Glycerol as a chemical chaperone enhances radiation-induced apoptosis in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells.
BACKGROUND
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, which is one of the most aggressive, malignant tumors in humans, results in an extremely poor prognosis despite chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The present study was designed to evaluate therapeutic effects of radiation by glycerol on p53-mutant anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells (8305c cells). To examine the effectiveness of glycerol in radiation induced lethality for anaplastic thyroid carcinoma 8305c cells, we performed colony formation assay and apoptosis analysis.


RESULTS
Apoptosis was analyzed with Hoechst 33342 staining and DNA ladder formation assay. 8305c cells became radiosensitive when glycerol was added to culture medium before X-ray irradiation. Apoptosis was induced by X-rays in the presence of glycerol. However, there was little apoptosis induced by X-ray irradiation or glycerol alone. The binding activity of whole cell extracts to bax promoter region was induced by X-rays in the presence of glycerol but not by X-rays alone.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that glycerol is effective against radiotherapy of p53-mutant thyroid carcinomas.
Ohnishi
Ken
K
Department of Biology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8521, Japan. kohnishi@nmu-gw.naramed-u.ac.jp
Ota
Ichiro
I
Yane
Katsunari
K
Takahashi
Akihisa
A
Yuki
Kazue
K
Emoto
Mie
M
Hosoi
Hiroshi
H
Ohnishi
Takeo
T
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D005990:Glycerol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011836:Radiation Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D014965:X-Rays
D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D004247:DNA; D005990:Glycerol