, 2008 and Puntel et al., 2007). In line with this, literature data have indicated that these compounds can provide protective effect against lipid peroxidation induced by a variety of pro-oxidants agents (Barbosa et al., 2006, Barbosa et al., 2008, Moretto et al., 2007, Nogueira and Rocha, 2010, Nogueira and Rocha, 2011, Parnham and Graf, 1991,

Puntel et al., 2007 and Rossato et al., 2002). The antioxidant activity of these organochalcogens has been ascribed either to their glutathione peroxidase-like activity (Maiorino et al., 1988, Santos et al., 2005, Sies, 1993 and Sies, selleck screening library 1995) or to the fact that they can be substrates of mammalian thioredoxin reductase (de Freitas and Rocha, 2011, Sausen de Freitas et al., 2010, Zhao and Holmgren, 2002 and Zhao et al., 2002). Thus, in order to exert antioxidant properties, the selenium containing compounds have to be metabolized to selenol/selenolate intermediates, a reaction which can be accomplished via reduction of the Se moiety by different types of thiols (Nogueira and Rocha, 2011 and Wendel et al., 1984) (Scheme 1). For organotellurium compounds, it has been postulated that the antioxidant activity is linked to changes in the oxidation state of the Te atom (Te(II) ↔ Te(IV)) (Engman et al., 1995, Leonard et al., 1996 and You et al., 2003). Thus, the thiol-peroxidase or thioredoxin-thiol-peroxidase-like

activity of organochalcogens (Nogueira and Rocha, 2011, Sausen de Freitas et al., 2010, Zhao and Holmgren, 2002 and Zhao et al., 2002) can be of biological and therapeutic significance EPZ015666 datasheet via artificial modulation of the cellular levels of peroxides. However, the excessive oxidation of thiols, including those in mitochondrial membranes, by organochalcogens without a concomitant reduction of peroxides may be toxic to living cells (thiol-oxidation activity) (Nogueira and Rocha, 2011 and Puntel et al., 2010) (Scheme 1). In effect, mitochondrial

dysfunction caused by thiol oxidation is closely related to the apoptotic cell death (Morin about et al., 2003 and Zhao et al., 2006). Accordingly, the organochalcogens should be considered as putative candidates for apoptotic cell death inducer via mitochondrial dysfunction, which may explain, at least in part, their pharmacological/toxicological action (Ardais et al., 2010, Nogueira and Rocha, 2010, Santos et al., 2009a and Santos et al., 2009b). In line with this, recently our group showed that both Ebselen (Ebs) and diphenyl diselenide [(PhSe)2] induced mitochondrial dysfunction via interaction with critical mitochondria thiols (Puntel et al., 2010). Considering that mitochondrial complexes play a central role in cellular metabolism and in the regulation of apoptotic cell death, we sought to determine whether these mitochondrial complexes could be considered molecular targets for the thiol-oxidation activity of Ebs, (PhSe)2 or diphenyl ditelluride [(PhTe)2].