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)

Relative specific amino acid dependency is one of the metabolic abnormalities of cancer cells, and restriction of specific amino acids induces apoptosis of prostate cancer cells. This study shows that restriction of tyrosine and phenylalanine (Tyr/Phe), glutamine (Gln), or methionine (Met), modulates Raf and Akt survival pathways and affects the function of mitochondria in DU145 and PC3, in vitro. These three restrictions inhibit energy production (ATP synthesis) and induce generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Restriction of Tyr/Phe or Met in DU145 and Met in PC3 reduces mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsim) and induces caspase-dependent and -independent apoptosis. In DU145, Tyr/Phe or Met restriction reduces activity of Akt, mitochondrial distribution of phosphorylated Raf and apoptosis inducing factor (AIF), and increases mitochondrial distribution of Bak. Mitochondrial Bcl-XL is increased in Tyr/Phe-restricted but decreased in Met-restricted cells. Under Tyr/Phe or Met restriction, reduced mitochondrial Raf does not inactivate the pro-apoptotic function of Bak. Tyr/Phe restriction also inhibits Bcl-2 and Met restriction inhibits Bcl-XL in mitochondria. These comprehensive actions damage the integrity of the mitochondria and induce apoptosis of DU145. In PC3, apoptosis induced by Met restriction was not associated with alterations in intracellular distribution of Raf, Bcl-2 family proteins, or AIF. All of the amino acid restrictions inhibited Akt activity in this cell line. We conclude that specific amino acid restriction differentially interferes with homeostasis/balance between the Raf and Akt survival pathways and with the interaction of Raf and Bcl-2 family proteins in mitochondria to induce apoptosis of DU145 and PC3 cells.
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PMID:Selective amino acid restriction targets mitochondria to induce apoptosis of androgen-independent prostate cancer cells. 1689 57

Bcl-2 overexpression is an important mechanism underlying the aggressive behavior of prostate cancer cells and their resistance to radio- or chemotherapy. HA14-1, a recently discovered organic Bcl-2 inhibitor, potently induces apoptosis in various human cancer cells. Sequential exposure of radioresistant LNCaP (wild-type (wt) p53), LNCaP/Bcl-2 (wt p53) and PC3 (mutant p53) prostate cancer cells to a minimally cytotoxic concentration of 10 microM HA14-1 for 1 h followed by 1-6 Gy gamma radiation, resulted in a highly synergistic (combination index <1.0) induction of cell death as determined by an apoptosis assay at 72 h, and a clonogenicity assay at 12 days, after the initial treatment. The reverse treatment sequence did not cause a synergistic induction of cell death. When compared to individual treatments, cell death induced by the combined treatment was associated with dramatically increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation, Bcl-2 phosphorylation, cytochrome c release, caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation. Exposure to either 200 microg/ml of the antioxidant alpha-tocopherol or 10 microM JNK inhibitor SP600125 before the combined treatment resulted in decreased activation of JNK and caspase-3 as well as decreased DNA fragmentation. However, treatment with the pancaspase inhibitor carbobenzoxyl-valyl-alanyl-aspartyl-[O-methyl]-fluoromethylketone before the combined treatment inhibited apoptosis without affecting JNK activation, and this inhibitory effect was enhanced in the presence of alpha-tocopherol or SP600125. Taken together, our results indicate that HA14-1 potently sensitizes radioresistant LNCaP and PC3 cells to gamma radiation, regardless of the status of p53. ROS and JNK are important early signals that trigger both caspase-dependent and -independent cell death pathways and contribute to the apoptotic synergy induced by the combined treatments.
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PMID:Overcoming the radioresistance of prostate cancer cells with a novel Bcl-2 inhibitor. 1690 21

