Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P10415 (Bcl-2)
 33,771 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The expression of two autoimmune thyroid diseases. GD and idiopathic myxoedema, is associated with antibodies to the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor. Thyroid stimulating antibodies (TSAb) in GD are TSH agonists and cause hyperthyroidism as well as goitre, whereas thyroid stimulation blocking antibodies (TSBAb) in idiopathic myxoedema are TSH antagonists and cause hypothyroidism and thyroid atrophy. We investigated the effect of antibodies to TSH receptor on Fas-mediated apoptosis of thyroid epithelial cells (thyrocytes). Human IgG was isolated from healthy donors, patients with GD and idiopathic myxoedema. Human thyrocytes were obtained from surgical specimens. Thyrocytes were cultured in the presence or absence of human IgG with or without interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) or IL-1beta for a specified time. After incubation, we examined the level of cAMP in cultured supernatants and both Fas and Bcl-2 expression on thyrocytes. In addition, we examined anti-Fas-mediated apoptosis of thyrocytes. Fas expression on thyrocytes was significantly down-regulated by Graves' IgG and TSH, although idiopathic myxoedema IgG did not affect Fas expression on thyrocytes. Idiopathic myxoedema IgG abrogated the effect of TSH on both cAMP production and inhibition of Fas expression on thyrocytes. Treatment of thyrocytes with IL-1beta or IFN-gamma caused a marked augmentation of Fas expression on thyrocytes. The increase of Fas expression of thyrocytes induced by IL-1beta or IFN-gamma was significantly suppressed in the presence of TSH or Graves' IgG. Anti-Fas-induced apoptosis of thyrocytes was observed in thyrocytes treated with IL-1beta or IFN-gamma, but was markedly inhibited in the presence of TSH or Graves' IgG. Furthermore, idiopathic myxoedema IgG abrogated most of the inhibitory effect of TSH on Fas-mediated apoptosis of thyrocytes treated with IL-1beta or IFN-gamma. Bcl-2 expression of thyrocytes did not change after stimulation with TSH, Graves' IgG, idiopathic myxoedema IgG, IL-1beta or IFN-gamma. These results suggest that TSAb found in Graves' patients may be potentially involved in the development of goitre by inhibition of Fas-mediated apoptosis of thyrocytes. In addition, TSBAb inhibit the action of TSH and increase the sensitivity toward Fas-mediated apoptosis of thyrocytes, inducing thyroid atrophy seen in patients with idiopathic myxoedema.
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PMID:Modulation of Fas-mediated apoptosis of human thyroid epithelial cells by IgG from patients with Graves' disease (GD) and idiopathic myxoedema. 940 48

The expression of the Bcl-2 family proteins Bax, Mcl-1, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL, was examined in human peripheral blood eosinophils or in umbilical-cord-blood-derived eosinophils. Immunoblot analysis disclosed high amounts of the proapoptotic factor Bax in freshly purified eosinophils of both types. Although cord-blood-derived eosinophils expressed easily detectable levels of Mcl-1, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL, only traces or no expression of these three antiapoptotic proteins were found in peripheral blood eosinophils. Incubation of both eosinophil types for 1 to 3 days in a cytokine-deprived medium led to apoptosis, without changes in the expression of Bax, Mcl-1, Bcl-2, or Bcl-xL. Although addition of interleukin-5 or interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) to the culture medium increased the survival of both eosinophil types, a rise in the levels of Mcl-1 was observed only in IFN-gamma-treated cord-blood eosinophils. Together, these results indicate that human eosinophils have a specific profile of Bcl-2-family protein expression that depends on their maturation status and may be modulated by stimuli that influence their survival.
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PMID:Human eosinophils express bcl-2 family proteins: modulation of Mcl-1 expression by IFN-gamma. 949 Jun 49

Recent studies have indicated that glial cells such as astrocytes and microglia are activated in an early and delayed episode after brain damage. However, the mechanism and function of glial activation are still unclear. I examined whether the induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen was involved in the glial activation. The microinjection of interferon-gamma and lipopolysaccharide into rat hippocampus induced MHC class II and iNOS in microglia. The iNOS induction may be involved in the activation of tyrosine kinases and transcription factors such as signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT1) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B). Subsequently, neuronal cell death occurred in the hippocampus, but cell death was undetectable in both microglia and astrocytes that expressed HO-1. Thus, induction of iNOS and HO-1 in glial cells may be involved in hippocampal neurodegeneration and resistance to oxidative stress in glial cells, respectively. In Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains, iNOS expression was at a very low level, although STAT1 and NF-kappa B were significantly increased. Also, Bcl-2, Bcl-x, Bak, Bad and p53 were increased in AD brains. These observations suggest that oxidative stress and glial activation without iNOS induction may be involved in neurodegeneration of AD brains.
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PMID:[Functional activation of glial cells in early and delayed episodes of the brain damage]. 958 78

