Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:1.15.1.1 (superoxide dismutase)
58,858 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We have reported that members of the bcl-2 gene family are expressed and gonadotropin regulated in ovarian granulosa cells during follicular maturation and atresia. Because Bcl-2, a protein that prevents apoptosis in several cell types, is reported to function as an antioxidant or free radical scavenger, the present studies were designed to investigate if oxidative stress plays a role in granulosa cell apoptosis during follicular atresia in the immature rat ovary. In the first series of experiments, the role of oxidative stress in the induction of granulosa cell apoptosis was directly tested using a defined in vitro follicle culture system. Healthy antral follicles obtained from equine CG (eCG)-primed immature (27 day old) rats were incubated in serum-free medium for 24 h in the absence or presence of FSH (100 ng/ml; a control for inhibiting apoptosis), superoxide dismutase (SOD; 10-1000 U/ml), ascorbic acid (0.01-1 mM; a free radical scavenger), N-acetyl-L-cysteine (25-100 mM; a free radical scavenger and stimulator of endogenous glutathione peroxidase activity), or catalase (10-1000 U/ml). Granulosa cells within follicles incubated in medium alone exhibited extensive apoptosis after 24 h of incubation, and this onset of apoptosis was blocked by treatment with FSH (29 +/- 4% of controls; P < 0.001, n = 3). Moreover, apoptosis in follicles was also inhibited by treatment with SOD (44 +/- 4% of controls at 1000 U/ml; P < 0.01, n = 3), ascorbic acid (55 +/- 9% of controls at 1 mM; P < 0.05, n = 3), N-acetyl-L-cysteine (24 +/- 7% of controls at 100 mM; P < 0.001, n = 3), or catalase (35 +/- 6% of controls at 1000 U/ml; P < 0.001, n = 3). In the second series of experiments, complementary DNAs corresponding to secreted (SEC-SOD), copper/zinc-containing (Cu/Zn-SOD), and manganese-containing (Mn-SOD) forms of rat SOD, rat seleno-cysteine glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), and rat catalase were isolated and used to synthesize antisense RNA probes for Northern and slot blot analysis of changes in SOD, GSHPx, and catalase gene expression during follicular maturation. In vivo priming of 25-day-old female rats for 2 days with 10 IU eCG, which promoted antral follicular growth and survival, increased levels of messenger RNA encoding SEC-SOD (216 +/- 9% of saline-treated controls, P < 0.05, n = 3) and Mn-SOD (222 +/- 14% of saline-treated controls, P < 0.05, n = 3) vs. saline-treated controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Inhibitors of oxidative stress mimic the ability of follicle-stimulating hormone to suppress apoptosis in cultured rat ovarian follicles. 782 37

The mechanism by which the bcl-2 oncogene exerts its anti-apoptotic and antioxidant action is unknown. We found that expression of bcl-2 in superoxide dismutase-deficient (SOD-) Escherichia coli resulted in increased transcription of the KatG catalase-peroxidase, a 13-fold increase in KatG activity and a 100-fold increase in resistance to hydrogen peroxide. In addition, mutation rate was increased 3-fold, and katG and oxyR, a transcriptional regulator of katG induction, were required for aerobic survival. These data indicate that Bcl-2 acts as a pro-oxidant in E. coli, i.e. Bcl-2 generates reactive oxygen intermediates. In support of a pro-oxidant mechanism in eukaryotic cells, we found a 73% increase in superoxide dismutase activity in a murine B-cell line overexpressing Bcl-2. Increases in reduced glutathione and in oxyradical damage to DNA, previously observed in other overexpressing cell lines, are additional evidence for a pro-oxidant mechanism. Thus, Bcl-2 does not appear to be an antioxidant. Instead, Bcl-2 appears to influence levels of reactive oxygen intermediates that induce endogenous cellular antioxidants. This activity of Bcl-2 may control entry into apoptosis.
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PMID:The Bcl-2 oncoprotein functions as a pro-oxidant. 787 80

