title: Induction of apoptosis by fatty acid ethyl esters in HepG2 cells.
abstract: Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) are esterification products of ethanol and fatty acids which have been found particularly in the organ damaged by ethanol abuse. To evaluate any effect of FAEEs on HepG2 cells, we added FAEEs to cell culture medium. Electrophoresis of DNA from HepG2 cells exposed to 18.5 microM ethyl palmitate (EP) and 10.6 microM ethyl stearate (ES) for 24 h revealed a smear which is typical of non-specific degradation by DNA ladder assay. Apoptosis was characterized by electron microscopy, flow cytometry revealed that the cell cycle of HepG2 cells was perturbed by exposure to FAEEs. In the present study we demonstrate that treatment of HepG2 cells with EP and ES induces apoptosis, as well as perturbing the cell cycle as the number of cells in the G(2)/M and S phases decreased.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Ege University, School of Medicine, Bornova, 35100 Izmir, Turkey. haydin@med.ege.edu.tr
authors.forename: Hikmet Hakan
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: Handan Ak
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Remziye
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Deveci
authors.forename: Sabire
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karacali
authors.forename: Güray
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saydam
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bedii Omay
authors.forename: Yücel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Batur
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D000431:Ethanol