title: Activin A induces apoptotic cell death.
abstract: Activins, members of a family of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta), are involved in the regulation of multiple biological events. We found a novel effect of activin A on hybridoma and myeloma cell lines. Activin A exhibited a cytotoxic effect on interleukin-6 (IL-6)-dependent B9 cells and induced a significant increase in the proportion of fragmented DNA. B9 cells exposed to activin A released high amounts of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and exhibited the typical ladder pattern of DNA fragmentation of apoptotic cells. IL-6 did not prevent apoptosis of B9 cells induced by activin A. The cytotoxicity of activin A to B9 cells was suppressed by follistatin. On the other hand, TGF beta showed no cytotoxic effect on B9 cells. These findings indicate that apoptosis induced by activin A could be one of the mechanisms to prevent uncontrolled cell growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Science, National Institute of Health, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishihara
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okahashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ueda
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D038681:Follistatin; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D006825:Hybridomas; D007265:Inhibins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D008223:Lymphoma; D051379:Mice; D009101:Multiple Myeloma; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D038681:Follistatin; D006023:Glycoproteins; D006133:Growth Substances; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins