[Study on antitumor drug-induced apoptosis in human cancer cells by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase assay].

OBJECTIVE

Considerable evidence has showed that apoptosis is involved in both cancer development and inhibition. A new assay (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase assay, TdT assay) was recently reported to have advantages in the detection of apoptosis. In this study, this assay was used to investigate antitumor drug-induced apoptosis in human cancer cells.

METHODS

TdT assay, DNA gel electrophoresis, electron and light microscopy were used to observe apoptosis.

RESULTS

Our results showed that cisplatin-induced apoptosis in both HL-60 and SV40T-transformed human bronchial epithelial cells was detected with a good dose and time response. The occurrence of the apoptosis was preceded by the decrease of bcl-2 mRNA expression. With TdT assay, apoptotic cells were observed in the ovarian tumor of patients treated with carboplatin.

CONCLUSION

TdT assay may be applicable to moniter apoptosis in human cancers induced by chemotherapy, and to evaluate tumor cell response during treatment.