title: Staurosporine-induced apoptosis and hydrogen peroxide-induced necrosis in two human breast cell lines.
abstract: The use of apoptosis-inducing agents in the treatment of malignant cancer is increasingly being considered as a therapeutic approach. In this study, the induction of apoptosis and necrosis was examined in terms of temporal dose responses, comparing a malignant and nonmalignant breast cell line. Staurosporine (SSP)-induced apoptosis and H(2)O(2)-induced necrosis were evaluated by two cytotoxicity assays, neutral red (NR) and methyl-thiazolyl tertrazolium (MTT), in comparison with a differential dye uptake assay, using Hoechst33342/propidium iodide (Hoechst/PI). Confirmatory morphological assessment was also performed by routine resin histology and transmission electron microscopy. Cell viability was assessed over a 0.5-48 h time course. In nonmalignant HBL-100 cells, 50 nM SSP induced 100% apoptosis after a 48 h exposure, while the same exposure to SSP caused only 4% apoptosis in metastatic T47D cells. Although complete apoptosis of both cell lines was induced by 50 microM SSP, this effect was delayed in T47D (24 h) compared with HBL-100 (4 h). Results also showed that neither MTT or NR can distinguish between the modes of cell death, nor detect the early onset of apoptosis revealed by Hoechst/PI.
authors.affiliation: School of Biology and Biochemistry, The Queen's University of Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: McKeague
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D002460:Cell Line; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009336:Necrosis; D019311:Staurosporine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D019311:Staurosporine