Valproic acid induces apoptosis in human leukemia cells by stimulating both caspase-dependent and -independent apoptotic signaling pathways.
We investigated the effects of valproic acid (VPA) on the growth and survival of human leukemia cell lines. VPA induced cell death in all of the nine cell lines tested in a dose dependent manner. VPA-treatment induced apoptotic changes in MV411 cells including DNA fragmentation, phosphatidylserine externalization, cytochrome c release from mitochondria, and activation of caspases-3, -8, and -9. A caspase inhibitor, zVAD-FMK, inhibited the DNA fragmentation induced by VPA but not cell death. These findings suggest that VPA exerts an anti-leukemic effect by both caspase-dependent and -independent apoptotic signaling pathways.
Kawagoe
Rika
R
Department of Pediatrics, Kobe University School of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan.
Kawagoe
Hiroyuki
H
Sano
Kimihiko
K
D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D020169:Caspases / Q000502:physiology*; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D003574:Cytochrome c Group; C096713:benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone; D014635:Valproic Acid; D020169:Caspases