Sodium butyrate induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in primary effusion lymphoma cells independently of oxidative stress and p21(CIP1/WAF1) induction.

Primary effusion lymphoma, a peculiar type of B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, preferentially develops in immunodeficient individuals and its pathogenesis is closely linked with human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8). HHV-8 is present primarily persistence in primary effusion lymphoma cells, and the lytic cycle of HHV-8 can be induced by sodium butyrate (NaB) treatment. HHV-8 gene expression is affected by NaB in BCBL-1 cells, but the cellular response of BCBL-1 cells upon NaB treatment has not been investigated to date. Using BCBL-1 cells, a HHV-8 harboring cell line, we demonstrated that sodium butyrate could induce the reactive oxygen species generation, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in BCBL-1 cells. The sodium butyrate-induce cell cycle arrest was associated with the decrease of Cdc2, Cdk4 and cyclin A in BCBL-1 cells without altering the protein levels of p21(CIP1/WAF1). The apoptosis induced by sodium butyrate in BCBL-1 cells was independent of oxidative stress.