Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.4.22.62 (caspase-9)
 7,507 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Caspases are essential initiators and executioners of apoptosis. Changes in their expression may contribute to the development of proliferative disorders such as cancer, by altering the death-proliferation homeostatic balance. The aim of this work was to analyze the expression of a broad panel of caspases at the epithelial level in human prostate tissues to assess possible prostatic disease-related alterations. We comparatively analyzed by immunohistochemistry the expression of pro-caspase-3, pro-caspase-8, pro-caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-8, and caspase-7, in normal and pathologic (benign hyperplasic, premalignant [high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia], and cancerous [prostate cancer]) human prostate epithelium. Expression of caspases was correlated with clinicopathologic features, including preoperative prostate-specific antigen levels, Gleason scores, and biochemical progression. Percentage of positive samples for all the analyzed caspases decreased in prostate cancer versus normal prostate epithelium. The values obtained for benign prostatic hyperplasia and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia more qualitatively resembled those of the prostate cancer group. Our results indicate that caspase expression in prostate malignant cells is reduced in a substantial number of patients and that such an alteration occurs in the premalignant stage. Loss of caspase expression could constitute a useful marker for prostate cancer diagnosis. Therapeutic approaches aimed to recover or enhance caspase expression might be effective against prostate cancer.
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PMID:Immunoreactivity to caspase-3, caspase-7, caspase-8, and caspase-9 forms is frequently lost in human prostate tumors. 2180 16

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a major health concern that is likely to have an increasing impact in line with the gradual aging of the population. BPH is characterized by smooth muscle and epithelial proliferation primarily within the prostatic transition zone that can cause a variety of problems for patients, the most frequent are the lower urinary tract symptoms. BPH is thought to involve in disruption of dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-supported homeostasis between cell proliferation and cell death, and, as a result, proliferative processes predominate and apoptotic processes are inhibited. Phytotherapeutic supplements, mainly based on Saw Palmetto-derived Serenoa Repens (SeR), are numerous and used frequently. Serenoa Repens reduces inflammation and decreases in vivo the androgenic support to prostatic cell growth. Furthermore, SeR stimulates the apoptotic machinery; however, data supporting efficacy is limited, making treatment recommendations difficult. Besides SeR, selenium (Se), an essential trace element mainly functioning through selenoproteins and able to promote an optimal antioxidant/oxidant balance, and lycopene (Ly), a dietary carotenoid synthesized by plants, fruits, and microorganisms with a strong antioxidant activity, has been shown to exert beneficial effects in prostate disease. SeR is frequently associated with Ly and Se, in order to increase its therapeutic activity in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It has been shown that the Ly-Se-SeR association has a greater and enhanced antiinflammatory activity that might be of particular interest in the treatment of BPH. The Ly-Se-SeR association is also more effective than SeR alone in reducing prostate weight and hyperplasia, in augmenting the pro-apoptotic Bax and caspase-9 and blunting the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 mRNA. In addition, Ly-Se-SeR more efficiently suppresses the EGF and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) expressions in hyperplastic prostates. Therefore, SeR particularly when combined with Se and Ly may have a greater potential for the management of benign prostate hyperplasia.
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PMID:Serenoa Repens, lycopene and selenium: a triple therapeutic approach to manage benign prostatic hyperplasia. 2343 84