title: Resveratrol and X rays affect gap junction intercellular communications in human glioblastoma cells.
abstract: Resveratrol (3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene) is a polyphenol synthesized by a wide variety of plant species in response to injury, UV irradiation and fungal attack. Many studies have revealed a variety of resveratrol intracellular targets whose modulation gives rise to overlapping responses leading to growth arrest and death. Many authors have reported different human cancer cell lines, treated with resveratrol at micromolar concentrations, arrested their proliferative cycle in the G1/S boundary or in the S phase and this cell cycle arrest was followed by apoptotic death. Less is known about the ability of resveratrol to modify the effect of radiation exposure in normal and cancer cells. Considering that controlled exposure to ionizing radiation is one of the most used treatments in cancer patients and that these schedules are not always effective in medical practice, as in the case of glioma patients, the testing of combined treatment protocols (resveratrol and ionizing radiation) could be of interest, opening the door to future studies which would examine the pharmacological activity of resveratrol. In this study we have looked into whether resveratrol is able to modulate cell cycle progression in human glioblastoma cells and to regulate GJs expression in cancer cells. With this aim in mind we have performed a cytofluorimetric multiparameter assay to quantify the presence of GJs in U87 glioma cells treated with resveratrol and/or X rays. We report that resveratrol induces a delay in cell cycle progression and both alone and in combination with X rays is able to enhance gap junction Intercellular Communications.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università Roma TRE, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.forename: M Giuliana
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Lauro
authors.forename: Samanta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pino
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cornetta
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cozzi
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002450:Cell Communication; D002453:Cell Cycle; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000378:metabolism; D017629:Gap Junctions; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009154:Mutation; D000077185:Resveratrol; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D018031:Connexin 43; D013267:Stilbenes; D000077185:Resveratrol