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

Hemoporfin is a novel second-generation porphyrin-related photosensitizer for ovarian cancer photodynamic treatment (PDT). The purpose of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanisms of Hemoporfin-mediated photocytotoxicity. Human epithelial ovarian cancer cell line 3AO was incubated with different concentrations of Hemoporfin, and phototoxic effects of Hemoporfin on cells were determined using a Cell Viability Analyzer. Apoptosis or necrosis was determined by flow cytometry analysis using the Annexin V-FITC apoptosis kit. Cellular caspase activation was determined using the fluorescent assay kit for caspase-3 and caspase-9. Rhodamine123 was used as a mitochondrial probe and Lucifer Yellow as a lysosomal probe to investigate the intracellular localization of Hemoporfin in 3AO cancer cells. We demonstrated that both high-dose (30 microg mL(-1)) and low-dose (3 microg mL(-1)) Hemoporfin significantly reduced the viability of ovarian cancer cell 3AO with light illumination, and the photocytotoxicity was dose-dependent (P < 0.01). Using a mitochondrial fluorescence probe, we demonstrated a distinct mitochondrial aggregation in 3AO cells with a low concentration of Hemoporfin. Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential was detected as early as 1 h after Hemoporfin-mediated PDT. PDT with low-dose Hemoporfin predominantly induced apoptosis but not necrosis, and both caspase-3 and caspase-9 were activated. Based on our results, mitochondria play an important role in the Hemoporfin-induced apoptosis, and mitochondria membrane potential loss initiated apoptosis via the activation of caspases. Understanding the mechanisms involved in PDT-mediated apoptosis may improve its therapeutic efficacy and facilitate its transition into the clinic.
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PMID:Involvement of mitochondria-caspase pathway in Hemoporfin-mediated cell death. 1802 4

To investigate the correlation between sensitivity to Fas ligand (FasL) and expression level of decoy receptor 3 (DcR3) on tumor cell surface, Fas/DcR3 mRNA expression was detected by RT-PCR. Anti-DcR3 mAb was used to detect expression level of DcR3 on surface of tumor cells by flow cytometry. Caspase-8, caspase-9, caspase-3, Bcl-2 expressions were analyzed by Western blot, respectively. Sensitivity to apoptosis induced by FasL was determined by Annexin V apoptosis kit. The expressions of DcR3 on the surface of tumor cells from high to low were approximately 35.3% in BGC823 cells, and 21.6% in MCF-7 cells, respectively. The apoptotic rates induced by FasL from low to high were 15.6% in BGC823 cells, and 58.2% in MCF-7 cells, respectively. There was a significant correlation between the expression levels of DcR3 with FasL-inducing apoptosis.
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PMID:Correlation between expression of DcR3 on tumor cells and sensitivity to FasL. 1816 57

A number of methods have been developed to identify the cells that undergo apoptosis by analyzing the morphological, biochemical, and molecular changes that take place during this universal biological process. The best recognized biochemical hallmark of both early and late stages of apoptosis is the activation of cysteine proteases (caspases). Detection of active caspase-3 in cells and tissues is an important method for apoptosis induced by a wide variety of apoptotic signals. Most common assays for examining caspase-3 activation include immunostaining, immunoblotting for active caspase-3, colorimetric assays using fluorochrome substrates, as well as employing the fluorescein-labeled CaspaTag pan-caspase in situ detection kit.
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PMID:Caspase-3 activation is a critical determinant of genotoxic stress-induced apoptosis. 1817 8

In this study we examined the influence of neuraminidase on apoptosis of peripheral blood lymphocytes in rats with an implanted Morris tumor. The main objectives of the study were to determine whether the percentage of apoptotic blood lymphocytes would depend on the dosing regimen of neuraminidase and whether neuraminidase would affect caspase-3 activity, a marker of the apoptosis, in blood lymphocytes. A total of 51 rats were used for the study. In three groups, totalling 39 animals, Morris tumor was implanted and neuraminidase was injected intravenously using two dosing regimens: 10 units three times on Day 4, Day 7, and Day 14 and 5 units as a single dose on Day 4 of the experiment or was skipped (control). The remaining 12 rats constituted a reference group of healthy animals. At the end of the experimental period on Day 21, blood was drawn from the heart, and mononuclear cells were separated and cultured. Apoptosis of blood lymphocytes was assessed in cell cultures from fluorescence spectra generated by a Sybr Green I dye forming bonds with nuclear DNA. Caspase-3 activity was measured colorimetrically in homogenates of lymphocyte cultures using a CASP-3-C kit (Sigma, St. Louis, MO). On the whole, the results demonstrate that the bigger, but not the smaller, dose of neuraminidase was markedly effective in preserving the vitality of blood lymphocytes and in decreasing both the number of apoptotic lymphocytes and capsase-3 activity in the rats with Morris tumor. Neuraminidase treatment failed, however, to lessen the tumor size. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that neuraminidase caused an appreciable decline in apoptosis of blood lymphocytes in rats with the Morris tumor; the effect was dose-dependent. Although neuraminidase failed to influence the local cancer development in terms of tumor size, its anti-apoptotic effect toward the cells of the immune system of a cancer host is of research interest as it may potentially offer a way to strengthen the host's immune response.
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PMID:Effects of neuraminidase on apoptosis of blood lymphocytes in rats with implanted Morris tumor. 1820 35

Microgravity is known to have significant effect on all aspects of reproductive function in animal models. Recent studies have also shown that microgravity induces changes at the cellular level, including apoptosis. Our effort here was to study the effect of simulated microgravity on caspase-8 and the caspase-3 activities, the effectors of the apoptotic pathway and on the transcription factor NF-kappaB a signaling molecule in mouse testis. Morey-Holton hind limb suspension model was used to simulate microgravity. Caspase-8 and 3 fluorometric assays were carried out and HLS mice testis exhibited a 51% increase in caspase-8 and caspase-3 compared to the controls. A sandwich ELISA-based immunoassay was carried out for detection of NF-kappaB which again significantly increased in the test mice. Testosterone levels were measured using an ELISA kit and in HLS mice the decrease was significant. There was also a significant decrease in testis weight in the test mice. Simulated microgravity activates caspase 8, 3 and NF-kappaB necessary to stimulate the apoptotic pathway in mice testis. This may account for the drop in testis weight and testosterone level further affecting testicular physiology and function.
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PMID:Simulated microgravity activates apoptosis and NF-kappaB in mice testis. 1838 49

The neurotoxicity of l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), used for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, remains controversial. Although there are many reports suggesting that long-term treatment of L-DOPA causes neuronal death, an increasing body of recent evidence has proposed that L-DOPA might be neuroprotective rather than neurotoxic. We investigated the effect of L-DOPA on neuronally differentiated PC12 (nPC12) cells by treating cells with various concentrations of L-DOPA for 24h. We also studied whether glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3 activation is related to L-DOPA-induced neurotoxicity by simultaneously treating cells with several concentrations of L-DOPA and a GSK-3 inhibitor for 24h. MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, trypan blue staining, cell counting kit-8, and DAPI staining all showed that L-DOPA decreased nPC12 cell viability at high concentrations. In addition, 100 microM L-DOPA treatment significantly increased the activity of GSK-3 and death signals including cytochrome c, activated caspase-3 and cleaved PARP, and decreased survival signals including heat shock transcription factor-1 in a concentration-dependent manner. Treatment with GSK-3 inhibitor VIII or lithium chloride prevented L-DOPA-induced cell death. Together, these results suggest that L-DOPA induces neuronal cell death at high concentrations and that the neurotoxic effect of L-DOPA might be mediated in part by GSK-3 activation.
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PMID:Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 reduces L-DOPA-induced neurotoxicity. 1838 27

This study investigated the effect of arctigenin (ARG) on the induction of apoptosis and the putative pathways of its action in HL-60 and K562 cells. MTT assay was used to detect the cytotoxic effect of ARG in HL-60 and K562 cells. The apoptosis was observed by Hoechst 33258 fluorescence staining and DNA agarose gel electrophoresis. Caspase-3 enzyme activity was measured by caspase-3 enzyme activity detection kit. The expression of related protein was analyzed by Western blotting and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). ARG-treated HL-60 cells and K562 cells exhibited growth inhibition and displayed several features of apoptosis, including DNA fragmentation and DNA laddering by agarose gel electrophoresis. It was observed that poly-(ADP-ribose) polymeras (PARP) were cleaved to smaller molecules and ARG induced upregulation of bax and downregulation of bcl-2 protein expression. However, it had no effect on VEGF levels. Taken together, this study demonstrated that ARG is a potent inducer of apoptosis and this was accompanied by caspase-3 activation and upregulation of bax/bcl-2, which offers a potential mechanism for the apoptosis-inducing activity of ARG.
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PMID:[Induction of apoptosis of the human leukemia cells by arctigenin and its mechanism of action]. 1871 45

The present study examined the anti-proliferative effects of piplartine on the human prostate cancer cell line PC-3. This is the first report demonstrating the piplartine anti-cancer activity toward prostate cancer cell lines, although its precise mechanism of action is still not completely defined. In MTT assays, it preferentially inhibited growth of androgen-independent PC-3 cells in a dose-dependent (3-30 microM) and time-dependent (12-48 h) manner. In PC-3 cells, it showed an IC50 of 15 microM after 24 h of treatment. After a 24-30 microM treatment for 24 h, there were some reduction of cell volume, cell vacuolization, chromatin condensation and increased number of apoptotic cells visible by light and fluorescence microscopy. Agarose gel electrophoresis revealed that cells treated with piplartine exhibited DNA fragmentation. In addition, growth inhibition of PC-3 cells was associated with G2/M arrest and sub-G1 accumulation. Higher concentrations (24-30 microM) of piplartine modulated apoptosis-related protein expression by down-regulating cdc-2 expression and up-regulating PARP/procaspase-3 cleavage. Also, PC-3 cells treated with piplartine demonstrated caspase-3 activation, as observed with an in vitro caspase-3 colorimetric assay kit. Taken together, these results demonstrated that high concentrations of piplartine exhibited anti-proliferative and anti-cancer effects on PC-3 cells and that caspase-3-mediated PARP cleavage and cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase are involved in the underlying cellular mechanism of the apoptosis process.
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PMID:Piplartine induces caspase-mediated apoptosis in PC-3 human prostate cancer cells. 1881 19

