title: Hepatocellular carcinoma and chemotherapy: the role of p53.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary neoplasm of the liver. A major proportion of HCCs also present mutation of the gene that encodes p53, which confers chemoresistance. The main goal of this work is to investigate the effect of cisplatin, doxorubicin and 5-fluoruracil (5-FU) in three human HCC cell lines which differ in p53 expression.
  
  
  METHODS
  HepG2 (expressing normal p53), HuH7 (expressing mutated p53) and Hep3B2.1-7 (not expressing p53) cell lines were cultivated in the presence of cisplatin, doxorubicin and 5-FU. Cell proliferation was evaluated by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay (MTT assay). The type of cell death and Bax and Bcl2 activation were assessed by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that for all of the cell lines studied, the agent that gave the most satisfactory results was doxorubicin. 5-FU demonstrated no activity in these cell lines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For all the cell lines studied, doxorubicin was the most satisfactory agent. In HepG2 and HuH7 cell lines, it can activate Bax with statistical significance.
authors.affiliation: Biophysics Unit, IBILI - Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. anabrito816@gmail.com
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Brito
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Abrantes
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pinto-Costa
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Mamede
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casalta-Lopes
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Sarmento-Ribeiro
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Tralhão
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Botelho
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D004317:Doxorubicin; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil