Effect of several PEO-PPO amphiphiles on bax, bcl-2, and hTERT mRNAs: An insight into apoptosis and cell immortalization induced in hepatoma cells by these polymeric excipients

Abstract

Recent data have shown that synthetic polymers and nanomaterials display phenotypic effects in cells and signal transduction mechanisms involved in inflammation, differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. Aim: This article aims to investigate the effect of poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide) (PEO-PPO) block copolymers with a wide range of biomedical and pharmaceutical applications on apoptosis and/or cell immortalization, by flow cytometry and multiplex RT-PCR for bax, bcl-2, and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). Results: PEO-PPO amphiphiles upregulated bax and hTERT and induced apoptosis of two human hepatoma cell lines. Conclusions: PEO-PPO block copolymers - considered safe for human use - can drastically alter gene expression profiles of genes related to apoptosis/cell proliferation.