Protective role of autophagy in branched polyethylenimine (25K)- and poly(L-lysine) (30–70K)-induced cell death

• Published in: European journal of pharmaceutical sciences Vol. 47; no. 5; pp. 865 - 874
• Main Authors: Lin, Chia-Wei, Jan, Ming-Shiou, Kuo, Jung-Hua Steven, Hsu, Li-Jin, Lin, Yee-Shin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kindlington Elsevier B.V 18.12.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - physiology; Autophagy; Autophagy - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Caspase 3 - metabolism; Cell death; Cell Line; General pharmacology; Green Fluorescent Proteins - metabolism; HeLa Cells; Humans; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase - metabolism; Medical sciences; Mice; Microtubule-Associated Proteins - metabolism; Necrosis; Pharmaceutical technology. Pharmaceutical industry; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Poly(L-lysine) (PLL); Polyethyleneimine - pharmacology; Polyethylenimine (PEI); Polylysine - pharmacology; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - metabolism; Polyethylenimine (PEI); Poly(L-lysine) (PLL); Cell death; Autophagy; Apoptosis; Necrosis; Pharmaceutical technology; Branched polymer; Lysine polymer; Aminoacid polymer; Polyelectrolyte; Prevention; Olefinimine polymer; Polyethylene imine

Polyethylenimine (PEI) and poly(L-lysine) (PLL), which are cationic polymers used for gene therapy, are known to be cytotoxic, but their molecular mechanisms of cell death are not fully understood. In this study, we provide evidence that PEI and PLL induced autophagy in HeLa cervical cancer cells. I...