title: Interferon-alpha-2b induces autophagy in hepatocellular carcinoma cells through Beclin1 pathway.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether Interferon-alpha-2b (IFN-α2b) can modulate the autophagic response in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hepatocellular carcinoma cells were treated with IFN-α2b. Autophagy was assessed by acridine orange staining, GFP-LC3 dotted assay, transmission electron microscopy and immunoblotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acridine orange staining showed that IFN-α2b triggered the accumulation of acidic vesicular and autolysosomes in HepG2 cells. The acridine orange HepG2 cell ratios were (4.3±1.0)%, (6.9±1.4)%, and (13.1±2.3)%, respectively, after treatment with 100, 1,000, and 10,000 IU/mL IFN-α2b for 48 h. A markedly punctate pattern was observed in HepG2 cells treated with 10,000 IU/mL IFN-α2b for 48 h, but only diffuse and weakly fluorescent GFP-LC3 puncta was observed in control cells. HepG2 cells treated with 10,000 IU/mL IFN-α2b for 48 h developed autophagosome-like characteristics, including single- or double-membrane vacuoles containing intact and degraded cellular debris. The Beclin1 and LC3-II protein expression was up-regulated by IFN-α2b treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Autophagy can be induced in a dose-dependent manner by treatment with IFN-α2b in HepG2 cells, and the Beclin1 signaling pathway was stimulated by IFN-α2b.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Parasitology, Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China ; 2 Department of Microbiology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China ; 3 Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China ; 4 Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Parasitology, Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China ; 2 Department of Microbiology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China ; 3 Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China ; 4 Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
authors.forename: Ming-Li
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Parasitology, Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China ; 2 Department of Microbiology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China ; 3 Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China ; 4 Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
authors.forename: Zeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Parasitology, Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China ; 2 Department of Microbiology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China ; 3 Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China ; 4 Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
authors.forename: Dong-Mei
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Parasitology, Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China ; 2 Department of Microbiology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China ; 3 Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China ; 4 Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Parasitology, Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China ; 2 Department of Microbiology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China ; 3 Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China ; 4 Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Parasitology, Xiangya Medical School, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China ; 2 Department of Microbiology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China ; 3 Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China ; 4 Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
authors.forename: Shi-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: Beclin1; Interferon-alpha-2b (IFN-α2b); acridine orange; autophagy; transmission electron microscopy
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