Polish Academy of Sciences, Warszawa, Poland.
Pharmacol Rep. 2012;64(4):991-6. doi: 10.1016/s1734-1140(12)70896-4.
Verapamil (Ver) is a well known, worldwide used drug to correct cardiac arrhythmias. The main Ver target is the L-type calcium channel. Modulation of calcium homeostasis vaulted Ver into use in medical applications.
To examine COLO 205 cells morphology after Ver treatment, an electron microscopy technique was used.
This study shows ultrastructural evidence that Ver initiates autophagy-like process in human colon adenocarcinoma COLO 205 cells. TEM photographs revealed the presence of differently developed autophagic vacuoles in response to Ver administration. Furthermore, extensive ultrastructural cell alterations confirmed that cancer cells died via necrosis or apoptosis, as demonstrated by ruptured plasma membrane or condensed chromatin, respectively.
It is the evidence that apoptosis resistant COLO 205 cells are overruled by autophagy-like process. Autophagy-like cell death could be a promising venue to delete cancer cells. Ver appears to be a new potentially effective anticancer compound.
维拉帕米（Ver）是一种众所周知的、全球范围内用于纠正心律失常的药物。Ver 的主要靶标是 L 型钙通道。钙稳态的调节使 Ver 被应用于医学领域。
为了研究 Ver 处理后 COLO 205 细胞的形态，采用了电子显微镜技术。
本研究显示超微结构证据表明，Ver 在人结肠腺癌 COLO 205 细胞中引发自噬样过程。TEM 照片显示，在 Ver 给药后，存在不同发育程度的自噬空泡。此外，广泛的超微结构细胞改变证实，癌细胞通过坏死或凋亡死亡，分别表现为破裂的质膜或浓缩的染色质。
这表明抗凋亡的 COLO 205 细胞被自噬样过程所推翻。自噬样细胞死亡可能是一种有前途的删除癌细胞的方法。Ver 似乎是一种新的潜在有效的抗癌化合物。