A poor response to Fas-induced apoptosis is evident in some multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines and primary cells. In this study, we have examined the possibility to increase the sensitivity to Fas-induced apoptosis by pretreatment of MM cells with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) or interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). Both IFN-gamma and IFN-alpha markedly increased the Fas-induced apoptosis in all cell lines tested (U-266-1970, U-266-1984, and U-1958). In the U-266-1970 and U-1958 cell lines, pretreatment with either IFN-gamma or IFN-alpha also inhibited proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, IFN-gamma activation of the Fas death pathway in the U-266-1984 cells was not accompanied by growth inhibition. Incubation with the IFNs increased the Fas antigen expression in one of three cell lines but did not alter the expression of Bcl-2 or Bax. The IFNs are important regulators of growth and survival in MM cells. Our results suggest that activation of Fas-mediated apoptosis is a novel mechanism by which the IFNs exert inhibitory effects on MM cells.
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PMID:Fas/APO-1 (CD95)-mediated apoptosis is activated by interferon-gamma and interferon- in interleukin-6 (IL-6)-dependent and IL-6-independent multiple myeloma cell lines. 976 78

We investigated the expression and function of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) on peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). The cells were stimulated with various cytokines or 12-0-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (PMA) plus ionomycin. About 30% of unstimulated PBLs expressed Fas, and the expression was augmented by interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), IL-2, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), or PMA plus ionomycin. Although only minimal FasL expression was detected on unstimulated PBLs, FasL expression was markedly induced by IL-2 or PMA plus ionomycin, suggesting that Fas and FasL were both expressed on IL-2-stimulated or PMA-plus-ionomycin-stimulated PBLs. Although IL-2-stimulated or PMA-plus-ionomycin-stimulated PBLs were positive for both Fas and FasL, no significant increase in apoptosis was demonstrated in these activated PBLs. In addition, treatment of PBLs with IL-2 or PMA plus ionomycin did not change anti-Fas-induced apoptosis, although these activated PBLs expressed Fas strongly when compared with unstimulated PBLs. Only IL-2-stimulated or PMA-plus-ionomycin-stimulated PBLs killed Fas+ target cells efficiently via the interaction of Fas on target cells with FasL of PBLs. Bcl-2 was constitutively expressed on unstimulated PBLs, but its expression was significantly augmented by IL-2 or PMA plus ionomycin. The expression of Bax was clearly induced only on IL-2-stimulated or PMA-plus-ionomycin-stimulated PBLs and that of other Bcl-2 family proteins such as Bcl-x and Bad could not be detected on human PBLs, including IL-2-stimulated or PMA-plus-ionomycin-stimulated PBLs. Our results suggest that PBLs activated by IL-2 or PMA plus ionomycin express both Fas and FasL and that they kill Fas+ target cells by using FasL on the surface. The resistance of these activated PBLs to Fas-mediated apoptosis may be due to the augmented Bcl-2 expression or the presence of Bcl-2:Bax heterodimers on these cells.
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PMID:Expression and function of Fas and Fas ligand on peripheral blood lymphocytes in normal subjects. 982 34

-Cytokine-induced NO production depresses myocardial contractility and has been shown to be cytotoxic to cardiac myocytes. However, the mechanisms of cytokine-induced cardiac myocyte cell death are unclear. To analyze these mechanisms in detail, we treated neonatal cardiac myocytes in serum-free culture with a combination of the macrophage-derived cytokines interleukin-1beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interferon-gamma. These cytokines caused a time-dependent induction of cardiac myocyte apoptosis, but not necrosis, beginning 72 hours after treatment, as determined by nuclear morphology, DNA internucleosomal cleavage, and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, reflecting caspase activation. Apoptosis was preceded by a >50-fold induction of inducible NO synthase mRNA and the release of large amounts (5 to 8 nmol/ microgram protein) of NO metabolites (NOx) into the medium. Cell death was completely blocked by an NO synthase inhibitor and attenuated by antioxidants (N-acetylcysteine and DTT) and the caspase inhibitor ZVAD-fmk. Cytokines also mediated an NO-dependent, sustained increase in myocyte expression of the Bcl-2 homologs Bak and Bcl-x(L). The NO donor S-nitrosoglutathione also induced apoptosis and cell levels of Bak, but not of Bcl-x(L). All effects of cytokines, including poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, could be attributed to interleukin-1beta; interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha had no independent effects on apoptosis or on NOx production. We conclude that cytokine toxicity to neonatal cardiac myocytes results from the induction of NO and subsequent activation of apoptosis, at least in part through the generation of oxygen free radicals. The rate and extent of this apoptosis is modulated by alterations in the cellular balance of Bak and Bcl-x(L), which respond differentially to cytokine-induced and exogenous NO and by the availability of oxidant species.
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PMID:Modulation of cytokine-induced cardiac myocyte apoptosis by nitric oxide, Bak, and Bcl-x. 991 71