We have recently shown that the expression levels of both cannabinoid receptors CB(1) and CB(2) are higher in human prostate cancer cells than in normal prostate epithelial cells, and treatment of LNCaP cells with WIN-55,212-2 (a mixed CB(1)/CB(2) agonist) resulted in inhibition of cell growth and induction of apoptosis (Sarfaraz, S., Afaq, F., Adhami, V. M., and Mukhtar, H. (2005) Cancer Res. 65, 1635-1641). This study was conducted to understand the mechanistic basis of these effects. Treatment of LNCaP cells with WIN-55,212-2 (1-10 microm; 24 h) resulted in: (i) an arrest of the cells in the G(0)/G(1) phase of the cell cycle; (ii) an induction of p53 and p27/KIP1; (iii) down-regulation of cyclins D1, D2, E; (iii) decrease in the expression of cdk-2, -4, and -6; (iv) decrease in protein expression of pRb; (v) down-regulation of E2F (1-4); and (vi) decrease in the protein expression of DP1 and DP2. Similar effects were also observed when androgen-independent PC3 cells were treated with WIN-55,212-2 (5-30 microm). We further observed sustained up-regulation of ERK1/2 and inhibition of PI3k/Akt pathways in WIN-55,212-2-treated cells. Inhibition of ERK1/2 abrogated WIN-55,212-2-indued cell death suggesting that sustained activation of ERK1/2 leads to cell cycle dysregulation and arrest of cells in G(0)/G(1) phase subsequently leading to an induction of apoptosis. Further, WIN-55,212-2 treatment of cells resulted in a dose-dependent increase in Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in such a way that favors apoptosis. The induction of apoptosis proceeded through down-regulation of caspases 3, 6, 7, and 9 and cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases. Based on these data we suggest that cannabinoid receptor agonists should be considered as novel agents for the management of prostate cancer.
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PMID:Cannabinoid receptor agonist-induced apoptosis of human prostate cancer cells LNCaP proceeds through sustained activation of ERK1/2 leading to G1 cell cycle arrest. 1706 43

Valproic acid is a well-known antiepileptic drug that was recently discovered to have a wide-spectrum antitumoral action in several tumors. In our work, we tested the proapoptotic activity of valproic acid in prostate cancer. Valproic acid-induced apoptosis was described by several in-vitro assays in three prostate cancer cell lines: two representing the prototype of advanced, clinically untreatable stages of prostate progression, PC3 and DU145, and one resembling a more differentiated androgen-sensitive tumor, LNCaP. We observed that valproic acid was a potent and early apoptotic inducer, mainly in less-differentiated prostate cancer cell lines. The molecular analysis of the apoptotic machinery involved in valproic acid action revealed a central role in Bcl-2 downmodulation. When prostate cancer cells were treated for a longer time with valproic acid, we detected an enhancement of Fas-dependent apoptosis associated with an overexpression in Fas and Fas ligand. Our data indicate that the use of valproic acid may be a suitable therapeutic agent in the control of prostate cancer progression and its action appears particularly relevant in the control of refractory stages of prostate cancer.
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PMID:Valproic acid induces apoptosis in prostate carcinoma cell lines by activation of multiple death pathways. 1707 13

