Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.4.22.56 (caspase-3)
 35,750 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Activin A, one member of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta superfamily, is known to be a commitment factor for cell death and differentiation. In the present study, we demonstrate that human chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell lines, KU812 and K562 cells, either induced apoptosis or differentiation, respectively, by treatment with activin A. During these cell fate decisive events caused by activin A, rapid and transient up-regulation of Mcl-1 was observed in both cell lines. In activin A-induced apoptosis of KU812 cells, continuous up-regulation of Bax was observed. After the decrease in Mcl-1 expression had occurred, activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3 and cleavage of DFF45 were shown to take place in KU812 cells, resulting in the fragmentation of the genomic DNA of the cells. In contrast, the down-regulation of Mcl-1 without up-regulation of Bax caused accumulation of hemoglobin (Hb) contents in activin A-treated K562 cells. Interestingly, erythropoietin (EPO) prevented activin A-induced apoptosis with continuous expression of Mcl-1 and caused KU812 cells to undergo erythroid differentiation. To address the role of Mcl-1 in activin A-treated CML cells, KU812 and K562 cells were stably transfected with cDNA encoding Mcl-1 (designated as KU812/mcl and K562/mcl cells). As in combined effect of activin A and EPO on the parental KU812 cells, activin A induced differentiation, but not apoptosis, of KU812/mcl cells without modulating Bax levels. Activin A-treated K562/mcl cells, as well as parental cells, were only differentiated to erythroid cells. These results suggest that Mcl-1 is an early inducible gene activated by the activin A signaling pathway for both cellular differentiation and apoptosis, and continuous expression of Mcl-1 may be contributed to differentiation signals to the erythroid lineage in CML cells.
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PMID:Mcl-1, an early-induction molecule, modulates activin A-induced apoptosis and differentiation of CML cells. 1131 4

Giant proerythroblasts are hallmarks of human parvovirus B19 infection. We attempted to characterize these cells in 5 patients with parvovirus B19-induced pure red cell aplasia using immunostaining of paraffin-embedded bone marrow sections with antibodies against erythroid-lineage-specific proteins, viral capsid antigen VP-1, and apoptosis- and cell-cycle-related proteins. Giant proerythroblasts are immunohistochemically consistent with early erythroid precursors of cells in the differentiation stage of CD34-, cytoplasmic spectrin+, glycophorin A-, and band-3-. VP-1 was expressed in the nucleus and cytoplasm of small- to medium-sized spectrin+ erythroid cells but not in giant proerythroblasts. The giant proerythroblasts displayed nuclear staining for p53 (41%+/-16%) and Ki-67 antigen (100%+/-0%) and cytoplasmic staining for Bax (65%+/-11%) and procaspase-3 (78%+/-10%), whereas they were not stained for p21Wafl/Cip1, active form of caspase-3, or terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated deoxyuridine nick-end labeling (TUNEL). Antiapoptotic proteins, Bcl-2 and Mcl-1, were not expressed in the giant cells, and Bcl-x was infrequently expressed in these cells (11%+/-4%). These immunohistochemical findings suggest that giant proerythroblasts are proliferating erythroid precursors with accumulation of nonfunctional p53.
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PMID:Expression of p53 and Ki-67 antigen in bone marrow giant proerythroblasts associated with human parvovirus B19 infection. 1159 14

