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 incidence of cancer increases with advancing age, but the biological behavior of cancer is known to be less aggressive in elderly people. Thus, the proliferative activity and extent of apoptosis of cancer cells were assessed in samples from 163 cases of colorectal cancer focusing on the age of patients, using Ki-67 labeling index (LI) and apoptotic index (AI) by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated d-UTP nick end labeling method and staining for activated caspase-3. The Ki-67 LI of colorectal cancer ranged from 2.33 to 80.4% (mean 32.2%), while the AI ranged from 0.00 to 14.8% (mean 3.57%). Concerning the aging effect, linear and positive correlations were found for the Ki-67 LI of cancer with age (p<0.05) and the AI of cancer with age (p<0.05). However, in normal colorectal mucosa, aging of patients revealed a significant correlation only with the AI but not with the Ki-67 LI. The AI in earlier stages of cancers (stages 0 and 1) revealed a significant difference between younger cases (age<65) and more elderly cases (age>/=65) (p<0.05), however, the Ki-67 LI did not exhibit a significant difference. Therefore, an increased frequency of apoptosis in colorectal cancer tissues, especially in the earlier stages, may possibly explain the slower growth of colorectal cancers in the elderly. Next, the expressions of several regulatory molecules for the proliferation/apoptosis of tumor cells were determined. The results demonstrated a tendency for stronger and more frequent expressions of c-myc, Bak and Bax despite a rather weaker expression of Bcl-2 in cancer tissues from the elderly compared with those from the younger patients. The potential roles of these regulatory molecules on age-change in the proliferation/apoptosis of colorectal cancers are discussed.
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PMID:Incidence of apoptosis increases with age in colorectal cancer. 1255 16

The GATA family of transcription factors have been implicated in regulating the development and function of many organs. Furthermore, they have been linked to signaling cascades regulating cell fate through apoptosis. GATA-6 has been shown to be expressed in the gonads, but its cell-specific expression in the testis has remained unclear. We have studied GATA-6 expression in human fetal testis using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry and compared these results with the expression of the apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2 and Bax. Furthermore, apoptosis was studied by thymidine deoxyribose-mediated deoxy-UTP nick end labeling assay, and cell proliferation by Ki-67 immunohistochemistry. GATA-6 mRNA and protein were expressed in Sertoli and Leydig cells early in gestation. Apoptotic cells were scanty between wk 16 and 40, and proliferation significantly ceased during the third trimester, supporting the view that only a little tissue remodeling occurs in the late fetal testis. Bax was present throughout the fetal period, whereas Bcl-2 expression decreased toward term. Neither of these factors correlated to the extent of apoptosis, and thus their role in the regulation of apoptosis in the fetal testis remains open. Despite strong expression, GATA-6 did not correlate with apoptosis or cell proliferation and is therefore unlikely to be directly involved in these processes in the human fetal testis.
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PMID:Transcription factor GATA-6, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2 and Bax in human fetal testis. 1267 84

The biological behavior of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is, in part, relevant to apoptosis. A systematic investigation of the apoptosis-related Bcl-2 family modulated by p53 in HCC is lacking. A total of 22 HCC patients were studied. The expression of p53 protein in HCC was assessed using the immunohistochemical method, which categorized the HCC patients into two groups: group 1, with immunonegative p53 (N = 7); and group 2, with immunopositive p53 (N = 15). The expression of p53, p21, Bcl-2, Bax, Bcl-xL, and Bcl-xS in the 22 HCC cases detected by western bioting was quantified with a densitometer. The apoptosis of the 22 HCC cases was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated UTP end-labeling (TUNEL). We found that Bcl-2 was remarkably up-regulated in group 2 (14 of 15), but was down-regulated in group 1 (5 of 7). Bax was up-regulated in both group 1 (6 of 7) and group 2 (13 of 15). Bcl-xL was up-regulated in both group 1 (5 of 7) and group 2 (9 of 15). Bcl-xS was remarkably down-regulated in group 2 (14 of 15) compared to group 1 (4 of 7). The apoptosis indexes of groups 1 and 2 were 0.82 +/- 0.26% and 0.33 +/- 0.17%, respectively (P = 0.023). The long-term survival of group 1 was superior to that of group 2 (log-rank test, P = 0.001). In conclusion, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xS represented the most significant anti- and proapoptotic proteins, respectively, modulated through a p53-dependent pathway in HCC.
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PMID:Expression of Bcl-2 family modulated through p53-dependent pathway in human hepatocellular carcinoma. 1274 54

