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)

Activation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) has been shown to reduce caspase-dependent apoptosis in primary neuronal cultures induced by staurosporine and etoposide. beta-Amyloid (Abeta)-induced neurotoxicity in culture appears to be in part caspase mediated. In the present studies the effects of treatment with an mGluR5 agonist or antagonist on Abeta-induced neuronal apoptosis were examined in rat cortical neuronal cultures. Pretreatment with the selective mGluR5 agonist (RS)-2-chloro-5-hydroxyphenylglycine (CHPG) markedly reduced the number of apoptotic cells after exposure to Abeta (25-35), as well as associated LDH release. Blockade of mGluR5 by the selective antagonist, 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP) attenuated these effects of CHPG. A similar neuroprotective effect of mGluR5 activation by CHPG was observed in cultures treated with full-length Abeta peptide (1-42). CHPG attenuated Abeta (25-35)-induced cytochrome c release and decreased levels of active caspase-3 protein. CHPG also reduced translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) induced by Abeta (25-35). Thus, mGluR5 activation limits the release of mitochondrial proteins associated with induction of both caspase-dependent and -independent apoptosis.
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PMID:MGLuR5 activation reduces beta-amyloid-induced cell death in primary neuronal cultures and attenuates translocation of cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor. 1518 56

In this study, we cloned and characterized a human gene homologous to the apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), which is named AIF-like (AIFL). Human AIFL has 598 amino acids, with a characteristic Rieske domain and a pyridine nucleotide-disulfide oxidoreductase domain (Pyr_redox). AIFL shares 35% homology with AIF, mainly in the Pyr_redox domain. Reverse transcriptase-PCR analysis showed the expression of AIFL mRNA in all tissues tested, i.e. brain, colon, heart, kidney, liver, lung, muscle, ovary, pancreas, placenta, small intestine, and testis. We developed antibodies against human AIFL using fusion proteins as antigens. The antibodies specifically recognized the antigen and heterologously expressed AIFL proteins. The expression of AIFL proteins in human tissues was also ubiquitous, demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in tissue array slides. Subcellular fractionation and immunofluorescence staining studies revealed that AIFL is predominantly localized to the mitochondria. Similar to AIF, overexpression of AIFL induced apoptosis, as shown by increased cytoplasmic nucleosomes and subdiploid cell populations in AIFL-transfected cells. The segment 1-190 containing the Rieske domain induced apoptosis, whereas the segment containing the Pyr_redox domain did not contribute to the pro-apoptotic function. The mitochondrial membrane potential of cells transfected with AIFL was significantly more depolarized than that of the control. AIFL transfection-induced cytochrome c release and cleavage of caspase 3. Furthermore, the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-fmk inhibited AIFL induced apoptosis. In summary, AIFL induces apoptosis in a caspase-dependent manner when heterologously expressed.
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PMID:Molecular cloning and characterization of a human AIF-like gene with ability to induce apoptosis. 1576 4

Bak Foong Pills (BFP), a traditional Chinese medicine used for centuries for the enhancement of women's health, was shown to display neuro-protective activity in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,4,6,-tetrahydro-pyridine (MPTP)-induced mouse model in a previous study. In order to elucidate its mechanism of action, we investigated the anti-apoptotic properties of Bak Foong Pills and its main ingredients, including Panax ginseng, Angelica sinensis, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, and Ligusticum chuanxiong, in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-treated PC12 cell model. The addition of the neurotoxin could cause significant cell death and reduction of cell proliferation, as shown in the results determined by MTT assay, nitric oxide (NO) measurement and flow cytometric propidium iodine (PI) staining analysis, while pre-treatment of PC12 cell with either BFP or its main ingredients prevented the toxicity to some degree. In addition, the neurotoxin caused an elevated activation of caspase-3, the key enzyme for activation of the cellular apoptotic cascade, whereas BFP or its main ingredients inhibited the activation of caspase-3. These results strongly indicate that BFP and its main ingredients may provide a useful therapeutic strategy for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease.
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PMID:Anti-apoptotic activity of Bak Foong Pills and its ingredients on 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells. 1615 79

We have previously synthesized various diazenecarboxamides (subsequently referred to as diazenes) that were cytotoxic to several tumor cell lines. To increase their biological activity, the structure has been modified appropriately. In the present study we examined the effects of N(1)-phenyl-N(2)-(2-pyridinylmethyl)diazenedicarboxamide (RL-337) obtained from the previously examined cytotoxic compound N(1)-phenyl-N(2)-(2-pyridinyl)diazenecarboxamide (JK-279), and compared them with those of diazene JK-279. Using a modified colorimetric MTT assay, the cytotoxicity of RL-337 was determined on human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells, glioblastoma A1235 cells, and prostate adenocarcinoma PC-3 cells. The possible synergistic effect of diazene RL-337 with cisplatin, doxorubicin, and vincristine, and its influence on intracellular GSH content was examined on HeLa cells. Diazene RL-337 was cytotoxic against all three human tumor cell lines, being more cytotoxic to HeLa cells than diazene JK-279. The higher efficacy of RL-337 than of JK-279 can be connected with higher basicity of the 2-picoline moiety present in the former diazene comparing with the pyridine fragment that is a part of the latter. The diazene RL-337 acted synergistically with cisplatin, doxorubicin, and vincristine (diazene JK-279 exhibited synergistic effect only with cisplatin). Glutathione (determined by Tietze's method) was not a target molecule of diazene RL-337 (but was for JK-279, as shown earlier). After just 1 h treatment with diazene RL-337, the cells started to lose membrane integrity. There was no cleavage of caspase-3 in RL-337-treated samples, and the majority of cells died 6 h after the treatment through necrosis (previously, apoptosis-like cell death was detected for diazene JK-279). Thus, although diazenes JK-279 and RL-337 are very similar in their structure, they exhibit widely different biological activity.
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PMID:Structurally similar diazenes exhibit significantly different biological activity. 1646 20

