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)

The pathogenesis of Acanthamoeba keratitis begins when Acanthamoeba trophozoites bind specifically to mannosylated glycoproteins upregulated on the surfaces of traumatized corneal epithelial cells. When Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites are grown in methyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside, they are induced to secrete a novel 133-kDa protein that is cytolytic to corneal epithelial cells. Clinical isolates of Acanthamoeba spp., and not the soil isolates, were proficient at producing a mannose-induced protein (MIP-133) and generating disease in Chinese hamsters. The purified protein was efficient at killing corneal epithelial cells, the first mechanistic barrier, by inducing apoptosis in a caspase 3-dependent pathway. Subsequent steps in pathogenesis require the amoebae to penetrate and degrade collagen. Only the clinical isolates tested were efficient at migrating through a collagenous matrix in vitro, presumably by MIP-133 degradation of both human type I and human type IV collagen. A chicken anti-MIP-133 antiserum effectively bound to the protein and blocked collagenolytic activity, migration, and cytopathic effects (CPE) against corneal cells in vitro. Chinese hamsters orally immunized with MIP-133 displayed a >30% reduction in disease. Immunoglobulin A isolated from immunized animals bound MIP-133 and blocked CPE on corneal cells in vitro. Animals induced to generate severe chronic infections displayed significant reductions in disease symptoms upon oral immunization postinfection. These data suggest that MIP-133 production might be necessary to initiate corneal disease and that it may play an important role in the subsequent steps of the pathogenic cascade of Acanthamoeba keratitis. Furthermore, as antibodies produced both prior to and after infection reduced clinical symptoms of disease, the protein may represent an important immunotherapeutic target for Acanthamoeba keratitis.
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PMID:Pathogenic Acanthamoeba spp secrete a mannose-induced cytolytic protein that correlates with the ability to cause disease. 1457 43

Normal human hepatocytes are an ideal source of liver-targeted cell therapies, such as hepatocyte transplantation and bioartificial livers, but availability of human donor livers for liver cell isolation is severely limited. To effectively utilize scarce donor organs for cell therapies, it is of extreme importance to establish an efficient isolation technique and an effective cold preservation solution for transportation of isolated cells. A lateral segment of the liver was surgically resected from pigs weighing 10 kg and a four-step collagenase and dispase digestion was conducted. Isolated hepatocytes were subjected to 8-h cold storage on ice. The following preservation solutions were tested: 1) University of Wisconsin (UW) solution, 2) UW with 100 microg/ml of ascorbic acid-2 glucoside (AA2G), 3) 100% fetal bovine serum (FBS), and 4) Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) supplemented with 100% FBS. The mean viability of porcine hepatocytes was 95.5 +/- 2.5% when isolated in three independent experiments. Viability, plating efficiency, membrane stability, and ammonia metabolic capacity of cold-preserved hepatocytes were significantly better maintained by the use of UW solution. When AA2G (100 microg/ml) was combined with UW solution, such parameters were further improved. It was explained by inhibition of caspase-3 activation and retention of ATP at high levels of hepatocytes preserved with UW solution containing AA2G. The present work demonstrates that a combination of UW solution with AA2G (100 microg/ml) would be a useful cold preservation means for the development of cell therapies.
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PMID:Maintenance of cold-preserved porcine hepatocyte function with UW solution and ascorbic acid-2 glucoside. 1457 28

Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a maternally inherited disease characterized by selective death of retinal ganglion cells. Three pathogenic mtDNA point mutations induce an impairment of oxidative phosphorylation. We have investigated whether the release of cytochrome c during incubation of LHON cybrids in galactose medium leads to activation of the executive caspase-3 and to alteration of the energetic status of cells. From our research, it can be concluded that apoptotic cell death induced in LHON cybrid by galactose medium is caspase independent. It remains to be explained how the significant fragmentation of intranucleosomal DNA observed in LHON cybrids could also occur in the absence of caspase activation.
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PMID:Apoptotic cell death of cybrid cells bearing Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy mutations is caspase independent. 1503 23

Apoptosis of arterial cells induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) is thought to contribute to the progression of vascular dysfunction and atherogenesis. It is well established that diabetes mellitus is accompanied by both glycosylation and oxidation of LDL (glc-oxLDL), but the biological effects of these modified lipoproteins are poorly understood. We demonstrate here for the first time that glc-oxLDL increases TUNEL positivity and caspase-3 activation (by Western blot and immunocytochemistry) of human coronary smooth muscle cells. Overall, these effects induced by glc-oxLDL were greater than those achieved with oxLDL. Thus, glc-oxLDL activated downstream apoptotic signaling. This may influence the evolution of atherogenesis and vascular complications in diabetes.
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PMID:Glycoxidation of low-density lipoprotein increases TUNEL positivity and CPP32 activation in human coronary cells. 1503 15

