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)

Amyloid beta peptide (A beta) and non-A beta component of Alzheimer's disease amyloid (NAC) are involved in pathomechanism of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and are deposited in the AD brain in the form of senile plaques. However, the mechanism of their neurotoxicity is not fully understood. In this study the sequence of events involved in NAC and A beta peptides evoked toxicity was investigated in brain slices, synaptosomes and in subcellular fractions. Radio-, immunochemical, spectrophotometrical methods and DNA electrophoresis were used in this study. Our data indicated that A beta 1-40 (25 microM) and NAC (10 microM) peptides induced liberation of free radicals and massive DNA damage that lead to activation of DNA bound enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1). In consequence of these processes apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) was released from mitochondria and was translocated to nucleus. The inhibitor of PARP, 3-aminobenzamide significantly decreased AIF release from mitochondria and its translocation. Both peptides under the investigational conditions had no effect on caspase-3 activity. Our data indicated that A beta and NAC peptides stimulate AIF-dependent apoptotic pathway that seems to be caspase independent process. The inhibition of PARP-1 may protect the brain against A beta and NAC toxicity.
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PMID:Non A beta component of Alzheimer's disease amyloid and amyloid beta peptides evoked poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-dependent release of apoptosis-inducing factor from rat brain mitochondria. 1607 87

Programmed cell death (apoptosis) signaling pathways have been implicated in seizure-induced neuronal death and the pathogenesis of human temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). End-stage DNA fragmentation during cell death may be mediated by nucleases including caspase-activated DNase (CAD), apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and endonuclease G. In the present study, we investigated the subcellular localization of these nucleases in resected hippocampus from TLE patients and autopsy controls. Subcellular fractionation determined levels of CAD were significantly higher in the nuclear fraction of TLE samples compared with controls, and semiquantitative immunohistochemistry revealed cleaved caspase-3 positive cells in TLE sections but not controls. While mitochondrial levels of AIF and endonuclease G were higher in TLE samples than controls, nuclear localization of AIF was limited and restricted to cells that were negative for cleaved caspase-3. Nuclear accumulation of endonuclease G was not found in TLE samples. These data support ongoing caspase-dependent apoptosis signaling in human TLE and suggest that interventions targeting such pathways may have potential as adjunctive neuroprotective therapy in epilepsy.
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PMID:Caspase-3 cleavage and nuclear localization of caspase-activated DNase in human temporal lobe epilepsy. 1612 Nov 24

Apoptotic and inflammatory processes occur in human arteriosclerotic lesions. We examined the hypothesis whether both processes are possibly associated by studying the colocalization of corresponding markers. In 11 human arteriosclerotic carotid arteries, proapoptotic markers (CPP32 (caspase-3), poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, apoptosis-inducing factor, c-Jun/AP-1, and p53) and proinflammatory markers (macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and cyclooxygenase-2) were found in macrophages (MPhi) evaluated by computer-assisted immunohistomorphometry. Double-labeling studies demonstrated a colocalization of, both, proapoptotic and proinflammatory markers in these MPhi. Moreover, these MPhi also contained oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL). Exposure of cultured human MPhi to oxLDL, C6-ceramide, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha or H2O2 resulted in a significant increase of the apoptosis rate as well as of the MIF protein expression. Our study of MPhi in arteriosclerotic carotid arteries and in vitro experiments provide evidence that markers of apoptosis and inflammation are not only significantly increased but are also coexpressed. We conclude there are reciprocal modulatory interactions between apoptotic and inflammatory pathways in human plaque MPhi, which might importantly modify plaque progression or stability.
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PMID:Colocalization of oxidized low-density lipoprotein, caspase-3, cyclooxygenase-2, and macrophage migration inhibitory factor in arteriosclerotic human carotid arteries. 1613 50

Apoptin, a small proline-rich protein derived from the chicken anaemia virus, induces cell death selectively in cancer cells. The signalling pathways of apoptin-induced, cancer cell-selective apoptosis are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that apoptin triggers apoptosis by activating the mitochondrial/intrinsic pathway, and that it acts independently of the death receptor/extrinsic pathway. Jurkat cells deficient in either FADD or caspase-8 (which are both necessary for the extrinsic pathway) were equally as sensitive to apoptin as their parental clones. This demonstrates that apoptin is likely to act through the mitochondrial death pathway. Apoptin treatment causes a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and release of the mitochondrial proteins cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor. Apoptin-induced cell death is counteracted by the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members, Bcl-2 itself and Bcl-XL, as shown in Jurkat leukaemia cells. In addition, we describe the processing and activation of caspase-3. By contrast, cleavage of caspase-8, which is predominantly triggered by the death receptor pathway, is not observed. Furthermore, apoptin triggers the cytoplasmic translocation of Nur77, and the inhibition of Nur77 expression by siRNA significantly protects MCF7 cells from apoptin-triggered cell death. Thus, our data indicate that the apoptin death signal(s) ultimately converges at the mitochondria, and that it acts independently of the death receptor pathway.
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PMID:Cancer-specific toxicity of apoptin is independent of death receptors but involves the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and the release of mitochondrial cell-death mediators by a Nur77-dependent pathway. 1617 7

