UNIPROT:P42574 - FACTA Search

Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts: Target Concepts:

Query: UNIPROT:P42574 (caspase-3)
45,978 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Resveratrol, a polyphenolic phytoalexin found in grapes, may have potential for the prevention and treatment of human cancer. We report here that resveratrol inhibits the growth of human prostate carcinoma DU145 cells and provide a molecular explanation of the effect. Resveratrol treatment in DU145 cells resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth and induced apoptotic cell death. The antiproliferative effect of resveratrol was associated with the inhibition of D-type cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) 4 expression, and the induction of tumor suppressor p53 and Cdk inhibitor p21. Moreover, the kinase activities of cyclin E and Cdk2 were inhibited by resveratrol without alteration of their protein levels. Resveratrol treatment also up-regulated the Bax protein and mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner; however, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL levels were not significantly affected. These effects were found to correlate with an activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9. Taken together, our study suggests that resveratrol has a strong potential for development as an agent for the prevention of human prostate cancer.
...
PMID:Antiproliferative effect of resveratrol in human prostate carcinoma cells. 1497 34

There is a large amount of scientific evidence showing that fruits and vegetables lower the risk of cancer. However, the responsible molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Our previous studies have demonstrated that inhibition of proteasomal chymotrypsin-like activity is associated with cancer cell apoptosis, which may also be the major mechanism responsible for the anticancer effects of green tea polyphenols. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that some fruits and vegetables inhibit tumor cell proteasome activity and that this inhibition contributes to their cancer-preventative activities. We report that the extracts of apple and grape are more potent than onion, tomato and celery in: (i) inhibiting the proteasomal chymotrypsin-like activity in leukemia Jurkat T cell extract; (ii) accumulating the polyubiquitinated proteins in intact Jurkat T cells; (iii) inducing activation of caspase-3/-7 and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase in intact Jurkat T cells; and (iv) inducing the appearance of spherical cells preferentially in prostate cancer PC-3 over the normal NIH 3T3 cell line. We also found that strawberry extract had some effect on Jurkat T cell extract and the prostate PC-3 cell line but not on intact Jurkat T cells. Our findings suggest that the proteasome is a cancer-related molecular target for, at least, the extracts of apple, grape and onion, and that the inhibition of proteasome activity by these fruits or vegetable may contribute to their cancer-preventative effects, although other molecular mechanisms may also be involved.
...
PMID:Inhibition of proteasome activity by various fruits and vegetables is associated with cancer cell death. 1501 55

We report here the structure-functional characterization of a novel intronless gene, BRCC2, located on human chromosome 11q24.1. BRCC2 open reading frame (327 bp) codes for an approximately 12-kDa protein (108 amino acids (aa)) localized predominantly in the cytosol and to a lesser extent in the mitochondria. Ectopic expression of BRCC2 cDNA also was found in both the cytosol and mitochondria. Exogenous expression of BRCC2 caused apoptotic cell death in three different cell lines as evidenced by enhanced chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation, or an enhanced number of cells in the sub-G(1) phase. In human prostate cancer cells (PC-3), BRCC2-induced DNA fragmentation was blocked efficiently by coexpression of the anti-apoptotic molecule, Bcl-X(L). Transient transfection of BRCC2 cDNA into PC-3 cells in the presence of a broad-range caspase inhibitor, Z-VAD-fmk (100 microM, 24 h), abrogated DNA fragmentation. Consistently, BRCC2 expression correlated with the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9. An N-terminal deletion mutant of BRCC2 (10.2 kDa, Delta1-16 aa) lacking a BH3-like domain (5-12 aa, LPIEGQEI) or BRCC2 containing a mutant BH3-like domain (leucine 5-->glutamate) failed to induce apoptosis, whereas a C-terminal deletion mutant (6.8 kDa, Delta62-108 aa) retained the apoptotic activity comparable to the full-length BRCC2. Finally, the treatment of HeLa cells with doxorubicin or hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) led to an increase in the mitochondrial (heavy membrane) level of endogenous BRCC2 (doxorubicin (100 ng/ml), 5 h, approximately 2-fold; H(2)O(2) (200 microM), 2 h, approximately 2-fold). These findings demonstrate that BRCC2 functions as a proapoptotic molecule and suggest that BRCC2 induces a caspase-dependent mitochondrial pathway of cell death.
...
PMID:BRCC2, a novel BH3-like domain-containing protein, induces apoptosis in a caspase-dependent manner. 1506 58

