Analysis of concentration-dependent effects of thiopurines and thionucleosides on levels of reactive oxygen species in K562 cells

Authors

  • Sajjad Albasri International Sakharov Environmental Institute, Belarusian State University, 23/1 Dawgabrodskaja Street, Minsk 220070, Belarus
  • Aliaksei G. Sysa Polessky State University, 23 Dniaprowskaj Flatylii Street, Pinsk 225710, Belarus
  • Eugenii I. Kvasyuk International Sakharov Environmental Institute, Belarusian State University, 23/1 Dawgabrodskaja Street, Minsk 220070, Belarus
  • Viktar A. Lemiasheuski Polessky State University, 23 Dniaprowskaj Flatylii Street, Pinsk 225710, Belarus; All-Russian Research Institute of Physiology, Biochemistry and Nutrition of Animals – branch of the Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry – VIZh named after Academician L. K. Ernst, Borovsk 249013, Russian

Keywords:

thiopurines, reactive oxygen species, ROS, K562 cells, anticancer activity, structure-activity relationships, 6-thioguanine, 6-thioguanosine

Abstract

Thiopurines and their nucleoside derivatives are widely used in cancer treatment, particularly for leukemia. However, their precise mechanisms of action, especially concerning reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, remain incompletely understood. This study investigated the effects of 6-mercaptopurine, 6-thioguanine, 6-thioguanosine, and 2′-deoxy-6-thioguanosine on ROS levels in K562 human chronic myelogenous leukemia cells. Using a 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate essay, we measured ROS production across a concentration range of 10–6 to 10–4 mol/L. Our results revealed distinct patterns of ROS induction among the compounds. 6-Mercaptopurine showed a concentration-dependent increase in ROS levels, while 6-thioguanine exhibited a biphasic response with higher ROS production at lower concentrations. The nucleosides 6-thioguanosine and 2′-deoxy-6-thioguanosine demonstrated less pronounced effects on ROS levels. These findings provide valuable insights into the structure-activity relationships of thiopurines and thionucleosides, highlighting the complex interplay between their molecular structures and ROS-inducing properties. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the anticancer effects of these compounds and may inform the development of more targeted and effective thiopurine-based therapies.

Author Biographies

  • Sajjad Albasri, International Sakharov Environmental Institute, Belarusian State University, 23/1 Dawgabrodskaja Street, Minsk 220070, Belarus

    postgraduate student at the department of environmental chemistry and biochemistry, faculty of environmental medicine

  • Aliaksei G. Sysa, Polessky State University, 23 Dniaprowskaj Flatylii Street, Pinsk 225710, Belarus

    PhD (chemistry), docent; associate professor at the department of biochemistry and bioinformatics, faculty of biotechnology

  • Eugenii I. Kvasyuk, International Sakharov Environmental Institute, Belarusian State University, 23/1 Dawgabrodskaja Street, Minsk 220070, Belarus

    doctor of science (chemistry), full professor; professor at the department of environmental chemistry and biochemistry, faculty of environmental medicine

  • Viktar A. Lemiasheuski, Polessky State University, 23 Dniaprowskaj Flatylii Street, Pinsk 225710, Belarus; All-Russian Research Institute of Physiology, Biochemistry and Nutrition of Animals – branch of the Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry – VIZh named after Academician L. K. Ernst, Borovsk 249013, Russian

    PhD (agricultural science), docent; head of the department of biochemistry and bioinformatics, faculty of biotechnology, Polessky State University, and researcher at the laboratory of protein-amino acid nutrition, cAll-Russian Research Institute of Physiology, Biochemistry and Nutrition of Animals – branch of the Federal Research Center for Animal Husbandry – VIZh named after Academician L. K. Ernst

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Published

2025-03-31

Issue

No. 1 (2025): Journal of the Belarusian State University. Chemistry

Section

Original Articles

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How to Cite

[1]
Albasri, S. et al. 2025. Analysis of concentration-dependent effects of thiopurines and thionucleosides on levels of reactive oxygen species in K562 cells. Journal of the Belarusian State University. Chemistry. 1 (Mar. 2025), 31–36.