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)

IGF-I has been reported to play a role in regulating proliferation of human leiomyoma cells. There is, however, little evidence to suggest that IGF-I inhibits apoptosis in the leiomyoma cells. The present study was conducted to elucidate whether IGF-I affects apoptosis and Bcl-2 protein expression, an apoptosis-inhibiting gene product, in cultured leiomyoma cells. In addition, we examined the effect of IGF-I on proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression in cultured leiomyoma cells. Isolated human leiomyoma cells were subcultured in phenol red-free DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS for 120 h and then stepped down to serum-free conditions for an additional 72 h in the absence or presence of graded concentrations of IGF-I (1.0, 10, and 100 ng/ml). The effects of IGF-I on Bcl-2 protein and PCNA expression in cultured leiomyoma cells were assessed by Western immunoblot analysis and immunocytochemical staining, whereas the effects of IGF-I on the cell viability and apoptosis of the cultured cells were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylatriazol-2-yl)-2,5diphenyltetrasodium bromide (MTT) assay and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated 2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate nick end labeling assay, respectively. Immunocytochemical staining demonstrated that IGF-I treatment resulted in the increase in PCNA labeling index in cultured leiomyoma cells in a dose-dependent manner. Immunoblot analysis of proteins extracted from the cultured leiomyoma cells revealed that the addition of IGF-I (10 and 100 ng/ml) significantly increased the expression of 35-kDa immunoreactive PCNA and 26-kDa Bcl-2 protein, compared with those in control cultures. Cell survival and proliferation of cultured leiomyoma cells, assessed by MTT assay, was significantly augmented by IGF-I treatment, compared with those of control cultures. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated 2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate nick end labeling assay showed that the apoptosis-positive rate of leiomyoma cells treated with IGF-I was significantly decreased, compared with that in control cultures. The present results suggest that IGF-I plays crucial roles in leiomyoma cell growth, not only in promoting the proliferative potential by up-regulation of PCNA expression but also in down-regulating apoptosis by up-regulation of Bcl-2 protein expression in leiomyoma cells.
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PMID:Up-regulation by IGF-I of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and Bcl-2 protein expression in human uterine leiomyoma cells. 1170 40

Bcl-2 belongs to a growing family of proteins which regulates programmed cell death (apoptosis). Overexpression of Bcl-2 has been observed in 70% of breast cancer, 30-60% of prostate cancer, 80% of B-cell lymphomas, 90% of colorectal adenocarcinomas, and many other forms of cancer. Thereby, Bcl-2 is an attractive new anti-cancer target. Herein, we describe the discovery of novel classes of small-molecule inhibitors targeted at the BH3 binding pocket in Bcl-2. The three-dimensional (3D) structure of Bcl-2 has been modeled on the basis of a high-resolution NMR solution structure of Bcl-X(L), which shares a high sequence homology with Bcl-2. A structure-based computer screening approach has been employed to search the National Cancer Institute 3D database of 206 876 organic compounds to identify potential Bcl-2 small-molecule inhibitors that bind to the BH3 binding site of Bcl-2. These potential Bcl-2 small-molecule inhibitors were first tested in an in vitro binding assay for their potency in inhibition of the binding of a Bak BH3 peptide to Bcl-2. Thirty-five potential inhibitors were tested in this binding assay, and seven of them were found to have a binding affinity (IC(50) value) from 1.6 to 14.0 microM. The anti-proliferative activity of these seven active compounds has been tested using a human myeloid leukemia cell line, HL-60, which expresses the highest level of Bcl-2 protein among all the cancer cell lines examined. Compound 6 was the most potent compound and had an IC(50) value of 4 microM in inhibition of cell growth using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Five other compounds had moderate activity in inhibition of cell growth. Compound 6 was further evaluated for its ability to induce apoptosis in cancer cells. It was found that 6 induces apoptosis in cancer cells with high Bcl-2 expression and its potency correlates with the Bcl-2 expression level in cancer cells. Furthermore, using NMR methods, we conclusively demonstrated that 6 binds to the BH3 binding site in Bcl-X(L). Our results showed that small-molecule inhibitors of Bcl-2 such as 6 modulate the biological function of Bcl-2, and induce apoptosis in cancer cells with high Bcl-2 expression, while they have little effect on cancer cells with low or undetectable levels of Bcl-2 expression. Therefore, compound 6 can be used as a valuable pharmacological tool to elucidate the function of Bcl-2 and also serves as a novel lead compound for further design and optimization. Our results suggest that the structure-based computer screening strategy employed in the study is effective for identifying novel, structurally diverse, nonpeptide small-molecule inhibitors that target the BH3 binding site of Bcl-2.
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PMID:Discovery of small-molecule inhibitors of Bcl-2 through structure-based computer screening. 1172 79

