title: Differential responses of human neuroblastoma and glioblastoma to apoptosis.
abstract: Staurosporine, a protein kinase and etoposide, a topoisomerase II inhibitor, are known to enhance apoptosis. The differential effects of these agents on T98G glioblastoma and SK-N-SH neuroblastoma, cell lines both derived from human tumors, have not been determined. We assessed cellular viability, DNA fragmentation and laddering, chromatin condensation, and Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage induced by these agents at a series of concentrations and times. In addition, to gain an understanding of the mechanism by which these agents work, we measured Protein Kinase C (PKC) activity. Staurosporine induced significant alterations in all apoptotic parameters tested in both cell lines. Etoposide induced apoptotic alterations similar to those caused by staurosporine in neuroblastoma but produced no detectable apoptotic changes in glioblastoma cells. Etoposide induced membrane but not cytosolic PKC activity in neuroblastoma but had no effect on PKC activity in glioblastoma. Our results show that the induction of apoptosis is cell type dependent. PKC activity appears to be crucial in the initiation of apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Dartmouth Medical College and VA Medical Center, 215 North Main St. Research Building #44, White River Junction, VT 05009, USA. sherry.bursztajn@darmouth.edu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bursztajn
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nanda
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Berman
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003600:Cytosol / Q000201:enzymology; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005047:Etoposide / Q000494:pharmacology; D005909:Glioblastoma; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D009447:Neuroblastoma; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D019311:Staurosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005047:Etoposide; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D019311:Staurosporine