title: Proapoptotic Role of Potassium Ions in Liver Cells.
abstract: Potassium channels are transmembrane proteins that selectively promote the infiltration of potassium ions. The significance of these channels for tumor biology has become obvious. However, the effects of potassium ions on the tumor or normal cells have seldom been studied. To address this problem, we studied the biological effects of L02 and HepG2 cells with ectogenous potassium ions. Cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis rate were analyzed. Our results indicated that potassium ions inhibited proliferation of L02 and HepG2 cells and promoted their apoptosis. Potassium ions induced apoptosis through regulating Bcl-2 family members and depolarized the mitochondrial membrane, especially for HepG2 cell. These biological effects were associated with channel protein HERG. By facilitating expression of channel protein HERG, potassium ions may prevent it from being shunted to procancerous pathways by inducing apoptosis. These results demonstrated that potassium ions may be a key regulator of liver cell function. Thus, our findings suggest that potassium ions could inhibit tumorigenesis through inducing apoptosis of hepatoma cells by upregulating potassium ions transport channel proteins HERG and VDAC1.
authors.affiliation: Third Clinical Medical School of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of General Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Zhenglin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Guangxi 533000, China.
authors.forename: Xusen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Kaiyun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Hanning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Jinfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Xiaopeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Medicine, The Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Jinqian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Third Clinical Medical School of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Department of General Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Guoan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xiang
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015221:Potassium Channels
chemical_list: D015221:Potassium Channels; D011188:Potassium