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)

We have analyzed by immunocytochemistry the p53 and Bcl-2 proteins expression in 49 patients with B-ALL, T-ALL and AML at the time of initial diagnosis. The diagnosis was based on morphologic and cytochemical criteria and on immunophenotyping. To demonstrate the p53 protein expression, p53 specific mouse antihuman immunoreagent clone DO-1 that recognizes both wild and mutated p53 protein was used. To detect Bcl-2 a monoclonal antibody that recognizes the 26-kD Bcl-2 protein was applied. For evaluation of both proteins a sensitive Immunotech detection kit based on peroxidase labeled streptavidin biotin reagent was utilized. The patients were divided according to the presence or absence of both, nuclear p53 and cytoplasmic Bcl-2 proteins. A relative low frequency of p53 protein expression in B- and T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia has been shown at diagnosis. In AML cases, the frequency of p53 expression was higher than that in ALL. Bcl-2 protein immunoreactivity has been found in the majority of acute leukemia patients. The marked heterogeneity in the percentage of p53 and Bcl-2 positive cells in individual patients was observed. Comparative analysis of the distinct acute leukemia subtypes according to the percentage of p53 and Bcl-2 positive cells showed no significant differences except for p53 protein positivity in relation between T-ALL and AML cases. The samples from healthy subjects used as a control exhibited very low proportion of positively stained cells and significantly differed from p53 as well as Bcl-2 positive cases. p53 and Bcl-2 positivity have not been significantly affected neither by age, sex nor WB C counts. Association between myeloid cells maturation and proportion of p53 and Bcl-2 positive cells was observed. Noteworthy was the inverse relation between the higher proportion of p53 positive cells and low Bcl-2 positivity in some cases of acute leukemia. Although our preliminary results need to be confirmed in a larger group of patients, immunocytochemical analysis of p53 and Bcl-2 proteins, indicators of cell alterations, may help to identify risk patients requiring intensive therapy.
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PMID:Expression of p53 and bcl-2 proteins in acute leukemias: an immunocytochemical study. 1194 43

L-Canavanine, a natural L-arginine analog, is known to possess cytotoxicity to tumor cells in culture and experimental tumors in vivo. In this study, we first show that apoptotic cell death is associated with antitumor activity of L-canavanine against human acute leukemia Jurkat T cells. When Jurkat T cells were treated with 1.25-5.0mM L-canavanine for 36 h, apoptotic cell death accompanying several biochemical events such as caspase-3 activation, degradation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and apoptotic DNA fragmentation was induced in a dose-dependent manner; however, cytochrome c release from mitochondria was not detected. Under these conditions, the expression of Bcl-2 and its functional homolog Bcl-xL was markedly upregulated. The L-canavanine-induced caspase-3 activation, degradation of PARP, and apoptotic DNA fragmentation were suppressed by ectopic expression of Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL, both of which are known to play roles as anti-apoptotic regulators. These results demonstrate that the cytotoxic effect of L-canavanine on Jurkat T cells is attributable to the induced apoptosis and that L-canavanine-induced apoptosis is mediated by a cytochrome c-independent caspase-3 activation pathway that can be interrupted by Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL.
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PMID:Arginine antimetabolite L-canavanine induces apoptotic cell death in human Jurkat T cells via caspase-3 activation regulated by Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL. 1215 Sep 44

Overexpression of Bcl-2 is a potential mechanism for chemoresistance in acute leukemia and has been associated with unfavorable clinical outcome. We hypothesized that down-regulation of Bcl-2 would restore chemosensitivity in leukemic cells. To test this hypothesis, we performed a phase 1 study of G3139 (Genasense, Genta, Berkeley Heights, NJ), an 18-mer phosphorothioate Bcl-2 antisense, with fludarabine (FL), cytarabine (ARA-C), and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) (FLAG) salvage chemotherapy in patients with refractory or relapsed acute leukemia. Twenty patients with refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were enrolled. G3139 was delivered by continuous infusion on days 1 to 10. FLAG chemotherapy was administered on days 5 to 10. Common side effects of this combination included fever, nausea, emesis, electrolyte imbalance, and fluid retention that were not dose limiting. Plasma pharmacokinetics of G3139 demonstrated steady-state concentration (Css) within 24 hours. Of the 20 patients, 9 (45%) had disease response, 6 (5 AML, 1 ALL) with complete remission (CR) and 3 (2 AML and 1 ALL) with no evidence of disease but failure to recover normal neutrophil and/or platelet counts or to remain in remission for at least 30 days (incomplete remission). Bcl-2 mRNA levels were down-regulated in 9 of the 12 (75%) evaluable patients. This study demonstrates that G3139 can be administered safely with FLAG chemotherapy and down-regulate its target, Bcl-2. The encouraging clinical and laboratory results justify the current plans for a phase 3 study in previously untreated high-risk AML (ie, age at least 60 years).
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PMID:Phase 1 and pharmacodynamic studies of G3139, a Bcl-2 antisense oligonucleotide, in combination with chemotherapy in refractory or relapsed acute leukemia. 1239 93