Senescence-associated changes in the prostate are believed to play an important role in the genesis of prostate cancer. In order to provide further information on how aging increases the prostate susceptibility to cancer, we examined the pattern of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression and the concomitant alterations in prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) synthesis in the prostate glands of 4-, 10-, 50- and 100-week-old Fischer 344 rats. This was carried out in the prostatic areas where hormone-induced tumors arise, namely the periurethral ducts of the dorsolateral prostate (DLP). Age-associated changes were also evaluated for pro- and anti-apoptotic factors linked to COX-2 signaling and known to be involved in the normal development of the prostate gland as well as in carcinogenesis. COX-2 expression was increased in the DLP in an age-dependent manner where senescent rats had >3-4-fold higher COX-2 mRNA and protein levels than their juvenile counterparts (P<0.05). The age-related changes in COX-2 were accompanied by a similar up-regulation in the PGE(2) synthesis. Evaluation of mediators of apoptotic signaling showed a significant (P<0.05) decline in the expression levels of the pro-apoptotic BAX (>6-fold) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (>3-fold) and in caspase-3 activity (>2-fold) and an up-regulation of the anti-apoptotic Bcl(2) (>8-fold), PKCalpha (>2-fold) and pAkt (>4-fold) in the 100-week-old rats versus the 4-week-old animals. There was an approximately 15-fold age-dependent decrease in the pro-apoptotic ratio BAX:Bcl(2) and an increase in the anti-apoptotic variable PKCalpha(*)Bcl(2)/BAX in the senescent rats compared with the juvenile ones. These results suggest that increased COX-2 expression can be linked to the decline in the pro-apoptotic signaling in the prostate gland during aging. Subsequently, COX-2 inhibitors can be considered as a promising class of agents to attenuate the increased cell survival and, hence, protect against tumorigenesis in the aging prostate.
...
PMID:Age-associated changes in the expression pattern of cyclooxygenase-2 and related apoptotic markers in the cancer susceptible region of rat prostate. 1511 12

Synthetic retinoid-related molecules, such as N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (fenretinide) and 6-[3-(1-adamantyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl]-2-naphthalene carboxylic acid (CD437) induce apoptosis in a variety of malignant cells. The mechanism(s) of action of these compounds does not appear to involve retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and retinoid X receptors (RXRs), although some investigators disagree with this view. To clarify whether some retinoid-related molecules can induce apoptosis without involving RARs and/or RXRs, we used 4-[3-(1-heptyl-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolin-6-yl)-3-oxo-E-propenyl] benzoic acid (AGN193198) that neither binds effectively to RARs and RXRs nor transactivates in RAR- and RXR-mediated reporter assays. AGN193198 potently induced apoptosis in prostate, breast, and gastrointestinal carcinoma cells and in leukemia cells. AGN193198 also abolished growth (by 50% at 130-332 nM) and induced apoptosis in primary cultures established from prostatic carcinoma (13 patients) and gastrointestinal carcinoma (1 patient). Apoptosis was induced rapidly, as indicated by mitochondrial depolarization and DNA fragmentation. Molecular events provoked by AGN193198 included activation of caspase-3, -8, -9, and -10 (by 4-6 h) and the production of BID/p15 (by 6 h). These findings show that caspase-mediated induction of apoptosis by AGN193198 is RAR/RXR-independent and suggest that this compound may be useful in the treatment of prostate cancer.
...
PMID:A retinoid-related molecule that does not bind to classical retinoid receptors potently induces apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells through rapid caspase activation. 1512 74

