title: Vitamin C increases the apoptosis via up-regulation p53 during cisplatin treatment in human colon cancer cells.
abstract: Vitamin C (VC) is an important antioxidant and enzyme co-factor that works by stimulating the immune system and protecting against infections. It is well known that melanoma cells are more susceptible to VC than any other tumor cells. However, the role of VC in the treatment of colon cancer has not been studied. Cisplatin (CDDP) is a DNA damaging agent and is widely used for treating cancer, while the role of p53 in CDDP-induced cell death has been stressed. Using cell growth assays, morphological methods, Western blotting, flow cytometry, and DNA fragmentation analysis, we measured the expression of p53 level involved in the effect of VC on CDDP-induced apoptosis of HCT116, a human colon cancer cell line. CDDP plus VC treatment resulted in significantly increased apoptosis along with upregulation of p53 compared to untreated cells and/or CDDP-treated cells. These results suggest that VC enhanced CDDP sensitivity and apoptosis via upregulation of p53.
authors.affiliation: Genetic Engineering, Cheongju University, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Jung Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Dong Heui
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Myeong Seon
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects; D016158:Genes, p53 / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D002945:Cisplatin