Abstract
We studied the in vitro mechanism of etoposide-induced cell death in cervical cancer cells. Etoposide is cytotoxic to these cells, causing cell death by both apoptosis and autophagy, which has recently been described as a possible mechanism for nonapoptotic cell death. Electron microscopy revealed that autophagosomes/autolysosomes exhibited an autophagic appearance in the presence of etoposide. When autophagy was blocked by inhibitors of autophagy, including 3-methyladenine, both the expression of beclin 1 protein and the antitumor effect of etoposide were suppressed. Benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp- fluoromethyl ketone, a pan-caspase inhibitor, reduced etoposide-induced cytotoxicity in CaSki cells. Hence, autophagy and apoptosis likely occur concurrently in etoposide-treated cervical cancer cells.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 713-720 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | DNA and Cell Biology |
Volume | 26 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 1 2007 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Cell Biology