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Sterigmatocystin induced apoptosis in human pulmonary cells in vitro
Jinfeng Cui1, Juan Wang1, Shujuan Huang2
1Department of Pathology, The Second Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
Abstract:
Sterigmatocystin (ST) is generally recognized as a potential carcinogen, mutagen and teratogen. Studies showed that ST could induce adenocarcinoma of lung in mice in vivo and DNA damage, cell cycle arrest in a human immortalized bronchial epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B cells) and a human lung cancer cell line (A549 cells) in vitro. Besides, ST could induce G2 arrest (cell cycle arrest in G2 phase) in several other cells. Cell cycle arrest may be one of the common toxic effects of ST. As cells may undergo apoptosis or death due to cell cycle arrest, we wondered whether apoptosis is another common effect of ST in different cells in vitro. In the present study, we studied the effects of ST on proliferation and apoptosis in A549 cells and BEAS-2B cells with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometric analysis (FCM). The MTT results showed that proliferation inhibition following ST treatment for 24h was observed in both A549 and BEAS-2B cells in vitro. And increased apoptosis by FCM was also found after ST treatment. Down-regulation of Bcl-2, up-regulation of Bax and the activation of caspase-3 after ST treatment were detected by western blotting analyses. The results in the present study are consistent with our previous results, which indicated that inducing apoptosis may be a common effect of ST in different cells in vitro.
Insights
Sterigmatocystin (ST) induces apoptosis, a common toxic effect, in lung cancer and bronchial epithelial cells. This study confirms ST
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Cell Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Sterigmatocystin (ST) is a potential carcinogen, mutagen, and teratogen.
- Previous studies indicated ST induces DNA damage and cell cycle arrest in lung cells.
- Cell cycle arrest may lead to apoptosis, prompting further investigation into ST's apoptotic effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of Sterigmatocystin (ST) on proliferation and apoptosis in A549 and BEAS-2B cells.
- To determine if apoptosis is a common in vitro effect of ST across different cell types.
Main Methods:
- Proliferation was assessed using the MTT assay.
- Apoptosis was analyzed via flow cytometric analysis (FCM).
- Western blotting was used to detect changes in apoptosis-related proteins (Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3).
Main Results:
- ST treatment inhibited proliferation in both A549 and BEAS-2B cells.
- FCM analysis revealed increased apoptosis in ST-treated cells.
- Western blotting showed decreased Bcl-2, increased Bax, and activated caspase-3, indicating apoptosis induction.
Conclusions:
- Sterigmatocystin (ST) significantly inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in lung cancer (A549) and bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) cells.
- The observed down-regulation of Bcl-2, up-regulation of Bax, and activation of caspase-3 support ST's role in inducing apoptosis.
- Inducing apoptosis appears to be a common in vitro toxic effect of ST across various cell types.