The effects of the nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB inhibitor, dehydroxymethylepoxyquinomicin (DHMEQ), combined with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were evaluated in PK-8 pancreatic cancer cells. NF-kappaB was activated by TNF-alpha; however, the administration of DHMEQ abrogated its transcriptional activity. The addition of DHMEQ to TNF-alpha markedly induced apoptosis in PK-8 cells with down-regulation of anti-apoptotic c-FLIP and survivin. Combined treatment significantly suppressed cell viability in vitro, and the anti-tumor effect of DHMEQ was also significant in vivo. We investigated the apoptosis signaling pathway involved in these cell killing effects. Truncated Bid was produced by activated caspase-8, and the subsequent depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential (Delta Psi m) peaked at 6 h. Then, the activity of caspase-3 was up-regulated 8-fold. Z-VAD-fmk (a pan-caspase inhibitor) perfectly inhibited the up-regulation of caspase-3 but failed to reverse the cell viability. The above findings indicated that the growth inhibitory effect of combined treatment largely depended on mitochondria-associated caspase-independent apoptosis. The intracellular behavior of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) following depolarization of Delta Psi m suggested that AIF executed such a caspase-independent apoptosis. Interestingly, caspase-dependent apoptosis appeared within 6 h, whereas the caspase-independent apoptosis lagged. Thus, the addition of DHMEQ to TNF-alpha was capable of inducing caspase-independent apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells. Once caspase-independent apoptosis was induced, the apoptosis demonstrated powerful cytotoxicity. Therefore, DHMEQ in combination with TNF-alpha may be a promising treatment for pancreatic cancer.
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PMID:Enhancement of the caspase-independent apoptotic sensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells by DHMEQ, an NF-kappaB inhibitor. 1621 Dec 19

There is a worldwide increasing concern over the neurological risks of thimerosal (ethylmercury thiosalicylate) which is an organic mercury compound that is commonly used as an antimicrobial preservative. In this study, we show that thimerosal, at nanomolar concentrations, induces neuronal cell death through the mitochondrial pathway. Thimerosal, in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, decreased cell viability as assessed by calcein-ethidium staining and caused apoptosis detected by Hoechst 33258 dye. Thimerosal-induced apoptosis was associated with depolarization of mitochondrial membrane, generation of reactive oxygen species, and release of cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria to cytosol. Although thimerosal did not affect cellular expression of Bax at the protein level, we observed translocation of Bax from cytosol to mitochondria. Finally, caspase-9 and caspase-3 were activated in the absence of caspase-8 activation. Our data suggest that thimerosal causes apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells by changing the mitochondrial microenvironment.
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PMID:Thimerosal induces neuronal cell apoptosis by causing cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor release from mitochondria. 1627 74

On treatment with 7-ketocholesterol (7-keto) or 7beta-hydroxycholesterol (7beta-OH), which are major oxysterols in atherosclerotic plaques, the simultaneous identification of oncotic and apoptotic cells suggests that these compounds activate different metabolic pathways leading to various modes of cell death. With U937, MCF-7 (caspase-3 deficient), MCF-7/c3 cells (stably transfected with caspase-3), we demonstrate that caspase-3 is essential for caspase-9, -7, -8 activation, for Bid degradation mediating mitochondrial cytochrome c release, for cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and inhibitor of the caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease, and, at least in part, for internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. The crucial role of caspase-3 was supported by the use of z-VAD-fmk and z-DEVD-fmk, which abolished apoptosis and the associated events. However, inactivation or lack of caspase-3 did not inhibit 7-keto- and 7beta-OH-induced cell death characterized by staining with propidium iodide, loss of mitochondrial potential. The mitochondrial release of apoptosis-inducing factor and endonuclease G was independent of the caspase-3 status, which conversely played major roles in the morphological aspects of dead cells. We conclude that caspase-3 is essential to trigger 7-keto- and 7beta-OH-induced apoptosis, that these oxysterols simultaneously activate caspase-3-dependent and/or -independent modes of cell death.
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PMID:Activation of caspase-3-dependent and -independent pathways during 7-ketocholesterol- and 7beta-hydroxycholesterol-induced cell death: a morphological and biochemical study. 1629 54

