TAXOL INDUCES CELL DEATH WITH CYTOPLASM VACUOLIZATION IN PARAPTOSIS-LIKE BUT NOT ONCOSIS FASHION IN ASTC-a-1 CELLS

Abstract

Recently, we found that high concentration of taxol (70 μM) induced cell death with cytoplasm vacuolization, the typical characteristic of both paraptosis and oncosis, in human lung carcinoma (ASTC-a-1) cells. This report was designed to further determine the form of taxol-induced cell death with cytoplasm vacuolization. It is generally considered that the cytoplasm vacuolization in oncosis due to the swelling of endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondria, lysosomes and nuclei occurs after the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). However, flow cytometry (FCM) analysis showed that taxol-induced cytoplasm vacuolization preceded the loss of ΔΨm. Moreover, taxol treatment did not induce the collapse of microtubule, the typical characteristic of oncosis. These data demonstrated that taxol-induced cell death with cytoplasm vacuolization is not oncosis. FCM analysis by Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis detection kit further demonstrated that taxol-induced cell death with cytoplasm vacuolization is not apoptosis. In conclusion, in combination with our recent in vitro and in vivo data, this report further demonstrates that high concentration of taxol induces cell death with cytoplasm vacuolization in paraptosis-like but not oncosis fashion.