title: Ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation-induced apoptosis in various cell lineages in vitro.
abstract: Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation acts as a strong apoptotic trigger in many cell types, in tumor and normal cells. Several studies have demonstrated that UVB-induced cell death occurs through the generation of reactive oxygen species. The consequent oxidative stress includes the impairment of cellular antioxidants, the induction of DNA damage and the occurrence of apoptosis. In this review, we investigated UVB apoptotic action in various cell models by using ultrastructural, molecular and cytofluorimetric techniques. Myeloid leukemia HL-60, T-lymphoblastoid Molt-4 and myelomonocytic U937 human cells, generally affected by apoptotic stimuli, were studied. Human chondrocytes and C2C12 skeletal muscle cells, known to be more resistant to damage, were also considered. All of them, when exposed to UVB radiation, revealed a number of characteristic apoptotic markers. Membrane blebbing, cytoplasm shrinkage and chromatin condensation were detected by means of electron microscopy. DNA cleavage, investigated by using agarose gel electrophoresis and TUNEL reaction, was observed in suspended cells. Differently, in chondrocytes and in skeletal muscle cells, oligonucleosomic DNA fragmentation did not appear, even if a certain TUNEL positivity was detected. These findings demonstrate that UVB radiation appears to be an ideal tool to study the apoptotic behavior.
authors.affiliation: DiSTeVA, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino 61029, Italy. elisabetta.falcieri@uniurb.it.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salucci
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burattini
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Battistelli
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baldassarri
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Maltarello
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Falcieri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000528:radiation effects*; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000528:radiation effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000528:radiation effects*; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D053837:DNA Cleavage / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D032446:Myoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000528:radiation effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays