Induction of mitosis-mediated apoptosis by sodium arsenite in HeLa S3 cells

Arsenic has been used effectively as a chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia patients. Numerous studies have demonstrated that arsenic induces apoptosis in various cell types. In the present study, we showed that approximately 35% of arsenite-treated HeLa S3 cells arrested in mitosis. After release from arsenite treatment, more than 80% of arsenite-arrested mitotic cells subsequently underwent apoptosis, as indicated by anachronistic nuclear envelope reformation, DNA ladder occurrence, chromatin condensation, and activation of caspases 3 and 9. In exploring how these cells entered apoptosis mechanistically, we found an inverse correlation between mitotic indexes and apoptotic frequencies. As shown by using Percoll density gradient fractionation and flow cytometric analysis, the mitosis-mediated apoptosis induced by arsenite was accompanied by delayed cyclin B degradation and altered mitotic exit. Furthermore, treatment of arsenite-arrested mitotic cells with staurosporine or 2-aminopurine resulted in a rapid degradation of cyclin B, moved these cells forward to interphase without cell division, and abrogated apoptosis. These results suggest that apoptosis occurs in arsenite-arrested mitotic cells that exit mitosis abnormally.