The proto-oncogene bcl-2 inhibits apoptotic and necrotic neural cell death. Expression of Bcl-2 in the GT1-7 neural cell line prevented death as a result of glutathione depletion. Intracellular reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxides rose rapidly in control cells depleted of glutathione, whereas cells expressing Bcl-2 displayed a blunted increase and complete survival. Modulation of the increase in reactive oxygen species influenced the degree of cell death. Yeast mutants null for superoxide dismutase were partially rescued by expression of Bcl-2. Thus, Bcl-2 prevents cell death by decreasing the net cellular generation of reactive oxygen species.
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PMID:Bcl-2 inhibition of neural death: decreased generation of reactive oxygen species. 823 59

Expression of the protooncogene bcl-2 inhibits both apoptotic and in some cases necrotic cell death in many cell types, including neural cells, and in response to a wide variety of inducers. The mechanism by which the Bcl-2 protein acts to prevent cell death remains elusive. One mechanism by which Bcl-2 has been proposed to act is by decreasing the net cellular generation of reactive oxygen species. To evaluate this proposal, we measured activities of antioxidant enzymes as well as levels of glutathione and pyridine nucleotides in control and bcl-2 transfectants in two different neural cell lines-rat pheochromocytoma PC12 and the hypothalamic GnRH cell line GT1-7. Both neural cell lines overexpressing bcl-2 had elevated total glutathione levels when compared with control transfectants. The ratios of oxidized glutathione to total glutathione in PC12 and GT1-7 cells overexpressing bcl-2 were significantly reduced. In addition, the NAD+/NADH ratio of bcl-2-expressing PC12 and GT1-7 cells was two- to threefold less than that of control cell lines. GT1-7 cells overexpressing bcl-2 had the same level of glutathione peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione reductase activities as control cells. PC12 cells overexpressing bcl-2 had a twofold increase in superoxide dismutase and catalase activity when compared with matched control transfected cells. The levels of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in PC12 cells overexpressing bcl-2 were similar to those of control cells. These results indicate that the overexpression of bcl-2 shifts the cellular redox potential to a more reduced state, without consistently affecting the major cellular antioxidant enzymes.
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PMID:Shift of the cellular oxidation-reduction potential in neural cells expressing Bcl-2. 875 34

Curcumin, widely used as a spice and coloring agent in food, possesses potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor promoting activities. In the present study, curcumin was found to induce apoptotic cell death in promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells at concentrations as low as 3.5 micrograms/ml. The apoptosis-inducing activity of curcumin appeared in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analysis showed that the hypodiploid DNA peak of propidium iodide-stained nuclei appeared at 4 h after 7 micrograms/ml curcumin treatment. The apoptosis-inducing activity of curcumin was not affected by cycloheximide, actinomycin D, EGTA, W7 (calmodulin inhibitor), sodium orthovanadate, or genistein. By contrast, an endonuclease inhibitor ZnSO4 and proteinase inhibitor N-tosyl-L-lysine chloro-methyl ketone (TLCK) could markedly abrogate apoptosis induced by curcumin, whereas 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) had a partial effect. The antioxidants, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), L-ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, catalase and superoxide dismutase, all effectively prevented curcumin-induced apoptosis. This result suggested that curcumin-induced cell death was mediated by reactive oxygen species. Immunoblot analysis showed that the level of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 was decreased to 30% after 6 h treatment with curcumin, and was subsequently reduced to 20% by a further 6 h treatment. Furthermore, overexpression of bcl-2 in HL-60 cells resulted in a delay of curcumin-treated cells entering into apoptosis, suggesting that bcl-2 plays a crucial role in the early stage of curcumin-triggered apoptotic cell death.
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PMID:Curcumin, an antioxidant and anti-tumor promoter, induces apoptosis in human leukemia cells. 895 Jan 93

