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)

Cinnamaldehyde (Cin) has been shown to be effective in inducing apoptotic cell death in a number of human cancer cells. However, the intracellular death signaling mechanisms by which Cin inhibits tumor cell growth are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) inhibitors [namely SP600125 (a specific JNK inhibitor), SB203580 (a specific p38 inhibitor) and PD98059 (a specific ERK inhibitor)] on the stress-responsive MAPK pathway induced by Cin in PLC/PRF/5 cells. Trypan blue staining assay indicated that Cin was cytotoxic to PLC/PRF/5 cells. Cin caused cell cycle perturbation (S-phase arrest) and triggered apoptosis as revealed by the externalization of annexin V-targeted phosphatidylserine and accumulation of sub-G1 peak. It down-regulated the Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 expression, and up-regulated Bax protein in a time-response manner. Treatment with 1 microM Cin resulted in an activation of caspase-8 and cleavage of Bid to its truncated form in a time-dependent pattern. JNK, ERK and p38 kinases in cells were activated and phosphorylated after Cin treatment. Pre-incubation with SP600125 and SB203580 markedly suppressed the effect of Cin-induced apoptosis, but not PD98059. Both SP600125 and SB203580 significantly prevented the phosphorylation of JNK and p38 proteins, but not ERK. These results conclude that Cin triggers apoptosis in PLC/PRF/5 cells could be through the activation of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family (Bax and Bid) proteins and MAPK signaling pathway.
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PMID:Cinnamaldehyde-induced apoptosis in human PLC/PRF/5 cells through activation of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins and MAPK pathway. 1596 11

Through the inhibition of monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B), (-)-deprenyl (selegiline) prevents the conversion of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) to the toxic metabolite 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+) and also prevents the neurotoxicity in the dopaminergic neurons in animal models. Cumulative observations suggest that selegiline may also protect against MPP+-induced neurotoxicity, possibly through the induction of pro-survival genes. We have observed that thioredoxin (Trx) mediates the induction of mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and Bcl-2 during preconditioning-induced hormesis. We therefore investigated whether the redox protein Trx plays any role in the neuroprotective mechanism of selegiline against MPP+-induced cytotoxicity in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and also in primary neuronal cultures of mouse midbrain dopaminergic neurons. After confirming that selegiline protects against MPP+-induced cytotoxicity, we observed further that selegiline, at 1 microM or less, induced Trx for protection against oxidative injury caused by MPP+. The induction of Trx was blocked by protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor and mediated by a PKA-sensitive phospho-activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase Erk1/2 and the transcription factor c-Myc. Selegiline-induced Trx and associated neuroprotection were concomitantly blocked by the antisense against Trx mRNA, but not the sense or antisense mutant phosphothionate oligonucleotides, not only in human SH-SY5Y cells but also in mouse primary neuronal culture of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Furthermore, the redox cycling of Trx may mediate the protective action of selegiline because the inhibition of Trx reductase by 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene ameliorated the effect of selegiline. Trx (1 microM) consistently increased the expression of mitochondrial proteins MnSOD and Bcl-2, supporting cell survival (Andoh et al., 2002). In conclusion, without modifying MAO-B activity, selegiline augments the gene induction of Trx, leading to elevated expression of antioxidative MnSOD and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins for protecting against MPP+-induced neurotoxicity.
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PMID:Role of the redox protein thioredoxin in cytoprotective mechanism evoked by (-)-deprenyl. 1609 47

Targeting the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) has been suggested as a novel strategy to treat cancer. Chlorophyllin (CHL) is the sodium-copper salt of chlorophyll derivative and is a commonly used food dye for green coloration; CHL was found previously to retard growth of the human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells. Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) constitute a subfamily of MAPKs, participating in cell survival, proliferation and differentiation. We report here the first evidence that CHL deactivates ERKs to inhibit the breast cancer cell proliferation. The results from flow cytometry showed that 200 microg/ml CHL reduced the phosphorylated and activated ERK-positive cells in different cell cycle phases from the control of >96 to <38% at 24 h of incubation; the ERK deactivations occurred in both dose- and time-dependent manner, so that nearly all ERKs were de-activated by 400 microg/ml CHL at 72 h of treatment. Immunoblot studies, however, illustrated that the levels of total ERKs were not significantly affected by the CHL treatments, suggesting that the phytochemical retards the enzyme activation rather than its expression. Cyclin D1, but not its enzyme Cdk6, was also depleted after the CHL treatments; the depletions were associated with elevations of G0/G1 cells. Apoptosis occurred time-dependently with the ERK deactivations by 400 microg/ml CHL; the apoptotic cells elevated from 2.7-fold of the control level at 24 h, to 4.7-fold at 48 h and to 16.6-fold at 72 h of treatment. Bcl-2 was also depleted at 72 h when there was the most prominent elevation of the apoptotic cells, suggesting that it participates during the exacerbation rather than the initiation phases of the CHL-induced apoptosis. Results from this study support further research on CHL for preventing and treating those tumors with deregulated ERK activations.
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PMID:The chlorophyllin-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells is associated with ERK deactivation and Cyclin D1 depletion. 1614 13

