Involvement of Ca2+ ion and reactive oxygen species as a mediator in pradimicin-induced apoptosis.

Pradimicin (PRM) induces apoptosis in mammalian cells which had been incubated with 1-deoxymannojirimycin (DMJ). Flow cytometric analysis revealed that PRM preferentially induced apoptosis to the cells of the G1 phase. Two possible mediators in this apoptotic cascade were identified. Exposure of DMJ-treated cells to PRM resulted in a rapid (approximately 5 seconds) and slow (approximately 30 minutes) elevation of the intracellular calcium level. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were proved to be involved in this system by the fact that the apoptosis was completely inhibited by treating the cells with a ROS scavenger, N-acetylcysteine in prior to the PRM stimulation.