Effects of gemcitabine on cell proliferation and apoptosis in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines

We evaluated the :antiproliferative and the proapoptotic ability of gemcita bine in three nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines. NCI-H292 (mucoe pidermoid carcinoma), NCI-CorL23 (large-cell carcinoma) and NCI-Colo699 (ad enocarcinoma) cells were cultured with and without 0.5, 0.05 and 0.005 muM gemcitabine for 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. Gemcitabine exerted a strong er and earlier antiproliferative and proapoptotic effect on H292 cells than on CorL23 or Colo699 cells. Fas receptor expression was increased in all t hree cell lines and was higher in Colo699 than in CorL23 cells. The incubat ion of NSCLC with anti-Fas agonistic monoclonal antibody (CH11) induced cel l apoptosis in H292 cells, demonstrating that the Fas receptor was function ally active. Finally, Semcitabine and CH-11 exerted a synergistic effect on cell apoptosis in H292 cells. This study demonstrates that gemcitabine ind uces apoptosis in NSCLC and that this effect might be exerted by modulating functionally active Fas expression, and these effects of gemcitabine were stronger in H292 cells than in either CorL23 or Colo699 cells.