Cellular responses to high glucose are numerous and varied but ultimately result in functional changes and, often, cell death. High glucose induces oxidative and nitrosative stress in many cell types causing the generation of species such as superoxide, nitric oxide and peroxynitrite and their derivatives. The role of these species in high glucose-mediated apoptotic cell death is relevant to the complications of diabetes such as neuropathy, nephropathy and cardiovascular disease. High glucose causes activation of several proteins involved in apoptotic cell death, including members of the caspase and Bcl-2 families. These events and the relationship between high glucose-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis are discussed here with reference to additional regulators of apoptosis such as the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and cell-cycle regulators.
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PMID:Mechanisms of high glucose-induced apoptosis and its relationship to diabetic complications. 1616 8

Sodium butyrate (NaBu) has an inhibitory effect on histone deacetylases (HDACs). The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and p38 MAP, kinase are known to be modulated during NaBu-induced apoptosis. In the present study, we showed that low concentrations of NaBu could induce apoptosis synergistically with the inhibition of p38 MAP kinase as proven by using specific p38 MAP kinase inhibitor and dominant negative p38 transfection in a ras-transformed rat liver epithelial cell line (WB-ras). There were no changes in HDAC1, suggesting that NaBu might be able to kill transformed cells bypassing the HDAC inhibitory effect. We further demonstrated that inhibition of p38 MAP kinase potentiated apoptotic cascades, including cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, caspase-3, and decrease in Bcl-2/Bax ratio even at a lower concentration of NaBu. Thus, p38 MAP kinase played inhibitory roles in NaBu-induced apoptosis, and simultaneous modulation of MAP kinases in NaBu treatment could increase the efficiency of the chemotherapeutic effect of NaBu.
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PMID:Augmentation of sodium butyrate-induced apoptosis by p38 MAP kinase inhibition in rat liver epithelial cells. 1635 38

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumour in young adults. Despite improved prognosis, resistance to chemotherapy remains responsible for failure of osteosarcoma treatment. The identification of signals that promote apoptosis may provide clues to develop new therapeutic strategies for chemoresistant osteosarcoma. Here, we show that lipophilic statins (atorvastatin, simvastatin, cerivastatin) markedly induce caspases-dependent apoptosis in various human osteosarcoma cells, independently of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 signaling and cell differentiation. Although statins increased BMP-2 expression, the proapoptotic effect of statins was not prevented by the BMP antagonist noggin, and was abolished by mevalonate and geranylgeranylpyrophosphate, suggesting the involvement of defective protein geranylgeranylation. Consistently, lipophilic statins induced membrane RhoA relocalization to the cytosol and inhibited RhoA activity, which resulted in decreased phospho-p42/p44- mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and Bcl-2 levels. Constitutively active RhoA rescued phospho-p42/p44-MAPKs and Bcl-2 and abolished statin-induced apoptosis. Thus, lipophilic statins induce caspase-dependent osteosarcoma cell apoptosis by a RhoA-p42/p44 MAPKs-Bcl-2-mediated mechanism, independently of BMP-2 signaling and cell differentiation.
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PMID:RhoA GTPase inactivation by statins induces osteosarcoma cell apoptosis by inhibiting p42/p44-MAPKs-Bcl-2 signaling independently of BMP-2 and cell differentiation. 1647 Feb 22

A substantial number of neural stem cells (NSCs) continue to proliferate and generate neurons in the central nervous system throughout life. Ionizing radiation, an important adjuvant therapy for glioma patients, may damage NSCs and cause neuronal deficits, such as cognitive dysfunction and memory impairment. However, the precise mechanism of radiation effects on death and differentiation of NSCs remains largely unknown. Here, we found that radiation induced apoptosis in NSCs via the mitochondrial pathway, upregulating the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 and releasing cytochrome c into the cytoplasm. Radiation also inhibited neuronal differentiation of NSCs by 50%. Of the three stress-associated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), only c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) was activated in NSCs after radiation. Interestingly, JNK inhibition by the specific inhibitor SP600125 rescued NSCs from apoptosis and improved neuronal differentiation. Furthermore, we examined whether radiation directly inhibits neuronal differentiation or not. Radiation did not affect the promoter activity of NeuroD, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that regulates the expression of neuronal differentiation markers. Radiation induced more apoptosis in NeuroD-positive cells than NeuroD-negative cells. We concluded that radiation activates JNK and induces apoptosis, especially in neural progenitor cells, resulting in the inhibition of neurogenesis. Our findings raise the possibility that JNK inhibition has therapeutic potential in protecting NSCs from the adverse effects of radiation.
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PMID:Ionizing radiation induces apoptosis and inhibits neuronal differentiation in rat neural stem cells via the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway. 1649 Nov 25

