Correlative analyses of notch signaling with resveratrol-induced differentiation and apoptosis of human medulloblastoma cells

Altered Notch signaling seems linked with medulloblastoma (MB) formation and resveratrol exhibits anti-medulloblastoma effects. However, the influence of resveratrol in Notch signaling of MB cells has not been described. This issue was addressed here by checking Notch1 and Notch2 statuses in three MB cell lines with and without resveratrol treatment. Notch1 and Notch2 were detected in the cytoplasm of three cell lines under normal condition, which were up-regulated by resveratrol along with differentiation, apoptosis and enhanced Hes1 nuclear translocation. Nevertheless, blockage of Notch enzymatic cleavage with gamma-seacretase inhibitors, DAPT and L-685,458, neither interrupted resveratrol-caused cellular events nor affected MB cell growth. These results demonstrate that Notch signaling has little relevance with resveratrol-induced differentiation and apoptosis and may not be a universal critical factor of MB cells. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.