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)

Curcumin, in addition to its role as a spice, has been used for centuries to treat inflammatory disorders. Although the mechanism of action remains unclear, it has been shown to inhibit the activation of NF-kappaB and AP-1, transcription factors required for induction of many proinflammatory mediators. Due to its low toxicity it is currently under consideration as a broad anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor cell agent. In this study we investigated whether curcumin inhibited the response of gammadelta T cells to protease-resistant phosphorylated derivatives found in the cell wall of many pathogens. The results showed that curcumin levels > or =30 microM profoundly inhibited isopentenyl pyrophosphate-induced release of the chemokines macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha and -1beta and RANTES. Curcumin also blocked isopentenyl pyrophosphate-induced activation of NF-kappaB and AP-1. Commencing around 16 h, treatment with curcumin lead to the induction of cell death that could not be reversed by APC, IL-15, or IL-2. This cytotoxicity was associated with increased annexin V reactivity, nuclear expression of active caspase-3, cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor to the nucleus, and morphological evidence of nuclear disintegration. However, curcumin led to only large scale DNA chromatolysis, as determined by a combination of TUNEL staining and pulse-field and agarose gel electrophoresis, suggesting a predominantly apoptosis-inducing factor-mediated cell death process. We conclude that gammadelta T cells activated by these ubiquitous Ags are highly sensitive to curcumin, and that this effect may contribute to the anti-inflammatory properties of this compound.
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PMID:Curcumin inhibits activation of Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells by phosphoantigens and induces apoptosis involving apoptosis-inducing factor and large scale DNA fragmentation. 1154 38

Although ethanol is known to sensitize hepatocytes to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) lethality, the mechanisms involved remain controversial. Recently, others have shown that adding TNFalpha to cultures of ethanol-pretreated hepatocytes provokes the mitochondrial permeability transition, cytochrome c release, procaspase 3 activation, and apoptosis. Although this demonstrates that ethanol can sensitize hepatocytes to TNF-mediated apoptosis, the hepatic inflammation and ballooning hepatocyte degeneration that typify alcohol-induced liver injury suggest that other mechanisms might predominate in vivo. To evaluate this possibility, acute responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent inducer of TNFalpha, were compared in mice that had been fed either an ethanol-containing or control diet for 5 weeks. Despite enhanced induction of cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-10, IL-15, and IL-6 that protect hepatocytes from apoptosis, ethanol-fed mice exhibited a 4-5-fold increase in serum alanine aminotransferase after LPS, confirming increased liver injury. Six h post-LPS histology also differed notably in the two groups, with control livers demonstrating only scattered apoptotic hepatocytes, whereas ethanol-exposed livers had large foci of ballooned hepatocytes, inflammation, and scattered hemorrhage. No caspase 3 activity was noted during the initial 6 h after LPS in ethanol-fed mice, but this tripled by 1.5 h after LPS in controls. Procaspase 8 cleavage and activity of the apoptosis-associated kinase, Jun N-terminal kinase, were also greater in controls. In contrast, ethanol exposure did not inhibit activation of cytoprotective mitogen-activated protein kinases and AKT or attenuate induction of the anti-apoptotic factors NF-kappaB and inducible nitric oxide synthase. Consistent with these responses, neither cytochrome c release, an early apoptotic response, nor hepatic oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation, the ultimate consequence of apoptosis, was increased by ethanol. Thus, ethanol exacerbates TNF-related hepatotoxicity in vivo without enhancing caspase 3-dependent apoptosis.
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PMID:Chronic ethanol exposure potentiates lipopolysaccharide liver injury despite inhibiting Jun N-terminal kinase and caspase 3 activation. 1181 69

