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)

Induction of apoptosis is an approach to suppress carcinogenesis. The effects of a 12-week treatment of female Sprague-Dawley rats with indole-3-carbinol (I3C), beta-naphthoflavone or vehicle (40% ethanol in corn oil), by oral gavages starting 3 weeks after initiation of mammary tumorigenesis with 7,12-dimethylbenz[alpha]anthracene, on apoptotic activities in the mammary adenocarcinomas were examined. Apoptotic cells in tumor sections were detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling and quantitated by light microscopy and an Image-Plus Program. Activities of caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9 were determined by colorimetric assays using the specific substrate and total tumor protein. There were no significant treatment-related effects on the numbers of apoptotic cells and caspase activities in the mammary adenocarcinomas. Likewise, protein expression levels of Bcl-2 and Bax genes in these tumors, determined by Western blot analysis, showed no treatment-related stimulation of apoptotic process. In the absence of tumorigenesis, the activities of caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9 were increased up to approximately 3.6-fold in the mammary gland of rats treated with I3C at 5 or 25 mg/kg of body weight for 4 or 10 days. The I3C-effected induction of caspase-3 activity in the mammary gland was further confirmed by the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Treatment of rats with 3,3'-diindolylmethane, a major product of I3C in vivo, at the dose levels equimolar to those of I3C above, did not increase the caspase activities in the mammary gland. Thus, this I3C dimer does not seem to account for the increases of apoptotic activities in the mammary gland observed with I3C. The results suggest that increase of apoptosis in the mammary gland induced by I3C before initiation of tumorigenesis may contribute to suppression of tumor development.
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PMID:Effects of treatment of rats with indole-3-carbinol on apoptosis in the mammary gland and mammary adenocarcinomas. 1289 30

Sulforaphane (SFN), a constituent of cruciferous vegetables, is highly effective in affording protection against chemically induced cancers in animal models. Here, we report that SFN inhibited proliferation of cultured PC-3 human prostate cancer cells by inducing apoptosis that was characterized by appearance of cells with sub-G0/G1 DNA content, formation of cytoplasmic histone associated DNA fragments and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP). SFN-induced apoptosis was associated with up-regulation of Bax, down-regulation of Bcl-2 and activation of caspases-3, -9 and -8. SFN-induced apoptosis, and cleavage of procaspase-3 and PARP were blocked upon pre-treatment of cells with pan caspase inhibitor z-VADfmk, and specific inhibitors of caspase-9 (z-LEHDfmk) and caspase-8 (z-IETDfmk) suggesting involvement of both caspase-9 and caspase-8 pathways in SFN-induced cell death. Oral administration of SFN (5.6 micro mol, 3 times/week) significantly inhibited growth of PC-3 xenografts in nude mice. For instance, 10 days after starting therapy, the average tumor volumes in control and SFN-treated mice were 170 +/- 13 and 80 +/- 14 mm3, respectively, reflecting a >50% reduction in tumor volume due to SFN administration. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first published report to document in vivo anticancer activity of SFN in a tumor xenograft model.
Carcinogenesis 2004 Jan
PMID:Sulforaphane induces caspase-mediated apoptosis in cultured PC-3 human prostate cancer cells and retards growth of PC-3 xenografts in vivo. 1451 58

