This method (the neutral red retention time assay) has since been applied widely for measuring lysosomal damage. 

Regec AL, Trump BF, Trifillis AL. Effect of gentamycin on the lysosomal system of cultured human proximal tubular cells endocytic activity, lysosomal pFI, and membrane fragility. Biochem Pharmacol 1989 38 2527-2534. 

It may be asked whether the study of a substance s effects on the lysosomal membrane is of therapeutic interest The discovery that lysosomes play a role in inflammatory processes is in itself sufficient to justify such an investigation. Indeed some symptoms of inflammation probably result from an increase in fragility of the lysosomal membrane and the release of the granular content leading to cellular and extracellular injuries. Hence a compound able to stabilize the lysosomal membrane may possess anti-inflammatory properties. Many well-known anti-inflammatory drugs do indeed stabilize the lysosomal membrane... 

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