Th1 cell-induced anti-mycobacterial immunity is lost during a progressive Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in a susceptible host. This study was designed to test the mechanism of the loss of anti-mycobacterial cell-mediated immune response. We demonstrate that M. tuberculosis infection results in increased Fas expression and decreased Bcl-2 expression in CD4+ T cells. When CD4+ T cells are stimulated in vitro, they show increased apoptosis and decreased production of IL-2 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) but not of IL-4. These changes may result in selective apoptosis of Th1-like cells, leading to the loss of cell-mediated immune response against M. tuberculosis.
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PMID:Apoptosis of Th1-like cells in experimental tuberculosis (TB). 993 60

The expression of genes that regulate Fas-induced apoptosis has been examined in 10 human cultured colon carcinoma cell lines with defined and varied sensitivity to the cytolytic anti-Fas MoAb CH-11. Four lines demonstrated sensitivity to CH-11 (HT29, GC3/c1, TS-, Thy4), and six were resistant to the induction of apoptosis vis Fas. In nine lines expressing Fas, PCR-sequencing indicated that the death domain contained wt sequences. Downstream of Fas, expression of FADD/MORT1 and FLICE, essential components of the DISC, and negative regulators of Fas signalling including sFas, FAP-1 and Bcl-2, showed no correlation between levels of expression and sensitivity to Fas-mediated cytotoxicity. However, levels of the Fas antigen varied by >1000-fold, and correlated with CH-11 sensitivity. Following fourfold elevation in Fas expression in HT29 cells treated with interferon-gamma, a synergistic effect on Fas-mediated apoptosis was obtained when CH-11 and interferon-gamma were combined.
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PMID:Expression of genes that regulate Fas signalling and Fas-mediated apoptosis in colon carcinoma cells. 1020 Apr 95

1. Activation of macrophages with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and low doses of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) induced apoptotic death through a nitric oxide-dependent pathway. 2. Treatment of cells with the immunosuppressors cyclosporin A (CsA) or FK506 inhibited the activation-dependent apoptosis. 3. These drugs decreased the up-regulation of p53 and Bax characteristic of activated macrophages. Moreover, incubation of activated macrophages with CsA and FK506 contributed to maintain higher levels of Bcl-2 than in LPS/IFN-gamma treated cells. 4. The inhibition of apoptosis exerted by CsA and FK506 in macrophages was also observed when cell death was induced by treatment with chemical nitric oxide donors. 5. Incubation of macrophages with LPS/IFN-gamma barely affected caspase-1 but promoted an important activation of caspase-3. Both CsA and FK506 inhibited pathways leading to caspase-3 activation. Moreover, the cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, a well established caspase substrate, was reduced by these immunosuppressive drugs. 6. CsA and FK506 reduced the release of cytochrome c to the cytosol and the activation of caspase-3 in cells treated with nitric oxide donors. 7. These results indicate that CsA and FK506 protect macrophages from nitric oxide-dependent apoptosis and suggest a contribution of the macrophage to innate immunity under conditions of immunosuppression of the host.
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PMID:Protective effect of cyclosporin A and FK506 from nitric oxide-dependent apoptosis in activated macrophages. 1020 1

The significant function of cytokines includes maintenance of cell survival as well as induction of cell differentiation and/or proliferation. We demonstrate here that interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) plays a role for progression of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected natural killer cell leukemia (NK leukemia) through maintaining cell survival. NK leukemia cells obtained from 7 patients had clonal episomal forms of EBV, indicating that the leukemic cells were of clonal origin. Although normal NK cells constitutively expressed Bcl-2, the EBV-infected NK leukemia cells lacked endogenous Bcl-2 expression and were hypersensitive to apoptosis in vitro. The addition of IFN-gamma to the culture significantly inhibited their spontaneous apoptosis without inducing cell proliferation or upregulation of Bcl-2. The NK leukemia cells constitutively secreted IFN-gamma, and the patients' sera contained a high concentration of IFN-gamma, levels that were high enough to prevent NK leukemia cells from apoptosis. Bcl-XL was not involved in the IFN-gamma-induced NK leukemia cell survival. These data suggest that the acquisition of IFN-gamma-mediated autocrine survival signals, other than Bcl-2 or BCL-XL, might be important for the development of EBV-infected NK leukemia.
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PMID:Interferon-gamma prevents apoptosis in Epstein-Barr virus-infected natural killer cell leukemia in an autocrine fashion. 1023 2


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