Adriamycin (ADM) induced apoptosis in transitional cell cancer (TCC) cell lines accompanied by p21 WAF1/CIP1 induction.

Genotoxic stimuli, including anticancer drugs, induce apoptosis in cancer cells through increase of p53, p21WAF1/CIP1, at least in part. Bcl-2 and Bax modify this pathway or directly regulated by p53. Here we studied Adriamycin (ADM)-induced apoptosis in four human bladder cancer cell lines in respect of p53, p21WAF1/CIP1 and Bcl-2 family proteins. After ADM, treatment bladder cancer cells underwent dose-dependent cell death with typical morphologic features of apoptosis. Among four cell lines RT4 with wt p53, low ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax and induction of p21WAF1/CIP1 after ADM treatment, was the most sensitive to induction of apoptosis. Thus, p53, p21WAF1/CIP1, Bcl-2 and Bax status might determine susceptibility of bladder cancer cells to ADM induced apoptosis.