Our previous studies have shown that dietary pigment curcumin [1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1-6-heptadine-3,5-dione; C21H20O6] sensitizes human prostate cancer cells to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL/Apo2L)-induced apoptosis by inhibiting nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB. In the present study, we demonstrate that activated (phosphorylated) Akt kinase plays a pivotal role in regulation of NF-kappaB and sensitization of LNCaP and PC3 prostate cancer cells to TRAIL by curcumin. Curcumin inhibited the expression of phospho-Akt (p-Akt), which was not due to activation of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 phosphatase activity by curcumin. Because NF-kappaB is a downstream target of Akt, we investigated whether inhibition of NF-kappaB by curcumin is mediated through suppression of p-Akt. Data demonstrate that treatment of PC3 cells with SH-6 (JAm Chem Soc 125:1144-1145, 2003), a specific inhibitor of Akt, or transfection with small inhibitory RNA (siRNA)-Akt not only inhibited p-Akt but also abrogated the expression and transcriptional activity of NF-kappaB. Furthermore, overexpression of constitutively active Akt1 in cancer cells prevented the inhibition of NF-kappaB by curcumin. In addition, treatment with SH-6 or transfection with siRNA-Akt sensitized PC3 cells to TRAIL-induced cytotoxicity. On the other hand, SH-6 does not inhibit NF-kappaB or sensitize DU145 cancer cells to TRAIL because these cells do not express p-Akt. Because expression of antiapoptotic Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and X-chromosome-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) is regulated by NF-kappaB, both curcumin and SH-6 decreased the levels of these proteins in PC3 cells through inhibition of NF-kappaB. Furthermore, gene silencing of Bcl-2 with siRNA-Bcl-2 sensitized PC3 cells to TRAIL. Collectively, these data define a pathway whereby curcumin sensitizes prostate cancer cells to TRAIL by inhibiting Akt-regulated NF-kappaB and NF-kappaB-dependent antiapoptotic Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and XIAP.
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PMID:Curcumin [1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1-6-heptadine-3,5-dione; C21H20O6] sensitizes human prostate cancer cells to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand/Apo2L-induced apoptosis by suppressing nuclear factor-kappaB via inhibition of the prosurvival Akt signaling pathway. 1728 36

We studied the mechanism of action of 3,5-dibromo-4-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid ethyl ester (JG-03-14) and found that it is a potent microtubule depolymerizer. JG-03-14 caused a dose-dependent loss of cellular microtubules, formation of aberrant mitotic spindles, accumulation of cells in the G(2)/M phase of the cell cycle, and Bcl-2 phosphorylation. These events culminated in the initiation of apoptosis, as evidenced by the caspase 3-dependent cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). JG-03-14 has antiproliferative activity against a wide range of cancer cell lines, with an average IC(50) value of 62 nM, and it is a poor substrate for transport by P-glycoprotein. JG-03-14 inhibited the polymerization of purified tubulin in vitro, consistent with a direct interaction between the compound and tubulin. JG-03-14 potently inhibited the binding of [(3)H]colchicine to tubulin, suggesting that it bound to tubulin at a site overlapping the colchicine site. JG-03-14 had antitumor effects in the PC3 xenograft model, in which it caused greater than 50% reduction in tumor burden after 14 days of treatment. Molecular modeling studies indicated that the dimethoxyphenyl group of JG-03-14 occupies a space similar to that of the trimethoxyphenyl group of colchicine. However, the 2,3,5-trisubstituted pyrrole group, which is connected to the dimethoxyphenyl moiety, interacted with both alpha and beta tubulin in space not shared with colchicine, suggesting significant differences compared with colchicine in the mechanism of binding to tubulin. Our results suggest that this tetransubstituted pyrrole represents a new, biologically active chemotype for the colchicine site on tubulin.
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PMID:Identification and characterization of a new tubulin-binding tetrasubstituted brominated pyrrole. 1745 86

Bcl-xL, a novel member of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family that play important roles in regulating cell survival and apoptosis, is frequently overexpressed in various kinds of human cancers, including prostatic carcinoma. To explore its possibility as a therapeutic target for prostatic carcinoma, we developed a novel tumor-specific RNA interference system by using survivin promoter and employed it to suppress exogenous reporters (LUC and EGFP) and endogenous gene Bcl-xL expression and analyzed its phenotypes. We found that expression of exogenous reporters (LUC and EGFP) was specifically inhibited in tumor cells but not in normal cells. We also observed that the specific inhibition of Bcl-xL in human prostatic carcinoma cells (PC3) strongly suppressed in vitro cell proliferation and in vivo tumorigenicity. We observed significant apoptosis induction and radiosensitivity enhancement in PC3 cells by the RNA interference-mediated suppression of Bcl-xL expression. All these results indicate that inhibition of Bcl-xL expression can result in potent antitumor activity and radiosensitization in human prostatic carcinoma.
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PMID:Suppression of Bcl-xL expression by a novel tumor-specific RNA interference system inhibits proliferation and enhances radiosensitivity in prostatic carcinoma cells. 1765 17

