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  • Title: Effect of glutathione depletion on inhibition of cell cycle progression and induction of apoptosis by melphalan (L-phenylalanine mustard) in human colorectal cancer cells.
    Author: Vahrmeijer AL, van Dierendonck JH, Schutrups J, van de Velde CJ, Mulder GJ.
    Journal: Biochem Pharmacol; 1999 Aug 15; 58(4):655-64. PubMed ID: 10413303.
    Abstract:
    Intracellular levels of glutathione have been shown to affect the sensitivity of cells to cell death-inducing stimuli, as well as the mode of cell death. We found in five human colorectal cancer cell lines (HT-29, LS-180, LOVO, SW837, and SW1116) that GSH depletion by L-buthionine-[S,R]-sulfoximine (BSO) below 20% of control values increased L-phenylalanine mustard (L-PAM; Melphalan) cytotoxicity 2- to 3-fold. Effects on kinetics of both cell cycle progression and cell death were further investigated in the HT-29 cell line. BSO treatment alone had no effect on cell cycle kinetics, but did enhance the inhibition of S phase progression as induced by L-PAM; at high concentration of of L-PAM, BSO pretreatment resulted in blockage in all phases of the cell cycle. Yet, BSO pretreatment did not affect the intracellular L-PAM content. L-PAM induced apoptosis in both normal and GSH-depleted cells. A combination of annexin V labeling and propidium iodide staining revealed that even the higher concentration of L-PAM (420 microM) did not induce apoptosis until 48 hr after treatment, but that induction of cell death was markedly accelerated as a result of GSH depletion: 48 hours after L-PAM (420 microM) treatment, GSH-depleted cells showed a 4-fold increase in DNA fragmentation and a 7-fold increase in the fraction of apoptotic (annexin V-positive) cells as compared to cells with normal GSH levels. Various antioxidant treatment modalities could not prevent this potentiating effect of GSH depletion on L-PAM cytotoxicity, suggesting that reactive oxygen species do not play a role. These data show that after BSO treatment the mode of L-PAM-induced cell death does not necessarily switch from apoptosis to necrosis.
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