Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P42574 (caspase-3)
 45,978 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Iron is essential for neoplastic cell growth, and iron chelators have been tested for potential anti-proliferative and anti-cancer effects, but the effects of iron chelators on oral cancer have not been clearly elucidated. To determine the mechanism of cell death induced by iron chelators, we explored the pathways of the three structurally related mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase subfamilies during iron chelator-induced apoptosis and differentiation of immortalized human oral keratinocytes (IHOK) and oral cancer cells (HN4). The iron chelator deferoxamine (DFO) exerted potent time- and dose-dependent inhibitory effects on the growth and apoptosis of IHOK and HN4 cells. DFO strongly activates p38 MAP kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), but does not activate c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase. Of the three MAP kinase blockers used, the selective p38 MAP kinase inhibitor SB203580 and ERK inhibitor PD98059 protected IHOK and HN4 cells against iron chelator-induced cell death, which indicates that the p38 and ERK MAP kinase is a major mediator of apoptosis induced by this iron chelator. Interestingly, treatment of IHOK and HN4 cells with SB203580 and PD98059 abolished cytochrome c release, as well as the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-8. DFO suppressed the expression of epithelial differentiation markers such as involucrin, CK6, and CK19, and this suppression was blocked by p38 and ERK MAP kinase inhibitors. Collectively, these data suggested that p38 and ERK MAP kinase plays an important role in iron chelator-mediated cell death and in the suppression of differentiation of oral immortalized and malignant keratinocytes, by activating a downstream apoptotic cascade that executes the cell death pathway.
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PMID:p38 and ERK MAP kinase mediates iron chelator-induced apoptosis and -suppressed differentiation of immortalized and malignant human oral keratinocytes. 1669 18

Coptidis rhizoma (C. rhizoma) had been demonstrated as an antioxidant and anticancer agent, however, its antioral cancer mechanism still remains unclear. Using water extracts of C. rhizoma, growth and apoptosis-related experiments for the treatment of multi-stage of oral cancer were carried out on immortalized human oral keratinocytes (IHOK), primary oral cancer cells (HN4), metastatic oral cancer cells (HN12) and human skin keratinocytes (HaCaT) by MTT assay, three-dimensional (3-D) raft cultures, western blotting, cell cycle analysis, nuclear staining and cytochrome c expression related to the apoptosis signaling pathway. C. rhizoma inhibited the proliferation of immortalized and malignant oral keratinocytes in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In 3-D organotypic culture, C. rhizoma-treated cells showed less maturation than the control cells, displaying low surface keratinization and decreased epithelial thickness. The major mechanism of growth inhibition by C. rhizoma appears to be the induction of apoptosis, which is supported by the results of the cell cycle analysis, FITC-annexin V staining, DNA fragmentation assay and DAPI staining. The induction of apoptosis by C. rhizoma was more prominent in immortalized keratinocytes than in malignant oral keratinocytes. Cytochrome-c release from mitochondria, accompanied by the activation of caspase-3, was observed in C. rhizoma-treated IHOK and oral cancer cells. These results suggest that C. rhizoma has apoptotic effects in immortalized and malignant oral keratinocytes via the mitochondrial signaling pathway.
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PMID:Extract of Coptidis rhizoma induces cytochrome-c dependent apoptosis in immortalized and malignant human oral keratinocytes. 1680 85

Combination chemoprevention using tea polyphenols as one of the components has received growing consideration in recent years. The present study was designed to evaluate the antiproliferative and apoptosis inducing effects of bovine lactoferrin (bLF) and black tea polyphenol (Polyphenon-B: P-B) combination on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced hamster buccal pouch (HBP) carcinogenesis. Topical application of DMBA for 14 weeks induced buccal pouch tumours that showed aberrant expression of cytokeratins, a marker for epithelial carcinomas. This was associated with increased cell proliferation and evasion of apoptosis as revealed by upregulation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, NF-kappaB, mutant p53, Bcl-2 and downregulation of Bax, Fas and caspase 3 protein expression. Although dietary administration of bLF and Polyphenon-B alone significantly reduced tumour incidence, combined administration of bLF and Polyphenon-B was more effective in inhibiting HBP carcinogenesis by restoring normal cytokeratin expression, inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis. These findings suggest that a "designer item" approach will be useful for human oral cancer prevention strategies.
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PMID:Antiproliferative and apoptosis inducing effect of lactoferrin and black tea polyphenol combination on hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis. 1690 60

