Apoptosis and autophagy in hepatocarcinoma cells induced by different forms of lithium salts

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive cancer that is resistant to drug therapy. It is believed that the development of HCC is correlated with misregulation of programmed cell death. Discovery of effective inducers of HCC cell death is very important for HCC therapy. The aim of this work was to identify structural changes leading to the death of HCC cells exposed to nanosized and original forms of lithium salts. Structural features of autophagy and apoptosis were revealed in HCC cells after their incubation with various forms of lithium salts by light, electron microscopy, and flow cytometry. It was shown that nanosized forms of lithium carbonate and lithium citrate had a pronounced effect on HCC-29 cells. Of these forms, the nanosized lithium citrate induced mainly apoptosis, while the nanosized form of lithium carbonate, along with apoptosis, induced autophagic death of HCC cells.