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)

DNA fragmentation factor (DFF) comprises DFF45 and DFF40 subunits, the former of which acts as an inhibitor of the latter (the catalytic subunit) and whose cleavage by caspase-3 results in DFF activation. Disruption of the DFF45 gene blocks the generation of 50-kb DNA fragments and confers resistance to apoptosis. We recently suggested that the early fragmentation of DNA by DFF and the consequent activation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), mitochondrial dysfunction, and activation of caspase-3 contribute to an amplification loop in the apoptotic process. To verify the existence of such a loop, we have now examined the effects of restoring DFF expression in DFF45-deficient fibroblasts. Co-transfection of mouse DFF45(-/-) fibroblasts with plasmids encoding human DFF40 and DFF45 reversed the apoptosis resistance normally observed in these cells. The DFF45(-/-) cells regained the ability to fragment their DNA into 50-kb pieces in response to TNF, which resulted in a marked activation of PARP-1 and a concomitant depletion of intracellular NAD. DFF expression also resulted in an increase both in cytochrome c release into the cytosol and in caspase-3 activation triggered by TNF. These results support the importance of DFF, PARP-1, mitochondria, and caspase-3 in an amplification phase of TNF-induced apoptosis.
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PMID:Roles of DNA fragmentation factor and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 in sensitization of fibroblasts to tumor necrosis factor-induced apoptosis. 1178 71

Lung carcinoma is one of the most frequent causes of malignancy-related mortality in the world. Paclitaxel (PA) is an antineoplastic agent used in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and possesses a single-agent response rate approaching 25%. PA kills tumor cells by inducing both cellular necrosis and apoptosis. Fas and Trail receptors (DR4 and DR5) are TNF family members and act as death signal transduction proteins in the apoptosis cascade. Despite the importance of PA in lung cancer treatment, the function of Fas, DR4 and DR5 in PA-induced apoptosis, as well as the effect of their respective ligands FasL and TRAIL alone or in combination with PA, remains poorly understood. We show here that 10 microM PA induces a significant 10- to 57-fold increase in primary lung cancer cell apoptosis and is associated with 20-215% increases in caspase-3 activity in various NSCLC cell types. All the lung cancer cells express Fas, FasL, DR4 and DR5; however PA did not significantly modify their levels. We provide here the first time evidence that TRAIL is a potent inducer of apoptosis in multiple NSCLC cell lines. Noticeably, CH11, the Fas receptor cross-linking and the antagonistic anti-DR5 antibody enhance considerably the spontaneous apoptotic rate in 3 out of 5 cell types. The combination treatments, FasL+PA, TRAIL+PA or PA+anti-DR5 antibody, greatly enhance PA-apoptotic effect in most cell lines. These data suggest that the use of new combination treatment with PA and ligands targeting Fas or TRAIL receptors would be particularly efficacious.
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PMID:TRAIL, FasL and a blocking anti-DR5 antibody augment paclitaxel-induced apoptosis in human non-small-cell lung cancer. 1180 7

The destruction of CD4 T cells in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with activation of apoptotic programs, partly mediated by death receptors. The role of CD95L/CD95 in depletion of patients' CD4 T cells is well documented, but the possible contribution of the tumor necrosis factor/tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNF/TNFR) pathway has not been examined. In this study, we found that both TNFR1 and TNFR2 induced marked apoptosis in peripheral T cells from HIV-infected persons, involving both CD4 and CD8 T cells. Longitudinal follow-up of HIV(+) patients suggests an association between the in vivo evolution of CD4 T-cell numbers and variations in susceptibility to TNFR-induced apoptosis. Analysis of molecular mechanisms involved showed that it was not related to altered ex vivo expression of TNFR1-associated death domain, receptor interacting protein, or TNFR-associated factor 2. Susceptibility to TNFR-mediated apoptosis was rather related to Bcl-2 expression, because patients' T cells expressing high levels of Bcl-2 were completely protected from TNFR1- and TNFR2-induced cell death, whereas T cells expressing normal levels of Bcl-2 were not protected in patients in contrast to controls. Early recruitment of caspase-8 and caspase-3 is needed to transduce the apoptotic signals, and expression of both caspases in their active form was detected in blood T cells from HIV(+) patients, whereas it was hardly detected in controls. Moreover, ligation of TNFRs induced increased activation of both caspases in patients' T cells. Together these data demonstrate that exacerbated TNFR-mediated cell death of T cells from HIV-infected individuals is associated with both alteration of Bcl-2 expression and activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3 and may contribute to the pathogenesis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
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PMID:Increased sensitivity of T lymphocytes to tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1)- and TNFR2-mediated apoptosis in HIV infection: relation to expression of Bcl-2 and active caspase-8 and caspase-3. 1186 Dec 82

