Abstract: AIM: To investigate the effects of exogenous cell-permeable C2-ceramide on viability and early apoptosis induction in rat glioma cell C6.METHODS: The effects of C2-ceramide on viability of C6 cell after 24 h treatment were assessed by MTT test.The cellular morphology was observed by Olympus inverted reflected light fluorescence observation attachment.The early events of the apoptosis were recorded by flow cytometry analysis with a combination of Annexin V-FITC and propium iodide (PI) which was used for staining cells.RESULTS: C2-ceramide significantly inhibited the cell viability of C6 cells and the IC₅₀ was 2.2×10^-5mol·L^-1.The classical apoptotic morphology change was induced by C2-ceramide, and the early cell apoptosis was induced in a time and concentration-dependent manner.After treated with 2×10^-5mol·L^-1C2-ceramide for 24 h, the average apoptotic death rate of cells was about 49.3 %.CONCLUSION: C2-ceramide can exert obvious cytotoxic effect in C6 cell through inducing typical early apoptosis of C6 cells, and it suggest that the enhancement of the level of ceramide might offer a novel approach to cancer chemotherapy.

Key words: C2-ceramide, C6, Annexin V/PI, early apoptosis