title: Role of iron and ferritin in TNFalpha-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells.
abstract: We found that tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha)-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells was accompanied by a approximately 2-fold increase in H- and L-ferritin and a decrease in transferrin receptor, two indices of increased iron availability. Iron supplementation and overexpression of H-ferritin or its mutant with an inactivated ferroxidase center reduced by about approximately 50% the number of apoptotic cells after TNFalpha-treatment, while overexpression of L-ferritin was ineffective. The data indicate that H-ferritin has an anti-apoptotic activity unrelated to its ferroxidase activity and to its capacity to modify cellular iron metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Dibit, Department of Biological and Technological Research, IRCCS H. San Raffaele, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cozzi
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Levi
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Corsi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Santambrogio
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campanella
authors.forename: Gianmario
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gerardi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arosio
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005293:Ferritins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D003609:Dactinomycin; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron