Transition metals, particularly iron, will potentiate oxidant damage to isolated cell organelles,
plasma membranes, and DNA when added to in vitro incubation systems. However, similar
studies of intact cells have been hampered by the relative impermeability of whole cells to
iron. We have iron loaded cultured endothelial cells by using the iron-chelating fungistat 8-
hydroxyquinoline (8HQ). 8HQ forms lipophilic chelates with iron and rapidly transfers the
metal across the intact plasma membrane of endothelial cells. After brief exposure to 8HQ …