title: Induction of tumor-specific cytotoxicity and apoptosis by doxorubicin.
abstract: Doxorubicin (adriamycin), an anthracycline antibiotic, showed higher cytotoxic activity against human tumor cell lines (oral squamous cell carcinoma HSC-2, HSC-3, submandibular gland carcinoma HSG, promyelocytic leukemia HL-60) than against normal human cells (gingival fibroblast HGF, pulp cell HPC, periodontal ligament fibroblast HPLF). Doxorubicin activated caspases 3, 8 and 9 in both HSC-2 and HL-60 cells, but induced internucleosomal DNA fragmentation only in HL-60 cells. Western blot analysis showed that doxorubicin did not significantly change the intracellular concentration of Bcl-2, Bax and Bad in HL-60 cells. Real-time PCR analysis showed that HPC cells expressed the highest amount of mdr1 mRNA, followed by HSC-2 > HGF > HSC-3 > HPLF > HSG > HL-60. ESR spectroscopy showed that doxorubicin produced no discernible radical under alkaline conditions (pH 7.4 to 10.5) except at pH 12.5, and it did not scavenge O2-, NO and DPPH radicals. The present study demonstrates that doxorubicin induces the tumor-specific cytotoxicity and some, but not all, apoptosis markers possibly by a radical-independent mechanism, and that mdr1 expression in the tumor cells is not related to the tumor specificity of doxorubicin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Pharmacology, Meikai University School of Dentistry, Sakado, Saitama 350-0283, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumika
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Hirotaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Hisatoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawase
authors.forename: Katsuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sunaga
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.forename: Kazue
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakagami
mesh_terms: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D013481:Superoxides; D004317:Doxorubicin