Vitamin C induces human melanoma A375 cell apoptosis via Bax- and Bcl-2-mediated mitochondrial pathways.

Vitamin C induces human melanoma A375 cell apoptosis via Bax- and Bcl-2-mediated mitochondrial pathways. Oncol Lett. 2019 Oct;18(4):3880-3886 Authors: Chen XY, Chen Y, Qu CJ, Pan ZH, Qin Y, Zhang X, Liu WJ, Li DF, Zheng Q Abstract Melanoma is the most malignant type of skin cancer and is resistant to numerous chemotherapeutic and radiotherapy-based treatment approaches due to the activation of rapid and reversible pro-survival signaling pathways. As a result, patients will often present with a poor prognosis. Therefore, novel preventive methods and treatments are urgently required for patients with melanoma. Vitamin C (also known as L-ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin that is widely used as a dietary additive and has been demonstrated to exhibit anti-cancer properties. In the present study, the effects of vitamin C in human melanoma A375 cells, and the mechanisms underlying these effects were investigated. Vitamin C potently suppressed human melanoma A375 cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis in A375 cells. Induction of apoptosis was related to caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation and the mitochondrial membrane potential of A375 cells significantly decreased in the presence of vitamin C. Furthermore, vitamin C induced apoptosis in A375 cells by activating the Bax- and Bcl-2-mediated mitochondrial pathway. These results indicate that vitamin C may be a potentially useful clinical anti-tumor drug for treating patients with mel...
Source: Oncology Letters - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Oncol Lett Source Type: research