title: Induction of apoptosis by L-carnitine through regulation of two main pathways in Hepa1c1c 7 cells.
abstract: This study shows the effects of L-carnitine treatment on cell proliferation with hepa1c1c7 mouse cancer cells and NCTC 1469 normal cells. In an MTT assay, L-carnitine increased the number of dead hepa1c1c7 cells, while there was no difference in the number of NCTC 1469 cells. mRNA and protein levels of TNF-alpha, Fas, and caspase-8, which are closely related to cell apoptosis by a death ligand/receptor-dependent apoptosis pathway, were increased by L-carnitine treatment. In addition, L-carnitine treatment regulated mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathways by inducing the up-regulation of caspase-9 and caspase-3 and the down-regulation of Bcl-2 in hepa1c1c 7 cells. Taken together, the findings of this study have demonstrated that L-carnitine could induce apoptosis in hepa1c1c7 cells by regulating Fas ligands and inhibiting the expression of Bcl-2. These results suggest that L: -carnitine treatment could be related to both a mitochondrion-dependent and a death ligand/receptor-dependent apoptosis pathway in hepa1c1c7 cells. Our results could give information for understanding the L-carnitine-induced apoptosis mechanism in some cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Natural Resources, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jiang Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Han Seop
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Gi Dong
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002331:Carnitine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D019014:fas Receptor; D053148:Caspase 3; D053181:Caspase 8; D053453:Caspase 9; D002331:Carnitine