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)

Benzyl isothiocyanate can exert anti-tumor effect by arrest of cell cycle progression and induction of apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells. Among them, the dissection of the molecular mechanism of induction of apoptosis is important because the knowledge may be exploited for both cancer prevention and treatment. Our studies reported here indicate that BITC-mediated apoptosis involves the disappearance of intact 21-kDa Bid protein, cytochrome c release and predominant procaspase-3 cleavage. Using adenocarcinoma and metastatic pancreatic cancer cells, we investigated whether this dietary isothiocyanate induces apoptosis by converging two major pathways: the death receptor-mediated extrinsic and the mitochondrial intrinsic pathway. Indeed, cell surface receptor analysis by flow cytometry demonstrates the up-regulation of DR4, a member of death receptor family in BITC exposed pancreatic cancer cells. Since BITC is able to trigger death receptor signaling, we were interested in examining the effects of BITC and death receptor ligand TRAIL together on pancreatic cancer cell death. Interestingly, BITC augments TRAIL-induced apoptosis in both metastatic and adenocarcinoma cells. Moreover, we report for the first time that the sensitivity of metastatic pancreatic cancer cells to this isothiocyanate might be due to down-modulation of the proangiogenic molecule small GTPase Rac1 and caspase-3 substrate RasGAP, a regulator of Rho GTPase family.
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PMID:Anti-proliferative and proapoptotic effects of benzyl isothiocyanate on human pancreatic cancer cells is linked to death receptor activation and RasGAP/Rac1 down-modulation. 1963 79

Although many studies have focused on anticarcinogenic properties of capsaicin and resveratrol, molecular mechanisms by which they selectively induce apoptosis are incompletely characterized. We examined the role of nitric oxide (NO) and influence of p53 status during apoptosis induced by these agents in two isogenic HCT116 human colon carcinomas, wild-type p53 (p53-WT) and complete knockout of p53 (p53-null) cells. Capsaicin and resveratrol, alone or in combination, inhibited cell growth and promoted apoptosis by the elevation of NO; combined treatment in p53-WT cells was most effective. Increased NO production after treatment uniformly stimulated p53 and Bax expression through Mdm2 down-regulation in p53-WT cells, whereas all were unaffected in p53-null cells. Both cell types underwent a reduction in the levels of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein, cytochrome c loss from mitochondria and activation of caspase 9 together with caspase 3, independently of p53 status. Concomitantly, we observed DR4, Fas(CD95) and caspase 8 activation, suggesting that these compounds activate both the mitochondrial and death receptor pathways working together to induce apoptosis. These findings provide insight into the mechanism of apoptotic action of capsaicin and resveratrol based on p53 status and indicate manipulation of NO may offer exciting opportunities to improve the effectiveness of colon cancer treatment.
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PMID:Apoptosis induced by capsaicin and resveratrol in colon carcinoma cells requires nitric oxide production and caspase activation. 1984 3

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a promising anti-cancer agent. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is a polyphenolic constituent of green tea. In this study, inhibitory effect of combined use of EGCG and TRAIL on human melanoma A375 cells was examined and the possible mechanism investigated. The cells were divided into 4 groups: control group, EGCG group (EGCG: 10, 20 mug/mL), TRAIL group (TRAIL: 25 ng/mL) and EGCG+TRAIL group (combined group). The growth inhibition was measured in the A375 cells treated with different concentrations of TRAIL ((25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150 ng/mL) by MTT assay. The apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. The expressions of DR4 and DR5 were detected by flow cytometry and western blotting. The activities of caspase-8 and caspase-3 were determined by colorimetric assay. The results showed that TRAIL could dose-dependently inhibit the growth of A375 cells and the IC(50) of TRAIL was 150 ng/mL. The apoptosis rate was 11.8% in the TRAIL group, 5%-7% in the EGCG group and 48.9%-59.1% in the combined group. Significant difference was found in the apoptosis rate between the combined group and the EGCG or TRAIL group (P<0.05 for each). The expression of DR4 instead of DR5 was significantly increased in the EGCG group. The activity of caspase-3 rather than caspase-8 was substantially enhanced in the EGCG group. These results suggest that EGCG is useful for the TRAIL-based treatment for melanoma.
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PMID:EGCG enhances TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in human melanoma A375 cell line. 2003 25

Despite improvements in chemotherapy and surgery in the treatment of osteosarcoma (OS), satisfactory results are still difficult to achieve. Novel therapeutic modalities need to be developed for osteosarcoma treatment. The combined effects of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and ionizing radiation (IR) on human OS cells were investigated. IR and TRAIL treatment synergistically decreased the cell viability and enhanced apoptosis in OS cell lines. IR pretreatment enhances TRAIL-induced Bid and caspase-3 activations. Decreases in the expression levels of the antiapoptotic proteins c-FLIP and XIAP also associated with apoptosis enhancement. Furthermore, IR pretreatment enhanced DR4 and DR5 expressions at the transcription stage. These results can become the basic lines of evidence for the future treatment of OS using TRAIL with IR.
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PMID:Ionizing radiation enhances tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis through up-regulations of death receptor 4 (DR4) and death receptor 5 (DR5) in human osteosarcoma cells. 2004 91