It is generally accepted that the inhibition of apoptosis is one of the mechanism of drug resistance to tumor. Members of the bcl-2 gene family are the most important regulators in apoptosis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the value of expression of bcl-2 and bax gene in predicting the prognosis of acute leukemia patients, and to explore the relationship between bcl-2 and bax expression and drug resistance. Seventy patients with acute leukemia entered this study. Expressions of bcl-2, bax and mdr-1 gene were measured by RT-PCR method and FCM. The result showed that: bcl-2 had been widely detected in specimens of blood or bone marrow from acute leukemia patients, the expression levels were much higher than those in normal control (1.46 vs 0.71, P < 0.05), bax expression levels and bax/bcl-2 ratio in patients had no significant difference with the control. No relationships were found between the expression levels of bcl-2 and bax and AL patients' age, sex, platelet counts, hemoglobin levels, percentage of marrow blasts, FAB classification, and S + G(2)M%. Both Bcl-2 protein expression (34.6% vs 69.2%, P < 0.03) and bax/bcl-2 mRNA ratio (37.1% vs 82.9%, P < 0.01) were associated with response to therapy and CR rate, bax/bcl-2 ratio also influences the overall survival time. There was no relationship between bcl-2 and bax expression levels and mdr-1 expression levels.
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PMID:[Clinic Significance of Expression of bcl-2 and bax Gene in Patients with Acute Leukemia and its Relationship with mdr-1 Gene Expression] 1257 66

Nuclear transcription factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) has been shown both to block apoptosis and to promote cell proliferation, and hence has been considered an important target for anticancer drug development. The pyrimidine analogue cytosine arabinoside (araC) is among the most effective agents used in the treatment of acute leukemia, and we demonstrate in this study that its chemotherapeutic activity may be mediated by its inhibition of NF-kappaB. We found that in Jurkat cells, although tumor necrosis factor (TNF), araC, or ceramide induced NF-kappaB, the induction was only transient in the case of araC. In both HuT-78 and serum-activated LPS-stimulated Jurkat (SA-LPS/Jkt) cells that expressed NF-kappaB, TNF or ceramide treatments did not affect the NF-kappaB expression whereas araC downregulated it. AraC, but not TNF or ceramide was able to induce apoptosis in these cells as detected by assays for lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen intermediates generation, caspase activation, cytotoxicity, Bcl-2 degradation, and DNA fragmentation. AraC also potentiated apoptosis mediated by cis-platin, etoposide, or taxol in these cells. AraC was able to induce protein phosphatases (PP) 2A and 2B-A, and phosphorylation of p65 subunit of NF-kappaB in the HuT-78 and SA-LPS/Jkt cells was downregulated by araC treatment. Furthermore, calyculin A, a specific phospho-serine/phospho-threonine phosphatase inhibitor, protected HuT-78 and SA-LPS/Jkt cells from araC-mediated NF-kappaB downregulation and apoptosis. These observations collectively suggest that araC induces apoptosis in NF-kappaB-expressing cells by dephosphorylating the p65 subunit of NF-kappaB.
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PMID:Mechanism of cytosine arabinoside-mediated apoptosis: role of Rel A (p65) dephosphorylation. 1285 72