The ability of melanoma cells to evade engagement of apoptosis plays a significant role in their resistance to chemotherapy. In an attempt to lower the apoptotic threshold of melanoma cells as a possible strategy to increase their drug sensitivity, we generated a hammerhead ribozyme to down-regulate the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein survivin. The JR8 human melanoma cell line was stably transfected with the active ribozyme RZsurv (targeting the 3' end of the GUC294 triplet in the exon 3 of the survivin mRNA) or the catalytically inactive ribozyme mutRZsurv (carrying a mutation in the catalytic core of RZsurv). Two polyclonal cell populations expressing the active (JR8/RZsurv) or the mutant (JR8/mutRZsurv) ribozyme were selected for the study. JR8/RZsurv cells were characterized by a markedly lower survivin protein level than JR8 parental cells, whereas a negligible reduction in survivin expression was observed in JR8/mutRZsurv cells. JR8/RZsurv cells showed a significantly increased sensitivity to the topoisomerase-I inhibitor topotecan (as detected by clonogenic cell survival) compared with JR8/mutRZsurv cells. Moreover, the extent of drug-induced apoptosis (in terms of percentage of apoptotic nuclei and level of caspase-9 and caspase-3 catalytic activity) was significantly greater in JR8/RZsurv than in JR8/mutRZsurv cells. Finally, an increased antitumor activity of oral topotecan was observed in JR8/RZsurv cells grown as xenograft tumors in athymic nude mice compared with JR8/mutRZsurv cells. These results demonstrate that attenuation of survivin expression renders human melanoma cells more susceptible to topotecan-induced apoptosis and more responsive to in vivo treatment, and support the concept that survivin is an attractive target for new therapeutic interventions in melanoma.
Carcinogenesis 2004 Jul
PMID:Ribozyme-mediated down-regulation of survivin expression sensitizes human melanoma cells to topotecan in vitro and in vivo. 1476 61

3-Amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1) is one of the dietary carcinogens. At the initial step in the carcinogenic process, its exocyclic amino group is metabolically activated to the hydroxyamino derivative by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A and 1B subfamily and then form DNA adducts, which are considered to be the main cause of DNA damage during the carcinogenic process. On the other hand, our previous study has shown that Trp-P-1 exhibits cytotoxicity to primary cultured rat hepatocytes, via induction of caspase-9-dependent apoptosis without being metabolized by CYP 1A1. In the present study, we investigated what type of DNA damage would be involved in the induction of apoptosis induced by Trp-P-1. When RL-34 cells derived from normal rat liver were treated with a high (30 microM) concentration of Trp-P-1, apoptotic events such as the loss of cell viability, nuclear condensation and the activation of caspase-3 were observed. In these apoptotic cells, intracellular topoisomerase I activity was inhibited and histone H2AX phosphorylation, which occurs after introduction of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), was observed in the early phase of the apoptosis. On the other hand, treatment with a non-apoptotic concentration (1 microM) of Trp-P-1 increased the formation of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine. The formation of DNA adducts was detected at almost the same level in both cells exposed to the apoptotic and non-apoptotic concentrations of Trp-P-1. These results indicate that Trp-P-1-induced apoptosis was triggered by DNA DSBs through the inhibition of topoisomerase I but not the formation of DNA adducts.
Carcinogenesis 2004 Jul
PMID:3-Amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1) triggers apoptosis by DNA double-strand breaks caused by inhibition of topoisomerase I. 1497 28

TCHQ is a major carcinogenic metabolite of the widely used wood preservative PCP. Recently, we found that TCHQ was a promoter in a mouse skin carcinogenesis model. However, the mechanism is still not clear. In this study, we showed that overexpression of Bcl-2 effectively suppressed TCHQ-induced apoptosis in NIH3T3 cells, as evidenced by morphological changes and DNA fragmentation. Although production of ROS contributes to TCHQ-induced apoptosis, Bcl-2 failed to attenuate TCHQ-elicited increase of intracellular ROS level. In addition, overexpressed Bcl-2 provides only partial protection against TCHQ-induced cellular DNA damage. We also found that TCHQ induced a change in mitochondrial transmembrane potential, and that caspase-9 and subsequent caspase-3 can be activated during TCHQ-induced acute apoptosis. Interestingly, TCHQ induced a significant upregulation of Bcl-2 expression, and over-expressed Bcl-2 can dramatically inhibit the change of mitochondria membrane potential and activation of both caspase-9 and -3. Thus, our results suggest TCHQ-induced tumor promotion may be through a mechanism of upregulation of Bcl-2 protein and subsequent apoptosis inhibition.
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PMID:Bcl-2 overexpression inhibits tetrachlorohydroquinone-induced apoptosis in NIH3T3 cells: a possible mechanism for tumor promotion. 1510 27

