F-Ara induces apoptosis in keratinocytes and alveolar epithelial cells, but not in gut or bronchial epithelial cells: protective effect of defibrotide.

F-Ara, 10 μg/mL. D, 100 μg/mL. Flow cytometric analysis of the SSC image of PI-negative cells (A) and DAPI stain analysis of apoptotic cells (B). Results are given in mean percentage apoptotic cells ± SD of 3 different experiments. HaCaT, human keratinocyte cell line; SW 480, gut epithelial cells line; A549, lung carcinoma cell line from the alveolar epithelium; BEAS-2B, bronchial epithelial cell line. Primary bronchial epithelial cells have been derived from a bronchoscopic brush procedure. (A) *P = .005 of F-Ara versus F-Ara+D-treated HaCaT cells. **P = .116 of F-Ara versus F-Ara+D-treated A 549 cells. −: No apoptosis induction. (B) +: P = .026 of F-Ara versus F-Ara+D-treated HaCaT cells. ++: P = .001 of F-Ara versus F-Ara+D-treated A549 cells. For experimental details, see the legend to Figure 1 and “Materials and methods.” Three representative experiments are summarized for each cell line.