Long-term clinical observations and ongoing studies have shown antitumor effects of external Qi of Yan Xin Qigong (YXQG-EQ) that originated from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In order to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the antitumor effects of YXQG-EQ, we investigate the effects of YXQG-EQ on growth and apoptosis in androgen-independent prostate cancer PC3 cells. We found that exposure to YXQG-EQ led to G2/M arrest associated with reduced cyclin B1 expression and apoptosis in PC3 cells. YXQG-EQ treatment inhibited constitutive and epidermal growth factor-induced Akt phosphorylation, basal and TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappaB activation, and downregulated anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression. In contrast, exposure to YXQG-EQ increased phosphorylation of Akt and Erk1/2 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), and had no cytotoxic effect on either HUVEC or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). These results indicate that YXQG-EQ has profound effects on growth and apoptosis of prostate cancer cells by targeting survival pathways including the Akt and NF-kappa B pathways.
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PMID:External Qi of Yan Xin Qigong induces G2/M arrest and apoptosis of androgen-independent prostate cancer cells by inhibiting Akt and NF-kappa B pathways. 1808 Aug 2

The majority of human malignancies are believed to have epithelial origin, and the progression of cancer is often associated with a transient process named epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is characterized by the loss of epithelial markers and the gain of mesenchymal markers that are typical of "cancer stem-like cells," which results in increased cell invasion and metastasis in vivo. Therefore, it is important to uncover the mechanistic role of factors that may induce EMT in cancer progression. Studies have shown that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signaling contributes to EMT, and more recently, PDGF-D has been shown to regulate cancer cell invasion and angiogenesis. However, the mechanism by which PDGF-D promotes invasion and metastases and whether it is due to the acquisition of EMT phenotype remain elusive. For this study, we established stably transfected PC3 cells expressing high levels of PDGF-D, which resulted in the significant induction of EMT as shown by changes in cellular morphology concomitant with the loss of E-cadherin and zonula occludens-1 and gain of vimentin. We also found activation of mammalian target of rapamycin and nuclear factor-kappaB, as well as Bcl-2 overexpression, in PDGF-D PC3 cells, which was associated with enhanced adhesive and invasive behaviors. More importantly, PDGF-D-overexpressing PC3 cells showed tumor growth in SCID mice much more rapidly than PC3 cells. These results provided a novel mechanism by which PDGF-D promotes EMT, which in turn increases tumor growth, and these results further suggest that PDGF-D could be a novel therapeutic target for the prevention and/or treatment of prostate cancer. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
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PMID:Platelet-derived growth factor-D overexpression contributes to epithelial-mesenchymal transition of PC3 prostate cancer cells. 1840 54

The tumor suppressor gene MMAC/PTEN located on chromosome10q23.3 has dual phosphatase activity in the phosphoinositide-3-kinase signaling pathway and inhibits Akt activation, a serine-threonine kinase, which is involved in proliferative and antiapoptotic pathways. Furthermore, MMAC/PTEN is frequently inactivated in a variety of tumors including prostate cancer. In this study, we generated a new type of gene transfer drug, GelaTen, which is a microsphere of cationized gelatin hydrogels incorporating PTEN plasmid DNA. Using our previously reported radiation-resistant PC3-Bcl-2 human prostate cancer cells (PTEN deleted), we examined the efficacy of GelaTen to force the expression of PTEN in vivo to inhibit tumor growth after intratumoral injection alone or with irradiation. Combinational therapy with GelaTen and irradiation improved both the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of growth inhibition compared with GelaTen or irradiation alone. These data show that GelaTen gene therapy, enabling radiosensitization, can potentially treat prostate cancers that have MMAC/PTEN gene alterations associated with radioresistance.
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PMID:Delivery of PTEN via a novel gene microcapsule sensitizes prostate cancer cells to irradiation. 1864 98


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