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) binds to death receptors 4 and 5 (DR4, DR5) to transduce apoptotic signals. Conatumumab (AMG 655) is an investigational, fully human monoclonal agonist antibody (IgG(1)) to human DR5, which induces apoptosis via caspase activation. In this study, we demonstrate that conatumumab binds to DR5, activating intracellular caspases in vitro in the presence of a cross-linker. We also show that conatumumab has activity in vivo and inhibits tumor growth in colon (Colo205 and HCT-15), lung (H2122) and pancreatic (MiaPaCa2/T2) xenograft models. Conatumumab also enhances the antitumor activity of chemotherapeutics in vivo. Caspase activation in Colo205 tumors is dose-dependent and correlated with serum concentrations of conatumumab. We demonstrate for the first time that increases in serum caspase-3/7 activity and levels of M30 (neoepitope of caspase-cleaved cytokeratin-18) are linked to activation of the extrinsic apoptotic pathway using conatumumab in a preclinical model. These data suggest that conatumumab has potential as a therapeutic agent for treating patients with multiple tumor types, and that serum caspase-3/7 and M30 levels may serve as biomarkers of conatumumab activity.
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PMID:Conatumumab, a fully human agonist antibody to death receptor 5, induces apoptosis via caspase activation in multiple tumor types. 2015 Jul 62

Whether celastrol, a triterpene from traditional Chinese medicine, can modulate the anticancer effects of TRAIL, the cytokine that is currently in clinical trial, was investigated. As indicated by assays that measure plasma membrane integrity, phosphatidylserine exposure, mitochondrial activity, and activation of caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase-3, celastrol potentiated the TRAIL-induced apoptosis in human breast cancer cells, and converted TRAIL-resistant cells to TRAIL-sensitive cells. When examined for its mechanism, we found that the triterpene down-regulated the expression of cell survival proteins including cFLIP, IAP-1, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, survivin, and XIAP and up-regulated Bax expression. In addition, we found that celastrol induced the cell surface expression of both the TRAIL receptors DR4 and DR5. This increase in receptors was noted in a wide variety of cancer cells including breast, lung, colorectal, prostate, esophageal, and pancreatic cancer cells, and myeloid and leukemia cells. Gene silencing of the death receptor abolished the effect of celastrol on TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Induction of the death receptor by the triterpenoid was found to be p53-independent but required the induction of CAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP), inasmuch as gene silencing of CHOP abolished the induction of DR5 expression by celastrol and associated enhancement of TRAIL-induced apoptosis. We found that celastrol also induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and ROS sequestration inhibited celastrol-induced expression of CHOP and DR5, and consequent sensitization to TRAIL. Overall, our results demonstrate that celastrol can potentiate the apoptotic effects of TRAIL through down-regulation of cell survival proteins and up-regulation of death receptors via the ROS-mediated up-regulation of CHOP pathway.
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PMID:Celastrol, a triterpene, enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis through the down-regulation of cell survival proteins and up-regulation of death receptors. 2749 61

4-Methylumbelliferone (4-MU) is a hyaluronic acid (HA) synthesis inhibitor with anticancer properties; the mechanism of its anticancer effects is unknown. We evaluated the effects of 4-MU on prostate cancer cells. 4-MU inhibited proliferation, motility, and invasion of DU145, PC3-ML, LNCaP, C4-2B, and/or LAPC-4 cells. At IC(50) for HA synthesis (0.4 mmol/L), 4-MU induced >3-fold apoptosis in prostate cancer cells, which could be prevented by the addition of HA. 4-MU induced caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase-3 activation, PARP cleavage, upregulation of Fas-L, Fas, FADD and DR4, and downregulation of bcl-2, phosphorylated bad, bcl-XL, phosphorylated Akt, phosphorylated IKB, phosphorylated ErbB2, and phosphorylated epidermal growth factor receptor. At IC(50), 4-MU also caused >90% inhibition of NF-kappaB reporter activity, which was prevented partially by the addition of HA. With the exception of caveolin-1, HA reversed the 4-MU-induced downregulation of HA receptors (CD44 and RHAMM), matrix-degrading enzymes (MMP-2 and MMP-9), interleukin-8, and chemokine receptors (CXCR1, CXCR4, and CXCR7) at the protein and mRNA levels. Expression of myristoylated-Akt rescued 4-MU-induced apoptosis and inhibition of cell growth and interleukin-8, RHAMM, HAS2, CD44, and MMP-9 expression. Oral administration of 4-MU significantly decreased PC3-ML tumor growth (>3-fold) when treatment was started either on the day of tumor cell injection or after the tumors became palpable, without organ toxicity, changes in serum chemistry, or body weight. Tumors from 4-MU-treated animals showed reduced microvessel density ( approximately 3-fold) and HA expression but increased terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling-positive cells and expression of apoptosis-related molecules. Therefore, the anticancer effects of 4-MU, an orally bioavailable and relatively nontoxic agent, are primarily mediated by inhibition of HA signaling.
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PMID:Antitumor activity of hyaluronic acid synthesis inhibitor 4-methylumbelliferone in prostate cancer cells. 2033 31