Antitumor activity and the mechanism of CPUY013, a novel Topo I inhibitor, on gastric adenocarcinoma BGC823 cells were studied in vitro and in vivo. The proliferation was investigated by MTT assay and colony formation assay. Apoptosis was determined by both dual fluorescence staining with AO and EB and DNA agarose gel electrophoresis analysis methods. Nude mice model of BGC823 xenograft tumor was established by subcutaneous inoculation. The suppression activity of the CPUY013 by intragastric administration on xenograft mice model was detected. The change of cell cycle was studied by flow cytometry assay. The expressions of Topo I, widetype p53, active caspase-3, bcl-2 and bax proteins were analyzed by Western blotting assay. Results showed that CPUY013 could inhibit BGC823 cell proliferation at a certain range of dose. The flow cytometry analysis showed that CPUY013 and topoecan (TPT) led to a decrease in the proportion of G1 phase cells and an increase in the proportion of S phase cells, suggesting that they arrested the transition of tumor cells from S phase to G2 phase. The sub-G1 group was analyzed by flow cytometry. Compared with control, after 48 h treatment with CPUY013 or TPT, the sub-G1 group significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner. CPUY013 and TPT induced apoptosis in tumor cells. Cells treated with CPUY013 for 48 h were stained with AO/EB mixture. Then the cells were observed under fluorescence microscope. And it was found that early and late apoptosis cells were identified by perinuclear condensation of chromatin stained by AO/EB, respectively. Necrotic cells were identified by uniform labeling with EB. With the increase of concentration of CPUY013 and TPT, these morphological changes under the fluorescence microscope become clearer, indicating that the proportion of apoptosis cells increased gradually. By using JC-1 kit, loss of deltapsim was also detected in BGC823 cells treated with CPUY013 and TPT, which represent mitochondria function. And characteristic DNA ladder was observed apparently in BGC823 cells treated with CPUY013. When the xenograft tumor mice were treated with 150 mg x kg(-1) CPUY013, the tumor growth inhibition rate was 62.1%. The expression of bax and p53 proteins increased significantly and bcl-2 and bcl-2/bax decreased after the treatment of the CPUY013. The CPUY013 down-regulated Topo I protein expression and up-regulated active caspase-3 protein expression. The novel Topo I inhibitor CPUY013 can significantly suppress the growth of BGC823 xenograft tumor in vivo and inhibit the proliferation by inducing apoptosis of BGC823 cells in vitro.
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PMID:[Effects of CPUY013, a novel Topo I inhibitor, on human gastric adenocarcinoma BGC823 cells in vitro and in vivo]. 1895 73

Cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been well shown to be elevated in brain injury and diseases. However, the significance of IL-6 production in such neuropathologic states remains controversial, and the intracellular signal-transduction pathways involved in the brain IL-6 action are primarily unclear. We previously indicated that exogenous IL-6 protected neurons against glutamate and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) attacks and the effects of IL-6 was blocked by anti-gp130 antibody. Here, we provide further evidence for the IL-6 neuroprotection and show signal molecules transducing the IL-6 message. The cerebellar granule neurons from postnatal 8-day infant rats were exposed to IL-6 for 8 days, and also pretreated chronically with Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor AG490 and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor PD98059. NMDA stimulated the cultured neurons for 30 min to induce neuronal injury and death. Cell counting kit-8 assay and Western blot were employed to measure neuronal vitality and cleaved caspase-3 expression, respectively. The chronic IL-6 exposure prevented the suppression of the neuronal vitality and the enhancement of the cleaved caspase-3 level induced by NMDA. The neuroprotective effect of IL-6 depended on IL-6 concentration and neuronal damaged degree. IL-6-induced STAT3 phosphorylation was inhibited by AG490 but not by PD98059; and IL-6-induced ERK1/2 activation was blocked by PD98059 but not by AG490. Either AG490 or PD98059 blocked the IL-6 protection against the NMDA-elicited neuronal vitality decrease and caspase-3 activation increase. These findings suggest that IL-6 protects neurons from NMDA-induced excitoxicity and the IL-6 neuroprotection may be transduced by both JAK/STAT3 and RAS/MAPK pathways.
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PMID:Neuroprotection of interleukin-6 against NMDA attack and its signal transduction by JAK and MAPK. 1906 39


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