Recent clinical studies have shown the promise of bcl-2 antisense therapy in patients with melanoma. To further demonstrate the importance of bcl-2 and validate the related antiapoptotic protein bcl-xL as targets for antisense therapy in melanoma, their implication as survival factors in melanoma cells of different clinical stages as well as in normal melanocytes was investigated. Primary cell cultures derived from 17 melanomas, the cell line A375, and normal melanocytes from healthy donors were treated with antisense oligonucleotides targeting either the bcl-xL mRNA or the bcl-2 and the bcl-xL mRNAs simultaneously. Bcl-2 and bcl-xL expression in cells was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Cell viability was assessed in 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and apoptosis assays. Bcl-2 expression was low in melanoma cells of stages I, II, and III, hardly detectable in A375 cells, but high in normal melanocytes. Bcl-xL expression was high in all cell types tested. As shown in A375 cells and the stage III melanoma cells 0513, both the bcl-xL monospecific oligonucleotide 4259 and the bcl-2/bcl-xL bispecific oligonucleotide 4625 effectively reduced tumor cell viability by induction of apoptosis with IC50 values ranging from 200 to 350 nM. Oligonucleotide 4625 proved to be superior to 4259, as it significantly reduced the viability of cells from all melanoma stages. Both oligonucleotides reduced also the viability of normal melanocytes. Our data suggest that bcl-2 and bcl-xL are promising targets for antisense therapy of melanoma, and that the simultaneous downregulation of their expression may provide additional clinical benefit.
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PMID:Bcl-2 and bcl-xL antisense oligonucleotides induce apoptosis in melanoma cells of different clinical stages. 1187 91

Shiga-like toxin-producing Escherichia coli causes hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic-uremic syndrome in association with the production of Shiga-like toxins, which induce cell death via either necrosis or apoptosis. However, the abilities of different Shiga-like toxins to trigger apoptosis and the sequence of intracellular signaling events mediating the death of epithelial cells have not been completely defined. Fluorescent dye staining with acridine orange and ethidium bromide showed that Shiga-like toxin 1 (Stx1) induced apoptosis of HEp-2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Stx2 also induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Apoptosis induced by Stx1 (200 ng/ml) and apoptosis induced by Stx2 (200 ng/ml) were maximal following incubation with cells for 24 h (94.3% +/- 1.8% and 81.7% +/- 5.2% of the cells, respectively). Toxin-treated cells showed characteristic features of apoptosis, including membrane blebbing, DNA fragmentation, chromatin condensation, cell shrinkage, and the formation of apoptotic bodies, as assessed by transmission electron microscopy. Stx2c induced apoptosis weakly even at a high dose (1,000 ng/ml for 24 h; 26.7% +/- 1.3% of the cells), whereas Stx2e did not induce apoptosis of HEp-2 cells. Thin-layer chromatography confirmed that HEp-2 cells express the Stx1-Stx2-Stx2c receptor, globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), but not the Stx2e receptor, globotetraosylceramide (Gb4). Western blot analysis of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), a DNA repair enzyme, demonstrated that incubation with Stx1 and Stx2 induced cleavage, whereas incubation with Stx2e did not result in cleavage of PARP. A pan-caspase inhibitor (Z-VAD-FMK) and a caspase-8-specific inhibitor (Z-IETD-FMK) eliminated, in a dose-dependent fashion, the cleavage of PARP induced by Shiga-like toxins. Caspase-8 activation was confirmed by detection of cleavage of this enzyme by immunoblotting. Cleavage of caspase-9 and the proapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family BID was also induced by Stx1, as determined by immunoblot analyses. We conclude that different Shiga-like toxins induce different degrees of apoptosis that correlates with toxin binding to the glycolipid receptor Gb3 and that caspases play an integral role in the signal transduction cascade leading to toxin-mediated programmed cell death.
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PMID:Escherichia coli shiga-like toxins induce apoptosis and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase via in vitro activation of caspases. 1211 81

