title: Protein kinase C inhibitors induce apoptosis in human malignant glioma cell lines.
abstract: Previous work has demonstrated the importance of the protein kinase C (PKC) system in regulating glioma growth, and has led to clinical trials utilizing PKC inhibitors as adjuncts in the therapy of patients harboring malignant gliomas. This study was performed to explore the possibility that inhibition of PKC in gliomas was triggering an apoptosis signal. Glioma cell lines were treated with PKC inhibitors staurosporine (10 nM), and tamoxifen (10 microM). DNA from cells treated with each of these drugs exhibited a 'ladder' pattern of oligonucleosome-sized fragments characteristic of apoptosis, thus suggesting that in glioma cells, these drugs may be cytocidal in action.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90033.
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Couldwell
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hinton
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sebat
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Law
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D005910:Glioma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D019311:Staurosporine; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D013629:Tamoxifen; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D019311:Staurosporine