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Query: UMLS:C0596263 (carcinogenesis)
 64,820 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Beta-catenin plays an important role in colonic tumorigenesis whereas inducible nitric oxide synthase and nitric oxide are elevated in colonic inflammation. Resistance of colonic epithelial cells to the induction of apoptosis may contribute to tumor development. Nitric oxide can stimulate apoptosis and, paradoxically, is implicated in the development of colon cancer. Our hypothesis was that beta-catenin could increase the resistance of colonic cancer cells to nitric oxide-induced apoptotic cell death. Here we show, using a beta-catenin overexpression system, that increased cytosolic beta-catenin renders colonic epithelial cells more resistant to nitric oxide-induced apoptotic cell death, independently of nitric oxide-induced accumulation of p53. Furthermore, we show that this occurs through inhibition of nitric oxide-induced release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and by blocking both the nitric oxide-induced suppression of the antiapoptotic protein, Bcl-xL, and the phosphorylation of Akt. We contend that increased nitric oxide production, such as that which occurs in chronic colonic inflammation, may select the cells with oncogenic mutant beta-catenin regulatory genes and contribute to human colonic carcinogenesis and tumor progression.
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PMID:Overexpressed beta-catenin blocks nitric oxide-induced apoptosis in colonic cancer cells. 1620 24

Dysregulation of apoptosis plays a crucial role in carcinogenesis. As part of death receptor- and mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis, the homologues caspases 10 and 8 may act as low-penetrance breast cancer (BC) susceptibility genes. In death receptor-mediated apoptosis, engagement of death receptors by their ligands involves the assembly of the death-inducing signalling complex (DISC). In mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis, the release of cytochrome c into the cytosol results in apoptosome formation. Recruitment of both caspases 10 and 8 (CASP10 and CASP8, respectively) to DISC and apoptosome leads to their activation by dimerization. We investigated the influence of the coding CASP10 variant V410I (G1228A) by performing a case-control study - using 511 familial BC cases and 547 control subjects - on BC risk and revealed a significant association of V410I with a reduced risk (OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.43-0.88, P = 0.0076) related to the number of variant alleles (P(trend) = 0.0039). As CASP10 and CASP8 functionally co-operate during apoptosis, we analysed the mutual effect of both CASP10 V410I and CASP8 D302H, resulting in a significant association between the number of the variant alleles I410 and H302 and a highly decreased familial BC risk (OR = 0.35, P(trend) = 0.007), pointing to the interaction between the CASP10 and CASP8 polymorphisms in breast carcinogenesis.
Carcinogenesis 2006 Mar
PMID:Association of the CASP10 V410I variant with reduced familial breast cancer risk and interaction with the CASP8 D302H variant. 1625 Dec 7

There is a large body of clinical data documenting that most human carcinomas contain reduced levels of the catalytic subunit of the mitochondrial H+-ATP synthase. In colon and lung cancer this alteration correlates with a poor patient prognosis. Furthermore, recent findings in colon cancer cells indicate that downregulation of the H+-ATP synthase is linked to the resistance of the cells to chemotherapy. However, the mechanism by which the H+-ATP synthase participates in cancer progression is unknown. In this work, we show that inhibitors of the H+-ATP synthase delay staurosporine (STS)-induced cell death in liver cells that are dependent on oxidative phosphorylation for energy provision whereas it has no effect on glycolytic cells. Efficient execution of cell death requires the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) controlled by the activity of the H+-ATP synthase in a process that is concurrent with the rapid disorganization of the cellular mitochondrial network. The generation of ROS after STS treatment is highly dependent on the mitochondrial membrane potential and most likely caused by reverse electron flow to Complex I. The generated ROS promote the carbonylation and covalent modification of cellular and mitochondrial proteins. Inhibition of the activity of the H+-ATP synthase blunted ROS production prevented the oxidation of cellular proteins and the modification of mitochondrial proteins delaying the release of cytochrome c and the execution of cell death. The results in this work establish the downregulation of the H+-ATP synthase, and thus of oxidative phosphorylation, as part of the molecular strategy adapted by cancer cells to avoid ROS-mediated cell death. Furthermore, the results provide a mechanistic explanation to understand chemotherapeutic resistance of cancer cells that rely on glycolysis as the main energy provision pathway.
Carcinogenesis 2006 May
PMID:Efficient execution of cell death in non-glycolytic cells requires the generation of ROS controlled by the activity of mitochondrial H+-ATP synthase. 1636 Dec 71

