Ceramide promotes the death of human cervical tumor cells in the absence of biochemical and morphological markers of apoptosis |
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Authors: | López-Marure Rebeca Gutiérrez Gisela Mendoza Criselda Ventura José Luis Sánchez Luis Reyes Maldonado Elba Zentella Alejandro Montaño Luis Felipe |
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Institution: | Departamento de Biología Celular, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Juan Badiano No. 1, Colonia Sección 16, Tlalpan, C.P. 14080, Mexico DF, Mexico. rmarure@hotmail.com |
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Abstract: | C8-ceramide, a synthetic cell-permeable analog of endogenous ceramides, interfered with cell proliferation, and was cytotoxic to papilloma virus-containing human cervix carcinoma cells, CALO, INBL, and HeLa, that match two clinical stages of tumor progression. C8-ceramide (3 microM) markedly reduced the tumor cell number after 48 h of treatment, an effect that endured even after the removal of C8-ceramide. The carcinoma cells showed morphologic changes, characteristic of necrosis and released lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). A biologically inactive analog C8-dihydro-ceramide had no effect on cell viability in any of the cell lines tested. Seventy-two hours after C8-ceramide treatment none of the biochemical and morphological markers characteristic of apoptosis: (a) nuclear chromatin condensation, (b) DNA fragmentation, (c) proteolysis of the caspase-3 substrate poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase (PARP), and (d) appearance of phosphatidylserine on the external cell membrane, were observed. C8-ceramide had no effect on human cervix fibroblasts and induced a mild reduction (30%) in the proliferation of normal human cervix epithelia and HeLa cells (IV-B metastatic stage). The cytotoxicity of C8-ceramide was restricted to CALO (early II-B) and INBL (IV-A non-metastatic) carcinoma cells. The possible application of ceramide in the treatment of early stages of cervical cancer is discussed. |
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Keywords: | Apoptosis Necrosis Uterine cervical cancer |
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