Common food additive E407a affects BCL-2 expression in lymphocytes in vitro

 

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Article Title: Common food additive E407a affects BCL-2 expression in lymphocytes in vitro
Authors: Tkachenko A. S., Onishchenko A. I., Lesovoy V. N., Myasoedov V. V.
Affiliation: Kharkiv National Medical University, Kharkiv, Ukraine
Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the apoptosis rate and expression of antiapoptotic bcl-2 in lymphocytes exposed to food grade kappa-carrageenan-containing processed Eucheuma seaweed (PES; food additive E407a) in vitro. Lymphocytes from blood untreated with E407a (controls), treated with 2% and 5% PES solutions during 1 and 2 hours were stained with Alexa Fluor® 647 rabbit anti-active caspase-3 and FITC mouse anti-Bcl-2. The results were assessed by flow cytometry. Incubation of rat WBCs with 2% and 5% PES solutions did not affect the amount of active caspase-3+ lymphocytes. MFI of active caspase-3 was unchanged in lymphocytes treated with E407a compared with the untreated cells. The percentage of bcl-2+ lymphocytes was not affected as a result of incubation. However, bcl-2 expression was higher in lymphocytes exposed to PES, evidenced by higher values of MFI of bcl-2 in lymphocytes treated with both 2% and 5% E407a solution compared with the control group.
Incubation of rat blood with PES doesn’t stimulate apoptosis of lymphocytes. However, overexpression of bcl-2 is found in lymphocytes.
Keywords: carrageenan, food additive, flow cytometry, apoptosis, active caspase-3, bcl-2
*Correspondence: Anton Tkachenko, Kharkiv National Medical University, Department of Biochemistry, Nauky ave 4, 61022, Kharkiv, Ukraine, Tel. +38050-109-45-54, Fax. +38(057)700-41-32, email: antontkachenko555@gmail.com