Alteration of apoptotic susceptibility and bcl-2 gene in malignant transformation of human bronchial epithelial cells

AIM: To demonstrate the susceptibility of cell apoptosis varies during the progress of cell malignant transformation from human being in vitro. METHODS: A SV₄₀T-transfected human bronchial epithelial immortalized cell line (called M) was selected in this work, which has acquired some characteristics of malignant transformation at the later passage. The alterations of apoptosis and bcl-2, P53 genes between early and later passage of M cells were investigated by means of TDT labeling in situ, chromosome FISH, RNA and protein testing, etc. RESULTS: Incidence of apoptosis induced by cis-platin was significantly lower in later than in early passages of M. Levels of bcl-2 mRNA and protein in later passages were higher than early passages of M, and overexpression of bcl-2 was accumulated following the development of cellular malignancy. P53 protein level was as high in early as in later passages. CONCLUSION: Overexpression of bcl-2 decreases the cellular sensitivity to apoptotic inductors plays an important role during progress of carcinogenesis in human bronchial epithelial cancers. The inactivation of P53 protein in the SV₄₀-T transfected M cell line may be one of reasons of bcl-2 overexpression, but not associated with the accumulation of bcl-2 expressed level during cell transformation.