title: Regulation of paclitaxel-induced programmed cell death by autophagic induction: A model for cervical cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Autophagy plays a vital role in homeostasis by combining organelles and cellular proteins with lysosome under starvation conditions. In addition, autophagy provides tumor cells with a source of energy. Continued autophagy will induce cells death. Here we aim to see if autophagic induction has an effect on conventional chemotherapeutic agents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rapamycin, or mammalian target of rapamycin and paclitaxel, apoptosis-inducing agents were used autophagy in HeLa cervical cancer cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Growth inhibition of cells was not observed after the application of 0, 10, 20 nM of paclitaxel with or without rapamycin. Using a 5 nM concentration of paclitaxel, rapamycin administration inhibited cell growth significantly compared to no treatment. This implies the synergic antitumor effect of paclitaxel and rapamycin. Paclitaxel itself did not show any autophagic effect on cells but did show cell apoptosis by flow cytometry. Light chain 3, a microtubule-associated protein, which reflect autophagy, was increased with 5 nM of paclitaxel after pretreatment with 10 nM of rapamycin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that the autophagic inducer, rapamycin, can potentiate autophagic cell death when added as an apoptosis-inducing chemotherapeutic agent. In conclusion, the control of autophagy may be a future target for chemotherapy.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Eun Young
authors: EY
authors: Chi
authors: Boonlert
authors: B
authors: Viriyapak
authors: Hyun Sung
authors: HS
authors: Kwack
authors: Yoon Kyung
authors: YK
authors: Lee
authors: Sang Il
authors: SI
authors: Kim
authors: Keun Ho
authors: KH
authors: Lee
authors: Tae Churl
authors: TC
authors: Park
keywords: Apoptosis; Autophagy; Cervical neoplasms; Paclitaxel; mTOR protein