Non-amyloid beta (Abeta) component of Alzheimer's disease (AD) amyloid (NAC) coexists with Abeta protein in senile plaques. After exposure to NAC fibrils, cortical neurons of rat brain primary culture became apoptotic, while astrocytes were activated with extension of their processes. NAC fibrils decreased the activity of reducing 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) in cortical neurons more markedly (IC(50) = 5.6 microm) than in astrocytes (IC(50) approximately 50 microm). The neuron-specific toxicity of NAC fibrils was indicated also by an increased release of lactate dehydrogenase from the cells. Neuronal apoptosis was suppressed by pre-treatment with the antioxidants, propyl gallate (PG) and N-t-butyl-phenylnitrone (BPN), or overexpression of human Bcl-2. Exposure to NAC fibrils enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in neurons and less efficiently in astrocytes, as demonstrated by oxidation of 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin. The site of ROS generation was shown to be mitochondria by oxidation of chloromethyl-tetramethyl rosamine. Exposure to NAC fibrils increased also the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) and enhanced its DNA-binding activity, which was inhibited by PG and BPN more efficiently in neurons than in astrocytes. These results suggest that NAC fibrils increase mitochondrial ROS generation and activate NF-kappaB, thereby causing a differential change in gene expression between neurons and astrocytes in the AD brain.
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PMID:Generation of reactive oxygen species and activation of NF-kappaB by non-Abeta component of Alzheimer's disease amyloid. 1212 31

Arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) has been found to induce apoptosis in leukemia cell lines and clinical remissions in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxic effect and mechanisms of action of As(2)O(3) in human tumor cell lines. As(2)O(3) caused inhibition of cell growth (IC(50) range, 3-14 microM) in a variety of human solid tumor cell lines, including four human non-small-cell lung cancer cell lines (H460, H322, H520, H661), two ovarian cancer cell lines (SK-OV-03, A2780), cervical cancer HeLa, and breast carcinoma MCF-7, as assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Flow cytometry analysis showed that As(2)O(3) treatment resulted in a time-dependent accumulation of cells in the G(2)/M phase. We observed, using Wright-Giemsa and 4',6-diamidine-2-phenylindole-dihydrochloride staining, that As(2)O(3) blocked the cell cycle in mitosis. In vitro examination revealed that As(2)O(3) markedly promoted tubulin polymerization without affecting GTP binding to beta-tubulin. Immunocytochemical and EM studies of treated MCF-7 cells showed that As(2)O(3) treatment caused changes in the cellular microtubule network and formation of polymerized microtubules. Similar to most anti-tubulin agents, As(2)O(3) treatment induced up-regulation of the cyclin B1 levels and activation of p34(cdc2)/cyclinB1 kinase, as well as Bcl-2 phosphorylation. Furthermore, activation of caspase-3 and -7 and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and beta-catenin occurred only in As(2)O(3)-induced mitotic cells, not in interphase cells, suggesting that As(2)O(3)-induced mitotic arrest may be a requirement for the activation of apoptotic pathways. In addition, As(2)O(3) exhibited similar inhibitory effects against parental MCF-7, P-glycoprotein-overexpressing MCF-7/doxorubicin cells, and multidrug resistance protein (MRP)-expressing MCF-7/etoposide cells (resistance indices, 2.3 and 1.9, respectively). Similarly, As(2)O(3) had similar inhibitory effect against parental ovarian carcinoma A2780 cells and tubulin mutation paclitaxel-resistant cell lines PTx10 and PTx22 (resistance indices, 0.86 and 0.93, respectively), suggesting that its effect on tubulin polymerization and G(2)/M phase arrest is distinct from that of paclitaxel. Taken together, our data demonstrate that As(2)O(3) has a paclitaxel-like effect, markedly promotes tubulin polymerization, arrests cell cycle at mitosis, and induces apoptosis. In addition, As(2)O(3) is a poor substrate for transport by P-glycoprotein and MRP, and non-cross-resistant with paclitaxel resistant cell lines due to tubulin mutation, suggesting that As(2)O(3) may be useful for treatment of human solid tumors, particularly in patients with paclitaxel resistance.
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PMID:Arsenic trioxide produces polymerization of microtubules and mitotic arrest before apoptosis in human tumor cell lines. 1218 29