The work described here involved the synthesis and biological evaluation of new heteroaryldiamides and heteroaryldiamines. A new general model in which the structures can be adjusted has been applied in this study. Three different structural units can be distinguished: a central nucleus and two symmetric terminal units. The central element is either an aliphatic chain of varying length and flexibility, piperazine, or a polyamine nucleus. However, the terminal units are pyridine, quinoline, indole, benzene or pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine with different substituents. The antitumoural activities of the compounds were evaluated in vitro by examining their cytotoxic effects against human breast, colon, and bladder cancer cell lines. Compounds that showed cytotoxic activity were subjected to both apoptosis and caspase-3 assays. With regard to selectivity, the cytotoxicity was also determined in cell cultures of two nontumoural lines. The most promising compounds are 4c, 5c and 7, which are amino-pyridinium, quinolyl-N-oxide, and pyridyl derivatives, respectively, and these reveal a significant in vitro cytotoxicity in at least two of the three cell lines tested. These compounds induced apoptosis and also produced a rapid dose-dependent increase in the caspase-3 level in HT-29 cells. Other encouraging profiles were found, such as those presented by 1k and 8d, which are cytotoxic and apoptotic but do not provoke an increase in the level of caspase-3, or those presented by 2f, 3c and 4a, which are slightly cytotoxic but do not show any other significant activity. The different types of behaviour of each compound are not necessarily parallel in the three cell lines tested.
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PMID:Synthesis and biological evaluation of heteroaryldiamides and heteroaryldiamines as cytotoxic agents, apoptosis inducers and caspase-3 activators. 1657 81

Recently the first Monascus metabolites with a pyridine ring were detected, the monascopyridines A and B. They are formally dehydrogenated derivatives of the red rice pigments rubropunctamine and monascorubramine. Because of their structural similarity, the toxicological effects of these secondary metabolites were studied using immortalized human kidney epithelial cells. The cytotoxicity was determined with the following different endpoint detection methods: metabolic activity, trypan blue exclusion, and electronic cell counting. The compounds led to EC(50) values between 11 and 31 micromol/L but the pigments caused a stronger reduction of the cell viability. Also, the apoptotic potential was examined by measuring caspase 3 activity and detecting apoptotic bodies, but none of the tested compounds induced apoptosis. All four substances caused a rise of the mitotic index to about 9% (100 micromol/L monascopyridine A and B) and 20% (25 micromol/L rubropunctamine and monascorubramine). The significant decrease of the ratio of cells in the ana- and telophase to cells in the prometa- and metaphase proved a stop of the mitosis at the meta- to anaphase control point. The compounds caused mitotic arrest and the formation of structural damages like c-mitosis through interaction with the mitotic spindle. These effects point to an aneuploidy inducing potential, which is linked to cancer formation.
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PMID:Cytotoxic and antimitotic effects of N-containing Monascus metabolites studied using immortalized human kidney epithelial cells. 1659 8

The majority of studies on neuroprotection tested potentially protective compounds given before, simultaneously or shortly after damage. Such procedures are greatly different from the situation faced in clinical practice. In the present study, we tried to find out whether two compounds, a selective mGluR5 antagonist 3-[(2-methyl-1, 3-thiazol-4-yl) ethynyl]-pyridine (MTEP) and neuro-peptide Y (NPY) elicit neuroprotective action against excitotoxic damage in the mouse neocortical and hippocampal neuronal cultures after delayed treatment. In order to evoke toxic effects, primary cultures were exposed to 150 munic acid (KA) for 24 h (hippocampus) or for 48 h (neocortex). MTEP (1, 10 and 100 microM), or NPY (0.5 microM and 1 microM) were applied 30 min before, or 30 min, 1 h, 3 h or 6 h after KA. Kainate neurotoxicity was measured by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) efflux from the damaged cells into the culture media. The results of our studies showed that MTEPor NPY treatment attenuated the kainate-induced LDH release in mouse neocortical and hippocampal cultures. The effect was observed when the compounds were added not only before, but also 30 min to 6 h after KA. Moreover, both MTEP and NPY displayed antiapoptotic activity as they prevented the KA-induced increase in the expression of caspase-3 activity in the cultures under study. Summing up, our data showed that MTEP and NPY were neuroprotective in wide time schedule. The effectiveness of late treatment with these compounds opens a new perspective for their potential therapeutic use.
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PMID:Neuroprotective effects of MTEP, a selective mGluR5 antagonists and neuropeptide Y on the kainate-induced toxicity in primary neuronal cultures. 1722 May 42