Present studies demonstrate that treatment with the histone deacetylases inhibitor LAQ824, a cinnamic acid hydroxamate, increased the acetylation of histones H3 and H4, as well as induced p21(WAF1) in the human T-cell acute leukemia Jurkat, B lymphoblast SKW 6.4, and acute myelogenous leukemia HL-60 cells. This was associated with increased accumulation of the cells in the G(1) phase of the cell cycle, as well as accompanied by the processing and activity of caspase-9 and -3, and apoptosis. Exposure to LAQ824 increased the mRNA and protein expressions of the death receptors DR5 and/or DR4, but reduced the mRNA and protein levels of cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP). As compared with treatment with Apo-2L/tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) or LAQ824 alone, pretreatment with LAQ824 increased the assembly of Fas-associated death domain and caspase-8, but not of c-FLIP, into the Apo-2L/TRAIL-induced death-inducing signaling complex. This increased the processing of caspase-8 and Bcl-2 interacting domain (BID), augmented cytosolic accumulation of the prodeath molecules cytochrome-c, Smac and Omi, as well as led to increased activity of caspase-3 and apoptosis. Treatment with LAQ824 also down-regulated the levels of Bcl-2, Bcl-x(L), XIAP, and survivin. Partial inhibition of apoptosis due to LAQ824 or Apo-2L/TRAIL exerted by Bcl-2 overexpression was reversed by cotreatment with LAQ824 and Apo-2L/TRAIL. Significantly, cotreatment with LAQ824 increased Apo-2L/TRAIL-induced apoptosis of primary acute myelogenous leukemia blast samples isolated from 10 patients with acute myelogenous leukemia. Taken together, these findings indicate that LAQ824 may have promising activity in augmenting Apo-2L/TRAIL-induced death-inducing signaling complex and apoptosis of human acute leukemia cells.
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PMID:Cotreatment with histone deacetylase inhibitor LAQ824 enhances Apo-2L/tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand-induced death inducing signaling complex activity and apoptosis of human acute leukemia cells. 1505 15

Leukemias are a heterogenous group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal blood cells of hematopoietic system. Evodiamine, a characteristic alkaloid extracted from Evodia fruits, has been reported to exhibit inhibitory effect on cell proliferation and migration in several types of cancer cells. However, there is no report elucidating the action target and anti-cancer mechanism of this potential natural compound. In this study, we have defined the anti-proliferative and apoptotic mechanisms of evodiamine in human acute leukemia CCRF-CEM cells. According to the MTT assay, the cell viability was inhibited by evodiamine in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 of 0.57 +/- 0.05 microM. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the apoptotic cell death proceeded by evodiamine was accompanied with a cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. Using Wright-Giemsa staining, we observed that evodiamine caused the cells to arrest in mitosis. It also profoundly caused an increase in polymerized tubulin levels and Bcl-2 phosphorylation on serine 70 in these cells. These data imply that the microtubular cytoskeleton appears to be one of the cellular targets in response to evodiamine. Moreover, treatment of CCRF-CEM cells with evodiamine was associated with increased levels of pro-apoptotic protein Bax, activation of caspase-3, and proteolytic cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, an endogenous caspase-3 substrate. Taken together, we demonstrate that evodiamine causes the mitotic arrest and a consequent apoptosis in CCRF-CEM cells through the enhancement of polymerized tubulin levels. Furthermore, several biological events including the Bcl-2 phosphorylation, Bax up-regulation and increase of caspase-3 activity could explain evodiamine-induced cell apoptosis.
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PMID:Induction of mitotic arrest and apoptosis by evodiamine in human leukemic T-lymphocytes. 1510 20

Apoptosis is the primary mechanism through which most chemotherapeutic agents induce tumor cell death. The balance in the expression of pro (Fas/CD95) and anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2) may control the response of leukemic cells to chemotherapy and subsequently affect the patient's prognosis. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of Bcl-2 and Fas expression on blast cells from patients with acute leukemia and to correlate the degree of expression to the clinical and laboratory prognostic factors and the patient's outcome. Forty newly diagnosed patients with acute leukemia (16 ALL, 24 AML) were included in the study. Ten normal subjects of matched age and sex were studied as a reference control group. The degree of Bcl-2 and Fas expression on acute leukemia blast cells were assessed before the start of therapy and on mononuclear cells after 1 year of follow up, using flow cytometry. The degree of Bcl-2 and Fas expression were significantly higher in AML (P<0.01,<0.05, respectively) and ALL (P<0.01, <0.05, respectively) as compared to controls. The expression of Fas and Bcl-2 was related to FAB type with the highest Bcl-2 and lowest Fas expression in M5 and T-ALL (P<0.01, for all). In ALL, patients responding to induction chemotherapy revealed lower Bcl-2 and higher Fas expression when compared to non-responders (P<0.05). In contrast, in AML the difference between responders and non-responders to induction chemotherapy regarding Bcl-2 and Fas expressions was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Bcl-2 and Fas expression were significantly elevated in the relapsed acute leukemia group (in both AML and ALL) when compared to those in remission (P<0.01, <0.05, respectively). Bcl-2 and Fas expression at diagnosis was not significantly different when those surviving were compared to the group who had died, either in the ALL or AML groups (P>0.05). Bcl-2 expression was significantly correlated to bone marrow blast cell counts (R=0.6, P<0.01), blast cell distribution ratio (R=0.4, P<0.05) and lymphadenopathy (R=0.33, P<0.05). Whereas Fas expression was significantly correlated to bone marrow blast cell counts (R=0.52, P<0.01). In conclusion, assessment of Bcl-2 and Fas expression at diagnosis in acute leukemia (1) could predict responsiveness to induction chemotherapy in ALL but not in AML group but (2) could not predict patients out come both in ALL and AML groups.
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PMID:Assessment of bcl-2 expression as modulator of fas mediated apoptosis in acute leukemia. 1520 66