The present study tests the hypothesis that nitric oxide mediates the hypoxia-induced increase in expression of Bax and in DNA fragmentation in the cerebral cortex of newborn piglets, and that administration of N-nitro-L-arginine (NNLA), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, will prevent a change in hypoxia-induced expression of apoptotic genes and DNA damage. Piglets were assigned to normoxic, hypoxic, or NNLA-pretreated hypoxic groups. Cerebral tissue hypoxia was documented biochemically by measuring ATP and phosphocreatine (PCr) levels. Cerebral cortical neuronal nuclei were isolated and nuclear proteins were separated electrophoretically and probed with specific antibodies against Bcl-2 or Bax proteins. Neuronal nuclear DNA from normoxic, hypoxic, and NNLA-pretreated hypoxic animals was isolated, separated by electrophoresis on 1% agarose gel and stained with ethidium bromide. Cerebral hypoxia resulted in an increase in nuclear membrane Bax protein levels from 121.33+/-47.7 optical density (OD)xmm(2) in normoxic to 273.67+/-67.3 ODxmm(2) in hypoxic group (P<0.05 vs. normoxic), but levels in NNLA-pretreated hypoxic group were 155.78+/-48.3 ODxmm(2) (P<0.05 vs. hypoxic, P=NS vs. normoxic). Similarly, cerebral hypoxia resulted in the density of DNA fragments increasing from 1530.3+/-309.8 OD/mm(2) in the normoxic group to 5383.3+/-775 OD/mm(2) in the hypoxic group (P<0.05), while levels in NNLA-pretreated hypoxic group were 3574.0+/-952 OD/mm(2) (P<0.05 compared to hypoxic and normoxic groups). The data show that NNLA-pretreatment prevents the hypoxia-induced increase in Bax expression and DNA fragmentation demonstrating that the hypoxia-induced Bax gene expression and the DNA fragmentation are NO-mediated.
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PMID:Nitric oxide-mediated expression of Bax protein and DNA fragmentation during hypoxia in neuronal nuclei from newborn piglets. 1239 33

Here, we have studied the effects of chemically modified tetracyclines (CMTs) on apoptosis both at the level of the cytoplasmic proteolytic caspase cascade, and on Bcl-2 and c-myc mRNA expression in the J774 macrophage cell line. The results indicate that CMTs induce morphological changes consistent with apoptotic events, as clearly demonstrated both by the acridine orange and ethidium bromide staining, and by TUNEL and fragmentation ELISA assays. Furthermore, the analysis of the cell cycle by flow cytometry shows an evident apoptotic sub-G0G1 peak, without important modifications in the cell cycle distribution. CMTs induce programmed cell death (PCD) in a dose-dependent manner and CMT-8 is the strongest among them. CMT-1 and CMT-8 activate mainly caspase-8 as attested by the inhibitory effects of Z-VAD-fmk and Z-IEDT-fmk on CMT-induced apoptosis. Part of CMT-induced PCD is due to the activation of caspase-9, since it is reduced by the specific caspase-9 inhibitor, Z-LEHD-fmk. Besides, CMTs increase Bcl-2 and c-myc mRNA expression. Collectively, these data indicate that CMTs are potentially anti-tumour agents, since they strongly trigger apoptosis both activating the proteolytic system of the caspase family and modulating genes involved in PCD regulation.
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PMID:Chemically modified tetracyclines induce cytotoxic effects against J774 tumour cell line by activating the apoptotic pathway. 1253 35