We investigated the anticancer effects of green and black tea polyphenols alone and in combination with bovine milk lactoferrin (bLF) on human tongue squamous carcinoma (CAL-27) and normal human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cells. Both green (Polyphenon-E;P-E) and black tea polyphenols (Polyphenon-B;P-B) preferentially inhibit the growth of CAL-27 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Based on the IC(50) values, P-E was found to be more effective than P-B and the combination of P-E and bLF (1:2 ratio) exhibited synergistic inhibition of CAL-27 cells. Analysis of the mechanism revealed nuclear fragmentation and condensation with appearance of the A(o) peak indicative of apoptosis. Furthermore, tea polyphenols transduced the apoptosis signal via generation of reactive oxygen species and decrease in the Bcl-2/Bax ratio thereby inducing mitochondrial permeability transition with consequent activation of caspase-3. Overall, the potency of cytotoxic and apoptosis inducing effects of dietary agents on CAL-27 cells was in the order P-E and bLF combination (1:2 ratio)>P-E>P-B. These results suggest that a "designer" approach may be useful for oral cancer prevention strategies.
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PMID:In vitro evaluation of the anticancer effect of lactoferrin and tea polyphenol combination on oral carcinoma cells. 1725 15

The presence of more than one dental alloy in the oral cavity often causes pathological galvanic currents and voltage resulting in superficial erosions of the oral mucosa and eventually in the emergence of oral cancer. In the present study the mechanisms of apoptosis of oral mucosa cancer cells in response to electromagnetic fields was investigated. Direct current (DC) electrical fields with field strengths between 2 and 16 V/m, applied for 24 h to UM-SCC-14-C oral mucosa cancer cells, dose-dependently resulted in decreased cell proliferation as evaluated by Ki-67 immunohistochemistry and upregulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors p21(cip1/waf1) and p27(kip1), which are associated with cell cycle arrest. Electrical field treatment (4 V/m, 24 h) increased apoptosis as evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis of cleaved caspase-3 and poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase-1 (PARP-1). Furthermore, robust reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, increased expression of NADPH oxidase subunits as well as Hsp70 was observed. Electrical field treatment (4 V/m, 24 h) resulted in increased expression of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase and decreased intracellular concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH), whereas the expression of catalase remained unchanged. Pre-treatment with the free radical scavenger N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and the superoxide dismutase mimetic EUK-8 abolished caspase-3 and PARP-1 induction, suggesting that apoptosis in oral mucosa cancer cells is initated by ROS generation in response to DC electrical field treatment.
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PMID:Direct current electrical fields induce apoptosis in oral mucosa cancer cells by NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species. 1778 77

Sulfur is commonly used in Asia as an herbal medicine to treat inflammation and cancer, and potent chemopreventive effects have been demonstrated in various in vivo and in vitro models for sulfur-containing compounds found in naturally occurring products. Here, we report the growth inhibitory and apoptosis-related effects of a newly developed highly purified sulfur (HPS) on immortalized human oral keratinocytes (IHOKs) and on oral cancer cells representing two stages of oral cancer (HN4, HN12) based on a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, Western blotting, cell cycle analysis, and nuclear staining. The purity of the sulfur preparation was verified by high-performance liquid chromatography. HPS inhibited the proliferation of immortalized and malignant oral keratinocytes in a dose- and time-dependent manner. FITC-annexin V staining, DNA fragmentation testing, and Hoechst 33258 staining revealed that HPS inhibited cell growth via apoptosis. HPS increased the sub-G1 cell cycle fraction, with decreased expression of cyclins D1, D2, and E and their activating partners cdk2, cdk4, and cdk6, and a concomitant induction of p53 and p21/WAF1. Furthermore, HPS treatment increased the cytosolic level of cytochrome c and resulted in caspase-3 activation; this effect was correlated with Bax up-regulation and Bcl-2 down-regulation. Thus, these data suggest that HPS is a potential candidate for anti-cancer therapy in oral cancer.
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PMID:Anti-cancer activity of highly purified sulfur in immortalized and malignant human oral keratinocytes. 1792 Feb 32

Evidence has accumulated that berberine is able to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in many human cancer cell lines. However, there is no available information on the effects of berberine on human oral squamous cell carcinoma. In this study, the effects of berberine on cell growth, apoptosis and cell cycle regulation in human oral squamous carcinoma HSC-3 cells were examined. Berberine induced dose- and time-dependent irreversible inhibition of cell growth and cellular DNA synthesis. This was also confirmed by phase-contrast microscopy which showed that berberine induced morphological changes in HSC-3 cells. Propidium iodide/annexin V staining for flow cytometric analysis showed that berberine-induced apoptosis correlated with caspase-3 activation. Flow cytometric studies of the cell cycle distribution showed that berberine induced mainly G0/G1-phase arrest. Flow cytometric examinations also showed that berberine induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Ca2+ production, as well as the dysfunction of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), which were correlated with apoptosis. In conclusion, our data support that berberine initially induces an endoplasmic reticulum stress response based on ROS and Ca2+ production which is followed by dysfunctions of the mitochondria, resulting in apoptosis of these oral cancer HSC-3 cells. Prolonged exposure of the HSC-3 cells to berberine causes increased apoptosis through reduced levels of MMP, release of cytochrome c and activation of caspase-3.
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PMID:Berberine induces apoptosis in human HSC-3 oral cancer cells via simultaneous activation of the death receptor-mediated and mitochondrial pathway. 1797 83