The intracellular uptake of Angiotensin II has been described, although its physiological role is not yet understood. We aimed to study the role of Angiotensin II internalization in Angiotensin II-induced apoptosis. Vascular smooth muscle cells were cultured from male Wistar-Kyoto rats and treated with Angiotensin II (1 microM, 48 h). Apoptosis was assessed by DNA fragmentation, cell cytometry and caspase-3 activity. The Angiotensin AT(1) receptor antagonist irbesartan (0.1-10 microM) and the inhibitors of Angiotensin II internalization phenylarsine oxide (PAO, 20 microM), but not the AT(2) receptor antagonist PD123319 (S-(+)-1-[(4-(Dimethylamino)-3-methylphenyl)methyl]-5-(diphenylacetyl)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine-6-carboxylic acid di(trifluoroacetate) salt), decreased Angiotensin II-mediated apoptosis. Pre-treatment with irbesartan, but not with PD123319, blocked Angiotensin II internalization. We found a strong correlation between intracellular Angiotensin II staining and Angiotensin II-induced apoptosis for all compared groups. We therefore conclude that internalization of Angiotensin II is involved in apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells induced by this peptide.
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PMID:Importance of intracellular angiotensin II in vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis: inhibition by the angiotensin AT1 receptor antagonist irbesartan. 1750 62

Decreased staining with dimethylthiazol diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) is widely used for cell death detection. This study examined MTT assay as a marker of the Na+i,K+i-independent mode of cell death revealed in ouabain-treated C7-MDCK cells derived from distal tubule of the Madin-Darby canine kidney. The action of 3-M ouabain on MTT reduction in C7-MDCK cells exhibited bipartite kinetics with a rapid ~2-fold decline occurring in 30-120 min and a delayed ~8-10-fold decrease after 10 hr of ouabain addition. Treatment with ouabain for 18 hr led to 6-fold activation of caspase-3, 4-fold elevation of chromatin fragmentation, and massive cell detachment. Caspase-3 activation, chromatin fragmentation and cell detachment were completely abolished by acidification of the incubation medium from pH 7.2 to 6.7. In contrast, the 2-fold inhibition of MTT reduction seen in 5 hr of ouabain addition was not affected by medium acidification. Within the 5-hr time window, we did not observe any significant impact of ouabain on the cellular redox state estimated by the autofluorescence ratio of reduced pyridine nucleotides and oxidized flavoproteins. In rat aortic endothelial cells and primary astrocytes, exposure to 5-mM ouabain attenuated MTT reduction but did not affect cell survival. Thus, our results show that diminished staining with MTT in ouabain-treated cells is not sufficient proof of triggering of the cell death machinery. We speculate that altered endo- and exocytoses evoked by cardiotonic steroids contribute to decreased MTT reduction.
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PMID:The rapid decline of MTT reduction is not a marker of death signaling in ouabain-treated cells. 1753 39

There is growing interest in the possible health benefits of tea. We reported previously on the inhibition by white tea of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP)-induced colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in the rat (4). To distinguish between blocking and suppressing effects, and thus provide mechanistic insights into prevention during the initiation versus post-initiation phases of carcinogenesis, white tea, and green tea were administered at 2% (w/v) as the sole source of drinking fluid either 2 wk before and 2 wk during PhIP dosing (100 mg/kg, every other day by oral gavage), or starting 1 wk after the carcinogen and continued until the study was terminated at 16 wk. In the former protocol, each tea produced marginal inhibition of colonic ACF, despite evidence for changes in several hepatic enzymes involved in heterocyclic amine metabolism. Post-initiation, however, the data were as follows (ACF/colon, mean +/- SE): PhIP/water 12.2 +/- 1.5; PhIP/white tea 5.9 +/- 0.9 (** P < 0.01); PhIP/caffeine 5.9 +/- 1.5 (** P < 0.01); PhIP/EGCG 3.5 +/- 0.8 (***P < 0.001); PhIP/green tea 8.9 +/- 1.2 (P = 0.22, not significant). In the latter study, apoptosis was determined using in situ oligo ligation and cleaved caspase-3 assays, whereas cell proliferation was assessed via bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation. No consistent changes were seen in apoptosis assays, but BrdU labeling was as follows (percent of cells positive/colonic crypt, mean +/- SE): PhIP/water 10.4 +/- 0.6; PhIP/white tea 8.6 +/- 0.2 (*P < 0.05); PhIP/EGCG 6.0 +/- 0.85 (** P < 0.01); PhIP/caffeine 8.75 +/- 0.45 (*P < 0.05); PhIP/green tea 9.5 +/- 0.4 (P > 0.05, not significant). The data imply that white tea, caffeine, and EGCG may be most effective post-initiation, via the inhibition of cell proliferation in the colon and through the suppression of early lesions.
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PMID:Comparison of white tea, green tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, and caffeine as inhibitors of PhIP-induced colonic aberrant crypts. 1757 68


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