In the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, accumulation of lipids in hepatocytes and hepatocyte apoptosis are strongly implicated in disease progression from the potentially reversible condition of steatosis to severe acute and chronic liver injury. Acyl-CoA synthetase 5, a member of the ACSL gene family that catalyzes the activation of long-chain fatty acids for lipid biosynthesis, is the only ACSL isoform that is both, located on mitochondria and functionally involved in enterocyte apoptosis. In this study, the regulation of human ACSL5 in hepatocellular fatty acid degeneration and its involvement in hepatocyte apoptosis was investigated using models of in vitro and in vivo steatosis as well as plasmid-mediated stable gene transfer and RNAi-mediated gene silencing. ACSL5 mRNA and protein were strongly increased by uptake of dietary derived fatty acids in primary human hepatocytes, HepG2 cells and human steatotic liver. Over-expression of ACSL5 decreased HepG2 cell viability and increased susceptibility to TRAIL- and TNFalpha-, but not FAS- induced apoptosis, whereas knock down of ACSL5 reduced apoptosis susceptibility. High ACSL5 activity resulted in enhanced caspase-3/7 activity, but was not accompanied by up-regulation of death receptors, DR4, DR5 or TNF-R1. This study gives evidence that hepatocyte steatosis is associated with ACSL5 up-regulation resulting in increased susceptibility to hepatic cell death. We propose that ACSL5 could play a role in promoting fatty acid-induced lipoapoptosis in hepatocytes as important mechanism in fatty liver-related disorders.
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PMID:Lipid-induced up-regulation of human acyl-CoA synthetase 5 promotes hepatocellular apoptosis. 2047 Aug 96

Death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) is a serine/threonine kinase that participates in the modulation of apoptosis and tumor suppression. Our previous study revealed high levels of DAPK protein expression in differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma cells. To clarify the role of DAPK in human endometrial adenocarcinomas, we down-regulated endogenous DAPK expression in HHUA cells, a well-differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line, using specific small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs). The suppression of endogenous DAPK expression triggered apoptosis in HHUA cells, as evidenced by an increase in the sub-G1 DNA content in flow cytometric analyses. The apoptosis induced by the DAPK siRNA transfections was caspase-dependent, as characterized by the activations of caspase-3, -8 and -9. RNase protection assays detected higher levels of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), DR4 and DR5 transcripts in the DAPK siRNA-transfected HHUA cells than in the control siRNA-transfected cells. Consistent with these findings, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays revealed that the DAPK siRNA transfections significantly increased the secretion of TRAIL protein from the cells. Treatment with recombinant human TRAIL protein dose-dependently suppressed the cell viability of HHUA cells. The present findings reveal that down-regulation of endogenous DAPK expression in HHUA cells induces caspase-dependent apoptosis, possibly through increased TRAIL, DR4 and DR5 signaling, thereby suggesting that DAPK expression is essential for HHUA cell survival. Consequently, endogenous DAPK mRNA may represent a potential candidate for molecularly targeted anticancer therapies.
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PMID:Targeted knockdown of death-associated protein kinase expression induces TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in human endometrial adenocarcinoma cells. 2051 12

In search of bioactive natural products for overcoming TRAIL resistance from natural resources, we previously reported a number of active compounds. Bioassay-guided fractionation of mangrove, Amoora cucullata, collected from Sundarbans Mangrove Forest, Bangladesh, led to the isolation of four new compounds (1-4), along with seven known compounds (5-11). Of the isolates, compounds 1, 5, 8, and 9 showed TRAIL resistance-overcoming activity, among which 8 showed the most potent activity and enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis in TRAIL-resistant human gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) cells through the activation of caspase-3/7, enhancing the expression of DR4 and DR5 mRNA in AGS cells. Cell death caused by the combined treatment of 8 and TRAIL was inhibited by human recombinant DR5/Fc and DR4/Fc chimera proteins, indicating that 8 sensitizes TRAIL-resistant AGS cells to TRAIL through the induction of DR4 and DR5.
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PMID:Constituents of Amoora cucullata with TRAIL resistance-overcoming activity. 2057 16


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