Resistance of leukemic cells to chemotherapy frequently occurs in patients with acute leukemia, which may be caused by alterations in common apoptotic pathways. Controversy exists whether cytostatic agents induce the mitochondrial or death receptor pathway of apoptosis. In the mitochondrial pathway cytochrome C release and caspase-9 activation play a central role in the induction of apoptosis, while formation of a Death Inducing Signaling Complex (DISC) and caspase-8 activation have been reported to be essential in death receptor-induced apoptosis. Here, we show in human derived myeloid and lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines that caspase-8 plays a more important role than previously expected in apoptosis mediated via the mitochondrial pathway. We demonstrated in these malignant cells chemotherapy-induced apoptosis independent of the death receptor pathway, since blocking this pathway using a retroviral construct encoding Flice inhibitory protein (FLIP) did not inhibit drug-induced apoptosis or caspase-8 activation, while overexpression of Bcl-2 completely inhibited both events. Furthermore, we showed that activation of caspase-8 by cytostatic agents occurred downstream from mitochondria. Since caspase-8 plays a central role in both death receptor- and chemotherapy-induced apoptosis of malignant cells from patients with acute leukemia, therapeutic strategies focusing at modulation and activation of caspase-8 may be successful in the treatment of drug-resistant malignancies.
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PMID:Involvement of caspase-8 in chemotherapy-induced apoptosis of patient derived leukemia cell lines independent of the death receptor pathway and downstream from mitochondria. 1713 21

Currently, Arsenic Trioxide (ATO) is considered the treatment of choice for patients with relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Recently, a durable remission with minimal toxicity by single agent ATO or ATO + ATRA in newly diagnosed APL was reported by different groups. These regimens have minimal toxicity and can be administered on an outpatient basis after remission induction, thus they could become a real, less toxic and more economic option to ATRA + anthracyclines in particular in low risk APL, or in patients that cannot undergo chemotherapy because of age or comorbid conditions and in patients that refuse chemotherapy. Significantly, these therapies are a successful attempt to cure a tumoral disease without chemotherapy. The results of clinical trials of ATO administration as single agent in multiple myeloma (MM) and myelodisplastic syndromes (MDS) were encouraging and showed clinical effects but they were not close to APL success. On the contrary, results of clinical trials to treat non-APL acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were disappointing. We suggest that a combination therapy with drugs targeting specific pro-survival molecules or capable to enhance pro-apoptotic pathways may lead to an improvement of ATO efficacy against hematological malignancies, in particular AML. Our pre-clinical studies showed that ATO is capable to induce cell death in acute leukemia cells but the apoptotic function is limited since it can induce also a mechanism of cell defense by activating pro-survival molecules such as MEK-ERK, Bcl-xL, Bcl-2. By combining ATO with specific MEK inhibitors, we demonstrated that the block of MEK-ERK phosphorylation, the induction of Bad de-phosphorylation, and activation of p53AIP1 apoptotic pathway interrupt the pro-survival mechanisms of ATO and kill the leukemic cells by apoptotic synergism. Our results provide an experimental basis for combined or sequential treatment with MEK inhibitors and ATO in AML. The renaissance of ATO as a drug in moderne medicine may be considered, together with ATRA success, a victory of empirical analysis, that had (and has) great impact on Chinese culture.
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PMID:Arsenic trioxide in hematological malignancies: the new discovery of an ancient drug. 1716 55


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