The p53 mutant 143Ala is a human temperature-sensitive mutant with two conformational states. To definitively determine whether the Fas signal transduction pathway and the function of the pathway are dependent on p53 status, we have established stable transfectants of p53 mutant 143Ala in two human cancer cell lines: H1299 (lung cancer line) and PC-3 (prostate cancer line), the native state of which contains null p53 status and can grow at 37 degrees C and 32.5 degrees C. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and cell cycle analysis showed inhibition of the growth of cells overexpressing p53 mutant 143Ala in the wild-type p53 form at 32.5 degrees C because of induction of G0/G1 arrest. Transfected cells had increased protein expression of p21, Fas, and MDM2 at the wild-type p53 conformation at 32.5 degrees C, but not in the mutant p53 form at 37 degrees C. However, there was no change in protein expression of FADD, FAP-1, Bcl-2, or Bax at 32.5 or 37 degrees C. Assays for apoptosis demonstrated that anti-Fas antibody CH-11 and FasL induced apoptosis only in cells that overexpress p53 mutant 143Ala at 32.5 degrees C with the wild-type p53 form. Both caspase-3 and caspase-8 activities were increased by anti-Fas antibody CH-11 only in cells at 32.5 degrees C with wild-type p53. Our results demonstrated that Fas-mediated apoptosis in H1299 and PC-3 cells expressing p53 mutant 143Ala occurred only with the wild-type p53 phenotype. These results support the hypothesis that Fas-mediated apoptosis is dependent, at least partially, on the presence of a functional wild-type p53 state. This model may be a useful tool for dissecting the specific interactions between wild-type p53 and the Fas signal transduction pathway in human cancer cells.
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PMID:Fas-mediated apoptosis is dependent on wild-type p53 status in human cancer cells expressing a temperature-sensitive p53 mutant alanine-143. 1267 Sep

Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ASOs) prevent expression of proteins by binding to specific regions of mRNA. This report investigates a potential lipid-based delivery system for ASO. A hydrophobic complex was recovered following addition of cationic lipids to ASOs in a Bligh and Dyer monophase [chloroform/methanol/water (1:2.1:1, v/v/v)]. The addition of monovalent cationic lipids (dioleyldimethylammonium chloride, dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide, dioleoyltrimethylammonium propane), resulted in > 95% recovery of the ASOs from the organic phase when ASO phosphate charge was neutralized. Cholesteryldimethylaminoethylcarbamate mediated efficient extraction at a charge ratio (+/-) > 5.2. ASOs could not be extracted into the organic phase by the polyvalent lipids, dioctadecylamidoglycyl spermine and 2,3-dioleyloxy-N-[2(sperminecarboxamido)ethyl]-N,N-dimethyl-1-propaminium trifluoroacetate, even at a charge ratio (+/-) > 5. Dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine, but not dioleoylphosphatidylcholine, prevented formation and destabilized the hydrophobic complexes. The characterization of the hydrophobic complex led to the development of lipid-ASO particles containing dioleyldimethylammonium chloride, dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine and poly(ethylene glycol)-conjugated phosphatidylethanolamine (LAPs). When FITC-labeled ASOs in LAPs were added to B-cell lymphoma cells (DoHH2) in vitro, cell-associated ASO decreased as poly(ethylene glycol)-conjugated phosphatidylethanolamine incorporation increased. Western Blot analysis demonstrated that no significant downregulation of Bcl-2 protein was observed when using LAPs. The results suggest that the use of stabilized PEG-conjugated lipids may be detrimental for cationic lipid-based ASO delivery.
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PMID:A lipid-based delivery system for antisense oligonucleotides derived from a hydrophobic complex. 1268 66


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