title: [Arsenic trioxide induced apoptosis in retinoblastoma cells in vitro and its possible mechanism].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effect of arsenic trioxide on the apoptosis of retinoblastoma cell line HXO-RB(44) and the possible mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effect of arsenic trioxide on the proliferation of retinoblastoma cell line HXO-RB(44) was observed by MTT colorimetric assay; the apoptosis of the HXO-RB(44) was examined by AO/EB staining and flow cytometry analysis (Annexin V+ PI staining); caspase-3 activity and bcl-2/bax expression in the HXO-RB(44) were detected by cpp32 colorimetric assay kit and Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Arsenic trioxide inhibited the proliferation of HXO-RB(44) cell in dose and duration-dependent manner in vitro; arsenic trioxide significantly increased the apoptosis in HXO-RB(44) cells. The activation of caspase-3 was increased, and the rate of bcl-2/bax was down-regulated in the HXO-RB(44) cells processed with arsenic trioxide.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Arsenic trioxide can inhibit the proliferation of retinoblastoma cell HXO-RB(44) in vitro by apoptosis induction. The apoptosis induction is possibly related to the caspase-3 activation and bcl-2/bax down-regulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China. yunli0904@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Luo-Sheng
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Hong-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D000077237:Arsenic Trioxide; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D010087:Oxides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019572:Retinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012175:Retinoblastoma / Q000473:pathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001152:Arsenicals; D010087:Oxides; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D053148:Caspase 3; D000077237:Arsenic Trioxide