title: Caspase-dependent drug-induced apoptosis is regulated by cell surface sialylation in human B-cell lymphoma.
abstract: The important role of sialic acid in various biological phenomena is well-established. In order to further clarify the role of sialic acid in cell death induced by various stimuli, the present study compared the cell survival of the HBL-2 human diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cell line upon anticancer drug-induced cell death, with or without neuraminidase pretreatment: Cell survival was assessed using flow cytometry. Upon treatment with doxorubicin or etoposide, the HBL-2 cell viability decreased. In etoposide-induced cell death, the HBL-2 cells demonstrated nuclear fragmentation, which was consistent with morphologically apoptotic cells. In addition, a higher decrease in the cell viability of etoposide-treated HBL-2 cells was observed in cells pretreated with neuraminidase compared with cells that were not pretreated. Furthermore, the caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9 activities in etoposide-induced apoptosis demonstrated a greater increase upon neuraminidase pretreatment compared with no neuraminidase pretreatment. In conclusion, cell surface sialylation appears to protect lymphoma cells from anticancer drug-induced apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan.
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
keywords: drug-induced apoptosis; human malignant lymphoma; sialic acid