Fatty acid synthase is overexpressed in cancer especially in tumors with a poor prognosis. The specific fatty acid synthase inhibitor cerulenin can induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Likewise, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt kinase activities are elevated in primary tumors and cancer cell lines. Here, we tested whether inhibition of PI3K/Akt pathway would sensitize cancer cells to cerulenin-induced apoptosis. We show that LY294002, an inhibitor of PI3K, sensitized MDA-MB468 breast cancer cells to cerulenin-induced apoptosis. In MDA-MB468 cells, cerulenin- and LY294002-mediated apoptosis was associated with caspase-3 activation and the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol. In addition, we observed additional species of Bak in mitochondria, suggesting a possible Bak activation. Treatment of cells with cerulenin and LY294002 down-regulated the protein levels of X chromosome-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP), cellular inhibitor of apoptosis 1 (cIAP-1), and Akt, whereas the levels of mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase and other antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins (Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl) did not change. Interestingly, the nonspecific caspase inhibitor, z-VAD-FMK, inhibited the down-regulation of Akt, XIAP, and cIAP-1 in cerulenin- and LY294002-treated cells. In conclusion, these studies show that inhibition of PI3K can sensitize cerulenin-induced apoptosis in MBA-MB468 breast cancer cells via activation of caspases, down-regulation of antiapoptotic proteins, such as XIAP, cIAP-1 and Akt, and possibly, activation of Bak in mitochondria.
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PMID:Inhibition of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway sensitizes MDA-MB468 human breast cancer cells to cerulenin-induced apoptosis. 1654 63

Airway mucus hypersecretion is now recognized as a key pathophysiological feature in many patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis. Consequently, it is important to develop drugs that inhibit mucus hypersecretion in these susceptible patients. Conventional therapies, including anticholinergics, ss2-adrenoceptor agonists, corticosteroids, mucolytics and macrolide antibiotics, have variable efficacy in inhibiting airway mucus hypersecretion, and are less effective in COPD than in asthma. Novel pharmacotherapeutic targets are being investigated, including inhibitors of nerve activity (e.g. large conductance calcium-activated potassium, BKCa, channel activators), tachykinin receptor antagonists, epoxygenase inducers (e.g. benzafibrate), inhibitors of mucin exocytosis (e.g. anti-myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS), peptide and Munc-18B blockers), inhibitors of mucin synthesis and goblet cell hyperplasia (e.g. epidermal growth factor (EGF), receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP), kinase inhibitors, MAP kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK), inhibitors, human calcium-activated chloride (hCACL2), channel blockers and retinoic acid receptor-a antagonists), inducers of goblet cell apoptosis (e.g. Bax inducers or Bcl-2 inhibitors), and purinoceptor P(2Y2) antagonists to inhibit mucin secretion or P(2Y2) agonists to hydrate secretions. However, real and theoretical differences delineate the mucus hypersecretory phenotype in asthma from that in COPD. More information is required on these differences to identify specific therapeutic targets which, in turn, should lead to rational design of anti-hypersecretory drugs for treatment of airway mucus hypersecretion in asthma and COPD.
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PMID:Treatment of airway mucus hypersecretion. 1658 97

Cisplatin (CDDP) is a DNA damaging agent and is widely used for treating cancer. While the role of p53 in CDDP-induced cell death has been stressed, evidence exists that CDDP can also kill p53-mutated cells. To investigate the latter mechanism, we performed a comparative study using three different human cell types, SNU-16 (a stomach cancer cell-line), U937 (a leukemic cell-line) and 293T (a kidney fibroblast cell-line), which are defective in terms of p53 activation. A focus was placed on Bcl-2 family proteins, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitogen-activated protein kinases. Our results suggest that the ability of CDDP to kill these cells can be mediated by JNK, p38 MAPK and ROS, but not by ERK. It was also found that CDDP can increase the ratio of pro-apoptotic/pro-survival Bcl-2 members. While the importance of these components was found to depend on cell type, JNK was commonly involved in the deaths of all cell types examined. Therefore, the JNK pathway appears to be an ideal target for the modulation of the lethal action of CDDP in multiple types of p53-mutated cells.
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PMID:Cellular components involved in the cell death induced by cisplatin in the absence of p53 activation. 1659 82


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