Mitotic Aurora kinases are required for accurate chromosome segregation during cell division. Ectopic expression of Aurora-A (Aur-A) kinase results in centrosome amplification, aberrant spindles, and consequent aneuploidy. In the present study, we showed that Aurora kinase inhibitory small molecule VX-680 inhibited histone H3 phosphorylation at Ser10, a known in vivo substrate residue of Aurora kinase, in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) KB cells. In addition, monopolar spindle structures, typical abnormalities induced by inhibition of Aur-A, were generated in VX-680-treated cells. Inhibition of Aurora kinase led to reduced KB cell growth, as assessed by MTT assay. Western blot analysis revealed that VX-680 caused cleavage of two critical apoptotic associated proteins, PARP and caspase-3. In contrast, expression of cell survival factor Bcl-2 was reduced by VX-680 treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Subsequently, nuclear characteristic of DNA fragmentation, indicative of apoptotic cell death, was clearly observed in these OSCC cells with Aurora kinase inhibitory VX-680. Taken together, we showed that Aurora kinase inhibitory VX-680 led to apoptotic cell death in OSCC cells, suggesting a novel therapeutic target in oral cancer.
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PMID:Aurora kinase small molecule inhibitor destroys mitotic spindle, suppresses cell growth, and induces apoptosis in oral squamous cancer cells. 1799 88

Although verticinone, a major alkaloid isolated from the bulbus of Fritillaria ussuriensis, has been shown to induce differentiation in human leukemia cells, the exact mechanism of this action is not completely understood in cancer cells. Verticinone was used to conduct growth and apoptosis-related experiments for two stages of oral cancer on immortalized human oral keratinocytes (IHOKs) and primary oral cancer cells (HN4). The procedures included MTT assay, three-dimensional (3-D) raft cultures, Western blotting, cell cycle analysis, nuclear staining and cytochrome c expression related to the apoptosis signaling pathway. Verticinone inhibited the proliferation of immortalized and malignant oral keratinocytes in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In 3-D organotypic culture, verticinone-treated cells were less mature than the control cells, displaying low surface keratinization and decreased epithelial thickness. The major mechanism by which verticinone inhibits growth appears to be induced apoptosis and G(0)G(1) cell cycle arrest. This finding is supported by the results of the cell cycle analysis, FITC-Annexin V staining, DNA fragmentation assay and Hoechst 33258 staining. Furthermore, the cytosolic level of cytochrome c was increased, while the expression of Bcl-2 protein was gradually down-regulated and Bax was up-regulated, accompanied by caspase-3 activation. The data suggests that verticinone may induce apoptosis through a caspase pathway mediated by mitochondrial damage in immortalized keratinocytes and oral cancer cells.
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PMID:Verticinone induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in immortalized and malignant human oral keratinocytes. 1805 93

Oral Cancer Overexpressed 1 (ORAOV1) is a novel gene locating at chromosome band 11q13. Recent studies have suggested its role as a candidate oncogene in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its prognostic value for patients with OSCC. Till now, the detailed function of ORAOV1 in OSCC has remained undefined. In this study, we have investigated the role of ORAOV1 in OSCC tumorigenesis by down-regulating its expression. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) has been applied to inhibit the expression of ORAOV1 in OSCC cells. We found that the OSCC cells with reduced ORAOV1 showed retarded cell growth in vitro and displayed inhibition in both tumor growth and tumor angiogenesis in vivo. Further analyses reveal that the retarded cell growth is associated with an increase in apoptosis involving the activation of caspase 3-dependent pathway and a cell cycle arrest at the S-phase with a downregulation of cyclin A, cyclin B1 and cdc2. The suppressed tumor growth in vivo may be attributed to synergistic effect between inhibition in cell growth and suppression of tumor angiogenesis. The latter is most likely because of a suppression of VEGF. Taken together, we demonstrate that ORAOV1 plays pivotal roles in the growth and angiogenesis of OSCC. Thus, ORAOV1 may be a novel target that could be explored to develop therapeutic strategy in OSCC management.
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PMID:Oral cancer overexpressed 1 (ORAOV1): a regulator for the cell growth and tumor angiogenesis in oral squamous cell carcinoma. 1868 49


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