title: Etoposide induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of neuroepithelial cells in a p53-related manner.
abstract: We clarified that etoposide (VP-16), a topoisomerase II inhibitor, induced apoptosis in the mouse fetal brain. Apoptotic mechanisms and cell cycle arrest in this system were investigated. Four mg/kg of VP-16 was injected into pregnant mice on day 12 of gestation (GD12). The cell cycle and expression of protein and mRNA of p53 and its transcriptional target genes were examined in the fetal brain. The number of p53- and p21-protein-positive cells peaked at 4 h after treatment (HAT). The expression of p21 mRNA was significantly increased at 4 HAT and 8 HAT. The expression of fas mRNA was significantly increased from 2 to 12 HAT. Significant expression of puma mRNA was observed from 1 HAT to 48 HAT. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that VP-16 induced S-phase accumulation and G2 arrest at 4 and 8 HAT, and VP-16-induced apoptosis was significantly increased from 4 to 24 HAT. In an experiment using BrdU treatment of pregnant mice, the migration of neuroepithelial cells in the fetuses was delayed as compared to the migration of controls, and BrdU-positive signals were observed in some pyknotic cells from 8 to 12 HAT. The present results suggest that VP-16 might induce cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and apoptosis in a p53-related manner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan. vet0215@yahoo.co.kr
authors.forename: Chunja
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Doi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000963:Antimetabolites; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000633:toxicity*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D005047:Etoposide / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016158:Genes, p53 / Q000187:drug effects*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D046569:Neuroepithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000963:Antimetabolites; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D012313:RNA; D005047:Etoposide; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine