Sodium butyrate induces apoptosis in ILT-Mat cells.

(A) Dose response of the loss of cell viability by sodium butyrate. Human IL-2–dependent adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) ILT-Mat cells were treated with sodium butyrate at the indicated concentrations (mmol/L) for 48 hours. Cell viability was assessed by trypan blue exclusion assay. The results, 7.2 ± 0.6(0), 21.0 ± 2.4 (0.5), 55.3 ± 3.7(1), and 93.3 ± 2.9%(2) of total cells, are averages of triplicate samples from 3 experiments ± SD. (B) DNA fragmentation in ILT-Mat cells. The proliferating ILT-Mat cells were incubated with sodium butyrate at the indicated concentrations (mmol/L) for 48 hours. Their low molecular weight genomic DNA was extracted and analyzed on 1.2% agarose gels, which were stained with 1 μg/mL of ethidium bromide. The size marker (λ phage/Hind III-digested DNA) is indicated. (C) Time course of apoptosis in response to sodium butyrate. ILT-Mat cells were treated with sodium butyrate at 1 mmol/L for the indicated days. Cell viability was assessed by trypan blue exclusion assay. The results, 4.3 ± 1.5(0), 27.7 ± 3.2(1), 42.7 ± 4.7(2), and 82.3 ± 2.9%(3) of total cells, are averages of triplicate samples from 3 experiments ± SD.