Acute administration of cadmium results in hepatotoxicity. Recent reports indicate that Kupffer cells, the resident macrophages of the liver, participate in the manifestation of chemical-induced hepatotoxicity. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a proinflammatory cytokine that is a major product of Kupffer cells and mediates the hepatotoxic effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). It has been speculated that cadmium also may exert its hepatotoxicity via the production of TNF-alpha by the Kupffer cells. Therefore, this study was undertaken to determine whether mice deficient in TNF-alpha are resistant to Cd-induced hepatotoxicity. TNF-alpha-null (TNF-KO) and wild-type (WT) mice were dosed ip with saline, LPS (0.1 mg/kg)/Gln (d-galactosamine, 700 mg/kg), or CdCl2 (2.2, 2.8, 3.4, and 3.9 mg Cd/kg). Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) activities were quantified to assess liver injury. Caspase-3 activity was quantified to assess hepatocellular apoptosis. LPS/Gln treatment increased ALT (17-fold) and SDH (21-fold) in WT mice. In contrast, LPS/Gln-treatment did not significantly increase ALT or SDH in TNF-KO mice. LPS/Gln-treatment caused a 7.8-fold increase in caspase-3 activity in WT mice but did not increase caspase-3 in TNF-KO mice. Cadmium caused a dose-dependent increase in liver injury in both WT and TNF-KO mice. However, the liver injury produced by Cd in the TNF-KO mice was not different from that in WT at any dose. No significant increase in caspase-3 activity was detected in any of the Cd-treated mice. These data indicate that, in contrast to LPS/Gln-induced hepatotoxicity, TNF-alpha does not appear to mediate Cd-induced hepatotoxicity.
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PMID:Tumor necrosis factor-alpha-null mice are not resistant to cadmium chloride-induced hepatotoxicity. 1190 45

TNF is known to induce a thrombocytopenia, due to a reduced platelet life span. Injection of TNF (10 microg) to mice did markedly increase the number of platelet-derived microparticles in plasma, most pronounced 1h after injection. Injection of TNF induced a transient activation of platelet caspases, -1, -3, -6, -8, -9, as seen by the binding of caspases probes detected by flow cytometry, most pronounced 1h after injection. Activation of caspase-3 was also evidenced by antibodies. Injection of the caspases inhibitor ZVAD-fmk decreased TNF-induced generation of microparticles and thrombocytopenia, indicating a causal role of caspases in platelet fragmentation. Activation of platelet caspases was also evident in platelets exposed to TNF in vitro, indicating that TNF acts on platelets directly. Comparison of platelets from +/+, TNFR1 -/- and TNFR2 -/- mice showed that caspases are activated mainly by the TNFR1. These observations indicate that TNF activates platelet caspases via the TNFR1, which results in platelet fragmentation and thrombocytopenia.
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PMID:Activation of platelet caspases by TNF and its consequences for kinetics. 1212 45

