title: Nitric oxide prevents anoxia-induced apoptosis in colonic HT29 cells.
abstract: Apoptosis is a critical determinant of tissue mass homeostasis and may play a role in carcinogenesis. The aim of the present study was to investigate anoxia-induced cell death in colon-derived HT29 cells and the effect of nitric oxide on this phenomenon. It was found that HT29 cells subjected to anoxia undergo apoptosis in a time dependent manner, as determined by DNA fragmentation and Hoechst-33258 dye staining. Cytochrome c release from mitochondria to cytosol is a key step in this process and this release precedes DNA fragmentation. NO inhibits anoxia induced apoptosis in these cells by inhibiting the release of cytochrome c and thus may play a role in modulating the apoptotic cell death of colon-derived epithelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Madesh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Balasubramanian
mesh_terms: D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D015687:Cell Hypoxia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D019073:HT29 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D013467:Sulindac / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D009599:Nitroprusside; D013467:Sulindac; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine