Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C1140680 (ovarian cancer)
 28,141 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We investigated the intracellular mechanisms of retinoic acid (9-cis-RA, 13-cis-RA or all-trans-RA) and a cyclic AMP analog 8-Cl-cAMP on growth-inhibition and apoptosis in human ovarian cancer NIH: OVCAR-3 and OVCAR-8 cells. The cyclic AMP analog, 8-Cl-cAMP, acted synergistically with RA in inducing and activating retinoic acid receptor beta (RARbeta) which correlated with the growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis in both cell types. In addition, combined treatment of cells with RA plus 8-Cl-cAMP resulted in the release of cytochrome c, loss in mitochondrial membrane potential and activation of caspase-3 followed by cleavage of anti-poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase and DNA-dependent protein kinase (catalytic subunit). Interestingly, inhibition of caspase-3 activation blocked RA plus 8-Cl-cAMP induced apoptosis. Furthermore, mutations in a CRE-related motif within the RARbeta promoter resulted in loss of both transcriptional activation of RARbeta and synergy between RA and 8-Cl-cAMP. Thus, RARbeta can mediate RA and/or cyclic AMP action in ovarian cancer cells by promoting apoptosis. Loss of RARbeta expression, therefore, may contribute to the tumorigenicity of human ovarian cancer cells. These findings suggest that RA and 8-Cl-cAMP act in a synergistic fashion in inducing apoptosis via caspase-3 activation, and may have potential for combination biotherapy for the treatment of malignant disease such as ovarian cancer.
 ...
PMID:Synergistic effects of retinoic acid and 8-Cl-cAMP on apoptosis require caspase-3 activation in human ovarian cancer cells. 1020 36

We have assessed in detail the effect of cisplatin-activated programmed cell death in the cisplatin-sensitive human ovarian cancer cell line A2780 and two drug-resistant subclones, CP70 and C30. To determine whether the differential extent of apoptosis observed between the sensitive and resistant ovarian cancer cell lines was the result of dissimilar upstream signaling events, we assessed the execution of apoptotic events that precede target protein proteolysis and subsequent chromosomal DNA degradation. Proteolytic degradation of procaspase-3 was observed in both the CP70 and C30 cells following IC50 cisplatin treatment, whereas no proteolyzed caspase-3 subunits were detected in the A2780 cells. However, using a direct enzymatic assay measuring cleavage of the synthetic peptide substrate (N-acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-p-nitroanilide), activity was detected in extracts prepared from A2780 cells treated at the IC90 level of cisplatin and was 2-3-fold less than that of extracts prepared from CP70 and C30 cells. Because the activation of procaspase-3 by caspase-9 requires the release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm, we determined the level of cytoplasmic cytochrome c in each cell line in response to cisplatin treatment. Consistent with the caspase-3 activation data, a very small increase in cytoplasmic cytochrome c was observed in A2780 cells following cisplatin treatment, whereas dramatic increases were evident in both the CP70 and C30 cell lines. The expression of the mitochondrial factors Bcl-2, Bcl-x, and Bax was determined because each has been implicated in the regulation or release of cytochrome c at the level of the mitochondria. Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL proteins remained relatively unchanged in expression for over 48 h after exposure to cisplatin in the A2780 cell lines. However, within the same time period, expression of Bcl-2 decreased in the CP70- and C30-resistant cell lines, whereas an increase in Bcl-xL expression was observed. Expression of the proapoptotic Bcl-xS protein was observed in only the resistant CP70 and C30 cell lines independent of cisplatin treatment. A change in the expression of Mr 24,000 Bax to a Mr 21,000 isoform was evidenced in the A2780 cells within 48 h of cisplatin treatment and, to a greater extent, in the CP70 and C30 cells, which also expressed a Mr 16,000 Bax variant. Evidence for an alternative apoptotic pathway in A2780 cells was obtained by demonstrating increased FADD expression in response to cisplatin treatment. These results support a model in which cisplatin-induced programmed cell death in the cisplatin-sensitive A2780 and -resistant CP70 and C30 cells proceeds via caspase-3-independent and -dependent pathways, respectively.
 ...
PMID:Cisplatin-induced apoptosis proceeds by caspase-3-dependent and -independent pathways in cisplatin-resistant and -sensitive human ovarian cancer cell lines. 1039 48

The AKT oncogenes are amplified or AKT kinase activity is constitutively elevated in several types of human malignancy. We sought to determine whether AKT might play a role in the development of resistance to apoptosis induced by chemotherapy. We showed that ovarian cancer cells either overexpressing constitutively active Akt/AKT1 or containing AKT2 gene amplification were highly resistant to paclitaxel than cancer cells express low AKT levels. The Akt/AKT1 clones also contained higher levels of phospho-Bad protein than parental cells. Further, the complexes between the endogenous proapoptotic protein, Bad, and the anti-apoptotic protein, BC1-XL were undetectable in Akt/AKT1 clones. These results suggest that Akt/AKT1 expressed in these clones can phosphorylate Bad and prevent it from binding to Bcl-XL. Furthermore, overexpression of Akt/AKT1 can inhibit the release of cytochrome c induced by paclitaxel. Therefore, our findings provide evidence that aberrant expression or activation of AKT in cancer cells may confer resistance to paclitaxel.
 ...
PMID:Overexpression of Akt/AKT can modulate chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. 1076 88

The 2',5'-oligoadenylate (2-5A) system is an interferon (IFN)-regulated RNA decay pathway that provides innate immunity against viral infections. The biologic action of the 2-5A system is mediated by RNase L, an endoribonuclease that becomes enzymatically active after binding to 2-5A. RNase L is also implicated in mediating apoptosis in response to both viral and nonviral inducers. To study the cellular effects of RNase L activation directly, 2-5A was transfected into the human ovarian cancer cell line, Hey1B. Activation of RNase L by 2-5A resulted in specific 18S rRNA cleavage and induction of apoptosis, as measured by TUNEL and annexin V binding assays. In contrast, the dimeric form of 2-5A, ppA2'p5'A, neither activated RNase L nor caused apoptosis. Treatment with IFN-beta prior to 2-5A transfection enhanced cellular RNase L levels (< or = 2.2-fold) and increased the proportion of cells undergoing apoptosis (by < or =40%). However, rRNA cleavages after 2-5A transfections were not enhanced by IFN-beta pretreatments, indicating that basal levels of RNase L were sufficient for this activity. Apoptosis in response to RNase L activation was accompanied by cytochrome c release from mitochondria. Induction of apoptosis by either 2-5A alone or by the combination of 2-5A and IFN-beta was effectively blocked with either the pancaspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-fmk, or with the caspase 3 inhibitor, DEVD-fmk. Therefore, activation of RNase L by 2-5A leads to cytochrome c release into the cytoplasm and then to caspase activation and apoptosis. These results suggest potential uses for 2-5A in augmenting the anticancer activities of IFN.
 ...
PMID:Caspase-dependent apoptosis by 2',5'-oligoadenylate activation of RNase L is enhanced by IFN-beta. 1115 76

Apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway requires release of cytochrome c into the cytosol to initiate formation of an oligomeric apoptotic protease-activating factor-1 (APAF-1) apoptosome. The apoptosome recruits and activates caspase-9, which in turn activates caspase-3 and -7, which then kill the cell by proteolysis. Because inactivation of this pathway may promote oncogenesis, we examined 10 ovarian cancer cell lines for resistance to cytochrome c-dependent caspase activation using a cell-free system. Strikingly, we found that cytosolic extracts from all cell lines had diminished cytochrome c-dependent caspase activation compared with normal ovarian epithelium extracts. The resistant cell lines expressed APAF-1 and caspase-9, -3, and -7; however, each demonstrated diminished APAF-1 activity relative to the normal ovarian epithelium cell lines. A competitive APAF-1 inhibitor may account for the diminished APAF-1 activity because we did not detect dominant APAF-1 inhibitors, altered APAF-1 isoform expression, or APAF-1 deletion, degradation, or mutation. Lack of APAF-1 activity correlated in some but not all cell lines with resistance to apoptosis. These data suggest that regulation of APAF-1 activity may be important for apoptosis regulation in some ovarian cancers.
 ...
PMID:Defective cytochrome c-dependent caspase activation in ovarian cancer cell lines due to diminished or absent apoptotic protease activating factor-1 activity. 1142 2

Alterations in the regulation of apoptosis may contribute to the pathogenesis of cancer and resistance of tumor cells to chemotherapy. In mammalian cells, nonreceptor-mediated apoptosis occurs predominantly via assembly of a cytochrome c-dependent apoptosome complex containing caspase-9 and apoptotic protease-activating factor-1 (Apaf-1). We show here that cytosolic extracts from human ovarian carcinoma cell lines and primary ovarian tumor samples are deficient in their ability to activate procaspase-9 in the presence of cytochrome c and dATP when compared with control extracts. SKOV3, a human ovarian carcinoma cell line with diminished apoptosome activity, was significantly more resistant to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis than cell lines with functional Apaf-1 activity. This dysfunctional apoptosome activity was not explained by reduced expression levels of caspase-9 or Apaf-1. Moreover, expression levels of known inhibitors of the apoptosome, including heat shock protein 70, heat shock protein 90, or X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis, did not correlate with functional activity of the apoptosome. SKOV3, an ovarian cancer cell line with dysfunctional apoptosome activity, retains the ability to form the Apaf-1 oligomer; however, there is a diminished amount of caspase-9 in the apoptosome. The reduction in the amount of caspase-9 in the apoptosome in the SKOV3 cell line was associated with diminished caspase-3 activity. Dysfunctional apoptosome activation may contribute both to the pathogenesis of ovarian carcinoma and to chemoresistance.
 ...
PMID:Dysfunctional apoptosome activation in ovarian cancer: implications for chemoresistance. 1183 May 53

In our study, we show that expression of HPV-16 E6 sensitizes TNF-induced cytotoxicity of human ovarian cancer cell line A2780. This effect is not related to a different number of TNF receptors present on cell membrane. The major induction of massive apoptosis induced by TNF is not p53- and p21(waf-1)-dependent but it is principally related to NF-kappaB inhibition in A2780/E6 cells. Consistently to NF-kappaB inhibition a rapidly release of cytochrome c and severe induction of DNA fragmentation are seen in A2780/E6 cells. Also in human colon cancer cell line HCT-116/E6 the expression of HPV-16 E6 enhances TNF-cytotoxicity. This effect is not present in the HCT-116/mu-p53 clone (transfected with a dominant-negative mutated p53 transgene). Thus, taken together all these observations suggest that HPV-16 E6 sensitizes A2780 and HCT-116 cells to TNF; this effect is not p53-dependent, but it is essentially mediated through an inhibition in activating NF-kappaB activities.
 ...
PMID:Human papillomavirus type 16 E6-enhanced susceptibility to apoptosis induced by TNF in A2780 human ovarian cancer cell line. 1185 47

XK469, a synthetic quinoxaline phenoxypropionic acid derivative, has been found to have selective activity against a broad panel of solid tumors including several drug-resistant cell lines and has been approved for phase I clinical evaluation. Recent studies suggested that XK469 is a selective topoisomerase IIbeta inhibitor, but the mechanism of XK469-induced cell death remains unknown. Here we investigate the ability of XK469 to induce apoptosis of human cancer cells. In the human ovarian cancer cell line PA1, XK469 caused the release of cytochrome c, activation of caspases including caspases 9, 7 and 3, cleavage of PARP, and subsequently cell death. Moreover, Bcl2 and Bax were cleaved in XK469 treated cells. PA1 cells expressing the dominant negative-caspase 9 were less sensitive to XK469. Importantly, in these PA1 cells expressing DN-casp 9, the activation of caspases including caspases 3, 7 and 9, and cleavage of Bax and Bcl2 were inhibited, suggesting that the activation of the mitochondrial pathway is required for XK469-induced anticancer activity. These results indicate that the induction of apoptosis by XK469 may account for its anti-tumor activity and such activity is required for the activation of the mitochondrial pathway. Thus, our study defines a possible mechanism, at least in part, underlying XK469-induced anti-cancer activity.
 ...
PMID:Induction of apoptosis by the new anticancer drug XK469 in human ovarian cancer cell lines. 1208 31

