title: Role of p53 in the inhibitory effects of interferon-alpha subtypes on proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
abstract: While interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) subtypes share a common specific receptor composed of two subunits, interferon-alpha receptor (IFNAR)-1 and IFNAR-2, their subtype activities are exhibited via several intracellular signaling pathways and thus subsequently show different biological effects. Anti-proliferative effects of single treatment with IFN-alpha subtypes or 5-fluorouracil (FU), and of combined treatment with each IFN-alpha subtype and 5-FU were examined on three hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, HepG2, HLE and PLC/PRF/5. HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5 cells were susceptible to the combination treatment, but HLE cells were not. Proliferation of PLC/PRF/5 cells was also inhibited by the IFN-alpha subtypes singly. In addition, apoptosis was observed in HepG2 cells upon treatment with 5-FU alone and with the combination treatment, and in PLC/PRF/5 cells after single treatment with the IFN-alpha subtypes and after the combination treatment. IFN-alpha subtypes induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase in HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5. Analyses by Western blotting and immunoprecipitation revealed increased p53 phosphorylation in HepG2 and PLC/PRF/5 cells but not in HLE cells after combined treatment. Single treatment with IFN-alpha subtypes promoted p53 activation only in PLC/PRF/5 cells. These results propose that IFN-alpha subtypes induce cells to undergo apoptosis through p53 activation directly and indirectly, in collaboration with 5-FU, further suggesting the presence of distinct signal pathways for IFN-alpha-induced apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Institute, Research Center, Hayashibara Biochemical Laboratories, Inc., Fujisaki, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fujioka
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ariyasu
authors.forename: Norie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Harumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ariyasu
authors.forename: Shigeto
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Tadao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
authors.forename: Hakuo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikegami
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Tsunetaka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Shigeharu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurimoto
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; C495901:TP53 protein, human; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D005472:Fluorouracil