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Cell death by autoschizis in TRAMP prostate carcinoma cells as a result of treatment by ascorbate: menadione combination.

Gilloteaux J, Jamison JM, Neal DR, Summers JL

American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Campus St. Maarten, M.E.I.O., Inc, Coral Gables, Florida 33134, USA. jagillot@yahoo.com

A prostate carcinoma cell line derived from the transgenic murine prostate cancer model (TRAMP) was treated with ascorbate (VC) alone, menadione (VK(3)) alone, or a combination of ascorbate:menadione (VC + VK(3)) for 1, 2, and 4 h. Cytotoxic cell alterations examined by light and electron microscopy were treatment-dependent with VC + VK(3) > VC > VK(3). Induced by oxidative stress, these alterations included cytokeletal changes conducive to cytoplasmic blebbing, self-excisions, and progressive nuclear alterations. While the excised parts contained ribosomes, they were devoid of nuclear fragments or other organelles. The organelle-free self-excisions caused an extreme reduction in cell size as well as chromatolysis and karyolysis that were consistent with cell death by autoschizis, but not with apoptosis.

Published 22 July 2005 in Ultrastruct Pathol, 29(3): 221-35.
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