Apoptosis plays an important role during embryonic development. Apoptotic cell death is executed by caspases and can be regulated by the Bcl-2 family of genes. Ribonuclease protection assay was used to investigate the expression of selected apoptosis-related genes of the Bcl-2 family, pro-apoptotic Bax, Bad and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, during differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells (ES) mediated by all-trans-retinoic acid. The mRNA expression of caspase 3, caspase 6 and certain pro-inflammatory cytokines was also investigated simultaneously. ES cells exposed to 1 microM all-trans-retinoic acid on day 8, 9 and 10 of differentiation revealed increased expression of Bax and Bad compared to the vehicle-treated cells. No effect on Bcl-2 mRNA was noted after all-trans-retinoic acid treatment. Increased mRNA expression of caspase 3 and caspase 6 in all-trans-retinoic acid-exposed ES cells suggested that caspases play an important role in retinoic acid-mediated apoptosis during ES differentiation. Increase in the expression of TNF alpha and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) was noted in retinoic acid-treated cells on day 14. Significant increase observed in interferon gamma inducing factor (IGIF/IL-18) mRNA expression in all-trans-retinoic acid-treated cells on day 14 and 17 did not translate to increased INF gamma expression. No change in the expression of other pro-inflammatory cytokines was noted with all-trans-retinoic acid treatment. The function of TNF alpha, IGIF/IL-18 and MIF in all-trans-retinoic acid-treated cells during ES differentiation and apoptosis is still speculatory. Results suggested that RA-mediated apoptosis during neural differentiation of ES cells involves up-regulation of caspase 3, caspase 6, Bad, and Bax.
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PMID:Expression of selected apoptosis related genes, MIF, IGIF and TNF alpha, during retinoic acid-induced neural differentiation in murine embryonic stem cells. 1220 51

A number of highly virulent, intracellular bacteria are known to induce cell death by apoptosis in infected host cells. In this work we demonstrate that phagocytosis of bacteria from the Escherichia coli laboratory strain K12 DH5alpha is a potent cell death stimulus for mouse macrophages. RAW264.7 mouse macrophages took up bacteria and digested them within 2-4 h as investigated with green fluorescent protein-expressing bacteria. No evidence of apoptosis was seen at 8 h postexposure, but at 24 h approximately 70% of macrophages displayed an apoptotic phenotype by a series of parameters. Apoptosis was blocked by inhibition of caspases or by forced expression of the apoptosis-inhibiting protein Bcl-2. Processing of caspase-3 and caspase-9 but not caspase-8 was seen suggesting that the mitochondrial branch of the apoptotic pathway was activated. Active effector caspases could be detected in two different assays. Because the adapter molecule myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) has been implicated in apoptosis, involvement of the Toll-like receptor pathway was investigated. In RAW264.7 cells, heat-treated bacteria were taken up poorly and failed to induce significant apoptosis. However, cell activation was almost identical between live and heat-inactivated bacteria as measured by extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation, generation of free radicals, and TNF secretion. Furthermore, primary bone marrow-derived macrophages from wild-type as well as from MyD88-deficient mice underwent apoptosis upon phagocytosis of bacteria. These results show that uptake and digestion of bacteria leads to MyD88-independent apoptosis in mouse macrophages. This form of cell death might have implications for the generation of the immune response.
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PMID:Caspase-9/-3 activation and apoptosis are induced in mouse macrophages upon ingestion and digestion of Escherichia coli bacteria. 1221 35