Se-methylselenocysteine (Se-MSC) is a potent chemopreventive agent in many test systems and has been shown to inhibit tumor promotion and induce apoptosis, but its mechanism of action is still not well understood. The present study was designed to assess the mechanism of Se-MSC on the induction of apoptosis in SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells. Se-MSC displayed strong inhibitory effects on cell proliferation and viability of SKOV-3 cells in dose and time dependent manners and induced apoptosis. Investigation of the mechanism of Se-MSC-induced apoptosis revealed that treatment with Se-MSC produced morphological features of apoptosis and DNA fragmentation. This was associated with caspase-3 activation and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and phospholipase C-gamma1 proteins. However, SKOV-3 cells treated with Se-MSC did not demonstrate cytochrome c accumulation in the cytosol during apoptosis induction. Pretreatment of cells with the caspase inhibitors (z-VAD-fmk and DEVD-CHO) prevented Se-MSC-induced apoptosis. These results suggested that Se-MSC induces apoptosis through cytochrome c-independent caspase-3 activation in SKOV-3 cells. In late stage of apoptosis, p18kDa fragment of Bax was generated with the down-regulation of the expressions of survivin, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein, and human inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1 following Se-MSC treatment, suggesting that the modulation of Bax and IAP (inhibitors of apoptosis) family proteins play some role in Se-MSC-mediated apoptosis. Pre-treatments of z-VAD-fmk and the calpain inhibitor, calpeptin inhibited Bax cleavage. These results suggested that Bax cleavage is mediated by calpain, and calpain activation may be a caspase-dependent one. Taken together, the chemopreventive effects of Se-MSC may be related in part to the caspase-3 activation, the down-regulation of IAP family proteins, and Bax cleavage mediated by caspase-dependent calpain activation.
 ...
PMID:Se-methylselenocysteine induces apoptosis through caspase activation and Bax cleavage mediated by calpain in SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells. 1217 27

Antibodies to the 27 kDa heat shock protein (hsp27) are present in some women with ovarian and endometrial cancers but not in women with nonmalignant conditions or healthy women. The appearance of these antibodies suggests that the corresponding protein (hsp27) may be present in an extracellular form in gynecologic cancer patients. Synthesis of hsp27 is upregulated in gynecologic cancers and inhibits induction of apoptosis. We now report the detection of hsp27 as well as hsp27-cytochrome c complexes in cell-free endocervical or posterior vaginal specimens from women with endometrial or ovarian cancer. Specimens were obtained with a cotton swab from 209 consecutive patients seen by a gynecologic oncologist. After removal of cellular components, aliquots of supernatants were assayed by ELISA for hsp27, using cytochrome c bound to microtiter plate wells, and for hsp27-cytochrome c complexes, using antibodies to cytochrome c and hsp27. Among 47 women with ovarian cancer, 38.3% were positive for hsp27 and 27.7% had hsp27-cytochrome c complexes. Similarly, among 52 women with endometrial cancer, 34.6% were hsp27-positive and 30.8% had hsp27-cytochrome c complexes. In contrast to the women with ovarian or endometrial cancer, of the 86 women with benign diagnoses only, 10.5% had cervical hsp27 (p < 0.002) and 8.1% had hsp27-cytochrome c complexes (p < 0.004). Among ovarian cancer patients, hsp27 was identified in 44.0% of the 25 women with active disease as opposed to 17.6% of the 17 patients in remission (p < 0.05). In women with stage 1-2 active ovarian cancer, 8 of 10 (80.0%) were hsp27-positive as opposed to 3 of 14 (21.4%) stage 3-4 patients (p < 0.01). For hsp27-cytochrome c complexes, 50% of ovarian cancer patients with active stage 1-2 disease as opposed to 21.4% with stage 3-4 disease were positive. Among women with endometrial cancer, only 10 of the 52 patients had active disease and 44 were in stage 1-2. For this malignancy, there was no relation between detection of hsp27 or hsp27-cytochrome c and active disease or cancer stage. Our results suggest that cell-free hsp27 and hsp27-cytochrome c complexes can be detected in the lower genital tract of women with ovarian and endometrial cancers. Identification of these biomarkers may be beneficial in the early diagnosis of these malignancies.
 ...
PMID:Cell-free 27 kDa heat shock protein (hsp27) and hsp27-cytochrome c complexes in the cervix of women with ovarian or endometrial cancer. 1243 50


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next >>