Apoptosis in cancer cells caused by low pH environment.

초록

The mode of cell death, i.e., apoptosis and necrosis, resulting from an exposure to low pH media was determined. The intracellular pH of cells in different pH media was determined with the BCECF method. Apoptosis began to appear in HL-60 cells, Ramos cells, L-1210 cell and SCK cells, when medium pH was lowered to 6.8-7.0, peaking at medium pH6.2-6.4, at which point pHi was 6.5-7.0. A signifiacnt fraction of cells incubated at pH 6.2-6.4 medium were aoiotituc as judged with TUNEL staining and electron microscopy. However, the DNA of the L-1210 cells failed to produced a "ladder"in the gel electrophoresis.