TNF family receptors can lead to the activation of NF-kappaB and this can be a prosurvival signal in some cells. Although activation of NF-kappaB by ligation of Fas (CD95/Apo-1), a member of the TNFR family, has been observed in a few studies, Fas-mediated NF-kappaB activation has not previously been shown to protect cells from apoptosis. We examined the Fas-induced NF-kappaB activation and its antiapoptotic effects in a leukemic eosinophil cell line, AML14.3D10, an AML14 subline resistant to Fas-mediated apoptosis. EMSA and supershift assays showed that agonist anti-Fas (CH11) induced nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB heterodimer p65(RelA)/p50 in these cells in both a time- and dose-dependent fashion. The influence of NF-kappaB on the induction of apoptosis was studied using pharmacological proteasome inhibitors and an inhibitor of IkappaBalpha phosphorylation to block IkappaBalpha dissociation and degradation. These inhibitors at least partially inhibited NF-kappaB activation and augmented CH11-induced cell death. Stable transfection and overexpression of IkappaBalpha in 3D10 cells inhibited CH11-induced NF-kappaB activation and completely abrogated Fas resistance. Increases in caspase-8 and caspase-3 cleavage induced by CH11 and in consequent apoptotic killing were observed in these cells. Furthermore, while Fas-stimulation of resistant control 3D10 cells led to increases in the antiapoptotic proteins cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein-1 and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein, Fas-induced apoptosis in IkappaBalpha-overexpressing cells led to the down-modulation of both of these proteins, as well as that of the Bcl-2 family protein, Bcl-x(L). These data suggest that the resistance of these leukemic eosinophils to Fas-mediated killing is due to induced NF-kappaB activation.
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PMID:Fas resistance of leukemic eosinophils is due to activation of NF-kappa B by Fas ligation. 1224 43

Neutrophils are among the first circulating leukocytes involved in acute inflammatory processes. Transcription factor NF-kappaB plays a key role in the inflammatory response, regulating the expression of proinflammatory and anti-apoptotic genes. Recently we have shown that human neutrophils contain a significant amount of NF-kappaB inhibitor, IkappaBalpha, in the nucleus of unstimulated cells. The present objective was to examine the mechanisms controlling the nuclear content of IkappaBalpha in human neutrophils and to determine whether increased accumulation of IkappaBalpha in the nucleus is associated with increased neutrophil apoptosis. We show for the first time that neutrophil stimulation with pro-inflammatory signals results in degradation of IkappaBalpha that occurs in both cytoplasm and nucleus. Prolonged (2-h) stimulation with TNF and LPS induces resynthesis of IkappaBalpha that is again translocated to the nucleus in human neutrophils, but not in monocytic cells. Leptomycin B, a specific inhibitor of nuclear export, increases nuclear accumulation of IkappaBalpha in stimulated neutrophils by blocking the IkappaBalpha nuclear export, and this is associated with inhibition of NF-kappaB activity, induction of caspase-3 activation, and apoptosis. Based on our data we present a new model of NF-kappaB regulation in human neutrophils by nuclear IkappaBalpha. Our results demonstrate that the NF-kappaB activity in human neutrophils is regulated by mechanisms clearly different from those in monocytes and other human cells and suggest that the increased nuclear content of IkappaBalpha in human neutrophils might represent one of the underlying mechanisms for the increased apoptosis in these cells.
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PMID:NF-kappa B regulation in human neutrophils by nuclear I kappa B alpha: correlation to apoptosis. 1224 95

TNF-alpha activated caspase 8 and caspase 3 in PC12 cells, leading to cell death by apoptosis (DNA fragmentation). TNF-alpha caspase activation and cell killing were blocked by transfection and overexpression of the viral protein CrmA, which specifically inhibits caspase 8. CrmA was also able to block the TNF-alpha-induced increase in ceramide formation in PC12 cells. Conversely, if caspase 8 was activated by light-activated Rose Bengal, there was an increase in both ceramide and caspase 3-mediated apoptosis, which was blocked by CrmA overexpression. This suggested that caspase 8 increases ceramide either by increasing its synthesis or by activating sphingomyelinase. Since fumonisin B1 did not block and sphingomyelin decreased when ceramide increased, we concluded that activation of sphingomyelinase is the most likely mechanism. The Rose Bengal activation of caspase 8 and increased ceramide formation was blocked with IETD-CHO, to show that reactive oxygen species (also generated by Rose Bengal) were not responsible for the observed increase in ceramide. Thus in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells, ceramide appears to amplify the death signal and there appears to be a sequence of events: TNF; TRADD, pro-caspase 8, caspase 8, sphingomyelinase, ceramide, caspase 3, apoptosis.
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PMID:CrmA protects against apoptosis and ceramide formation in PC12 cells. 1237 8


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