Ascorbic acid induces apoptosis in adult T-cell leukemia.
BACKGROUND
Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) is an acute malignancy of activated T-cells caused by the human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type-1 (HTLV-1).


METHODS
The effects of non-cytotoxic concentrations of ascorbic acid (AA) were evaluated against HTLV-1 positive and negative cells. The effect of AA on apoptosis and proliferation was evaluated by cell cycle analysis. The role of p53, p21 Bax and Bcl-2a on cell cycle modulation and apoptosis was also assessed. The anti-proliferative effects were tested by determining the changes in the expression of transforming growth factors (TGF-alpha, TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2).


RESULTS
Ascorbic acid was found to reduce the proliferation of cells and induce apoptosis by the modulation of p53, p21, Bcl-2 and Bax.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study show the anti-proliferative effects of AA against leukemic cells.
Harakeh
Steve
S
Department of Biology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Diab-Assaf
Mona
M
Khalife
Jihane C
JC
Abu-el-Ardat
Khalil A
KA
Baydoun
Elias
E
Niedzwiecki
Aleksandra
A
El-Sabban
Marwan E
ME
Rath
Mathias
M
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000187:drug effects; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015490:HTLV-I Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D015368:Human T-lymphotropic virus 1; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis
C494826:BAX protein, human; C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; C495901:TP53 protein, human; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors; D001205:Ascorbic Acid