Neutrophil apoptosis represents a crucial step in the mechanisms governing the resolution of neutrophilic inflammation. Several soluble mediators of inflammation modulate neutrophil survival, retarding their apoptosis, whereas neutrophil activation by immune complexes (IC) results in the acceleration of apoptosis. To investigate neutrophil fate at the site of inflammation, we studied the effects of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-15, GM-CSF, and fMLP on spontaneous and IC-induced neutrophil apoptosis and the mechanisms regulating the survival of these cells. Spontaneous apoptosis was inhibited by GM-CSF, IL-6, and IL-15, but only GM-CSF overturned IC-induced apoptosis. No role of oxidants on the modulation of IC-dependent apoptosis was found. Indeed, fMLP or GM-CSF augmented the IC-dependent oxidative response, whereas the other compounds were ineffective. CGD neutrophils showed low levels of spontaneous apoptosis, but when exposed to IC, underwent a sharp increment of the apoptotic rate in a GM-CSF-inhibitable manner. Conversely, the expression of the proapoptotic protein Bax in 18-h aged neutrophils was down-regulated by GM-CSF, IL-6, and IL-15. Furthermore, IC induced a nearly threefold Bax up-regulation, which was completely reversed only by GM-CSF. Accordingly, the spontaneous activity of caspase-3 was inhibited by GM-CSF, IL-6, and IL-15. Furthermore, IC induced a sharp increment of enzymatic activity, and only GM-CSF inhibited the IC-dependent acceleration. Our results show that apoptosis of resting and IC-activated neutrophils is regulated differently, GM-CSF being the most potent neutrophil antiapoptotic factor. The results also unveil the existence of an oxidant-independent, Bax- and caspase-3-dependent, intracellular pathway regulating neutrophil apoptosis.
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PMID:Differential regulation of spontaneous and immune complex-induced neutrophil apoptosis by proinflammatory cytokines. Role of oxidants, Bax and caspase-3. 1210 Dec 71

The mechanism of induction of apoptosis by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is not fully characterized. The dsRNA is normally present in extremely low quantities in cells, but following infection with RNA viruses, large quantities of the dsRNA viral replicative intermediate may be produced triggering the antiviral response as well as cell death. In this report, transfection of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)] into NIT 1 cells has been used as a model of intracellular dsRNA-induced beta-cell apoptosis. At 18 h post transfection, 45% of the cells were apoptotic as indicated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining, and this was accompanied by an increase in nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) p50/p65 nuclear translocation and cleavage of caspases 3 and 8. The NF-kappaB inhibitor peptide, SN50, significantly reduced caspase-3 activity and the percentage of TUNEL-positive cells, substantiating a role for NF-kappaB in inducing intracellular dsRNA-mediated apoptosis. Concomitantly, RNA-dependent protein kinase activity was observed at 3 h post transfection along with phosphorylation and degradation of inhibitory kappaB-alpha. Expression of TRAIL (TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand), Fas, IL-15, and caspase-12 mRNAs was up-regulated in the presence of poly(I:C) but not when SN50 was also added. In contrast, there was no change detected in Fas, Fas-associated death domain, Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, Bax, p53, or XIAP(X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein) expression up to 12 h after poly(I:C) transfection. In addition, caspase-12 was cleaved, and phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2alpha occurred, suggesting that an endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway was involved in addition to NF-kappaB induction of an extrinsic pathway, possibly mediated by TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand.
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PMID:Nuclear factor-kappaB translocation mediates double-stranded ribonucleic acid-induced NIT-1 beta-cell apoptosis and up-regulates caspase-12 and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated ligand (TRAIL). 1296 48

Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is a member of the IL-2 cytokine family, which mediates proliferation or growth arrest and apoptosis of normal B cells, depending on their activation state. Here we demonstrate that surface IL-21 receptor (R) is expressed at variable levels by chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) B cells freshly isolated from 33 different patients. IL-21R expression was up-regulated following cell stimulation via surface CD40. Therefore, IL-21 effects were more evident in CD40-activated CLL B cells. IL-21 induced an early signaling cascade in CLL B cells, which included JAK-1 and JAK-3 autophosphorylation and tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT-1, STAT-3, and STAT-5. IL-21 signaling failed to stimulate CLL B-cell proliferation, but induced their apoptosis. In addition, IL-21 counteracted the proliferative and antiapoptotic signals delivered by IL-15 to CLL B cells. IL-21-mediated apoptosis involved activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3, cleavage of Bid to its active form t-Bid, and cleavage of PARP and of p27Kip-1. Recent data indicate that CLL B cells require interaction with the microenvironment for their survival and expansion. The present findings thus provide a set of new mechanisms involved in the balance between cell-survival and apoptotic signals in CLL B cells.
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PMID:Interleukin-21 receptor (IL-21R) is up-regulated by CD40 triggering and mediates proapoptotic signals in chronic lymphocytic leukemia B cells. 1639 Oct 14

Enzastaurin displays pro-apoptotic properties against a spectrum of malignancies and is currently being investigated in clinical trials. We have investigated the effects of enzastaurin on the viability of the cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cell lines HuT-78 and HH by using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium assay, cell cycle analysis, propidium iodide and annexin-V staining, and caspase-3-mediated proteolytic activation. Enzastaurin-treatment decreased cell viability, increased annexin V-FITC-positive cells, and increased the proportion of sub-G1 populations in both cell lines that was not reversed by the T-cell growth stimulating cytokines IL-2, IL-7, IL-15. Enzastaurin-induced cell death involved caspase-3-activated cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase that was inhibited by the pan-caspase inhibitor ZVAD-fmk, whereas the increase in sub-G1 population was only partially inhibited by ZVAD-fmk. Furthermore, enzastaurin downregulated AKT activity and its downstream effectors GSK3beta and ribosomal protein S6. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway has been implicated in the growth and survival of hematologic malignancies and inhibition of this pathway is considered as a therapeutic target. Protein kinase C activation contributes to PI3K/AKT activation, but it is unknown how enzastaurin may interfere with signaling through this pathway. These results demonstrate that enzastaurin, at clinically achievable concentrations, induces apoptosis and affects AKT signaling, and provide a rationale for further in vivo studies addressing the therapeutic efficacy in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma patients.
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PMID:The selective protein kinase C beta inhibitor enzastaurin induces apoptosis in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cell lines through the AKT pathway. 1664 90

IL-15, a T-cell growth factor, has been shown to be increased in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It has been suggested that neutralization of IL-15 could protect from T cell-dependent autoimmune inflammation. On the other hand, an anti-apoptotic effect of IL-15 has been demonstrated in kidney epithelial cells during nephritis. We therefore tested the role of IL-15 in two different experimental models of colitis in vivo, and in models of intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) apoptosis in vitro. IL-15 blockade in chronic dextran sulphate sodium-induced colitis resulted in aggravation of the disease with a significantly 2.1-fold increased epithelial damage score compared to controls. TUNEL staining clearly revealed increased apoptosis. IL-6, TNF and IFN-gamma secretion by mesenteric lymph node cells were increased. In the T cell-dependent SCID transfer model of colitis IL-15 neutralization reduced the inflammatory infiltration and proinflammatory cytokine production. Despite that, the intestinal epithelial damage was not reduced. In vitro, IL-15 pre-incubation prevented up to 75% of CH11 antibody-induced apoptosis in SW-480 cells and reduced caspase-3 activity. According to this, endogenously produced IL-15 in chronic colitis does not only act as a proinflammatory cytokine but has at the same time the potential to reduce mucosal damage by preventing IEC apoptosis.
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PMID:IL-15 protects intestinal epithelial cells. 1698 Nov 78

