Characterization of apoptosis induced by sorbitol: a unique system for thedetection of antiapoptotic activities of viruses

The treatment of HEp-2 cells with sorbitol induced massive apoptosis rapidl y. This method for inducing apoptosis is very useful to detect antiapoptoti c activity of viruses as well as viral genes. Commitment: to death occurred immediately upon incubation with sorbitol, even in the presence of pancasp ase inhibitor, Z-VAD-FMK. Apoptosis is also induced by other polyhydric alc ohols with more than four hydroxyl groups, but not induced by glycerol or e thylene glycol. Sorbitol treatment on ice did not induce apoptosis either. These results suggest that this induction of apoptosis does not result simp ly from high osmotic pressure but probably by the interaction of solutes th rough their physical nature (such as hydrophobicity) with the plasma membra ne of the cells. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.