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with endogenous protoporphyrin IX derived from 5-aminolevulinic acid or its derivatives has been established for treatments of several premalignancies and malignancies; however, the mechanism of the modality is not fully elucidated. The mitochondrial permeability transition pore consists mainly of the mitochondrial outer membrane voltage-dependent anion channel and the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) and the mitochondrial inner membrane adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT). These mitochondrial proteins are responsible for the permeability transition that leads to apoptosis. In the present study, the human leukemia cell line, Reh, was treated with PDT using hexaminolevulinate (HAL). More than 80% of apoptotic Reh cells were found after HAL-mediated PDT (HAL-PDT) with high-molecular-weight (50 kbp) DNA fragmentation. Addition of PK11195 or Ro5-4864, two ligands of PBR, during HAL-PDT significantly inhibited the apoptotic effect. Bongkrekic acid, a ligand for ANT, also reduced the PDT effect. Although the mitochondrial transmembrane potential collapsed, neither cytosolic translocation of mitochondrial cytochrome c nor activation of caspase-9, caspase-8, caspase-3, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase were found. However, nuclear translocation of mitochondrial apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) was shown by both immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry. Because AIF is the sole one among all proapoptotic factors involved in caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathways that induces the high-molecular-weight DNA fragmentation, we conclude that HAL-PDT specifically targets PBR, leading to apoptosis of the Reh cells through nuclear translocation of mitochondrial AIF. This study suggests PBR as a possible novel therapeutic target for HAL-based PDT of cancer.
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PMID:Targeting PBR by hexaminolevulinate-mediated photodynamic therapy induces apoptosis through translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor in human leukemia cells. 1632 55

Apoptosis is a tightly controlled multistep mechanism of cell death, and mitochondria are considered to play a central role in this process. Mitochondria initiate two distinct apoptosis pathways, one caspase-dependent and the other caspase-independent. In addition, mitochondrial production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) seems to play a role in cell death. Most chemotherapeutic agents induce apoptosis through at least one of these pathways. The post-initiation mechanisms of gold(III) porphyrin 1a were investigated in this study. HONE1 cells exposed to gold(III) porphyrin 1a underwent apoptosis after 24 hours. Functional proteomic studies revealed the alteration of several cytoplasmic protein expressions in HONE1 cells after treatment with the drug. These proteins include enzymes participating in energy production and proteins involved in cellular redox balance. There was a quick attenuation of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)) with the alterations of Bcl-2 family proteins, the release of cytochrome c, and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) following gold(III) porphyrin 1a treatment. Cytochrome c in turn activated caspase-9 and caspase-3. Cotreatment with caspase inhibitor (zVAD-fmk) showed that the activated caspases worked in conjunction with AIF-initiated apoptosis pathways. Further study showed that ROS played a part in gold(III) porphyrin 1a-induced apoptosis by regulating DeltaPsi(m). In summary, gold(III) porphyrin 1a induced apoptosis through both caspase-dependent and caspase-independent mitochondrial pathways, and intracellular oxidation affected gold(III) porphyrin 1a-induced apoptosis. These results support a role for gold(III) porphyrin 1a as a promising anticancer drug lead and as a possible novel therapeutic agent directed toward the mitochondria.
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PMID:GoldIII porphyrin 1a induced apoptosis by mitochondrial death pathways related to reactive oxygen species. 1635 65

The effectiveness of hypothermia in preventing ischemic brain damage depends on when it is started. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of temperature reduction during a hypoxic-ischemic (HI) insult on brain injury and signalling pathways of neuronal cell death and survival. Seven-day-old mice were subjected to left common carotid artery ligation and hypoxia (10% oxygen) at different temperatures (37, 36 or 34 degrees C) for 50 min. Brain injury at 7 days post-HI was significantly reduced from 67.4% at 37 degrees C to 31.6% at 36 degrees C and 10% at 34 degrees C, with no observable injury in the cortex of the 34 degrees C group. Cytochrome c release, caspase-3 activation and apoptosis-inducing factor translocation from mitochondria to nuclei were all significantly inhibited after intraischemic temperature reduction. Concurrently, the cell survival signalling pathway involving Akt was significantly sustained (the phosphorylated form of Akt was maintained) when the hypoxia temperature was decreased. These results indicate that intraischemic hypothermia diminished apoptosis through inhibition of both caspase-dependent and caspase-independent neuronal cell death pathways and promoted cell survival by inhibition of phosphorylated Akt dephosphorylation in the neonatal brain, thereby preventing neuronal cell death.
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PMID:Intraischemic mild hypothermia prevents neuronal cell death and tissue loss after neonatal cerebral hypoxia-ischemia. 1642 Apr 46


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