One week after intranigral injection of thrombin resulted in a dose-dependent loss of dopaminergic neurons (20-78%) in the rat substantia nigra (SN), as evidenced by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry. This cell death was accompanied by localization of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated fluorecein UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining within dopaminergic neurons, activation of caspase-3 and attenuation of dopaminergic neuronal cell death in the SN by the caspase inhibitor (zVAD-fmk), indicative of apoptosis. Furthermore, Western blot analyses and double-immunofluorescent staining showed activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p53, and a localization of p53 in the dopaminergic neurons in the SN after thrombin, respectively. Intriguingly, Western blot analyses demonstrated significant down-regulation of Bcl-2 protein, but no alteration in Bax protein expression in the SN after thrombin. Consistent with in vivo data, degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and colocalization of TUNEL and TH were observed in mesencephalic cultures, following treatment with thrombin. Cell death was almost completely abolished by the thrombin-specific inhibitor, hirudin. Thrombin receptor-activating peptides (TRAP-6 and-14) did not mimic the effects of thrombin, even at much higher (1,000 to 2,000-fold) concentrations, although expression of protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) mRNA was detected using RT-PCR. Morphological evidence and molecular events in vivo and in vitro collectively suggest that thrombin induces apoptosis in dopaminergic neurons via non-PAR-1 receptors.
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PMID:Thrombin induces nigral dopaminergic neurodegeneration in vivo by altering expression of death-related proteins. 1457 41

Although increased Na(+)/H(+) exchanger type-1 (NHE-1) activity has been implicated in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction, the role of NHE-1 in induction of apoptosis, and the potential mechanisms involved have not been fully characterized. This study tested the hypothesis that NHE-1 activity is involved in hypoxia (H)/re-oxygenation (Re)-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis by increasing mitochondrial Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)]m). Primary cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were subjected to 4.5 h of H followed by 12 h of Re. Relative to H alone, the level of X-rhod-1 acetoxymethyl (AM)-labeled [Ca(2+)]m was increased, and the frequency of cell death (propidium iodide (PI) staining) and apoptotic cells (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated-UTP nick end labeling [TUNEL]), confirmed by Annexin-V, were augmented at the end of Re, along with appearance of cytosolic cytochrome c, activation of caspase-3, and increased ratio of Bax and Bcl-2. Addition of cariporide (20 micromol/l), a well-known NHE-1 inhibitor, to cultured cells before H significantly reduced [Ca(2+)]m, the number of PI and TUNEL positive cells relative to the levels at end of Re, but did not completely eliminate these changes compared to Sham control. There was a strong trend for attenuation in increased levels of [Ca(2+)]m, and the number of PI and TUNEL positive cells when same dose of cariporide was added only at Re, but the difference in these variables did not reach significance. In contrast, the levels of [Ca(2+)]m and the number of PI and TUNEL positive cells were significantly reduced to a level comparable to Sham control when cariporide (20 micromol/l) was administered before H and during Re, respectively, associated with a reduction in cytosolic cytochrome c, caspase-3 activity and ratio of Bax and Bcl-2. In conclusion, these data suggest that NHE-1 is involved in induction of cardiomyocyte apoptosis during both H and Re through a [Ca(2+)]m-dependent manner, thereby resulting in activation of cytochrome c-caspase-3 signaling pathways.
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PMID:Involvement of Na+/H+ exchanger in hypoxia/re-oxygenation-induced neonatal rat cardiomyocyte apoptosis. 1497 1

Protein kinase C (PKC) has been implicated in mediating ischemic and reperfusion damage in multiple organs. However, conflicting reports exist on the role of individual PKC isozymes in cerebral ischemic injury. Using a peptide inhibitor selective for deltaPKC, deltaV1-1, we found that deltaPKC inhibition reduced cellular injury in a rat hippocampal slice model of cerebral ischemia [oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)] when present both during OGD and for the first 3 hr of reperfusion. We next demonstrated peptide delivery to the brain parenchyma after in vivo delivery by detecting biotin-conjugateddeltaV1-1 and by measuring inhibition of intracellular deltaPKC translocation, an indicator of deltaPKC activity. Delivery of deltaV1-1 decreased infarct size in an in vivo rat stroke model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Importantly, deltaV1-1 had no effect when delivered immediately before ischemia. However, delivery at the onset, at 1 hr, or at 6 hr of reperfusion reduced injury by 68, 47, and 58%, respectively. Previous work has implicated deltaPKC in mediating apoptotic processes. We therefore determined whether deltaPKC inhibition altered apoptotic cell death or cell survival pathways in our models. We found that deltaV1-1 reduced numbers of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotinylated UTP nick end labeling-positive cells, indicating decreased apoptosis, increased levels of phospho-Akt, a kinase involved in cell survival pathways, and inhibited BAD (Bcl-2-associated death protein) protein translocation from the cell cytosol to the membrane, indicating inhibition of proapoptotic signaling. These data support a deleterious role for deltaPKC during reperfusion and suggest that deltaV1-1 delivery, even hours after commencement of reperfusion, may provide a therapeutic advantage after cerebral ischemia.
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PMID:Protein kinase C delta mediates cerebral reperfusion injury in vivo. 1529 22