Telomerase, a reverse transcriptase that maintains telomere length, is highly activated in tumor cells and practically absent in somatic cells and hence considered a potential marker for tumorigenesis. A connection between telomerase activity and resistance to apoptosis has been established. Telomerase, therefore, has been proposed to represent a novel and potentially selective target for cancer therapy. Several synthetic compounds have been developed in recent years with a view to inhibit telomerase activity with telomere shortening below a critical length resulting in apoptosis. Such compounds are always highly toxic. Many plant-derived products act through the induction of apoptosis as a mechanism to suppress carcinogenesis. Curcumin, a phenolic compound isolated from the rhizome of the plant Curcuma longa Linn., has been reported to possess anti-tumor, apoptotic and anti-angiogenic properties. Apoptosis has emerged as the major mechanism by which anti-tumor agents eliminate pre-neoplastic cells or cells progressed to malignancy. The present study was undertaken to examine the mechanism of curcumin-induced apoptosis in human leukemia cell line K-562 with particular emphasis on the role of curcumin on telomerase activity. Induction of apoptosis by curcumin is initiated by the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria into the cytosol, and evidenced by the increase in DNA content in the sub-G1 region as obtained from FACS analysis. Apoptosis is mediated by the activation of caspases 3 and 8, up-regulation of the apoptotic gene bax with concomitant down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic gene bcl-2. Using TRAP assay it has been observed that curcumin inhibits telomerase activity in a dose and time-dependent manner, the inhibition being due to suppression of translocation of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), a catalytic subunit, from cytosol to nucleus. Most significantly, the inhibition of telomerase activity by curcumin correlates with several parameters of apoptosis. The results suggest that telomerase status plays an important role in the induction of apoptosis in K-562 cells by curcumin.
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PMID:Inhibition of telomerase activity and induction of apoptosis by curcumin in K-562 cells. 1644 49

Telomerase activation represents an early step in carcinogenesis. Increased telomerase activity in cervical cancer suggests a potential target for the development of novel therapeutic drugs. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of telomerase activity on the biological features of HeLa cells and the possible mechanisms of enhanced apoptosis rate induced by sodium butyrate after telomerase inhibition. We introduced vectors encoding dominate negative (DN)-hTERT, wild-type (WT)-hTERT, or a control vector expressing only a drug-resistance marker into HeLa cells. Thus we assessed the biological effects of telomerase activity on telomere length, cell proliferation, chemosensitivity and radiosensitivity. In order to understand the mechanisms in which DN-hTERT enhances the apoptosis induced by sodium butyrate, we detected the release status of cytochrome c and apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria. Ectopic expression of DN-hTERT resulted in inhibition of telomerase activity, reduction of telomere length, decreased colony formation ability, and loss of tumorigenicity in nude mice. Moreover, DN-hTERT transfected HeLa cells with shortened telomeres were more susceptible to multiple chemotherapeutic agents and radiation. WT-hTERT transfected HeLa cells with longer telomeres exhibited resistance to radiation and chemotherapeutic agents. Our data demonstrate that elevated release level of cytochrome c and AIF from mitochondria might contribute to the enhanced apoptosis in DN-hTERT transfected HeLa cells after treatment with sodium butyrate. Inhibition of telomerase might serve as a promising adjunctive therapy combined with conventional therapy in cervical cancer.
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PMID:Inhibition of telomerase enhances apoptosis induced by sodium butyrate via mitochondrial pathway. 1655 63