The ability of the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX) to prevent neuronal death in different paradigms has been interpreted to indicate that the cell death process requires synthesis of "killer" proteins. On the other hand, data indicate that neurotrophic factors protect neurons in the same death paradigms by inducing expression of neuroprotective gene products. We now provide evidence that in embryonic rat hippocampal cell cultures, CHX protects neurons against oxidative insults by a mechanism involving induction of neuroprotective gene products including the antiapoptotic gene bcl-2 and antioxidant enzymes. Neuronal survival after exposure to glutamate, FeSO4, and amyloid beta-peptide was increased in cultures pretreated with CHX at concentrations of 50-500 nM; higher and lower concentrations were ineffective. Neuroprotective concentrations of CHX caused only a moderate (20-40%) reduction in overall protein synthesis, and induced an increase in c-fos, c-jun, and bcl-2 mRNAs and protein levels as determined by reverse transcription-PCR analysis and immunocytochemistry, respectively. At neuroprotective CHX concentrations, levels of c-fos heteronuclear RNA increased in parallel with c-fos mRNA, indicating that CHX acts by inducing transcription. Neuroprotective concentrations of CHX suppressed accumulation of H2O2 induced by FeSO4, suggesting activation of antioxidant pathways. Treatment of cultures with an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide directed against bcl-2 mRNA decreased Bcl-2 protein levels and significantly reduced the neuroprotective action of CHX, suggesting that induction of Bcl-2 expression was mechanistically involved in the neuroprotective actions of CHX. In addition, activity levels of the antioxidant enzymes Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase, Mn-superoxide dismutase, and catalase were significantly increased in cultures exposed to neuroprotective levels of CHX. Our data suggest that low concentrations of CHX can promote neuron survival by inducing increased levels of gene products that function in antioxidant pathways, a neuroprotective mechanism similar to that used by neurotrophic factors.
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PMID:Neuroprotective action of cycloheximide involves induction of bcl-2 and antioxidant pathways. 906 Apr 77

We expressed the human anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to investigate its effects on antioxidant protection and stationary phase survival. Yeast lacking copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (sod1Delta) show a profound defect in entry into and survival during stationary phase even under conditions optimal for survival of wild-type strains (incubation in water after stationary phase is reached). Expression of Bcl-2 in the sod1Delta strain caused a large improvement in viability at entry into stationary phase, as well as increased resistance to 100% oxygen and increased catalase activity. In addition, Bcl-2 expression reduced mutation frequency in both wild-type and sod1Delta strains. In another set of experiments, wild-type yeast incubated in expired minimal medium instead of water lost viability quickly; expression of Bcl-2 significantly delayed this stationary phase death. Our results demonstrate that Bcl-2 has activities in yeast that are similar to activities it is known to possess in mammalian cells: (a) stimulation of antioxidant protection and (b) delay of processes leading to cell death.
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PMID:Human Bcl-2 reverses survival defects in yeast lacking superoxide dismutase and delays death of wild-type yeast. 919 72

During proliferative glomerulonephritis, the early phase of mesangiolysis is linked to increased nitric oxide (NO) production. NO. as well as superoxide (O2-) are inflammatory mediators that are generated by mesangial cells (MC) after cytokine stimulation. Added individually, both radicals induce MC apoptosis. However, the co-existence of a defined NO./O2- ratio is cross-protective. Apoptosis is characterized by specific features such as chromatin condensation, DNA strand breaks, and the occurrence of apoptotic regulating proteins. The tumor suppressor p53 and Bax (Bcl-2 associated protein x) are considered to be classical death promotors, which accumulate after toxic insults. To study p53 and Bax protein accumulation in NO. and/or O2(-)-induced apoptosis, we used the NO-donor S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) and the redox cycler 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-naphtoquione (DMNQ). Both agonists initiated DNA fragmentation in a concentration dependent manner associated with transient p53 and Bax up-regulation. Co-generation of NO./O2- resulted not only in reduced DNA fragmentation, but also in decreased Bax accumulation. Comparable to the NO./O2- co-generation, cytokines failed to induce apoptosis. In contrast, cytokines in combination with pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, which blocks endogenous superoxide dismutase, allowed p53 and Bax accumulation as well as DNA fragmentation. Our results demonstrate p53 and Bax as early components in NO. and O2(-)-induced rat MC apoptosis and point to the NO./O2- interaction as a naturally occurring cell defense mechanism.
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PMID:Nitric oxide and superoxide induced p53 and Bax accumulation during mesangial cell apoptosis. 926 93

