Nucleoside transporters are critical to the uptake and antioxidant activity of 7,8-dihydroneopterin in monocytic cells

7,8-Dihydroneopterin protects cells intracellularly from oxidative stress-induced death, but its mode of transport across the cell membrane is unknown. Nucleosides, such as guanosine, are transported via nucleoside transporters of the equilibrative and concentrative forms. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify which membrane transporters are responsible for 7,8-dihydroneopterin transport in cells and whether this is necessary for protection against oxidative stress. Monocytic cell lines U937, THP-1 and human monocytes were incubated with varying concentrations of 7,8-dihydroneopterin with or without nucleoside transporter inhibitors nitrobenzylthioinosine (NBMPR; ENT1), dipyridamole (DP; ENT1 and ENT2) or indomethacin (INDO; CNT). Only DP inhibited 7,8-dihydroneopterin uptake in U937 cells, while NBMPR and DP inhibited 7,8-dihydroneopterin uptake in THP-1 cells. All three inhibitors limited 7,8-dihydroneopterin uptake in human monocytes at short time points only. When the cells were incubated with 10 mM of the peroxyl radical generator 2,2'-azobis-2-methyl-propanimidamide, dihydrochloride (AAPH) a 50–80% loss of cell viability was measured. 7,8-dihydroneopterin protected all cell lines against AAPH-induced cell death, which was prevented with DP in U937 cells, NBMPR in THP-1 cells and a combination of all three nucleoside inhibitors in human monocytes. These data indicate 7,8-dihydroneopterin is transported across the cell membrane of monocytic cells via equilibrative and concentrative nucleoside transporters in a cell lineage-dependent manner. The data also indicate protection from peroxyl radical-generated cell death with 7,8-dihydroneopterin is intracellular and facilitated through nucleoside transporters in monocytic cells.