title: Alteration of the Bcl-2/Bax status of head and neck cancer cell lines by chemotherapeutic agents.
abstract: The Bcl-2 family of genes includes some important regulators of apoptosis. Among these genes, Bcl-2 and Bax control cell death, thus contributing to both tumor growth and drug sensitivity. We determined the levels of protein and RNA expression of Bcl-2 family in 21 head and neck cancer cell lines. Then using four cell lines, which were KB (Bcl-2+/Bax+), KCC-L871 (Bcl-2+/Bax-), YCU-T891 (Bcl-2-/Bax+) and TC901 (Bcl-2-/Bax-), we investigated the impact of Bcl-2/Bax status on sensitivity to the following chemotherapeutic agents; paclitaxel, cisplatin, vincristine and 5-fluorouracil. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR showed that 71% of the cell lines were Bcl-2 positive, 62% were Bax positive, 38% were Bcl-XL positive and 62% were Bcl-XS positive. After treatment with all the chemotherapeutic agents, Bax expression changed from negative to positive in TC901 cells. In KB cells, Bcl-2 expression decreased only after treatment with paclitaxel. YCU-T891 cells were sensitive to all of the drugs. In conclusion, Bcl-2/Bax status was correlated with drug sensitivity and treatment with chemotherapeutic agents induced apoptosis in these cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsukuda
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamajima
mesh_terms: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D019254:Genes, bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000494:pharmacology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014750:Vincristine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; C494826:BAX protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D014750:Vincristine; D012313:RNA; D017239:Paclitaxel; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil