Induction of apoptosis by N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide in glioma cells.

N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (fenretinide) is a synthetic retinoid with anticancer properties. We investigated the effects of fenretinide on the growth of glioma cells. Four glioma cell lines (C6, 9L, Med3 and U87) were treated with fenretinide. Cell viability and independent growth was determined by MTS assay and soft agar assay, respectively. The induction of apoptosis was evaluated by microscopic examination, flow cytometric DNA content analysis, and in situ TdT methods. Fenretinide markedly reduced cell viability of all the glioma cell lines examined at a range of concentrations from 1 to 10 microM. In all cell lines examined, fenretinide also induced morphological changes consistent with apoptosis, including cellular shrinkage, chromatin condensation, and nuclear fragmentation. Flow cytometric analysis also revealed an apoptotic pattern of the DNA content, and in situ detection of apoptosis showed increased incorporation of digoxigenin-nucleotide triphosphate in fenretinide-treated glioma cells. These findings indicate that fenretinide inhibits the growth of glioma cells via the induction of apoptosis, suggesting potential clinical use of fenretinide for treatment of glioma patients.