L. Falasca et al., Growth inhibition and induction of specific hepatic phenotype expression by retinoic acid in HEPG2 cells, ANTICANC R, 19(4B), 1999, pp. 3283-3292
Retinoic acid, the active metabolite of vitamin A, plays a role in the grow
th and differentiation of a variety of normal and malignant cells. In respo
nse to 5 mu M retinoic acid the human hepatoma-derived cell line HepG2 unde
rwent significant growth inhibition (not associated with cell death), which
reached a level of 80% in comparison with controls, after 12 days of conti
nuous treatment. Retinoic acid also induced morphological changes in these
cells, in particular the development of canalicular-like structures, indica
ting progression to a more differentiated phenotype. In addition, a reduced
expression alpha-fetoprotein was found. We suggest that our results may be
important for the design of novel therapeutic approaches using RA for the
treatment of liver tumors.