SODIUM-BUTYRATE SUPPRESSES APOPTOSIS IN HUMAN BURKITT LYMPHOMAS AND MURINE PLASMACYTOMAS BEARING C-MYC TRANSLOCATIONS

We report that sodium butyrate, a natural product of fiber degradation by colonic bacteria, markedly suppresses c-Myc-mediated apoptosis ind uced in murine plasmacytomas and human Burkitt lymphomas by growth fac tor deprivation, but not in cell lines devoid of c-myc translocations. Attenuation of cell death is associated with downregulation of the re arranged c-myc and activation of pRb via its dephosphorylation, We sug gest that in vivo sodium butyrate may play an important role in plasma cytomagenesis by supporting the survival of cells,vith c-myc transloca tions, which otherwise mould be eliminated by the lack of growth facto rs. (C) 1998 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.