title: Bcl-2 inhibits chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in neuroblastoma.
abstract: bcl-2 is the first member of a new class of protooncogenes the products of which inhibit programmed cell death (PCD) or apoptosis. We have previously determined that Bcl-2 is expressed in a significant percentage of untreated primary neuroblastoma (NBL) tumors. In these specimens Bcl-2 expression correlated with other markers of poor prognosis suggesting a role for Bcl-2 in the malignant behavior of NBL tumor cells. To investigate this possibility, a Bcl-2-negative human NBL cell line (Shep-1) was transfected with a bcl-2 expression vector (pSFFVneo-bcl-2). Multiple unique clones were isolated which showed variable levels of Bcl-2 protein by quantitative immunoprecipitation. Vector-transfected controls were generated simultaneously. Clones expressing high levels of Bcl-2 were resistant to cisplatin- and etoposide-induced cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner. Analysis of propidium iodide-stained nuclei by flow cytometry after cisplatin or etoposide treatment revealed marked DNA degradation in vector-transfected controls whereas bcl-2 transfectants showed a dose-dependent inhibition of DNA degradation. Analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed relatively large fragment DNA degradation (approximately 50 kilobases) in the absence of internucleosomal degradation in vector-transfected control cells treated with either cisplatin or etoposide. In contrast, Bcl-2-expressing cells showed significantly less DNA degradation at all time points. These single gene transfection experiments have revealed that expression of Bcl-2 renders specific NBL cells resistant to chemotherapy-induced PCD and support the hypothesis that Bcl-2 enhances the malignant phenotype of NBL by promoting tumor resistance to chemotherapy agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor 48109.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dole
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nuñez
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Merchant
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maybaum
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Rode
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bloch
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Castle
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005047:Etoposide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D005047:Etoposide; D002945:Cisplatin