The structural variations among extracellular N-glycans reflect the activity of glycosyltransferases and glycosidases that operate in the Golgi apparatus. More than other types of vertebrate glycans, N-glycans are highly branched oligosaccharides with multiple antennae linked to an underlying mannose core structure. The branching patterns of N-glycans consist of three types, termed high-mannose, hybrid, and complex. Though most extracellular mammalian N-glycans are of the complex type, some cells variably express hybrid and high-mannose forms. Nevertheless, a requirement for hybrid and complex N-glycan branching exists in embryonic development and postnatal function among mice and humans inheriting defective Mgat1 or Mgat2 alleles. The resulting defects in formation N-glycan branching patterns cause multiple abnormalities, including neurologic defects, and have inferred the presence of distinct functions for hybrid and complex N-glycan branches among different cell lineages. We have further explored N-glycan structure-function relationships in vivo by using Cre-loxP conditional mutagenesis to abolish hybrid and complex N-glycan branching specifically among neuronal cells. Our findings show that hybrid N-glycan branching is an essential posttranslational modification among neurons. Loss of Mgat1 resulted in a unique pattern of neuronal glycoprotein deficiency concurrent with caspase 3 activation and apoptosis. Such animals exhibited severe locomotor deficits, tremors, paralysis, and early postnatal death. Unexpectedly, neuronal Mgat2 deletion resulting in the loss of complex but not hybrid N-glycan branching was well tolerated without phenotypic markers of neuronal or locomotor dysfunction. Structural features associated with hybrid N-glycan branching comprise a requisite posttranslational modification to neuronal glycoproteins that permits normal cellular function and viability.
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PMID:N-glycan branching requirement in neuronal and postnatal viability. 1504 98

Rat neonatal ventricular myocytes exposed to simulated ischaemia and reperfusion (SI/R) were used as an in vitro model to delineate the role(s) of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38 and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal protein kinase (JNK), as well as PKB in apoptosis. Exposure of the myocytes to SI (simulated ischaemia - energy depletion induced by KCN and 2-deoxy- D-glucose) reduced cell viability, as measured by the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and stimulated apoptosis as evidenced by caspase-3 activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage. However, morphological evidence of increased apoptosis, detected by staining with Hoechst 33342, was only seen in response to reperfusion. This suggests that although ischaemic conditions are sufficient to induce cellular markers of apoptosis (PARP cleavage and caspase-3 activation), reperfusion is required to complete the apoptotic pathway in these cells. Furthermore, SI resulted in a rapid, strong, biphasic activation of p38 concomitant with a weak and transient activation of the two ERK isoenzymes, p42/p44-MAPK. Reperfusion for 5 minutes resulted in a strong phosphorylation of p42/p44-MAPK, while no additional p38 activation was seen at this stage. On the other hand, p46/p54-MAPK (JNK) was phosphorylated in response to 5 minutes of reperfusion only and not during SI alone. A peak of PKB/Akt (Ser(473)) activity was seen within 5 minutes of exposure to SI, whereas PKB/Akt (Thr(308)) phosphorylation remained at the baseline level. Both PKB/Akt phosphorylation sites (Ser(473) and Thr(308)) were phosphorylated after 5 minutes of reperfusion. Inhibition of PI-3-kinase activity, using wortmannin, decreased phosphorylation on both sites during SI. However, only SI/R-induced PKB/Akt phosphorylation on Thr(308) was reduced by wortmannin. Myocytes pre-treated with SB203580, a p38-inhibitor, displayed a significant increase in cell viability [63.67 +/- 1.85 to 84.33 +/- 4.8% (p < 0.05)] and attenuation of the apoptotic index during SI/R [22.6 +/- 2.94% to 9 +/- 0.43% (p < 0.001)], while SP600125, a specific JNK inhibitor, caused a significant increase in caspase-3 activation [1.66 +/- 0.03 fold to 2.56 +/- 0.27 fold (p < 0.001)] and apoptotic index [22.6 +/- 2.94% to 32.75 +/- 6.13% (p < 0.05)]. However, PD98059, an ERK inhibitor, failed to affect apoptosis during SI/R. Inhibition of PI-3-kinase prevented the increase in mitochondrial viability usually observed during reperfusion. Interestingly, wortmannin caused a significant increase in PARP cleavage during reperfusion, but had no effect on caspase-3 activation or the apoptotic index. Our results suggest that p38 has a pro-apoptotic role while JNK phosphorylation is protective in our cell model and that these kinases act via caspase-3 to prevent or promote cell survival in response to SI/R-induced injury.
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PMID:p38 and JNK have distinct regulatory functions on the development of apoptosis during simulated ischaemia and reperfusion in neonatal cardiomyocytes. 1530 13