Decreased severity of graft-versus-host disease after mismatched umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplantation may be attributed in part to the increased propensity to apoptosis of UCB T cells following activation. Interleukin (IL)-15, a pleiotropic cytokine that is essential for T-cell proliferation and survival, may serve as promising immunomodulative therapy post-CB transplantation for its anti-apoptotic effect. This study aimed to determine the kinetics of Fas or tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor (TNFR) mediated caspase-3 expression and apoptosis of anti-CD3/anti-CD28 activated UCB T cells in the influence of IL-15. Activated caspase-3 expression was analyzed by Western blotting and the percentage of apoptotic cells was determined by annexin-V/propidium iodide (PI) flow cytometric staining. Significant expression of Fas and TNFR2 was detected on anti-CD3/anti-CD28 pre-activated UCB T cells. These cells were susceptible to anti-Fas but not TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis. Kinetic study shows that caspase-3 expression became evident at 6th-8th h following anti-Fas stimulation, while early apoptotic cells with annexin-V(+)/PI(-) expression appeared at 12th-16th h. IL-15, though successful in decreasing apoptosis in pre-activated UCB T cells, failed to completely prevent Fas-mediated caspase-3 expression and apoptosis of CB T cells. The pre-activated UCB and adult peripheral blood T cells behaved similarly with regard to death receptor expression, caspase-3 expression and apoptosis upon Fas-engagement. Although IL-15 promotes overall activated UCB T-cell survival, it did not particularly prevent Fas-mediated activation-induced cell death.
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PMID:Susceptibility to Fas and tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor mediated apoptosis of anti-CD3/anti-CD28-activated umbilical cord blood T cells. 1871 15

Intcrleukin-16 (IL-16) was originally identified in 1980 as the first-described T-cell chemoattractant. Since that time, the protein has been cloned, sequenced, and characterized in terms of expression and biologic function for regulating inflammation. Generated as a precursor molecule, IL-16 is cleaved by caspase-3, yielding pro-IL-16 and the secreted (mature) portion. Both components of IL-16 are now known to regulate T-cell growth and represent one of the few proteins for which function has been determined for both the pro- and secreted portions. Secreted IL-16 primes CD4+ T cells for IL-2 and IL-15 responsiveness, with a preferential effect on TH1 cells. Animal models have identified its involvement in the establishment of TH1-type inflammation with a critical role in the development of certain autoimmune diseases. Nuclear pro-IL-16 is a recently identified regulator of Skp2 transcription and T- cell cycle progression, acting as a scaffold protein for GABPbeta and histone deacctylase-3. The intent of this review is to present an update on the structure of both IL-16 and pro-IL-16, the biologic functions of both components, and how the functions relate to the pathology of certain diseases where changes in IL-16 expression levels have been detected.
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PMID:lnterleukin-16: the ins and outs of regulating T-cell activation. 1926 5

The regulation of mast cell activities and survival is a central issue in inflammatory immune responses. Here, we have investigated the role of mouse interleukin-15, a pro-inflammatory and pleiotropic cytokine, in the control of mast cell survival and homeostasis. We report that aged IL-15-/- mice show a reduced number of peritoneal mast cells compared to WT mice. Furthermore, IL-15 deficiency in bone marrow derived mouse mast cells (BMMCs) results in increased susceptibility to apoptosis mediated by growth factor deprivation and A-SMase-treatment. IL-15-/- BMMCs show a constitutive stronger mRNA and protein expression as well as enzymatic activity of the members of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathways including acidic lysosomal aspartate protease cathepsin D (CTSD), endogenous acid sphingomyelinase (A-SMase), caspase-3 and -7 compared to wild type (WT) BMMCs. Furthermore, IL-15-/- BMMCs constitutively generate more A-SMase-derived ceramide than WT controls and display a decreased expression of pro-survival sphingosin-1-phosphate (SPP) both in cytosol and membrane cell fractions. Furthermore, pre-treatment of mast cells with imipramine or pepstatin A, inhibitors of the intracellular acid sphingomyelinase and cathepsin D pathways respectively, increases survival in IL-15-/- BMMCs. These findings suggest that intracellular IL-15 is a key regulator of pathways controlling primary mouse mast cell homeostasis.
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PMID:Intracellular IL-15 controls mast cell survival. 1963 21


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