Although overexpression of E2F-1 can induce apoptosis in a variety of tumor cell lines, the mechanisms by which E2F-1 induces apoptosis remain ambiguous. In this study, we examine the ability of E2F-1 to induce apoptosis in colon cancer and the molecular mechanisms underlying E2F-1-mediated apoptosis. HT-29 and SW-620 colon adenocarcinoma cells (both mutant p53) were treated by mock infection or adenoviral vectors Ad5CMV (empty vector), Ad5CMVLacZ (beta-galactosidase), and Ad5CMVE2F-1 (E2F-1) at multiplicity of infection of 100. Western blot analysis confirmed marked overexpression of E2F-1 in both cell lines. By 5 days after infection, E2F-1 overexpression resulted in >25-fold reduction in cell growth and >90% loss of cell viability in both cell lines. Cell cycle analysis of Ad-E2F-1-infected cells revealed an increase in G(2)/M and sub-G(1) populations. By in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (Tdt)-mediated nick end labeling analysis, evidence of apoptosis was observed including internucleosomal DNA fragmentation and the formation of apoptotic bodies. In addition, caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase apoptotic fragments were detected by 48 h after treatment with Ad-E2F-1. Of mechanistic importance, overexpression of E2F-1 caused a G(2)/M arrest followed by increased levels of c-Myc and p14(ARF) proteins. Additionally, expression of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Mcl-1 was down-regulated in E2F-1-overexpressing cells. In conclusion, E2F-1 overexpression initiates apoptosis and suppresses growth in HT-29 and SW620 colon adenocarcinoma cells. Overexpression of E2F-1 triggers apoptosis and is associated with up-regulation of c-Myc and p14(ARF) proteins and down-regulation of Mcl-1. Therefore, E2F-1 is a potentially active gene therapy agent for the treatment of colon cancer.
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PMID:E2F-1 up-regulates c-Myc and p14(ARF) and induces apoptosis in colon cancer cells. 1170 81

Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody directed at CD20 with significant activity in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). A variety of pathways of tumor cytotoxicity different from cytotoxic chemotherapy have been proposed for this therapeutic antibody including antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and complement-mediated cell lysis. This report describes that a proportion of patients with CLL receiving rituximab treatment have in vivo activation of caspase-9, caspase-3, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage in blood leukemia cells immediately following infusion of rituximab. This suggests that apoptosis using a pathway similar to fludarabine and other chemotherapeutic agents is intricately involved in the blood elimination of tumor cells after rituximab treatment. Patients having caspase-3 activation and PARP cleavage in vivo had a significantly lower blood leukemia cell count after treatment as compared to those without caspase activation. Significant down-modulation of the antiapoptotic proteins XIAP and Mcl-1 was also noted, possibly explaining in part how rituximab sensitizes CLL cells to the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapy in vivo. These findings suggest that the therapeutic benefit of antibody-based therapy in vivo for patients with CLL depends in part on induction of apoptosis and provides another area of focus for studying mechanisms of antibody-resistance in neoplastic cells.
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PMID:The mechanism of tumor cell clearance by rituximab in vivo in patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia: evidence of caspase activation and apoptosis induction. 1180 10

Seven structurally related flavonoids including luteolin, nobiletin, wogonin, baicalein, apigenin, myricetin and fisetin were used to study their biological activities on the human leukemia cell line, HL-60. On MTT assay, wogonin, baicalein, apigenin, myricetin and fisetin showed obvious cytotoxic effects on HL-60 cells, with wogonin and fisetin being the most-potent apoptotic inducers among them. The cytotoxic effects of wogonin and fisetin were accompanied by the dose- and time-dependent appearance of characteristics of apoptosis including DNA fragmentation, apoptotic bodies and the sub-G1 ratio. Treatment with an apoptosis-inducing concentration of wogonin or fisetin causes rapid and transient induction of caspase 3/CPP32 activity, but not caspase 1 activity. Further, cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and decrease of pro-caspase 3 protein were detected in wogonin- and fisetin-treated HL-60 cells. An increase in the pro-apoptotic protein, bax, and a decrease in the anti-apoptotic protein, Mcl-1, were detected in fisetin- and wogonin-treated HL-60 cells. However, Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, and Bad all remained unchanged in wogonin- and fisetin-treated HL-60 cells. In vitro chromatin digestion revealed that endonuclease activity was profoundly enhanced in wogonin- and fisetin-treated HL-60 cells, and the addition of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or ethyleneglycoltetraacetic acid (EGTA) into the reaction blocked endonuclease activation and at an optimum pH of 7.5. The caspase 3 inhibitor, Ac-DEVD-CHO, but not the caspase 1 inhibitor, Ac-YVAD-CHO, attenuated wogonin- and fisetin-induced DNA ladders, PARP cleavage, and endonuclease activation. Pretreatment of HL-60 cells with N-acetyl-cysteine or catalase efficiently inhibited H(2)O(2) (200 microM)-induced apoptosis, but showed no inhibitory effect on wogonin- and fisetin-induced DNA ladders, caspase 3 activation, or bax protein induction. Decrease in endogenous ROS production was detected in wogonin- and fisetin-treated HL-60 cells by DCHF-DA assay. In conclusion, our experiments indicate that a decrease in intracellular peroxide level was involved in wogonin- and fisetin-induced apoptosis; activation of caspase 3 and endonuclease, induction of bax protein and suppression of Mcl-1 protein were detected in the process.
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PMID:Wogonin and fisetin induce apoptosis in human promyeloleukemic cells, accompanied by a decrease of reactive oxygen species, and activation of caspase 3 and Ca(2+)-dependent endonuclease. 1184 97