The c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK) signaling pathway is implicated in neuronal apoptosis. The mechanism by which activated JNK induces neuronal apoptosis is strongly linked to mitochondrial apoptogenic proteins, although the molecular machinery downstream of JNK has not been precisely elucidated. Our study examined the relevance of proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members in JNK-mediated apoptosis after transient focal cerebral ischemia (tFCI), which, when induced by 60 min of middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion, elevated levels of JNK activity and phospho-JNK in the MCA territory. Phospho-JNK was primarily expressed in neurons and colocalized with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated biotinylated UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells. Inhibition of JNK activity by anthra[1,9-cd]pyrazol-6(2H)-one (SP600125), a selective JNK inhibitor, protected neurons from ischemia-induced apoptosis detected by TUNEL staining and an apoptotic-related DNA fragmentation assay. SP600125 blocked translocation of the cell death effector Bax from the cytosol to the mitochondria after tFCI. BimL (Bim long) was induced and phosphorylated parallel to JNK activity. Coimmunoprecipitation studies consistently revealed increased interaction of JNK with BimL, as well as BimL with Bax, after tFCI. SP600125 blocked these interactions at a dose that significantly inhibited JNK-induced neuronal apoptosis. These results suggest that the JNK signaling pathway is involved in ischemia-induced neuronal apoptosis by stimulation, at least in part, of Bax translocation to the mitochondria, in which BimL is likely regulated by JNK as a downstream substrate for transmission of apoptotic signals to Bax.
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PMID:The c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase signaling pathway mediates Bax activation and subsequent neuronal apoptosis through interaction with Bim after transient focal cerebral ischemia. 1535

Inappropriate apoptosis has been implicated in the mechanism of neuronal death in Huntington's disease (HD). In this study, we report the expression of apoptotic markers in HD caudate nucleus (grades 1-4) and compare this with controls without neurological disease. Terminal transferase-mediated biotinylated-UTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells were detected in both control and HD brains. However, typical apoptotic cells were present only in HD, especially in grade 3 and 4 specimens. Expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax was increased in HD brains compared to controls, demonstrating a cytoplasmic expression pattern in predominantly shrunken and dark neurons, which were most frequently seen in grades 2 and 3. Control brains displayed weak perinuclear expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, whereas in HD brains Bcl-2 immunoreactivity was markedly enhanced, especially in severely affected grade 4 brains, and was observed in both healthy neurons and dark neurons. Caspase-3, an executioner protease, was only found in four HD brains of different grades and was not expressed in controls. A strong neuronal and glial expression of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-immunoreactivity was observed in HD brains. These data strongly suggest the involvement of apoptosis in HD. The exact apoptotic pathway occurring in HD neurodegeneration remains yet unclear. However, the presence of late apoptotic events, such as enhanced PARP expression and many TUNEL-positive cells accompanied with weak caspase-3 immunoreactivity in severely affected HD brains, suggests that caspase-mediated neuronal death only plays a minor role in HD.
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PMID:Expression pattern of apoptosis-related markers in Huntington's disease. 1566 90

Apoptosis is a common pathological feature in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The infarct size is an important determinant of the prognosis of AMI. In recent years, Chinese medicinal herbs and their extracts have received great attention in prevention of AMI. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the anti-ischemic effect of total flavones from Elsholtzia blanda (Benth.) Benth. (TFEB), a traditional Chinese medicine and to make clear the mechanism involved in it. Myocardial infarction was induced by coronary occlusion in rats. Apoptosis was measured quantitatively by the terminal transferase UTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method and confirmed by DNA laddering on agarose gel. The expression of anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2 and pro-apoptotic protein, Bax was visualized by Western blot analysis. TFEB significantly reduced infarct size and TUNEL-positive rate confirmed by disappearance of DNA laddering. Greater Bcl-2 and attenuated Bax expression was found in TFEB treating rats. These results suggest that TFEB reduce infarct size during AMI by inhibiting myocardial apoptosis through modulation of Bcl-2 family.
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PMID:Total flavones from Elsholtzia blanda reduce infarct size during acute myocardial ischemia by inhibiting myocardial apoptosis in rats. 1599 71

Our previous study described the neuroprotective effects of catalpol in gerbil ischemic model, in which catalpol was shown to prevent hippocampal neurons from death and ameliorate the cognitive ability of the animals. In the study, we focused on investigating the neuroprotective mechanism of catalpol. Animals were randomly assigned three groups as sham-operated, ischemia-treated with saline and ischemia-treated with catalpol. Transient global ischemia was produced by a 5 min occlusion of the bilateral common carotid arteries. Catalpol was intraperitoneally injected at the dose of 5 mg/kg immediately after reperfusion and repeatedly at 12, 24, 48 and 72 h. Histology as well as immunohistochemistry and TUNEL (the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated UTP nick end label) analysis were performed on serial slices through the dorsal hippocampus after gerbils were sacrificed. The results showed that 5 min transient global ischemia followed by 4 days reperfusion caused significant increases in TUNEL-positive and Bax-positive cells in hippocampal CA1 subfield. Catalpol not only significantly reduced TUNEL-positive and Bax-positive cells but also significantly increased Bcl-2-positive cells. All these suggested that catalpol could effectively inhibit apoptosis by modulating the expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax genes.
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PMID:Catalpol modulates the expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax and attenuates apoptosis in gerbils after ischemic injury. 1692 64


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