Evodiamine, isolated from a Chinese herbal drug named Wu-Chu-Yu, possesses many biological functions. Recently, it has been reported that Wu-Chu-Yu exerts an antiproliferative effect on several cancers. Prostate carcinoma initially occurs as an androgen-dependent tumor and is the second leading cause of cancer death in American males. In the present study, the effect of evodiamine on the growth of androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell line LNCaP in vitro was examined. Based on [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yle)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] (MTT) assay, evodiamine significantly inhibited the growth of LNCaP cells in a concentration-dependent manner. A significant and concentration-dependent inhibitory effect of evodiamine on LNCaP cell growth was observed at 24 hr and persisted for 96 hr. The examination of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay showed that the cytotoxic effects of evodiamine on LNCaP cells were concentration dependent. Furthermore, we examined the influences of evodiamine on cell death and cell cycle. The flow cytometric analysis of evodiamine-treated cells indicated a block of G2/M phase and an elevated level of DNA fragmentation. The G2/M arrest reached a maximum at 24 hr after evodiamine treatment. The G2/M arrest was accompanied by an elevated p34(cdc2) kinase activity and an increase in the protein expression of cyclin B1 and phosphorylated form of p34(cdc2) (Thr 161). Examination of TUNEL showed that evodiamine-induced apoptosis was observed at 24 hr and extended for 72 hr. Evodiamine elevated caspase-3, and caspase-9 activities and the processing of caspase-3 and caspase-9. These results suggested that evodiamine inhibits the growth of prostate cancer cell line, LNCaP, through an accumulation of cell cycle at G2/M phase and an induction of apoptosis.
...
PMID:Inhibitory effects of evodiamine on the growth of human prostate cancer cell line LNCaP. 1514 52

The reputation of garlic (Allium sativum) as an effective remedy for tumours extends back to the Egyptian Codex Ebers of 1550 b.c. Several garlic compounds including allicin and its corresponding sulfide inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of several human non-leukaemia malignant cells including breast, bladder, colorectal, hepatic, prostate cancer, lymphoma and skin tumour cell lines. Ajoene (4,5,9-trithiadodeca-1,6,11-triene-9-oxide) is a garlic-derived compound produced most efficiently from pure allicin and has the advantage of a greater chemical stability than allicin. Several clinical trials and in vitro studies of ajoene have demonstrated its best-known anti-thrombosis, anti-microbial and cholesterol lowering activities. Recently, topic application of ajoene has produced significant clinical response in patients with skin basal cell carcinoma. Ajoene was shown to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of several human leukaemia CD34-negative cells including HL-60, U937, HEL and OCIM-1. Also, ajoene induces 30% apoptosis in myeloblasts from chronic myeloid leukaemia patient in blast crisis. More significantly, ajoene profoundly enhanced the apoptotic effect of the two chemotherapeutic drugs: cytarabine and fludarabine in human CD34-positive resistant myeloid leukaemia cells through enhancing their bcl-2 inhibitory and caspase-3 activation activities. The two key anti-leukaemia biological actions of ajoene were the inhibition of proliferation and the induction of apoptosis. Studies have shown the anti-proliferation activity of ajoene to be associated with a block in the G2/M phase of cell cycle in human myeloid leukaemia cells. The apoptosis inducing activity of ajoene is via the mitochondria-dependent caspase cascade through a significant reduction of the anti-apoptotic bcl-2 that results in release of cytochrome c and the activation of caspase-3. Since acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a heterogeneous malignant disease in which disease progression at the level of CD34-positive cells has a major impact on resistance to chemotherapy and relapse and the inability to undergo apoptosis is a crucial mechanism of multi-drug resistance in AML patients. The recent findings of the potent enhancing activity of ajoene on chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in CD34-positive resistant human myeloid leukaemia cells suggest a novel promising role for the treatment of refractory and/or relapsed AML patients as well as elderly AML patients. Further studies are warranted to evaluate similar enhancing effect for ajoene in blast cells from AML patients in primary cultures before its introduction in pilot clinical study.
...
PMID:Ajoene (natural garlic compound): a new anti-leukaemia agent for AML therapy. 1515 86