We evaluated cells from 24 patients with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) to determine apoptosis induced by CD5 hypercross-linking. Following the CD5 hypercross-linking with anti-CD5 monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs), we identified 10 patients where CD5 hypercross-linking induced apoptosis (group A) and 14 patients whose cells were resistant to the anti-CD5 MoAbs (group B). The programmed cell death pathway of the cells from patient group A was caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-dependent, involved a reduction of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential DeltaPsi and a down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, Mcl-1 and iNOS proteins. Early activation-associated molecules such as CD25 and CD69 were expressed at higher levels than in controls after 6 h of culture with anti-CD5 MoAb. The expression of CD5 and of CD72, the ligand for CD5, were significantly lower in group A compared with group B. Anti-CD20 MoAb had similar activity with anti-CD5 MoAb and the combination of the two MoAbs seemed to be additive. In this study, it is suggested that the cells from some B-CLL patients can be induced into programmed cell death by CD5 hypercross-linking with anti-CD5 MoAbs.
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PMID:Apoptosis induction by hypercross-linking of the surface antigen CD5 with anti-CD5 monoclonal antibodies in B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. 1189 36

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy that occurs mainly in bone marrow. As MM cells proliferate slowly, it would seem essential to find means of preventing their growth and accumulation inside bone marrow. The present study used an antisense strategy to elucidate the respective roles of Bcl-2, Bcl-x(L), and Mcl-1 proteins in myeloma cell survival. Each antisense oligonucleotide (ASO; Bcl-2, Bcl-x(L), or Mcl-1 ASO) introduced into human myeloma cell lines by electroporation induced a marked reduction in the level of the corresponding protein. Mcl-1 ASO triggers an important decrease of viability in all myeloma cell lines tested and in 2 primary myeloma cells, whereas neither Bcl-2 nor Bcl-x(L) ASO affected the viability of myeloma cells. The decrease of cell viability induced by Mcl-1 ASO treatment was associated with an induction of apoptosis that occurred through the disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential Delta Psi m and the activation of executioner caspase-3. Furthermore, we have shown that interleukin 6 cannot prevent the Mcl-1 ASO-induced apoptosis. Finally, although Bcl-2 ASO treatment alone has no effect, it can sensitize myeloma cell lines to dexamethasone (Dex), whereas Bcl-x(L) ASO in combination with Dex still had no effect. As MM remains an incurable disease despite intensive chemotherapy, these results suggest that Mcl-1 antisense strategy rather than Bcl-2 antisense strategy could be of considerable importance in the treatment of MM.
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PMID:Antisense strategy shows that Mcl-1 rather than Bcl-2 or Bcl-x(L) is an essential survival protein of human myeloma cells. 1207 27

Previous experimental studies have shown that high dietary fat intake is associated with mammary carcinogenesis. In the current study, the effect of 5-LOX or 12-LOX inhibitors on human breast cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis, as well as the possible mechanisms were investigated. The LOX inhibitors, NDGA, Rev-5901, and baicalein all inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in MCF-7 (ER+) and MDA-MB-231 (ER-) breast cancer cell in vitro. In contrast, the LOX products, 5-HETE and 12-HETE had mitogenic effects, stimulating the proliferation of both cell lines. These inhibitors also induced cytochrome c release, caspase-9 activation, as well as downstream caspase-3, caspase-7 activation, and PARP cleavage. LOX inhibitor treatment also reduced the levels of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 and increased the levels of the pro-apoptotic protein bax. In conclusion, blockade of both 5-LOX and 12-LOX pathways induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells through the cytochrome c release and caspase-9 activation, with changes in the levels of Bcl-2 family proteins.
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PMID:The mechanisms of lipoxygenase inhibitor-induced apoptosis in human breast cancer cells. 1220 Jan 39