The effects of lovastatin, a potent inhibitor of hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, were studied in a mouse model of metastatic mammary cancer carrying a p53 mutation. Mice bearing mammary tumors, induced by inoculation of syngeneic BALB/c mice with BJMC3879 cells, were treated with lovastatin at 0, 25 and 50 mg/kg three times a week. Tumor volumes were significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner throughout the 6 week study and were associated with both a decrease in DNA synthesis and an increase in apoptosis. The high dose of lovastatin also inhibited lung metastasis. In a corollary in vitro study, flow cytometric analyses of lovastatin-treated mammary cancer cells additionally showed cell cycle arrest at G1 phase and decreases in S and G2/M phases. Laser scanning cytometric analyses further demonstrated that cancer cells in S and G2/M were particularly susceptible to the effects of lovastatin. Transmission electron microscopic evaluation of TUNEL-confirmed apoptotic bodies in lovastatin-treated mammary carcinoma cells revealed many free 3'-OH ends of DNA in condensed chromatin within fragmented nuclei that occasionally assumed a characteristic half-moon shape. Consistent with initiation of apoptosis, cellular caspase-8, caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities were elevated in lovastatin-treated cells. The mitochondrial membrane potential was also decreased, with subsequent release of cytochrome c. However, lovastatin-induced cell death was significantly reduced by the broad spectrum caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk, as well as the caspase-9 inhibitor z-LEHD-fmk and the caspase-3 inhibitor z-DEVD-fmk, but not by the specific caspase-8 inhibitor z-IETD-fmk. Since immunoelectron microscopy showed translocation of Bax to the mitochondria in lovastatin-treated cells, lovastatin-induced apoptosis may, therefore, be ultimately dependent on Bax induction of cytochrome c release. These results suggest that lovastatin may be useful as an adjuvant therapy in breast cancers containing p53 mutations due to its ability to both suppress DNA synthesis and induce p53-independent mitochondria-mediated apoptosis.
Carcinogenesis 2004 Oct
PMID:Lovastatin inhibits tumor growth and lung metastasis in mouse mammary carcinoma model: a p53-independent mitochondrial-mediated apoptotic mechanism. 1518 Sep 44

Many isothiocyanates (ITCs), some of which are abundant in cruciferous vegetables, have been repeatedly shown to inhibit carcinogenesis in a variety of rodent organs. However, several naturally occurring ITCs also promoted bladder tumorigenesis in rodents, raising the question of whether ITCs behave differently in bladder cells. Alternatively, the observed carcinogenic effects of ITCs may result from prolonged exposure of the bladder epithelium, where the tumors originate, to high concentrations of electrophilic ITCs in the urine. Ingested ITCs are almost exclusively excreted and highly concentrated in the urine as N-acetylcysteine conjugates (NAC-ITC). While several NAC-ITCs also are known anticarcinogens, they are unstable and readily dissociate into parent ITCs. In this study, ITCs, including those that have carcinogenic potential in the rodent bladders, induced apoptosis and/or arrested cell-cycle progression in 2 human bladder carcinoma lines (UM-UC-3 and T24) at 7.5-30 micromol/L. Multiple caspases, including caspase-9, -8, and -3, as well as poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, were cleaved upon ITC exposure. The ITCs blocked cell-cycle progression at the G(2)/M and/or S phases in these cells and downregulated several cell-cycle regulators. However, further increases in ITC concentrations abolished their activities, described above. These findings show that urinary ITC concentrations may need to be maintained at low micromolar concentrations for bladder cancer prevention.
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PMID:Dietary isothiocyanates inhibit the growth of human bladder carcinoma cells. 1528 90

