Esophageal Cancer
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2002. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Feb 15, 2002; 8(1): 36-39
Published online Feb 15, 2002. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v8.i1.36
The sensitivity of digestive tract tumor cells to As2O3 is associated with the inherent cellular level of reactive oxygen species
Fei Gao, Jing Yi, Gui-Ying Shi, Hui Li, Xue-Geng Shi, Xue-Ming Tang
Fei Gao, Jing Yi, Gui-Ying Shi, Hui Li, Xue-Geng Shi, Xue-Ming Tang, Department of Cell Biology, Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai 200025, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 39730270 and Shanghai Science and Technology Development fund of Education Committee, No.2000B101
Correspondence to: Prof. YI Jing, Department of Cell Biology, Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai 200025,China. yijing@shsmu.edu.cn
Telephone: +86-21-63846590 Ext.421 Fax: +86-21-53065329
Received: April 25, 2001
Revised: September 10, 2001
Accepted: October 18, 2001
Published online: February 15, 2002
Abstract

AIM: To explore the correlation of the inherent cellular ROS level with the susceptibility of the digestive tract tumor cells to apoptosis inducted by As2O3.

METHODS: Two gastric carcinoma cell lines, SGC7901 and MKN45, and two esophageal carcinoma cell lines, EC/CUHK1(alternatively named EC1.71) and EC1867 with low concentration(2 μmol·L-1)of As2O3 were cultured respectly, which confirmed the difference in apoptosis susceptibility between SGC7901 and MKN45, and between EC/CUHK1 and EC1867. The cells were incubated with dihydrogenrhodamine123 (DHR123), used as a ROS capture in absence of As2O3. The fluorescent intensity of rhodamine123, which was the product of cellular oxidation of DHR123, was detected by flow cytometry, and ROS was measured.

RESULTS: Apoptosis induced by a low concentration of As2O3 was more readily to occur in SGC7901 (22.4% ± 2.4%) and EC/CUHK1(27.0% ± 2.9%) than in MKN45(2.1% ± 0.5%) and EC1867(0.8% ± 0.5%). In other words, SGC7901 was more sensitive than MKN45 to As2O3, meanwhile EC/CUHK1 was more sensitive than EC1867 to As2O3. The level of inherent cellular ROS in SGC7901(650 ± 37) was higher than that in MKN45(507 ± 22)(P < 0.01), and the level of inherent cellular ROS in EC/CUHK1(462 ± 17) was higher than that in EC1867(187 ± 12) (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: The cellular sensitivity to apoptosis induced by As2O3 is associated with the difference in cellular ROS level. The inherent ROS level might determinate the apoptotic sensitivity of tumor cells to As2O3.

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