We have recently described a novel retinoid 6-[3-(1-adamantyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl]-2-naphthalenecarboxylic acid (CD437/AHPN) that induces apoptosis in a number of malignant cell types. We now describe our studies examining the effects of CD437 and a nonretinoidal analog (MM002) on the in vitro proliferation of the ALL-REH cell line, the in vitro and in vivo growth of a novel Epstein-Barr virus-negative (EBV(-)) B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cell line (WSU-CLL), and primary cultures of human B-CLL and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells. CD437 and MM002 induce apoptosis in both cell lines, as indicated by the activation of caspase-2 and caspase-3, cleavage of poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) (poly(ADP-ribose)) polymerase, increase in annexin V binding, and subsequent nuclear fragmentation. CD437-mediated apoptosis was not associated with the modulation of Bcl-2, Bax, or Mcl-1 levels, but was associated with the cleavage of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-X(L) to a proapoptotic 18-kD form. This cleavage of Bcl-X(L) was dependent on caspase-3 activation since Bcl-X(L) cleavage and apoptosis were inhibited by the caspase-3 inhibitor Z-DVED-fmk. CD437 markedly inhibited the growth of WSU-CLL cells in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice. Tumor growth inhibition, growth delay, and log cell kill were 85.7%, 21 days, and 2.1, respectively, in the treated mice. Moreover, 1 of the 5 treated mice was tumor-free longer than 150 days and thus was considered cured. Exposure of primary cultures of both B-CLL and ALL cells obtained from patients to CD437 and MM002 resulted in their apoptosis. These results suggest that CD437 and MM002 analogs may have a potential role in the treatment of B-CLL and ALL.
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PMID:Induction of apoptosis of human B-CLL and ALL cells by a novel retinoid and its nonretinoidal analog. 1235 3

Emodin (1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthraquinone) is an active constituent of Rheum palmatum, and showed inhibitory activity on lipopolysaccharide-induced NO production in our previous study. However, the apoptosis-inducing activity of emodin has remained undefined. Among three structurally related anthraquinones, including emodin, physcion, and chrysophanol, emodin showed the most potent cytotoxic effects on HL-60 cells, accompanied by the dose- and time-dependent appearance of characteristics of apoptosis including an increase in DNA ladder intensity, morphological changes, appearance of apoptotic bodies, and an increase in hypodiploid cells. Emodin at apoptosis-inducing concentrations causes rapid and transient induction of caspase 3/CPP32 activity, but not caspase 1 activity, according to cleavage of caspase 3 substrates poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and D4-GDI proteins, the appearance of cleaved caspase 3 fragments being detected in emodin- but not physcion- or chrysophanol-treated HL-60 cells. A decrease in the anti-apoptotic protein, Mcl-1, was detected in emodin-treated HL-60 cells, whereas other Bcl-2 family proteins including Bax, Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, and Bad remained unchanged. The caspase 3 inhibitor, Ac-DEVD-CHO, but not the caspase 1 inhibitor, Ac-YVAD-CHO, attenuated emodin-induced DNA ladders, associated with the blockage of PARP and D4-GDI cleavage. Free radical scavenging agents including NAC, catalase, SOD, ALL, DPI, L-NAME and PDTC showed no preventive effect on emodin-induced apoptotic responses, whereas NAC, CAT and PDTC prevented HL-60 cells from ROS (H(2)O(2))-induced apoptosis through inhibition of caspase 3 cascades. Induction of catalase, but not SOD, activity was detected in emodin-treated HL-60 cells by in gel activity assays, and H(2)O(2)-induced intracellular peroxide level was significantly reduced by prior treatment of emodin in HL-60 cells. Our experiments provide evidence that emodin is an effective apoptosis inducer in HL-60 cells through activation of the caspase 3 cascade, but that it is independent of ROS production.
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PMID:Emodin induces apoptosis in human promyeloleukemic HL-60 cells accompanied by activation of caspase 3 cascade but independent of reactive oxygen species production. 1244 60


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