The effect of melittin on proliferation and death of thymocytes

The effect of melittin, an activator of phospholipase A 2, on proliferation and death of rat thymocytes in a broad concentration range was studied. Cell proliferation was estimated by the accumulation of colchicin metaphases, necrotic death was determined from lysis and staining of cells with trypan...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:FEBS letters 1997-06, Vol.410 (2), p.285-288
Main Authors: Shaposhnikova, V.V, Egorova, M.V, Kudryavtsev, A.A, Levitman, M.Kh, Korystov, Yu.N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethane-sulfonic acid
Animals
Apoptosis
Cell Death
Cell Division
Cells, Cultured
Cobalt
Dactinomycin - pharmacology
DNA Fragmentation
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
EDTA
Enzyme Activation
ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid
HEPES
Male
Melitten - pharmacology
Melittin
Necrosis
Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors - pharmacology
Phospholipase A 2
Phospholipase A2
Phospholipases A - metabolism
Phospholipases A2
PLA2
Proliferation
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Thymocyte
Thymus Gland - cytology
Thymus Gland - drug effects
Thymus Gland - physiology
Thymus Gland - radiation effects
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Summary:The effect of melittin, an activator of phospholipase A 2, on proliferation and death of rat thymocytes in a broad concentration range was studied. Cell proliferation was estimated by the accumulation of colchicin metaphases, necrotic death was determined from lysis and staining of cells with trypan blue, and apoptosis was assessed from the type of DNA fragmentation, the amount of fragmented DNA, and the percentage of cells with subdiploid DNA. It was shown that low melittin concentrations (below 5 μg/ml) stimulate thymocyte proliferation. At high melittin concentrations, thymocytes die by the primary necrosis type. Throughout the concentration range studied, melittin does not produce apoptosis in thymocytes. Conversely, high melittin concentrations even inhibit thymocyte apoptosis in the control and after irradiation. An inhibitor of RNA synthesis actinomycin D does not affect thymocyte death in the presence of melittin. It is concluded that the activation of phospholipase A 2 can induce necrosis but not apoptosis and thus is not a necessary step in the signaling cascade that initiates apoptosis in thymocytes.
ISSN:0014-5793
1873-3468
DOI:10.1016/S0014-5793(97)00578-4