Several lines of evidence support that beta-amyloid (Abeta)-induced neurotoxicity is mediated through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and elevation of intracellular calcium. In this study, we have investigated protective effects of sesaminol glucosides on Abeta-induced oxidative cell death in cultured rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. Sesaminol glucoside (50-250microg/ml) decreased Abeta(25-35)-induced ROS generation, formation of 8-oxodG, a form of oxidative DNA and elevation of intracellular calcium level concomitant with prevention of apoptotic cell death dose dependently. Sesaminol glucoside (50-250microg/ml) also effectively decreased Abeta1-42 and ADDL form of Abeta1-42 as well as the combination of H2O2 with FeSO4-induced cell damages. In mechanistic study, sesaminol glucosides attenuated Abeta25-35-induced activation of redox transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB NF-kappaB through inhibition of p50 translocation and IkappaB phosphorylation, and blocked NF-kappaB-dependent luciferase activity in addition to the inhibitory effect on Abeta25-35-induced activation of ERK kinase signal pathway. Consistent with the inhibitory effect on Abeta25-35-induced stress-induced cell death, sesaminol glucosides decreased expression of pro-apoptotic gene p53, and Bax and caspase-3, but enhanced expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2. Moreover, the protective effects of sesaminol glucoside on Abeta25-35-induced ROS generation, NF-kappaB activation and cell death were further enhanced with glutathione. This study therefore suggests that sesaminol glucosides have protective effect on Abeta-induced neuronal cell death, and its effect may be through antioxidative property.
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PMID:Effect of sesaminol glucosides on beta-amyloid-induced PC12 cell death through antioxidant mechanisms. 1588 33

Anthocyanins are naturally occurring reddish pigments that abundant in fruits and vegetables. To investigate the mechanistic basis for the anti-tumor properties of anthocyanins, five aglycone (cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, pelargonidin, and peonidin) and four glycosylated (cyanidin-3-glucoside, malvidin-3-glucoside, pelargonidin-3-glucoside and peonidin-3-glucoside) anthocyanins were used to examine their effects on cell cycle progression and induction of apoptosis in human gastric adenocarcinoma AGS cells. The data from cell viability assay showed that malvidin exhibited the most potent anti-proliferation effect on AGS cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). This event is accompanied the arrest of AGS cells at the G0/G1 phase by malvidin at the tested concentrations of 0-200 microM. Cellular uptake of anthocyanin and anthocyanidin was confirmed by HPLC analysis and the intracellular accumulation of malvidin (24.9+/-1.1 microM/mg protein) was observed when treatment of AGS cells with malvidin for 12 h. In addition, an accumulation of AGS cells in sub-G1 phase (20% and 30% increase for 100 and 200 microM of malvidin, respectively) was observed as well as by the appearance of a fraction of cells with an aneudiploid DNA content. The occurrence of apoptosis induced by malvidin was confirmed by morphological and biochemical features, including apoptotic bodies formation, caspase-3 activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase proteolysis. Furthermore, the mitochondrial membrane potential of apoptotic cells after treatment with malvidin was significantly lost and resulted in the elevation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio for 1.6-fold against control for 100 microM treatment. In addition, the malvidin treatment significantly increased the p38 kinase expression and inhibited the ERK activity, and the effects of malvidin on caspase-3 activation were blocked, respectively, by the ERK and p38 inhibitors. These findings suggest that growth inhibition and cytotoxicity of AGS cells by malvidin is involved in the induction of apoptosis rather than necrosis.
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PMID:Effects of anthocyanidin on the inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis in human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. 1596 18

Cobra cardiotoxins (CTXs) are basic polypeptides with diverse pharmacological functions that are cytotoxic to many different cell types through both necrotic and apoptotic cell death pathways. In this comparative study of the action of CTX A3 from the Taiwan cobra (Naja atra) on fetal rat cardiomyocytes and cortical neurons, it was shown that CTX A3 induced different patterns of elevation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), CTX internalization, caspase-3 activity and viability. Application of an anti-sulfatide monoclonal antibody, O4 specific for 3-sulfo-galactose lipid, but not in the control experiments using anti-GM3 monoclonal antibody, reduces CTX-induced [Ca2+]i elevation, CTX internalization and toxicity. Therefore, CTX may target similar sulfo-containing cell surface receptors in both fetal rat cardiomyocytes and cortical neurons, but induce cell death through different pathways specific to each cell type.
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PMID:Cobra cardiotoxin-induced cell death in fetal rat cardiomyocytes and cortical neurons: different pathway but similar cell surface target. 1608 Nov 19

Apoptosis of arterial cells induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) is thought to contribute to the progression of vascular dysfunction and atherogenesis. It is well established that diabetes mellitus is accompanied by both glycosylation and oxidation LDL, but the biological effects of these modified lipoproteins are poorly understood. We demonstrate here that glycosylated oxLDL (glc-oxLDL) promotes apoptotic signaling in human coronary smooth muscle cells. This was associated by a decrease of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, an increase of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax, and activation of caspase 3. Glc-oxLDL also activated NFK: B and decreased IK: B, these effects were more pronounced than those achieved with oxLDL. Our study shows that glc-oxLDL influences a broad cascade of signaling transduction pathways, which may not only result in apoptosis, but also could affect NFkappaB in human coronary cells. This cascade of events may influence the evolution of atherogenesis and vascular complications in diabetic patients.
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PMID:Glycoxidation of low-density lipoprotein promotes multiple apoptotic pathways and NFkappaB activation in human coronary cells. 1626 96


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