Our aim was to study the anticancer effect of the novel immunomodulator FTY720 in vitro and in vivo by investigation of cell cycle entry, cell cycle regulation, cell survival and apoptosis pathways. Three hepatoma cell lines with different p53 statuses (HepG2, Huh-7 and Hep3B) and one non-tumorigenic immortalized liver cell line (MIHA) were used for an in vitro study. The in vivo effects of FTY720 were evaluated in a nude mouse tumor model. Cell cycle distribution and cell cycle regulator proteins p27(Kip1) and cyclin D1, together with the PI3-K/Akt pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinases and cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-9, were evaluated. FTY720 selectively induced cell apoptosis in hepatoma cell lines with overexpression of cleaved caspase-3 and caspase-9, but the same phenomena were not found in MIHA cells. FTY720 induced Akt dephosphorylation at Ser473 mediated by phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-K) inhibition. Dephosphorylation led to down-regulation of p42/p44 and dephosphorylation of Forkhead transcription factor and GSK-3beta and, subsequently, up-regulation of p27(Kip1) and down-regulation of cyclin D1. In our in vivo model FTY720 induced apoptosis of tumor cells by down-regulation of the Akt pathway. FTY720 suppressed tumor growth without notable side-effects in normal liver. In conclusion, FTY720 is a novel anticancer agent that induces apoptosis of hepatoma cell lines both in vitro and in vivo through PI3-K-mediated Akt dephosphorylation in a p53-independent manner.
Carcinogenesis 2004 Dec
PMID:FTY720 induces apoptosis of human hepatoma cell lines through PI3-K-mediated Akt dephosphorylation. 1529 71

Aspirin-induced apoptosis is one of the important mechanisms for its antitumour effect against gastric cancer. We aimed at investigating the involvement of bcl-2 family members in the apoptotic pathway in gastric cancer. Gastric cancer cell line AGS and MKN-45 were observed as to cell growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis in response to treatment with aspirin. Cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay. Apoptosis was determined by 4'-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining. Protein expression was determined by western blotting. We showed that aspirin activated caspase-8, caspase-9 and capase-3, cleaved and translocated Bid, induced a conformational change in and translocation of Bax and cytochrome c release. In addition, suppression of caspase-8 with the specific inhibitor z-IETD-fmk, as well as the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk, prevented Bid cleavage and subsequent apoptosis. The caspase inhibitors failed to abolish the effects on Bax activation. In conclusion, our results identify a role of caspase-8/Bid and activation of Bax as a novel mechanism for aspirin-induced apoptosis in gastric cancer.
Carcinogenesis 2005 Mar
PMID:Activation of the caspase-8/Bid and Bax pathways in aspirin-induced apoptosis in gastric cancer. 1557 84

Methylselenol has been implicated as an active metabolite for the anticancer effect of selenium in part through the induction of cancer cell apoptosis. Since inactivation of the AKT/protein kinase B negative regulator gene PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10) is common in prostate cancer (PCa), we compared PTEN wild-type DU145 PCa cells (low basal AKT activity) with PTEN-mutant LNCaP PCa cells (high basal AKT activity) for their apoptosis responses to the methylselenol precursor methylseleninic acid (MSeA) and sodium selenite, an inorganic salt. Our results show that LNCaP cells withstood approximately 4 times higher doses of MSeA than DU145 cells, although they were slightly more sensitive than the latter to selenite-induced apoptosis. Treatment by MSeA modestly attenuated AKT phosphorylation and increased phospho-ERK1/2 in LNCaP cells. Selenite treatment increased the phosphorylation of p53 Ser15 and both kinases, but the selenite-induced apoptosis was not influenced by chemical inhibitors of either kinase. In contrast, PI3K/AKT inhibitors greatly sensitized LNCaP cells to apoptosis induced by MSeA, accompanied by increased mitochondrial release of cytochrome c and multiple caspase activation without changing p53 Ser15 phosphorylation. The apoptosis was further accentuated by extracellular signal regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) inhibition without further increase in cytochrome c release. The general caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk completely blocked MSeA-induced apoptosis when both kinases were inhibited, whereas a caspase-8 inhibitor exerted a greater protection than did a caspase-9 inhibitor. Transfection of DU145 cells with a constitutively active AKT increased their resistance to MSeA-induced apoptosis. In summary, AKT played an important role in regulating apoptosis sensitivity of LNCaP and DU145 cells to MSeA. An MSeA-induced activation of ERK1/2 in LNCaP cells also contributed to resistance to apoptosis. However, these kinases did not significantly regulate caspase-mediated apoptosis induced by selenite in LNCaP cells. These findings support the differential involvement of these protein kinase pathways in regulating apoptosis induction by different forms of selenium.
Carcinogenesis 2005 Aug
PMID:PKB/AKT and ERK regulation of caspase-mediated apoptosis by methylseleninic acid in LNCaP prostate cancer cells. 1584 51


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