Previously, we found that the H1 histamine receptor antagonist diphenhydramine induces apoptosis in human acute T-lymphocytic leukemia cells. Since histamine has been shown to act as a growth factor in malignant melanoma cells, we decided to evaluate the in vitro effect of diphenhydramine and other H1 histamine receptor antagonists, such as terfenadine, astemizol and triprolidine on four malignant human melanoma cell lines. These antagonists were found to induce apoptotic cell death in all four melanoma cell lines. Apoptosis was determined by assessment of phosphatidylserine exposure on the surface of the cells and nuclear fragmentation. Importantly, H1 antagonist treatments did not adversely affect the viability of human melanocytes and murine fibroblasts at the same doses and duration of exposure. Treatment of melanoma cells with terfenadine induced DNA damage and caspases 2, 3, 6, 8 and 9 activation. Furthermore, the general caspase inhibitor (z-VAD-FMK) and a selective inhibitor of caspase-2 (z-VDVAD-FMK) protected melanoma cells from terfenadine-induced apoptosis. In contrast, the caspase-8 inhibitor (z-IETD-FMK) was ineffective. In addition, we found that mitochondria are involved in TEF-induced apoptosis, characterized by the dissipation of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential, the release of cytochrome c into the cytosolic compartment and caspase-9 activation. On the basis of these results we conclude that H1 histamine receptor antagonists induce apoptosis in human melanoma cells but not in normal melanocytes and embryonic murine fibroblasts; this apoptosis appears to be caspase-2-dependent and involves the mitochondrial pathway. The present results may contribute to the elaboration of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of malignant human melanoma.
Carcinogenesis 2006 Sep
PMID:H1 histamine receptor antagonists induce genotoxic and caspase-2-dependent apoptosis in human melanoma cells. 1656 56

The strategies available for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer are limited. Dietary botanicals may have a better protective effect on this disease. We therefore investigated the effects of grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) on a highly metastatic mouse mammary carcinoma cell line. In vitro treatment of breast cancer cells, 4T1, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468, with GSPs resulted in significant inhibition of cellular proliferation and viability, and induction of apoptosis in 4T1 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Further analysis indicated an alteration in the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 proteins in favor of apoptosis, and the knockdown of Bax using Bax siRNA transfection of 4T1 cells resulted in blocking of GSPs-induced apoptosis. Induction of apoptosis was associated with the release of cytochrome c, increased expression of Apaf-1 and activation of caspase 3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Treatment with the pan-caspase inhibitor (Z-VAD-FMK) resulted in partial but significant inhibition of apoptosis in 4T1 cells suggesting the involvement of both caspase activation-dependent and activation-independent pathways in the apoptosis of 4T1 cells induced by GSPs. The effects of dietary GSPs were then examined using an in vivo model in which 4T1 cells were implanted subcutaneously in Balb/c mice. Dietary GSPs (0.2 and 0.5%, w/w) significantly inhibited the growth of the implanted 4T1 tumor cells and increased the ratio of Bax:Bcl-2 proteins, cytochrome c release, induction of Apaf-1 and activation of caspase 3 in the tumor microenvironment. Notably, the metastasis of tumor cells to the lungs was inhibited significantly and the survival of the mice enhanced. These data suggest that GSPs possess chemotherapeutic efficacy against breast cancer including inhibition of metastasis.
Carcinogenesis 2006 Aug
PMID:Grape seed proanthocyanidins induce apoptosis and inhibit metastasis of highly metastatic breast carcinoma cells. 1659 45

Natural products derived from plants provide a rich source for development of new anticancer drugs. Recent studies suggest that modulation of subcellular localization of retinoid X receptor-alpha (RXRalpha) represents a potential approach for inducing cancer cell apoptosis. In this study, we screened a herbal library for inducing translocation of RXRalpha from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Our results revealed that the extract of Hypericum sampsonii, a member of the genus Hypericum, had remarkable effect on RXRalpha subcellular localization in various cancer cells. Treatment of NIH-H460 human lung cancer cells with H. sampsonii extract resulted in relocalization of RXRalpha from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Cytoplasmic RXRalpha induced by H. sampsonii was associated with mitochondria, accompanied with cytochrome c release and apoptosis. H. sampsonii extract effectively inhibited the growth of various cancer cell lines, including NIH-H460 lung cancer, MGC-803 stomach cancer and SMMC7721 liver cancer cells. The growth inhibitory effect of H. sampsonii extract depended on levels of RXRalpha, as it failed to inhibit the growth of CV-1 cells lacking detectable RXRalpha, whereas transfection of RXRalpha into CV-1 cells restored its apoptotic response to H. sampsonii. Furthermore, the apoptotic effect of H. sampsonii was significantly enhanced when RXRalpha was overexpressed in NIH-H460 cells. Together, our results demonstrate that H. sampsonii contains ingredient(s) that induce apoptosis of cancer cells by modulating subcellular localization of RXRalpha.
Carcinogenesis 2006 Oct
PMID:Hypericum sampsonii induces apoptosis and nuclear export of retinoid X receptor-alpha. 1662 85

