Article

Pentoxifylline induces apoptosis in vitro in cutaneous T cell lymphoma (HuT-78) and enhances FasL mediated killing by upregulating Fas expression.

Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR), Chandigarh 160036, India.
Biochemical pharmacology (impact factor: 4.25). 10/2008; 77(1):30-45. DOI:10.1016/j.bcp.2008.09.018 pp.30-45
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Constitutive nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) is known to play an important role in the survival of HuT-78 cells, a cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) cell line. Here, we have demonstrated that pentoxifylline (PTX), a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, can trigger a series of events leading to apoptosis in HuT-78 cells without affecting NF-kappaB. Apoptosis was ascertained by sub-G1 peak analysis and TUNEL assay. Apoptosis induced by PTX in HuT-78 cells involved mitochondrial hyperpolarization, cytochrome c release, caspase-3 activation and PARP cleavage. Further, it was found that PTX treatment downregulated Bcl-xl and c-FLIP expression without affecting constitutive NF-kappaB but upregulated activator protein-1 (AP-1). Low concentration of PTX upregulated Fas and TRAIL expression in HuT-78 cells. In addition, PTX can act as a scavenger of reactive oxygen intermediate and it could enhance FasL mediated killing in HuT-78 cells. Our results taken together indicated that PTX may be a potential agent for killing CTCL cells.

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Keywords

Apoptosis induced
 
c-FLIP expression
 
caspase-3 activation
 
constitutive NF-kappaB
 
Constitutive nuclear factor-kappaB
 
CTCL cells
 
cutaneous T cell lymphoma
 
cytochrome c release
 
HuT-78 cells
 
Low concentration
 
mitochondrial hyperpolarization
 
PARP cleavage
 
potential agent
 
PTX treatment downregulated Bcl-xl
 
PTX upregulated Fas
 
reactive oxygen intermediate
 
sub-G1 peak analysis
 
TRAIL expression
 
TUNEL assay
 
upregulated activator protein-1