title: Tissue-specificity of apoptosis in hepatoma-derived cell lines.
abstract: Apoptosis is known to play a critical role in development and homeostasis in metazoans. Although apoptotic responses vary widely among cell types, the underlying mechanisms responsible for these differences are not known. In order to understand the molecular basis for these differences, we have studied a cell culture model comparing hepatoma cells to dedifferentiated cell lines derived from them. We recently reported evidence suggesting that a common regulatory locus affects both liver-specific function and sensitivity to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated apoptosis. Here, we show that dedifferentiated hepatoma cells undergo apoptosis in response to multiple compounds, including sorbitol (to induce hyperosmotic shock), TNF alpha and the microtubule damaging agent vinblastin. In contrast, the hepatoma parental cells fail to undergo apoptosis in response to any of the compounds tested. Further analysis of LPS-mediated cell death found that antioxidants N-acetylcysteine and alpha-tocopherol partially prevented apoptosis. Lastly, evidence is presented showing that LPS-mediated cell death of the hepatoma variant cell lines is caspase-dependent. These results suggest that pathways dictating hepatic phenotype also affect general cellular survival mechanisms in response to multiple agents. The dedifferentiated cells provide a model to examine the influence of cell-type specific expression on apoptotic signaling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Kraus
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Bulla
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D013012:Sorbitol / Q000494:pharmacology; D019076:Transgenes; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000494:pharmacology; D014750:Vincristine / Q000494:pharmacology; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D000975:Antioxidants; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D007375:Interleukin-1; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D013012:Sorbitol; D014750:Vincristine; D014747:Vinblastine; D003513:Cycloheximide; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D000111:Acetylcysteine