Acidic environment causes apoptosis by increasing caspase activity
1999
Acidic Environment Causes Cell Death
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Park H J, Lyons J C, Ohtsubo T, Song C W
Primary Institution: University of Minnesota Medical School
Hypothesis
Does exposure to an acidic environment increase apoptosis in HL-60 human promyelocytic leukaemia cells?
Conclusion
The study found that acidic stress leads to increased apoptosis in cancer cells through the activation of caspases.
Supporting Evidence
- Acidic media exposure led to increased Bax protein expression.
- Apoptosis was observed after 4 hours of exposure to acidic conditions.
- Inhibitors of caspases suppressed the observed apoptosis.
Takeaway
When cancer cells are in an acidic environment, they start to die because certain proteins that cause cell death become active.
Methodology
HL-60 cells were exposed to acidic media, and various assays were conducted to measure apoptosis and protein expression.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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