title: Effect of several PEO-PPO amphiphiles on bax, bcl-2, and hTERT mRNAs: An insight into apoptosis and cell immortalization induced in hepatoma cells by these polymeric excipients.
abstract: Recent data have shown that synthetic polymers and nanomaterials display phenotypic effects in cells and signal transduction mechanisms involved in inflammation, differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article aims to investigate the effect of poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide) (PEO-PPO) block copolymers with a wide range of biomedical and pharmaceutical applications on apoptosis and/or cell immortalization, by flow cytometry and multiplex RT-PCR for bax, bcl-2, and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  PEO-PPO amphiphiles upregulated bax and hTERT and induced apoptosis of two human hepatoma cell lines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PEO-PPO block copolymers-considered safe for human use-can drastically alter gene expression profiles of genes related to apoptosis/cell proliferation.
authors: Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica, UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.|CONICET, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Cynthia Celeste
authors: CC
authors: Castronuovo
authors: Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica, UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.|CONICET, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: María Luján
authors: ML
authors: Cuestas
authors: Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica, UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.|CONICET, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: José Raúl
authors: JR
authors: Oubiña
authors: Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica, UBA-CONICET, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.|CONICET, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Verónica Lidia
authors: VL
authors: Mathet
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D011095:Polyethylenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011126:Polypropylenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C494826:BAX protein, human; D011095:Polyethylenes; D011126:Polypropylenes; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase
keywords: bax; bcl-2; hTERT; multiplex RT-PCR; poloxamers; poloxamines