Androgen-insensitive prostate cancer cells are highly resistant to several chemotherapeutic drugs and are characterized by the appearance of apoptosis-resistant cells. In this study, we identified the critical role of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), a potent antiapoptotic factor, in conferring chemotherapy resistance in an androgen-insensitive DU145 human prostate cancer cell line. Results reveal that DU145 cells were highly resistant to cisplatin, but this resistance was overridden when the cells were treated for a prolonged time (>96 hours) with cisplatin (IC(50) = 27.5 to 35.5 micromol/L). A decrease in levels of XIAP and Akt/phospho-Akt and an increase in caspase-3 activity were identified to be key factors in cisplatin sensitivity (40% to 55% decrease in cell viability) at later time points. In contrast, tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) treatment caused a 40% to 50% decrease in cell viability within 6 hours (IC(50) = 135 to 145 ng/mL). However, increasing concentrations or prolonged treatment with TRAIL did not change drug potency. A significant increase in caspase-3 activity was observed with TRAIL treatment with no apparent change in XIAP levels. Specific inhibition of XIAP expression using an antisense XIAP phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer induced apoptosis and increased caspase-3 activity. Combination of cisplatin with XIAP antisense potentiated cisplatin sensitivity by decreasing the IC(50) from >200 micromol/L with cisplatin alone to 9 to 20 micromol/L and decreasing incubation time required for activity from 96 to 24 hours. Similarly, TRAIL in combination with XIAP antisense phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer enhanced TRAIL potency by 12- to 13-fold. In conclusion, abrogation of XIAP expression is essential for therapeutic apoptosis and enhanced chemotherapy sensitization in androgen-refractory prostate cancer cells.
...
PMID:X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein inhibition induces apoptosis and enhances chemotherapy sensitivity in human prostate cancer cells. 1521 Aug 56

The quinazoline family of alpha1-blockers (prazosin, doxazosin, and terazosin) induce apoptosis of prostate cells through an alpha1-adrenoceptor-independent mechanism. The objective of this study was to gain insight into the non-adrenergic, apoptotic mechanism of action of doxazosin in the prostate and the induction of anoikis by doxazosin. Primary cultures of benign prostate stromal and epithelial cells and the LNCaP (androgen sensitive) and PC-3 (androgen insensitive) prostate carcinoma cell lines were treated with doxazosin (0-50 microM). The effects of doxazosin on cell morphology, caspase-3 activity, and the expression levels of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and integrin-linked kinase (ILK) were examined. Doxazosin induced changes in morphology consistent with anoikis in both benign and cancerous prostatic cells and increased caspase-3 activity. The effects were similar comparing benign cells (which express alpha1-adrenoceptors) and cancer cells (which do not express alpha1-adrenoceptors), but were more robust in benign cells. Norepinephrine had no effect on doxazosin-induced cell morphology or caspase-3 activity. Treatment of PC-3 cells with doxazosin significantly reduced the protein levels of FAK but did not significantly affect the levels of ILK. These findings suggest that doxazosin induces apoptosis and anoikis of prostate cancer cells by a mechanism of action that is alpha1-adrenoceptor independent. The apoptosis of cancer cells induced by doxazosin counteracts cell proliferation and may have the potential of retarding or reversing prostate cancer cell growth.
...
PMID:Induction of anoikis by doxazosin in prostate cancer cells is associated with activation of caspase-3 and a reduction of focal adhesion kinase. 1522 Dec 43

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a highly promising candidate for the treatment of cancer because it elicits cell death in the majority of tumor cells while sparing most normal cells. Some cancers, however, display resistance to TRAIL, suggesting that treatment with TRAIL alone may be insufficient for cancer therapy. In the present study, we explored whether the apoptotic responsiveness of PC-3 prostate cancer cells to TRAIL could be enhanced by targeting the novel protein kinase C (PKC) isoform eta. Transfection of PC-3 cells with second-generation chimeric antisense oligonucleotides against PKCeta caused a time- and dose-dependent knockdown of PKCeta, as revealed by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot analyses. Knockdown of PKCeta resulted in a marked amplification of TRAIL's cytotoxic activity. Cell killing could be substantially prevented by the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk. In addition, PKCeta knockdown and administration of TRAIL significantly synergized in activation of caspase-3 and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Knockdown of PKCeta augmented TRAIL-induced dissipation of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential and release of cytochrome c from mitochondria into the cytosol, indicating that PKCeta acts upstream of mitochondria. We conclude that PKCeta represents a considerable resistance factor with respect to TRAIL and a promising target to exploit the therapeutic potential of TRAIL.
...
PMID:Down-regulation of protein kinase Ceta potentiates the cytotoxic effects of exogenous tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand in PC-3 prostate cancer cells. 1525 38

<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>