Apoptotic, rather than necrotic, nerve cell death now appears as likely to underlie a number of common neurological conditions including stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, hereditary retinal dystrophies and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Apoptotic neuronal death is a delayed, multistep process and therefore offers a therapeutic opportunity if one or more of these steps can be interrupted or reversed. Research is beginning to show how specific macromolecules play a role in determining the apoptotic death process. We are particularly interested in the critical nature of gradual mitochondrial failure in the apoptotic process and propose that a maintenance of mitochondrial function through the pharmacological modulation of gene expression offers an opportunity for the effective treatment of some types of neurological dysfunction. Our research into the development of small diffusible molecules that reduce apoptosis has grown from studies of the irreversible MAO-B inhibitor (-)-deprenyl. (-)-Deprenyl can reduce neuronal death independently of MAO-B inhibition even after neurons have sustained seemingly lethal damage. (-)-Deprenyl can also influence the process outgrowth of some glial and neuronal populations and can reduce the concentrations of oxidative radicals in damaged cells at concentrations too small to inhibit MAO. In accord with earlier work of others, we showed that (-)-deprenyl alters the expression of a number of mRNAs or of proteins in nerve and glial cells and that the alterations in gene expression/protein synthesis are the result of a selective action on transcription. The alterations in gene expression/protein synthesis are accompanied by a decrease in DNA fragmentation characteristic of apoptosis and the death of responsive cells. The onco-proteins Bcl-2 and Bax and the scavenger proteins Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and Mn superoxide dismutase (SOD-2) are among the 40-50 proteins whose synthesis is altered by (-)-deprenyl. Since mitochondrial membrane potential correlates with mitochondrial ATP production, we have used confocal laser imaging techniques in living cells to show that the transcriptional changes induced by (-)-deprenyl result in a maintenance of mitochondrial membrane potential, a decrease in intramitochondrial calcium and a decrease in cytoplasmic oxidative radical levels. We therefore propose that (-)-deprenyl acts on gene expression to maintain mitochondrial function and decrease cytoplasmic oxidative radical levels and thereby reduces apoptosis. An understanding of the molecular steps by which (-)-deprenyl selectively alters transcription may lead to the development of new therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.
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PMID:Apoptosis in neurodegenerative disorders: potential for therapy by modifying gene transcription. 926 33

A1, a member of the Bcl-2 gene family, was originally identified as a hemopoietic-specific early response gene. Later it was found that A1 was overexpressed in human stomach cancer tissues and was induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in human vascular endothelial cells. However, its expression in human cancer cells has not been well characterized. In the present study, we examined the expression of A1, as well as the antioxidant manganous superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), in four human thyroid carcinoma cell lines, two human pancreatic carcinoma cell lines, and two human prostate carcinoma cell lines. A1 mRNA was expressed in all four thyroid carcinoma cell lines. TNF-alpha induced A1 in a time- and dose-dependent manner. In contrast, A1 mRNA was not detectable in the pancreatic and prostate carcinoma cell lines in the presence or absence of TNF-alpha. However, TNF-alpha induced manganous superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) mRNA in all the cell lines tested. Furthermore, an agonist antibody to the p55 TNF-alpha receptor induced A1, but the agonist antibody against p75 TNF-alpha receptor did not have this effect. The results indicate that A1 is expressed in human thyroid carcinoma cells and TNF-alpha induces A1 through the p55 TNF-alpha receptor-mediated pathway.
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PMID:TNF-alpha induction of A1 expression in human cancer cells. 956 10


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