N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4-HPR), a synthetic retinoid is under clinical evaluation as a therapeutic agent in a variety of cancers. Its mechanism(s) of action involves multiple overlapping pathways that still remain unclear. In glioma cells its mechanism of action is not well elucidated. Here, we show that 4-HPR and not all-trans retinoic acid and 9-cis retinoic acid effectively induce apoptosis in glioma cells. 4-HPR-induced apoptosis is associated with hydroperoxide production and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Delta Psi(m)). Ultrastructural changes further indicate 4-HPR-induced mitochondrial swelling, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dilation as well as close proximity of mitochondria and ER. As suggested by dilated ER, 4-HPR treatment increased the free cytosolic Ca(2+) as well as mitochondrial Ca(2+). Chelation of extracellular Ca(2+) by EGTA did not prevent Ca(2+) elevation, thus suggesting involvement of intracellular calcium stores in the release. Buffering of intracellular calcium by BAPTA-AM did not prevent 4-HPR-induced apoptosis; however, blocking the release of Ca(2+) from ER by heparin inhibited apoptosis, indicating the role of depletion of Ca(2+) from ER stores in apoptosis. 4-HPR treatment also resulted in an increase in Bax levels along with its translocation to mitochondria that promote mitochondrial membrane permeabilization. 4-HPR-induced apoptosis was further associated with the release of cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria to cytosol and nucleus, respectively, along with caspase-3 and caspase-7 activation. However, AIF nuclear translocation, peripheral chromatin condensation and apoptosis were not completely prevented by general caspase inhibitors, thus suggesting involvement of a caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathway in 4-HPR-induced apoptosis. Taken together, these results suggest the role of mitochondrial-mediated pathway and ER stress as a key event in 4-HPR-induced apoptosis in glioma cells.
Carcinogenesis 2006 Oct
PMID:Mechanism of 4-HPR-induced apoptosis in glioma cells: evidences suggesting role of mitochondrial-mediated pathway and endoplasmic reticulum stress. 1667 69

The effect of the pineal indole hormone melatonin on the life span of mice, rats and fruit flies has been studied using various approaches. It has been observed that in female CBA, SHR, SAM and transgenic HER-2/neu mice long-term administration of melatonin was followed by an increase in the mean life span. In rats, melatonin treatment increased survival of male and female rats. In D. melanogaster, supplementation of melatonin to nutrient medium during developmental stages produced contradictory results, but and increase in the longevity of fruit flies has been observed when melatonin was added to food throughout the life span. In mice and rats, melatonin is a potent antioxidant both in vitro and in vivo. Melatonin alone turned out neither toxic nor mutagenic in the Ames test and revealed clastogenic activity at high concentration in the COMET assay. Melatonin has inhibited mutagenesis and clastogenic effect of a number of indirect chemical mutagens. Melatonin inhibits the development of spontaneous and 7-12-dimethlbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)- or N-nitrosomethylurea-induced mammary carcinogenesis in rodents; colon carcinogenesis induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in rats, N-diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats, DMBA-induced carcinogenesis of the uterine cervix and vagina in mice; benzo(a)pyrene-induced soft tissue carcinogenesis and lung carcinogenesis induced by urethan in mice. To identify molecular events regulated by melatonin, gene expression profiles were studied in the heart and brain of melatonin-treated CBA mice using cDNA gene expression arrays (15,247 and 16,897 cDNA clone sets, respectively). It was shown that genes controlling the cell cycle, cell/organism defense, protein expression and transport are the primary effectors for melatonin. Melatonin also increased the expression of some mitochondrial genes (16S, cytochrome c oxidases 1 and 3 (COX1 and COX3), and NADH dehydrogenases 1 and 4 (ND1 and ND4)), which agrees with its ability to inhibit free radical processes. Of great interest is the effect of melatonin upon the expression of a large number of genes related to calcium exchange, such as Cul5, Dcamkl1 and Kcnn4; a significant effect of melatonin on the expression of some oncogenesis-related genes was also detected. Thus, we believe that melatonin may be used for the prevention of premature aging and carcinogenesis.
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PMID:Melatonin as antioxidant, geroprotector and anticarcinogen. 1667 84


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