Differential apoptotic response in normal and virus‐transformed human cells

Abstract

Human fibroblasts (WI‐38) and their simian virus‐transformed counterparts (VA13a), a paired cell system, represent a unique model for experimentation. WI‐38 cells demonstrated contact inhibition of growth, whereas the VA13a counterpart continued to proliferate forming multiple cell layers. The objective of the study was the response of WI‐38 and VA13a cells to exposure of sodium butyrate, calcium ionophore (A23187), or a combination of sodium butyrate and calcium ionophore. We hypothesize that exposure of the cells to these chemicals will elicit a differential response in apoptosis. The VA13a cells and WI‐38 cells underwent apoptosis within different time periods of exposure to the chemicals. In addition, sodium butyrate‐treated VA13a cells showed an altered “normal” morphology, whereas the treatment of sodium butyrate on WI‐38 cells had little to no effect on morphology. The combination treatment of calcium ionophore and sodium butyrate had the same affects on the WI‐38 and VA13a cells as the calcium alone. The results suggest calcium ionophore is a stronger apoptosis inducer. Applied clinically, this approach has the potential to produce a differential chemical response in the transformed (cancer) cells. Sponsored by College of Health, Environment, and Science and Slippery Rock University.