Deglycosylated bleomycin triggers apoptosis in laryngeal carcinoma cells in a caspase and reactive oxygen species independent manner

Background:  Bleomycin-A2, a member of a family of glycopeptide antibiotics, has potent antitumor activity against a range of lymphomas, head and neck cancer and germ cell tumors. However, little is known about the biologic activity of the carbohydrate moiety in Bleomycin-A2-induced cytotoxicity. Methods:  We compared the capacity of Bleomycin-A2 and its deglycosylated form (deglycoBleomycin-A2) to induce cell death. Apoptosis was analyzed by cell nuclear staining with Hoechst 33342 dye and DNA fragmentation. The signal transduction pathway was measured through Western blotting and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Results:  When tested on HEp-2 laryngeal carcinoma cells, Bleomyc…