title: Combined low dose ionizing radiation and green tea-derived epigallocatechin-3-gallate treatment induces human brain endothelial cells death.
abstract: The microvasculature of brain tumors has been proposed as the primary target for ionizing radiation (IR)-induced apoptosis. However, the contribution of low dose IR-induced non-apoptotic cell death pathways has not been investigated. This study aimed to characterize the effect of IR on human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) and to assess the combined effect of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCg), a green tea-derived anti-angiogenic molecule. HBMEC were treated with EGCg, irradiated with a sublethal (< or =10 Gy) single dose. Cell survival was assessed 48 h later by nuclear cell counting and Trypan blue exclusion methods. Cell cycle distribution and DNA fragmentation were evaluated by flow cytometry (FC), cell death was assessed by fluorimetric caspase-3 activity, FC and immunoblotting for pro-apoptotic proteins. While low IR doses alone reduced cell survival by 30%, IR treatment was found more effective in EGCg pretreated-cells reaching 70% cell death. Analysis of cell cycle revealed that IR-induced cell accumulation in G2-phase. Expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21(CIP/Waf1) and p27(Kip) were increased by EGCg and IR. Although random DNA fragmentation increased by approximately 40% following combined EGCg/IR treatments, the synergistic reduction of cell survival was not related to increased pro-apoptotic caspase-3, caspase-9 and cytochrome C proteins. Cell necrosis increased 5-fold following combined EGCg/IR treatments while no changes in early or late apoptosis were observed. Our results suggest that the synergistic effects of combined EGCg/IR treatments may be related to necrosis, a non-apoptotic cell death pathway. Strategies sensitizing brain tumor-derived EC to IR may enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy and EGCg may represent such a potential agent.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Médecine Moléculaire, Centre de Cancérologie Charles-Bruneau, Hôpital Sainte-Justine-UQAM, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
authors.forename: Borhane
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Annabi
authors.forename: Marie-Paule
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Lachambre
authors.forename: Kwang Sik
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bahary
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moumdjian
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Béliveau
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D028244:Camellia / Q000737:chemistry*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002392:Catechin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D009336:Necrosis; D017785:Photons
chemical_list: D002392:Catechin; C045651:epigallocatechin gallate; D053148:Caspase 3