1: Tissue Cell. 2004 Jun;36(3):197-209. 

Autoschizis: a new form of cell death for human ovarian carcinoma cells
following ascorbate:menadione treatment. Nuclear and DNA degradation.

Gilloteaux J, Jamison JM, Lorimer HE, Jarjoura D, Taper HS, Calderon PB, Neal
DR, Summers JL.

Department of Anatomy, American University of the Caribbean, School of Medicine,
Campus St. Maarten, M.E.I.O. Inc., Ponce de Leon Boulevard 901, Suite #401,
Coral Gables, FL 33135, USA. jagillot@yahoo.com

Microscopic aspects, densitometric evaluation of Feulgen-stained DNA, and gel
electrophoresis of total DNA have been used to elucidate the effects of 1, 2,
and 3 h VC (ascorbic acid), VK3 (menadione), and combined VC:VK3 treatments on
the cellular and nuclear morphology and DNA content of a human ovarian carcinoma
cell line (MDAH 2774). Optical densitometry showed a significant decrease in
cancer cell DNA content directly related to VC and VC:VK3 treatments while VK3
and VC:VK3 treated cells exhibited cytoskeletal changes that included
self-excision of cytoplasmic pieces with no membranous organelles. Nuclei
decreased in size and exhibited poor contrast consistent with progressive
decondensation of their chromatin. Degraded chromatin was also detected in
cytoplasmic autophagosomes. Nucleoli segregated their components and fragmented
into small pieces. Gel electrophoretic analysis of total DNA revealed evidence
of generalized DNA degradation specific to treated tumor cells. These results
are consistent with previous observations [Scanning 20 (1998a) 564; Ultrastruct.
Pathol. 25 (2001b) 183; J. Histochem. Cytochem. 49 (2001) 109] which
demonstrated that the VC:VK3 combination induced autoschizic cell death by a
series of cytoplasmic excisions without organelles along with specific nuclear
ultrastructural damage.

PMID: 15140597 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]